I am slightly surprised to find I liked this book! Someone on Twitter said that the first two books were good, but that "the concept got away from the author in book three", and since the concept has always been the worst part of the books ... well, I didn't have high hopes. The concept still isn't brilliant, but if you just accept it for what it is ... yeah, it works. Actually, I thought it really worked in this third book, although I can't say exactly why because that would mean spoiling the entire thing. But when they left the city and was gonna get an explanation I was hoping for a Truman Show-thing and that's basically what I got, so I'm happy!

I love that this book actually tries to deal with what is OUTSIDE the world in the book, what is going on there. We don't really get any answers - we don't know what is going on in Europe or Asia or Africa - but the characters are at least thinking of it, and I liked that.

I also love that this series DOES NOT HAVE A LOVE TRIANGLE, PRAISE THE FUCKING GODS. I've always liked Tris and Four as a couple, I thought their love story in Divergent was nice and just felt real and chill somehow. It felt natural, and it does throughout the series. They fight and they mistrust each other, but in Insurgent they had really good reasons to, and except for a bit of unneccessary jealousy in Allegiant, they're just a very believable couple.

And I love Tris, I really do. She just has so much agency and gets to make her own fucking choises and take control of her own destiny most of the time. And while she may be a bit hot-headed, I just love how she never indulges in any girl on girl hate. The entire series is pretty good with this, and the female characters gets to be just as varied, diverse and developed as the male ones. Plus BFFy goodness between Tris and Christina, no matter what they go through. GIVE ME MORE OF THIS IN ALL THE BOOKS.

Of course, I already knew about that major plot twist, aka that (literally don't click this if you haven't read the book oki, this spoiler is huge) Tris dies. When I found out I was like "arrggghhh, spoilers!" but as I was reading the book I think knowing was better in the end. I had time to prepare myself for it, and I think I needed that because otherwise I would not have seen it coming at all - despite the hints placed by the author throughout the book. I kinda love that she went there.

Dislikes:
- that Tris and Four shares the narrative, because it got SO confusing whenever it was Four talking since "I" has meant Tris for two books
- genetics???? what are??????
- lol, like all dudes that aren't Four? Let's just skip them ( )

CW: MC sacrifices herself for the greater good. ( )

Major spoiler under spoiler tags ahead. Click at your own risk.

Lots of things in this book were unnecessary, or illogical, or just plain ridiculous. And I could have worked with that even so. But death of the main character? You better have a great reason for doing that. And this book really didn't. ( )

WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED? Currently trying to understand where all of her great writing skills and the amazing storyline went. Love the first book but this was just sloppy and boring. Very let down by the ending. ( )

A decent book but has a very similar plot to the other two books. The ending was the only original part. ( )