Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Title: Allegiant (Divergent #3)

Author: Veronica Roth

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Release Date: October 22, 2013

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered--fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she's known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobia will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories. 

But Tris's new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths chance the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature--and of herself--while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent. 

SPOILERS AHEAD, KEEP READING AT YOUR OWN RISK!

I was away from home when Allegiant was released. I had to wait a week in order to be able to read the book, and as a result, all I saw were people freaking out over the end. And that made me beyond nervous to read Allegiant. But I should have just trusted that Veronica Roth knew what she was doing.

Showing the video was supposed to change things. It was supposed to help get the city back. But Tris soon discovers that she may never get her city back. Now that the Factionless have taken over Chicago, there is very little Tris and Tobias can do to fight back. There only hope is to set foot outside the fence, to discover what really lies outside the city limits. But what Tris and Tobias find outside the fence is even more troubling than what they left behind in the city. Now it's up to Tris and Tobias to make impossible choices, ones that will change everything forever.

BE WARNED, THIS REVIEW WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS. IF YOU DON'T WANT THE END OF THE TRILOGY SPOILED, I STRONGLY RECOMMEND YOU STOP READING NOW.

There's so much that can be said about Allegiant and I'll try my best not to ramble too much. Here's the thing, there's only so many ways this story could have gone that would have made sense and that would have resulted in a satisfying ending. From the start, I knew that it would be a painful story to read. Not because it would be a bad story or because it was poorly written, but because I knew what had to happen…or at least I had some inkling of it. It didn't help that I had witness all the uproar over the ending for an entire week before I was able to read Allegiant. So I was majorly apprehensive and maybe a little scared when I started reading. But I really shouldn't have been. As much as there were moments when my heart was ripped to pieces, I knew why it was happening, and that it would be for the greater good (not that it made it any less painful). And that brings me to the ending of the story. Veronica Roth knew what she was doing when she wrote Allegiant. In hindsight, the alternating points of view between Tris and Tobias should have been a big tip-off as to what would happen (or that line about Tobias having found someone he was terrified of losing--maybe I was just in denial about what had to happen). But it still hurt when it came down to it and all of a sudden there was only one point of view left. But if you want my honest opinion, I don't think that the story could have ended any other way. Don't get me wrong, I was bawling when Tris was killed. But it wouldn't have worked any other way. Knowing what I knew about Tris, I would have been more frustrated if Tris had let Caleb go and sacrifice himself (not that I've forgiven Caleb for what he's done). In ending the story this way, Veronica Roth was true to her story and true to her characters. Yeah, it was painful (ask my roommate, she found me crying in the kitchen over breakfast while I was reading), but it was a satisfying ending, one that showed me that there was still hope for the characters. And it was finally a story with an epilogue that didn't piss me off.

I've loved Tris from the start. Even when it didn't seem like it, she was the strongest more courageous person in that story. In Allegiant, that strength and that courage shone through. Admittedly, that's especially through in hindsight. And though I love Tris for that courage and strength, there were still moments where I wanted to smack some sense into her. But she wouldn't have been the Tris I knew and loved if she hadn't been that person who was both selfish and selfless, who sometimes could have used someone to talk some sense into her. And that was especially true in the moment when she made the decision to sacrifice herself in Caleb's place (admittedly, I'm still not sure if that was Tris being selfish or selfless, to be honest). What I loved about Allegiant though, was getting to be inside Tobias's head. I found it so interesting to see that more often than not, he wasn't that strong and powerful leader everyone saw him as. I could tell that there were many times when he was still that younger boy being abused by his father. And in those moments, I just wanted to hug Tobias. And reading Tris's death from his perspective simply broke my heart. The way he just shut down. But I was also happy to see that he was able to start to move on, knowing that the pain would never go away but that it could eventually become easier. The person that surprised me the most in Allegiant was actually Peter. Before this book, I always saw him as a sociopath who cared about no one and nothing but himself. But in Allegiant I was able to see a different side of him, and find out that he knew he had a tendency to be a despicable human being and hated himself for it. I just found that aspect of his personality to be so different from what I expected, and it surprised me. And the same can be said about a lot of the other characters in Allegiant.

This is my very long-winded way of saying that, despite what a lot of people have thought, I might actually have loved Allegiant. I loved that Veronica Roth wasn't afraid of making choices for her story and her characters that not everyone would like. Allegiant really couldn't really have gone any other way. It was a powerful story, one that at times broke my heart and left me in tears, but it was also the satisfying ending I was hoping for.

Racing Savannah Blog Tour - Interview with Miranda Kenneally

As part of the blog tour for her upcoming book Racing Savannah, I have the pleasure of having author Miranda Kenneally here on the blog today to answer some questions about her books and her writing process. Without further ado, here is what she had to say!

All of your characters, and what they go through, feels incredibly real. How much is taken out of your own experiences or from the people around you?

Ideas and jokes from all over the place have definitely made their way into my books in some form or another. I can't say that I've ever met a girl football player, but Jordan's feelings for Sam Henry are definitely pulled from crushes I've had in the past.

Real-life experiences inspired Things I Can't Forget. The situation wasn't anywhere near the same, but I did have a friend get an abortion and it affected me more than I thought it would. 

To make my books feel "real," I imagine the scene in my mind as I'm putting words on paper. I've found that helps my book pop.

Except for Things I Can't Forget, your books all have a sports element. Why did you choose to write about female athletes and those specific sports that aren't typically associated with girls.

To show girls they can do anything they want to do as long as they work hard.

What is your writing process like: do you outline and do a lot of research or just start writing and see where the story takes you? Or is it different for each book?

It depends on the book. Before I started writing Racing Savannah, I did research for two months and even took a trip to Kentucky to visit some big farms. With Catching Jordan and Staling Parker, I just started writing and did tons of drafts. For Catching Jordan, I researched football and went to some college and NFL games along the way. With Stealing Parker, I played softball for 8 years, so that made things easier. Things I Can't Forget had an outline, and I actually stuck to it for the most part. I didn't have to research camping at all because I'm foot at that, but I did do research on Planned Parenthood and other family planning issues. I sort of outline each book, but I rarely stick to it. I just go wherever the story takes me. 

Can you tell us anything about what you're currently working on or what we can expect from your future book(s)?

Yes! My July 2014 book, most likely titled BREATHE, ANNIE, BREATHE, is about a girl training to run a marathon in honor of her boyfriend who died. Before he passed away, he had been training for a marathon, and now Annie is going to attempt to finish on his behalf. But it will be hard because she can barely run two laps around the high school track.

Emilie: I personally CANNOT WAIT to read this!

How would you describe your Hundred Oaks books to someone who has never heard of them before?

My books are teen romances featuring a girl football player, a girl horse jockey, and a slightly naughty, misunderstood former softball player who goes after the school baseball coach.

Can you describe Racing Savannah in five words?

Badass girl horse jockey rocks!

About the Author

Miranda Kenneally is the author of CATCHING JORDAN, STEALING PARKER, THINGS I CAN'T FORGET, and RACING SAVANNAH. Her fifth book, most likely to be titled BREATHE, ANNIE, BREATHE, is doing out in July 2014. She enjoyed reading and writing young adult literature, and loves Star Trek, music, sports, Mexican food, Twitter, coffee, and her husband.

Find Miranda online on her Twitter or visit her website to find out more about her and her books.

Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally

Title: Racing Savannah (Hundred Oaks #4)

Author: Miranda Kenneally

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Release Date: December 3, 2013

Source: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

They're from two different worlds.

He lives in the estate house, and she spends most of her time in the stables helping her father train horses. In fact, Savannah has always been much more comfortable around horses than boy. Especially boys like Jack Goodwin--cocky, popular and completely out of her league. She knows the rules: no mixing between the staff and the Goodwin family. But Jack has no such boundaries. 

With her dream of becoming a horse jockey, Savannah isn't exactly one to follow the rules either. She's not going to let someone tell her a girl isn't tough enough to race. Sure, it's dangerous. Then again, so is dating Jack...

I absolutely adore Miranda Kenneally and everything she writes. So when Racing Savannah landed in my inbox, I couldn't help myself, I just had to start reading it right away. And unsurprisingly, I tore through the book and loved every single page of it.

Savannah has always loved riding horses and working with them. When her father gets a job as a trainer at one of the most prestigious stables in the country, Savannah is ecstatic. If she's lucky enough, she might even get to ride the horses. As it turns out, the horses are easier to deal with than boys. No sooner has Savannah arrived at Cedar Hills Farms does she run into Jack Goodwin. And Savannah knows better than to get mixed up with the owner's son. But resisting Jack's charm is proving to be more difficult than Savannah thought. 

Have I mentioned that I loved Miranda Kenneally? Because I really, really do. She writes these stories that just completely grab my attention and steal my heart. Racing Savannah quickly had me hooked. The story is set in the Hundred Oaks world but takes place a few years after the first three books. In this sense I was introduced to new characters, but also had the opportunity to get a glimpse at some old ones. And that was reason enough for me to love the book. But beyond that, I loved reading Savannah's story and discovering the world of horse racing through her eyes. Seeing how that world worked and how hard it was to break into just made me admire Savannah that much more. But like with all of Miranda Kenneally's books, it's the romance aspect of the story that completely stole my heart. Seeing the romance between Jack and Savannah develop just warmed my heart, even if at times it wasn't always smooth going. But at the end of the day, I knew that it would all work out for them and that's what I love about Miranda Kenneally's stories. 

Savannah was a character I came to really admire. Miranda Kenneally often writes about girls the are breaking the mould. That's exactly what Savannah was trying to do when it comes to horse racing. All she really wanted was to be able to be a professional jockey, but pretty much the entire world was against her. But I really admired her dedication, her perseverance and her stubbornness when it came to getting to where she wanted to be. And it helped that she eventually had Jack in her corner, even if at times I wanted to slap him and make him come to his senses. But he eventually came around and by the end I no longer had the urge to slap Jack, so that was good. I have to admit I also loved that I got to meet and get to know some of the previous characters' younger siblings. But more than that, I love that I got to see where the characters I already know and love now are. I won't reveal anything but there are some Will/Parker, Kate/Matt and Sam/Jordan moments that will just melt your heart.

Racing Savannah has only serve to solidify my love for anything Miranda Kenneally writes. Her stories are just the perfect mix of fun and romance, but also so much more. If you haven't picked up one of her books yet, you are seriously missing out!

Sentinel by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Sentinel (Covenant #5)

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

Release Date: November 2, 2013

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

It's a beautiful day for a war.

As the mortal world slowly slips into chaos of the godly kind, Alexandria Andros must overcome a stunning defeat that has left her shaken and in doubt of their ability to end this war once and for all.

And with all the obstacles between Alex and her happily-ever-after with the swoonworthy Aiden St. Delphi, they must now trust a deadly foe as they travel deep into the Underworld to release one of the most dangerous gods of all time.

In the stunning, action-packed climax to the bestselling Covenant series, Alex must face a terrible choice: the destruction of everything and everyone she holds dear…or the end of herself.

As much as I hate it when series get drawn out, I hate it when my favourite series come to an end. I'm always worried that I'm going to be disappointed by how everything turns out. So I was scared of Sentinel. But I shouldn't have worried, because Jennifer L. Armentrout couldn't have disappointed me even if she tried.

Ares is threatening everything and everyone Alex cares about and there's only one thing she can do to stop it all: kill the god of war. Piece of cake, right? But to do that, Alex needs to become the God Killer by feeding off of Seth's powers, though he might not let her do that. All Alex ever wanted was to protect Aiden and her friends, and she'll do anything to keep them safe. Even if that means having to beat the god of war at his own game.

I am always terrified of the last books in series and that terror was amplified with Sentinel because the Covenant series has become one of my favourites. And I knew what had to happen in this book and that only scared me that much more. But I really didn't have to worry because Jennifer L. Armentrout had it all under control. As I was reading, things that I had previously questioned started falling into place. And all of a sudden, I wasn't so worried anymore. Sure, I knew that there would be moments that would be painful (and there were!), but I had hope that things would work out for the best. And as a result, Sentinel took me on a bit of an emotional roller-coaster. I would go from laughing one minute to tearing up the next. I've become so attached to the people in this story, and I just didn't want anything to happen to them. But in the end, things worked out for the best. It might not have been how I would have wanted things to go, but I can say that I'm happy with how it all worked out.

Oh Alex. I'm really going to miss her. Over the course of the five Covenant novels I've come to really love and care about Alex. In Sentinel, I was so worried something bad would happen to Alex. And I had PLENTY of reasons to be worried. But in the end, Alex was Alex and did what she had to do (even if that terrified me at times). Though the person I was really terrified something would happen to was Aiden. If anything happened to him, my book would have been thrown out the window. Because Aiden is the fiercest, most caring and sweetest person ever, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a little bit in love with him. The person that surprised me, though, was Seth. As much as I had once liked Seth, I had kind of lost all hope for him at this point. But he really came around in Sentinel and redeemed himself, even if he's still not perfect.

I couldn't have asked for a better conclusion to the Covenant series than the one I got in Sentinel. But even though I'm happen with the ending, I'm still going to really miss the story and the characters. Don't let the hype around everything Jennifer L. Armentrout scare you--if you haven't already given the Covenant series a try, you really should. 

The Vow by Jessica Martinez

Title: The Vow

Author: Jessica Martinez

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Release Date: October 15, 2013

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

No one has ever believed that Mo and Annie are just friends. How can a guy and a girl really be best friends?

Then the summer before senior year, Mo's father loses his job, and by extension his work visa. Instantly, life for Annie and Mo crumbles. Although Mo has lived in America for most of his life, he'll be forced to move to Jordan. the prospect of leaving his home is devastating, and returning to a world where he no longer belongs terrifies him.

Desperate to save him, Annie proposes they tell a colossal lie--that they are in love. Mo agrees because marrying Annie is the only way he can stay. Annie just wants to keep her best friend, but what happens when it becomes a choice between saving Mo and her own chance at real love?

I always love a good contemporary story that's a little different and that's exactly what I got from Jessica Martinez's The Vow. This was a story about love, but not in the way that you would think. ANd because of that it was a refreshing and heartwarming story.

Annie and Mo may not have had a lot of friends but they've always been able to count on one another. When you're the dead girl's sister and the only Muslim in a small town, having someone you can always rely on means the world. When Mo's father loses his job and announces that he family is moving back to Jordan, Moa and Annie are willing to do anything to stay together. The only way to do this is to tell one colossal lie and put both their futures at risk. But what happens when that lie--telling the world they are in love--threatens Annie's chance at real love?

In The Vow, Jessica Martinez wrote a story about love, but not the kind of love you would expect. Here, the focus is on the love two best friends have for each other. And I loved reading about Mo and Annie's friendship. It was refreshing to read a story that focused on friendship rather than romance, especially the friendship between a boy and a girl. Too often, I'll read stories where the two friends realize they're in love with each other, but in The Vow, Mo and Annie's relationship is entirely platonic, despite what others around them might believe. It was just interesting to read about their friendship and see how it affected the other aspects of their lives, especially when it came to having an actual chance at love. Both were so willing to sacrifice everything for the other that they almost forgot to think about themselves until it was almost too late. And the ending was bittersweet because of that. I won't go into detail, but I will say that it wasn't how I thought things would go.

I've already said this, but I loved reading about mo and Annie's relationship. So often, it reminded me of the relationship I have with my own best friend. Not that we've ever considered getting married to avoid deportation, but the platonic nature of our relationship has often been questioned in the past. There was so much between Annie and Mo and I could tell just how much they cared about each other. But in a way, that mutual caring was Mo and Annie's downfall. They were loyal to each other to a fault. But at the same time, I respected them because they were will to sacrifice so much for the other. But they would often neglect their own pain, though they saw the other's. Mo saw what Annie's loyalty was doing to her, how it would end up hurting her. And Annie just wanted to do whatever she could help Mo, no matter what the cost to herself and her own happiness. Overall, though, I loved their friendship, even if at times it proved to be quite imperfect.

Jessica Martinez's The Vow was a refreshing and heartwarming read. It was so nice to see a friendship explored, one that was completely platonic. If you're looking for a great story about friendship, then I strongly recommend The Vow.