This series really devolves.
In this, the third and final book in the series, the repetitive sequence became monotonous: there's a crucial decision to be made based on limited information; there's a crisis or an incident; Tris and Tobias disagree -- or agree -- and either question their relationship -- or make up. Lather, rinse, repeat.
Also (although I don't know how she could've told the story otherwise), Roth's decision to alternate between Tobias and Tris' viewpoints was unwise. Her first-person Tobias narration is unconvincing and seems inconsistent with her previous characterization of him. (He even seems completely emasculated at one point in the story.)
Then there's the questionable science -- and I'm hardly a science whiz. Without revealing much, I'll just say that there's a bit of an issue in terms of scale.
I will give Roth credit for several "pearls of wisdom" (sprinkled here and there) that could be good for young adult readers to learn. Also, those same readers might not take issue with (or even notice) the problems I've noted here. As an adult reader, however, I find myself wishing I'd just read the first book and been done with it.
In this, the third and final book in the series, the repetitive sequence became monotonous: there's a crucial decision to be made based on limited information; there's a crisis or an incident; Tris and Tobias disagree -- or agree -- and either question their relationship -- or make up. Lather, rinse, repeat.
Also (although I don't know how she could've told the story otherwise), Roth's decision to alternate between Tobias and Tris' viewpoints was unwise. Her first-person Tobias narration is unconvincing and seems inconsistent with her previous characterization of him. (He even seems completely emasculated at one point in the story.)
Then there's the questionable science -- and I'm hardly a science whiz. Without revealing much, I'll just say that there's a bit of an issue in terms of scale.
I will give Roth credit for several "pearls of wisdom" (sprinkled here and there) that could be good for young adult readers to learn. Also, those same readers might not take issue with (or even notice) the problems I've noted here. As an adult reader, however, I find myself wishing I'd just read the first book and been done with it.
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