Mini Book Reviews: Pawn and Allegiant

Book Synopsis: In a world where everyone is given a ranking, and that rank determines your life, Kitty Doe is a throwaway- an extra. When she scores a 3 (III) on her test, her life is regulated to menial jobs and living on scraps, until a way shows itself for her to jump from III to VII- the highest of the high. However, things aren’t always what they seem, and Kitty is thrown deeper into a murky world of politics and cutthroat family ties that she never could have dreamed. Will her desire for a better life be her undoing, or can she prove that she is more than someone’s Pawn?
My thoughts: I was drawn into the book from the first, although like a lot of teens I am a huge dystopian fan so give me a good story with a twist and I get into it. Kitty is a little less forthcoming for my tastes as a heroine- she seems to spend more time scared than using her street smarts and intelligence (which we see in the first few chapters, and pops up from time to time) to get out of situations. There is a lack of world building in Pawn as well, which may not bother some readers, but it nitpicks at me. It’s a good start to the series, and I’m interested enough to see where it’s going.
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Filed under: Aimee Carter, Allegiant, Book Reviews, Pawn, Veronica Roth

About Karen Jensen, MLS
Karen Jensen has been a Teen Services Librarian for almost 32 years. She created TLT in 2011 and is the co-editor of The Whole Library Handbook: Teen Services with Heather Booth (ALA Editions, 2014).
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I really did get upset at the ending! It seemed like the first alternative was the best, then Tris made the other choice.I legitimately got angry, then I calmed down and finished the book. But I think it could have ended differently. I don't see a lot of dystopian fiction that has a happy ending, I guess something about the bleak worlds foreshadows bleak endings as well.