If your kid has already blazed through Divergent and Insurgent, there is zero chance they aren't reading this. It’s the mandatory finish line. Just know that Allegiant is the black sheep of the family—it’s slower, more philosophical, and significantly more depressing than its predecessors.

It’s a solid piece of YA sci-fi, but it lacks the propulsive energy of the first book. It moves the goalposts from 'which house do I belong in?' to 'is my DNA broken?', which is a lot for a kid to chew on. Be ready for some 'why did the author do that?' venting sessions when they hit the final chapters.