Recommended Read: Insurgent

Title: Insurgent

Author: Veronica Roth

Standing: Book two in the Divergent trilogy

Genre: Young Adult Dystopia

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Release Date: May 1, 2012

Source: Purchased from Amazon

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.
     Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.
     New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature. ~Goodreads

Note: I'm going to proceed with this review under the assumption that you've already read book one in the trilogy, so there may be some slight Divergent spoilers. You have been warned!

Thoughts

Veronica Roth has done it again!

Back in January, I read Divergent for the first time and was blown away. It was a fast-paced, action-packed, five-star adventure of a novel I couldn't put down! So of course, I had to get Insurgent. And to my delight, it was just as good as the first book - maybe better!

It starts off exactly where Divergent left off, with Tris and Tobias on their way to the headquarters of the faction Amity, and from there it keeps up a good pace. The way I see it, there are two intertwined plot threads in this book - there's the major storyline of the state of war between the five factions*, full of big-scale struggles and the collapse of all that Tris has ever known...and then there's Tris's more private journey. Torn apart by the deaths of those she loves, she's quietly falling apart. As she says herself on page 157:

I am tired of being Tris. I have done bad things. I can't take them back, and they are part of who I am. Most of the time, they seem like the only thing I am.

Ever since the beginning of Divergent, I've liked Tris as a character. She's not always kind. She's not always forgiving. She's tough and often abrasive, but that's what I like about her - the fact that she's flawed. She's human. She's not perfect, and no one pretends that she is. And her journey through a period of self-loathing in Insurgent, as she's trying to find her way again, was just another way I felt that she was a realistically portrayed main character.

The plot was full of action and a few surprising twists (a certain brother, anyone?). Tris and Tobias hit a few rocks in their relationship, as couples are bound to do. And things are kept moving the whole time, up until that cliff-hanger end. I was extremely satisfied with Veronica Roth's sequel - I couldn't put it down, and I can hardly wait to read book three next fall!

*in case you need a reminder, the five factions are: Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Candor (the honest), Erudite (the intelligent) and Amity (the peaceful). I, personally, am a resident of Amity.

Book Trailer

Very tough, like Tris. Therefore, very fitting!

Book Quote

     I feel bare. I didn't realize that I wore my secrets as armor until they were gone, and now everyone sees me as I really am.
     "Thank you for your honesty," they say.
     But Christina and Tobias say nothing.

Have you read Divergent or Insurgent? What do you think of the trilogy?