Review: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Insurgent

Author: Veronica Roth
Series: Divergent, #2

Summary: 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.

Review

After being left awestruck by Divergent, you can believe I was anxiously awaiting this highly anticipated sequel. I couldn't wait to get it in my hands. I began reading Insurgent with as much excitement and enthusiasm I had while reading Divergent and quickly learned that it wasn't going to have the same feel as the one before it. It was, however, just as powerful in emotion, if not more.

After having just been through the simulation attack, the leftover Dauntless make there way to the Amity faction to find that only half of their Dauntless friends were there; the other half joined the Erudite in their efforts to rise to power. The surviving Abnegation, as well as the runaway Erudites, have also taken shelter with the Amity. The factions in Tris's world have separated and are slowly falling apart, with Tris caught in the middle of a deep depression from grief and guilt.

I will admit that while I was completely fascinated with getting a more in depth and personal look at the different factions, it was rather confusing and difficult to keep up with where they were. First they were with the Amity, then they were with the factionless (who we find aren't as dispersed and dismal as once thought), then it was on to Candor, and so on and so forth. It was difficult to keep up with the events that were transpiring. There was so much information to keep up with, it was difficult to understand what exactly was going on. And Tris couldn't help putting herself right in the center of it all. During all of this, she was desperately trying to keep a firm grasp on reality, while continually slipping under. While she excused her actions as trying to honor the death of her parents, the real reasoning behind all of her abrupt and spontaneous actions were to get her closer to where they were. When another simulation strikes, Tris throws herself into the heart of the madness, quickly learning that what she wanted was not to die, but to live, and continue on with what her parents were desperately trying to save.

Throughout Tris's constant tantrums and abrasive actions, Four desperately tries to help her, to keep her from getting herself killed. Their relationship is put to the test, with Tris always pushing to keep herself in the line of fire, while Four tries to keep himself and her from drowning in her depression and remind her why she is Dauntless: not because she's reckless, but because she's brave. Their relationship to me is very believable; they're constantly fighting for each other, to help each other, even when the other has lost all hope. They never truly gave up on each other.

While Insurgent doesn't have the heart-pounding, thrilling excitement of Divergent, it was extremely powerful and jam-packed full of emotions and character searching. The world building was phenomenal, expanding through each of the factions, the factionless, and finally we learn what is beyond the fence that has been guarded by the Dauntless for so long. We discover why their society is the way it is and what transpired to make it as such. We also see a growth in several of the characters, but mainly in Tris who had to discover her true self, and pull out of the depression, letting go of her grief and guilt, and hopefully she'll become the feisty, badass we grew to love in Divergent. Every now and then we saw a little of the girl she was before losing her parents and several of her friends, but it was very short-lived. After being left with a MAJOR cliffhanger, I cannot wait to see what Veronica has in store for us in the final installment.

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