Book Review - Insurgent
by Veronica Roth
Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
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.
Why I Picked This Book: Duh. I devoured Divergent and needed more!
My Thoughts:
It is no secret that I am a huge fan of Divergent. I was pretty much waiting on pins and needles for Insurgent to come out, and as soon as it showed up in my mail box I was tearing into it.
In Insurgent, the world is falling apart. Factions are crumbling, secrets are being revealed, and all those friendships and loyalties we saw form in book one are being tested. It picks up right where book one left off, then pulls you along into story twists you never saw coming.
While I did thoroughly enjoy Insurgent, there was something it was missing. Maybe it was that Tris seemed to have lost a bit of the oomph that made her such a killer character in Divergent. I can't blame her, really. She is guilt ridden with what happened with Will. Life is crazy. But it felt like she had fallen a little too much into the "I am a horrible person" gutter. I had a slightly harder time rooting for her because of that. Come one Tris, you are dauntless. Buck up!
Tris and Four's relationship hits some rocks as well. While I love, love, love that they have a "real" relationship (as in everything isn't all peaches and cream) it got to the point a few times when I started to wonder why they were even fighting for each other. There are a ton of secrets being kept, a ton of distrust. You would think that after what they went through in book one, they would be chained to each other heart and soul. Even while it did tick me off at times, I ended up loving it in the long run. It was real. And what is more real that utter confusion of the heart?
I think that is one thing I just love about Roth's writing. It is real. There is no perfect character, no perfect outcome. You think everything is going great they suddenly it all hits the wall. All of the characters are three dimensional, not the typical YA gray cardboard cutout we have all gotten used to. You even end up feeling something for Peter. Yes, Peter. I know.
The plot is furthered with new characters, including long-lost mommy and a crazy Erudite leader. It was great to learn more about why things happened the way they did in book one. What happened to Four's mother. Where that dang train is always going to. What the Erudite are truly up to.
And let me tell you: Those smarty pants aren't always so smart.
Overall, I enjoyed Insurgent. It lacked some of the irresistible pull Divergent had, but it was still an amazing read. It seemed to serve as most trilogy second books do: As a stepping stone to the more-than-craved-for book three. If you loved Divergent, make sure to pick this book up. And keep your eyes out for book three in 2013!
My Rating:
(4 out of 5 stars)
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