
Publication Date: May 1, 2012
Publisher: Katherine Tegen
Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 525
Synopsis: 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.
WARNING! There are spoilers for
Divergent in this review!
Review: I waited for
Insurgent for a year--which basically felt like forever. I'm sure you guys already know, but
Divergent is my favorite book in the history of ever. So my expectations for
Insurgent were through the roof, obviously. But oh my goodness, I've read it
twice now, and I can say that it met my expectations.
I don't think
Insurgent was quite as great as
Divergent. It was depressing. Books about war are usually depressing, but it wasn't just that. Tris was depressing. She was reckless and suicidal. It sincerely hurt me to read about my favorite character like that. She was a broken girl. She was being eaten alive by the guilt of shooting Will. Her parents are dead. Tobias is keeping secrets from her. And she's just positively
broken. She did get better near the end of the book, but it still was very sad to read about Tris being so sad.
Her relationship with Tobias in
Insurgent was extremely rocky. It was not sweet and cute like it was in
Divergent. Instead, it was intense and sometimes strained. They did have their "aww" moments, but for the most part, they bickered and were stressed and it just tore me apart. Tris and Tobias are my OTP, and to see their relationship being stretched to its limits was heartbreaking. But alas, it was very necessary, and now that their rough patch is gone, I hope it does not come again.
The plot and action in
Insurgent were just ABSOLUTELY MIND BLOWING. Seriously, you guys, Veronica Roth knows how to craft a thrilling, exciting, and unpredictable story line. It kept me flipping the pages like crazy (both times I read it!). I loved the action. I've definitely noticed the changes in my reading favors since reading
Divergent. It's made me discover that I love action. Seriously. I love the shooting, the running, the fighting--all of it. I'm actually very worried about myself after realizing this.
The rest of the cast was amazing. I loved the complexities in all of the characters. It was so surprising, finding out where the loyalties of some characters were. I would find myself thinking awful thoughts about traitors, and then later thinking, "Oh my goodness, it was a trick!" Or vice versa.
All in all,
Insurgent is a completely outstanding, utterly mind-blowing, totally jaw-dropping, action-packed gem of a sequel. Fans of
Divergent will not be disappointed! Though
Insurgent didn't quite live up to
Divergent, I definitely do not regret owning three copies of this book. Now, I'm just going to sit in a corner, rocking myself back and forth until Divergent #3 releases.
4.5 keys. (Because Tris being depressed/slightly insane made me depressed/slightly insane. It physically hurt me.)