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.
Release Date: May 1, 2012
Age Group: Young Adult
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Purchased
Review:
Okay, so I had several goals when it came time to read Insurgent. The first was to read it and write my own review before I read any other reviews for it: mission accomplished. I wanted to go into Insurgent as open-minded as possible. The second goal was to not expect a better book than Divergent. It's rare for me that second books in a series are better than the first. There always seems to be a bit of a slump in the second book, in my opinion. So, starting Insurgent, I was able to meet my two goals. I had not read any reviews and was expecting a book on the same level as book one (which I liked but didn't love).
For the first 100 pages, I was very disappointed with Insurgent. In fact, I almost set it down to start another book (the kiss of death for a book for me, as I almost never go back to finish what I've started). But, thinking that I bought this book for myself with my precious always-too-small book budget, I knew that I had to "get my money's worth." So, I kept reading, and I'm really glad I did. I ended up liking Insurgent more than I thought I would in the beginning. So many questions were answered, and new questions posed that leaves me anxious to read the next book in the series. Tris goes through so much, and changes so much---you know how I love character growth. I found Insurgent to be more of an emotional thriller than an action-packed thriller. There is action, to be sure, but the most impact is made inside the characters, to their belief systems, actions, and personalities. I like that in a book.
But I did have some major problems with the book. First, Insurgent was so slow to take off (for me), much like Divergent was. I was bored in the beginning, and I hate being bored while I'm reading. Secondly, the ending, while it did not surprise me, seemed to be poorly timed. Mild spoiler alert: the whole time I was reading Divergent and Insurgent, I was wondering about the rest of the world. Roth portrays Chicago like it exists in a vacuum, which is impossible. I kept wondering what the rest of the world was like. To not have addressed this until the end of the second book was mind-blowing to me. Are the people of Chicago that mind-warped, that they truly do not consider what lies outside the wall? Do they truly think that they are the only worthwhile society in the world? Maybe I'm missing something. Maybe this was addressed in book one. If I'm wrong, tell me. But, to me, as it stands, I found this to be a major problem with the book. The ending felt so formulaic to me. So much like the ending to say, The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau or even Suzanne Collins' Gregor the Overlander series.
Overall, I enjoyed Insurgent. The problems I had were ultimately overshadowed by the things I liked about the book, such as the character development, relationships, and plot twists. I am glad I'm reading this series and I am looking forward to the next book in the series, but I'm not caught up in a book fever like I have been in the past.
Okay, so I had several goals when it came time to read Insurgent. The first was to read it and write my own review before I read any other reviews for it: mission accomplished. I wanted to go into Insurgent as open-minded as possible. The second goal was to not expect a better book than Divergent. It's rare for me that second books in a series are better than the first. There always seems to be a bit of a slump in the second book, in my opinion. So, starting Insurgent, I was able to meet my two goals. I had not read any reviews and was expecting a book on the same level as book one (which I liked but didn't love).
For the first 100 pages, I was very disappointed with Insurgent. In fact, I almost set it down to start another book (the kiss of death for a book for me, as I almost never go back to finish what I've started). But, thinking that I bought this book for myself with my precious always-too-small book budget, I knew that I had to "get my money's worth." So, I kept reading, and I'm really glad I did. I ended up liking Insurgent more than I thought I would in the beginning. So many questions were answered, and new questions posed that leaves me anxious to read the next book in the series. Tris goes through so much, and changes so much---you know how I love character growth. I found Insurgent to be more of an emotional thriller than an action-packed thriller. There is action, to be sure, but the most impact is made inside the characters, to their belief systems, actions, and personalities. I like that in a book.
But I did have some major problems with the book. First, Insurgent was so slow to take off (for me), much like Divergent was. I was bored in the beginning, and I hate being bored while I'm reading. Secondly, the ending, while it did not surprise me, seemed to be poorly timed. Mild spoiler alert: the whole time I was reading Divergent and Insurgent, I was wondering about the rest of the world. Roth portrays Chicago like it exists in a vacuum, which is impossible. I kept wondering what the rest of the world was like. To not have addressed this until the end of the second book was mind-blowing to me. Are the people of Chicago that mind-warped, that they truly do not consider what lies outside the wall? Do they truly think that they are the only worthwhile society in the world? Maybe I'm missing something. Maybe this was addressed in book one. If I'm wrong, tell me. But, to me, as it stands, I found this to be a major problem with the book. The ending felt so formulaic to me. So much like the ending to say, The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau or even Suzanne Collins' Gregor the Overlander series.
Overall, I enjoyed Insurgent. The problems I had were ultimately overshadowed by the things I liked about the book, such as the character development, relationships, and plot twists. I am glad I'm reading this series and I am looking forward to the next book in the series, but I'm not caught up in a book fever like I have been in the past.
I enjoyed this book I think the next one will be so much better I feel Insurgent was kind of a filler book till the next one!
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