Insurgent (#2 in the Divergent Trilogy)
Written by: Veronica Roth
Published: May 1, 2012
Published by: Katherine Tegen Books
Reviewed by: Maria G.
Insurgent is defined as:
- 1. a person who revolts against civil authority or an established government; especially : a rebel not recognized as a belligerent
- 2. one who acts contrary to the policies and decisions of one’s own political party
These definitions give you a clear idea of what you are getting yourself into when you pick up the second installment of the Divergent Series.
Here is the official blurb from the publisher:
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.
My Review: So, we pick-up with Tris right after the events of Divergent, both she and Tobias have ended the simulation and end up leading a group to the Amity compound, the Factionless, The Candor compound, The Erudite compound, etc…, but this trek to safety reminds me of True Romance in its violence.
Now, because the simulation was stopped, certain factions are trying to keep a lid on whatever destructive forces there are to the existing government. The destructive force is basically Tris and anyone who is considered Divergent. Yet, the political machinations of those that were in control and those that want to change the status quo are what truly propel the story.
I know a lot of you are fans of Tris and Tobias’ relationship, so if you think all is rainbows and unicorns with Tris and Tobias, think again. These two end up keeping secrets from one another throughout the book. In hindsight, I think I kept forgetting that these two characters are just kids. Their actions and thought processes are clearly of those that really have not experienced life to the fullest and are just reacting to whatever is happening to them or around them.
This youthfulness and a will to survive forces Tris to lie about a lot of things to a lot of people.
But, as Tris stated in Chapter 12:
“I wear my secrets as my armor.”
When the truth comes out, relationships change. This was inevitable because as these characters grow and confront whatever their issues are and make decisions that not only affects themselves, but affects those around them… relationships either become stronger or suffer the consequences.
I spoke to a friend of mine and she felt that Tris was not as evolved of a character as the other characters in the book. Yet, this is a character that suffers from the loss of her parents, is keeping the truth from everyone and is trying to come to terms with what she is. That is a lot for a 16 year old to deal with and because of that I feel that ultimately she does grow as a character.
We do find out a lot about what makes Tobias tick and whereas many feel that Tobias has made a 180 character-wise, I think he has so much baggage dragging him down that what we are seeing is the real Tobias and that is someone that is conflicted and angry. Initially, his loyalty and love for Tris are still there, but there is so much more tugging at him that his love for Tris is automatic and not what people fell in love with in Divergent.
One of the highlights was that we got to see some familiar faces: Christina, Uriah, Lynn, Caleb, Peter, etc… These characters also undergo some character development and help the story move along especially when it feels that Tris is stuck in her head.
The exciting bit of the book happens in the last 200 pages of the book. Will you be surprised at the decisions that Tris makes? Yes. Will characters die? Yea. Does your mouth drop? Yes. Will you almost feel like all hope is lost? Yes, but do not dwell too much in that feeling of despair because there is a cliffhanger at the end that gives you hope.
Overall, was it worth the read? Yes. It did take me longer to read, but that is only because of the foundation that Veronica Roth laid in the first half of the book. Once the story started to move along, it was impossible to put down.
Now the age-range for this book states that it is for 14+. There is a lot going on in this book and I suggest that parents read it along with their kids or prior to allowing your kid to read it because they may have questions about the plotlines.
Now, the final book in the series will be coming out in October 2013, so mark your calendars.
I’ll be posting a review of Undead and Unstable by Maryjanice Davidson on the site and on Goodreads by the end of tonight. I actually liked the latest installment of the Queen Betsy series, so you should pick it up.
Listen to Kelly and Maria recap the latest news and spoilers for some of your favorite shows: The Vampire Diaries, Syfy’s Being Human, The Walking Dead, True Blood, Lost Girl and Teen Wolf. They also recap the latest episodes of Lost Girl, Teen Wolf and True Blood.
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