Insurgent (Divergent)

By Veronica Roth (Author)

I have found more often than not, when you read these Young Adult trilogies the second book usually turns out to not be as interesting as the other two. However, I was pleasantly surprised with Insurgent by Veronica Roth. She was able to not only keep the story flowing without skipping a a single beat but also develop a stronger storyline. You are sucked in right from the first words which quote the Candor Manifesto, right to the very last page of the book. It is indeed the perfect companion to Divergent, which is the first book in this riveting trilogy.

Insurgent begins right were the first book left off. There is a lot more action within the first section of the book as you are taken to the different compounds of each faction. Veronica shows us how each of these different factions go about their daily lives. You get everything from scenes which expose Tris’ power to others which are horrific like the section that covers the execution of one of the leaders. In all of this Tris has to continue on her journey to save herself and her loved ones, whilst at the same time struggling with issues related to grief, her identity, loyalty, love, forgiveness and love.

As usual with Veronica, her world building skills are just amazing. You should not just expect intensified action in this book. There is also secrets revealed, some danger, a lot more romance and the inevitable betrayals. Tris is allowed to grow as she works through her issues, emerging at the end of the book much stronger character wise. Those that do not belong to any factions are featured more whilst the other characters are developed even further. This book will answer a lot of your questions from the previous one, but at the same time leaves you with even more questions for the last one. There are a few unexpected twists and revelations that will definitely shock you.

Who is Veronica Roth? She was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago. Veronica attended Northwestern University where she studied creative writing. She currently still resides in the windy city, Chicago with her husband. Insurgent is her second published book.

I love how even though the world Tris lives in, is a crazy world Veronica was able to write it so that it still is very believable. Her writing has actually evolved from that of the first book. Both the character building and the storyline have a lot more substance, and this will make you want to keep reading the book. Sometimes she uses very strong words which make her storytelling very intense. As far as the relationship between the two main characters Tris and Four is concerned, this book exposes their feelings towards each other way better than the first one.

I felt like the tone of this novel is darker and heavier than the first. The first half ends up being very repetitive as the inner feelings of Tris are narrated. There is an incredible amount of lamenting and whining, which could have been covered in fewer pages. I also did not enjoy how she is always rebellious and thinks that she is always right. I do not understand why she included so many different serums in the story, it starts to get a little bit confusing for the reader. The middle section of this novel also drags on a little longer than it should, slowing down the pace of the story.

Insurgent is the perfect follow up or second novel in the Divergent trilogy. This well written novel will take you on a roller coaster ride of emotions. It is action packed, funny, smart and even philosophical at times. The language is simple, maybe a little too simple at times but that helps make the book a quick read. The revelation that occurs in the last section and the cliffhanger at the end will have you impatiently waiting to read the last book in the series. I am not ashamed to admit that, I am now addicted to this series and that I will be diving into Allegiant immediately.
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