Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Pages: 525
Intended Audience: Teens
Genre: Dystopian thriller
Notes for Parents: Scenes of fighting, gun violence, death, as well as some mature themes.

The Inside Cover

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.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the second book of the best-selling Divergent trilogy. The first book has already been made into a major motion picture, and Insurgent is scheduled to be released as a movie in 2015.

What’s good?

While it lacked the action of the first book, the pace was still swift with the constant danger of discovery, betrayal, and death. The tension was thick as mysteries abounded, including about Four’s family, the divergents’ future, and where individual loyalties lay. The female lead remained strong despite angst and PTSD, while the supporting characters were dynamic, constantly evolving. The setting was a good foundation while the easy language and loads of dialogue made it a quick and easy read.
Best Part: The tension.

What isn’t good?

Just like with the first book, I found it a little hard to believe that so many people would be so easily brainwashed into believing such flawed logic. Suspension of disbelief was the key to enjoying this story. While there was certainly lots of tension, there wasn’t as much action as the first book and I found many outcomes were predictable. And, to avoid revealing any spoilers let me just say: Peter was pointless; Tris and Marcus made no sense; Eric deserved a bigger part; and the big reveal was…anti-climactic.
Worst part: Too much emotion and not enough action.
 

Recommendation þþþoo

The first book, Divergent, had excellent entertainment value despite having a weak plot and world-building flaws. Insurgent has the same weaknesses but, unfortunately, doesn’t quite have that same engaging, action-filled pace of its predecessor. Things did pick up at the end enough that I’m sure I’ll read the final book in the trilogy. However, the first book was way better.

Roth, Veronica. Insurgent. New York: Katherine Tegen Books, 2012. (Hardcover)