Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Title: Insurgent

Author: Veronica Roth
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 978-0-00-744292-8
Pages: 525
Series: Divergent #2
Type: Young Adult Dystopian
Source: Purchased
Goodreads


Tris has survived a horrifying attack against all the odds but her survival has come with a heavy cost. Racked with grief for her losses and guilt for her actions, Tris is desperate to find a peaceful escape. But the factions are failing and society is crumbling and it is not only the truth of the night of the Dauntless initiation that must be revealed. Other secrets, deeper than imagining, have haunted the factions for generations. Is Tris brave enough to reveal the hidden truth?

This is the second book in the Divergent trilogy (after Divergent) and after being disappointed by Divergent I approached Insurgent with trepidation. There is definitely more tension in this installment as the faction system, and by extension the society, is beginning to crumble. Massive betrayals have been made and the shockwaves are rocking the city, both on a large scale and an individual level. The pacing is better in this book, but I figured out a major plot twist very early on which was a huge disappointment.

Tris has been left questioning the cause of the chaos and her role in it so she is now carrying a lot of emotional baggage as the events of the previous book have left her scarred. This means that Insurgent has a much more introspective feel with a lot of actions being preceeded by Tris's internal debate. I liked this aspect, although it did create a lot more difficulties for Tris and Four. Four is his usual strong-yet-caring self but this reveals more about his past and miscommunication abounds.

This installment gives a look into the world of the Factionless which was an element briefly touched on in the previous book that I wanted to know more about. These are individuals who have chosen to leave their faction or who failed initiation and end up being a cross between lower class workers (cleaners, bus drivers etc) and homeless. Now we get to see that just because the factions rejected them, doesn't mean they necessarily reject each other.

The reader also gets to see more about the different factions, especially Amity whose focus on peace becomes a much needed commodity. The other factor I really enjoyed was that the possibility of simulations means that everyone's loyalty is questionable at all times and trust has become a huge risk for anyone.

All in all this was an interesting read and I'm looking forward to the final book.

Plot: 8/10
Characters: 9/10
Ending: 8/10
Enjoyment: 8/10
Cover: 8/10

Overall: 41/50