Insurgent (Divergent, #2)

by Veronica Roth

[Briana @ Pages Unbound]

Insurgent is an exciting follow-up to Divergent, beginning right where the last book stopped and dropping readers right into the middle of the war with Erudite. The book has a lot of action, just on a much grander scale than Divergent as Tris and Four have left the Dauntless compound in order to explore the other faction headquarters and the rest of the city. The portrayal of the different factions is one of the novel’s strengths, as Roth gives each one unique customs and a distinct personality, ranging from the adamantly peaceful Amity to the straightforward Candor. In general, however, Roth makes sure to make clear that no faction and no individual is as one-dimensional as most of the citizens believe.

Tris and Four do get some very nice romantic moments in Insurgent, though unfortunately they spend a large portion of the book arguing. I read through a few hundred pages before I realized the book was actually putting me into a bad mood because everyone was yelling so much. Precisely why they are arguing is a little unclear. Maybe it is just stress from all the danger and battle preparations. Perhaps Roth thought she needed to “spice up” their relationship. Luckily, they get over their differences eventually, and Tris gets over all the issues that were holding her back for most of the book, and the ending gets much more exciting than the beginning.

Roth also continues to insert philosophical statements in surprising places. Tris comes to see that other people view the world in shades of grey, while she and Four tend to look at it as black and white. In the end, she stands up for absolute morality, arguing that no matter how she looks at it, controlling people’s minds has to be wrong. It’s hard to argue with that!

Insurgent is a very strong second book, and although the ending is expected rather than surprising, Roth has set up herself up well to deliver a thrilling finale where everything changes.

This review was also posted at Pages Unbound Book Reviews.