Review: Insurgent

Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth
Release Date ~ May 1, 2012
HarperTeen ~ HarperCollins
ISBN13: 9780007442911
Hardcover purchased personally
Goodreads Synopsis:
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.

"New York Times" bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian "Divergent" series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.
Seeing as Divergent was one of the most popular books of 2011 (and one of the most popular YA books out right now), there was a huge amount of anticipation surrounding the release of its sequel; it can be tricky to write a sequel for an incredibly popular book with a large fan base, and a reader can never be sure whether a new author can pull it off.

But like so many other readers soon realized after reading Insurgent, Veronica Roth absolutely accomplished all of this with her sophomore release. As much as I love Divergent, I have to admit that I don't love it as much as many other fans do- it isn't one of my personal favourites, so I was somewhat hesitant when it came to Insurgent. However, I quickly picked it up, dying to know what would happen next and was utterly impressed with this sequel that easily surpasses Divergent.

1. Great character development:
   
   One of my main complaints about Divergent was that I wasn't the biggest fan of Tris - but I was quickly won over with her in Insurgent, and I could easily relate to her now and have a better idea of the difficulties she was struggling to overcome. You can really see how much she's changed from Divergent, and the way she's questioned her ideas to formulate new ones. It's a fantastic progression, and one of the best I've read about in YA. Similarily, we definitely get to learn a lot more about Four and his motives, which not only makes us love him MORE, but makes him feel more real (and that's not a bad thing in his case).
2. A different, yet realistic relationship:
   
   I LOVED that Tris and Four portrayed a rather atypical YA romance; they have real problems to overcome, and they don't always get along but they also don't spend the whole time whining about how they can't be together for some melodramatic reason. And they actually try to work together for their relationship; it doesn't overpower the story, but it's there and they do focus some of their efforts on making things work (and kissing).
3. Some of the best world building YA has to offer:
   
   Veronica stunned us with this curious and exciting world created in Divergent and she continues that tradition by introducing us to some of the other factions, like Amity, Candor and Erudite. We're introduced to more character from these factions and the ways they live which is completely fascinating. But none of this compares to some of the mysterious secrets we finally get a taste of in Insurgent - which sets us up for what will hopefully be one of the most thrilling finales to a book series we've seen yet! For real though, this revelation makes Divergent unlike any other dystopian book I've EVER read (yet).

Seriously, this book completely redeemed all the little things I didn't love about Divergent - it simply improves on what was already a very strong foundation. It was again filled with so much action and excitement (which Veronica writes very well, I should add) in a thrilling and rich world.

My one tiny complaint was that I found Tris and Four to be a little TOO back-and-forth at times, for my taste. They weren't nearly as frustrating as some couples you read about in YA books, but I found the lack of trust they exhibited towards each other to be fairly surprising after the relationship they developed in Divergent.

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