Insurgent, by Veronica Roth

Release date: May 1st 2012
Published by: HarperTeen
Genre: Dystopia (YA)
Rating: 4/5 stars
Find it on: Goodreads, Amazon

  

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.

It's actually quite ironic that the dystopian world - which was exactly what attracted so many readers - was what repulsed me in Divergent. Ok, wrong word. I wasn't repulsed. I just didn't understand the world created by Veronica Roth. The factions were great, and the concept was really interesting, but it wasn't realistic. Why were they created? How were they created? The atmosphere and the tension surrounding all the factions made it impossible for me to imagine decisions being made.

Fortunately, Veronica Roth provided us (some) answers to those questions. The dystopian society in which Tris lives is explained a lot more deeply, and though not all the answers are handed over to us, I can see where the story is going. Needless to say, I enjoyed Insurgent a lot more than Divergent, although a couple of things still bothered me. It's unlikely I'll ever be completely satisfied by this series. There's always something, some little detail or a character that keeps me from enjoying it fully.

The writing isn't the issue, nor is the plot. Both were excellent, especially the former. Roth has a way with words, even in the present tense, a type of narration that I hate. My problem with Insurgent was the main character herself, Tris. In Divergent, she was a thoughtful girl, objective and yet emotional with those she loved. In Insurgent, she was broken, and not in a good, deep way. Tris was a mess. Four - I refuse to call him Tobias - has to constantly remind her that she has to try to live, try not to get herself killed, try to understand that her life means something.

...And I almost killed myself everytime that happened. They're in the middle of a war, and just when Tris had to be the strong, great girl that she was back in Dauntless, she breaks. I get it. She has to be human and show emotions, especially regarding Peter, etc. But for God's sake, be realistic about it! Her breakdowns and teary moments did nothing to the book, it only added misery, (stupid decisions) and an unnecessary amount of drama in a plot that was already bursting with blood and war.

I was planning on giving Insurgent 3 stars, but aside from my dislike towards Tris, the series has developed in general, and I'm somewhat satisfied with the way things turned out in the ending. And, I admit it, Four may be one of the reasons I added an extra star to my rating. It's quite easy, though, to see that Veronica Roth has a lot of potential. Despite my personal rants about the society, she did create a fascinating story, and I look forward to the third, and last, book in the Divergent trilogy. It should be interesting!