Insurgent (Divergent, #2)

Jan 14, 2013 Ellie (a.k.a. QE3) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well, I definitely like the title "Divergent" better than "Insurgent." Sounds a bit like Insurance.

Wow, eight likes. Maybe people have had some bad experience with insurance....? Dunno.

TEN LIKES.....O.O O.O O.O <--- I love that face. #.# $.$ There are so many different combinations. XD

Eleven. Whoa. O.O I don't understand this. My review isn't at the top of the review page, is it?! It's very cool, though. :D Thanks, everyone....

Oh my word!!! Fourteen likes!!! o.o O.O O.O

228 DAYS (I think)

219...more

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May 03, 2012 Maggie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

FINALLY the book is out! After months of waiting, I managed to snag this book on the day of its release and thank goodness for that!

**Warning: There will be no spoilers of Insurgent, only of Divergent**

After having not been immersed in the Divergent world since the first book came out last year, I had qualms about diving headfirst into Insurgent without refreshing myself with the basic events that happened prior to the start of this novel. However, having neither the time nor the care for reread...more

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Nov 28, 2012 Steph Sinclair rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: -_- Strong fans of Divergent

Recommended to Steph by: Twitter and HarperTEEN's insane marketing campaign

Shelves: dystopian, young-adult, 2012-reads, can-t-believe-i-finished, could-have-been-better, didn-t-care-for-it, disappointment, fell-for-the-hype, glad-it-s-over, harpercollins, heroines-i-want-to-shake, le-sigh, poor-world-building, pretty-covers, too-long-don-t-care, why-the-hype

I want to give a big old round of applause to HarperTEEN and their insane marketing campaign. Bravo. That is not mockery, but a legit salute. I sincerely have to give it up to you for convincing me that I had to own this book. I was caught up and boarded the Twitter hype train as it drove me round and round the blogosphere's Factions. (BTW, I still don't know who drives the damn train.) So, by the time I stepped into my local bookstore and laid eyes on Insurgent I happily handed over my $17.99....more

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May 09, 2012 Eunice rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: out-2012, adventure, cool-covers, damn-gorgeous-males, death-tragedy-suicide, dystopian-postapocalyptic, favourites, kick-ass-heroines, obsessed-with, ya-romance, young-adult

4.5 stars

When I first read Divergent, I was awed. I loved it and I really enjoyed it. However there was this small part of me that just cannot acknowledge that this series could be, like most reviews had said, leveled with The Hunger Games. I don't know, there was something I need to see or feel for me to be completely convinced that it is worth comparing to THG or say that it could be as great as THG.

And well, great job Veronica Roth, because Insurgent just had me convinced that this series is...more

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Jun 06, 2012 Diane ϟ [ Lestrange ] rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: wish-list, books-to-movie, dystopian-post-apocalyptic, 2012-reads, i-have, young-adult, reviews

“Come on, Insurgent,”
“What?”
“Insurgent,” he says. “Noun. A person who acts in opposition to the established authority, who is not necessarily regarded as a belligerent.” I look at Fernando. The last time I broke into a faction’s headquarters, I did it with a gun in my hand, and I left bodies behind me. I want this time to be different. I need this time to be different. “I like it,” I say.
“Insurgent. It’s perfect.”

Once again I find myself with mixed views over a book. Middle books are usually fi...more

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May 14, 2012 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: book-club

*06/26/11*

I just about died when I saw the release date as 2012.
WHY CAN'T IT BE SOONER? D:

*05/01/12*
It's finally out! I just got it today, in perfect time to start reading for my Florida trip that I'm leaving for tonight. :)

*05/14/12*
If I thought the last book left me with a lot of questions, this one left me with even more. sdrftgbhjnkm. I wish I would have been able to just sit down one afternoon and read this book in one sitting, but I was so busy, but whenever I started reading, I wouldn't w...more

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Apr 18, 2013 Nataliya rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-reads

Uh-oh. Why did I break my promise to myself and read this book?

Was it my curiosity? Well, I need to be more careful. After all, curiosity killed the cat - and I'm a Leo. Uh-oh.

Now I'm afraid that this book may have made me use up a few of my allotted nine lives. O_O

Welcome back to the senseless world of dystopian Chicago where you are only allowed to have one personality trait, which apparently is determined in what seems to be an equivalent of a 5-question multiple choice test. And this ridicu...more

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May 06, 2012 Sam rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-or-galley, dystopia-or-pa-favourites, dystopia-or-post-apocalyptic, favourite-boys, ultimate-favourites, romance, dystopian, 2012-favourites

4.5 stars

I have a message for the Divergent.
I am Divergent.
This is not a negotiation.
No, it is not.
It is a warning.
I understand.

Regardless of what you may think of Divergent by Veronica Roth, whether or not you are a fan, or even if you are sick and tired of dystopian books, there is no denying the fact that Veronica Roth made a huge splash in the world of young adult fiction with her debut novel. Divergent fast became one of my favourite books of all time, and its sequel, Insurgent, one of my m...more 4.5 stars

I have a message for the Divergent.
I am Divergent.
This is not a negotiation.
No, it is not.
It is a warning.
I understand.

Regardless of what you may think of Divergent by Veronica Roth, whether or not you are a fan, or even if you are sick and tired of dystopian books, there is no denying the fact that Veronica Roth made a huge splash in the world of young adult fiction with her debut novel. Divergent fast became one of my favourite books of all time, and its sequel, Insurgent, one of my most anticipated. And I assume the same applied for many other readers too. With so much buzz and excitement surrounding book 2, along with the speculation of whether or not it would be able to fill the large impression left by its predecessor, Insurgent sure had a lot of high expectations to live up to. Thankfully, it didn’t disappoint.

Veronica Roth is back with her second novel and proves she still has many tricks up her sleeve. As with several middle books in trilogies, there is always the risk of the plot being dragged out extensively so that the book ends up becoming more of a ‘filler’ than anything of great significance. At first, and occasionally during the middle, I was concerned Insurgent may have fallen victim to Middle Book Syndrome, but I was quickly proven wrong as Veronica Roth crafted a story more complex and rich in detail than Divergent. The characters were bigger and better than before, though not always admirable, and the plot as action-packed and intricate as ever.

The story takes a fascinating turn in this book and there is a lot to appreciate. Finding out more about the factions which were barely touched on in Divergent, including Amity and Candor, and even the Factionless, was something I valued greatly. The world-building in Divergent was remarkable, and Insurgent builds on that, adding to the captivating quality of Tris Prior’s world. As unpleasant and perilous as life has become for her, I couldn’t help but want to join her, to join her world, and experience it for myself.

When I first met Tris in Divergent, she rapidly developed into one of my favourite main characters. Her determination, fearlessness and real emotion made her the perfect heroine and I was eager to see how far her character had come in Insurgent. Things were definitely trickier for her in this book and her relationships with many people were put to the test. A distinct cloud of hopelessness surrounded her occasionally, and her thoughts and decisions became difficult to agree with, but she was, overall, a remarkable character to read about. In a strange sort of way, I was glad there were emotional obstacles for her to overcome on top of the obvious ones, as it transformed her by the end of the book and made her even better than she once had been.

Now, I’m sure I’m not alone when I say Four/Tobias Eaton was one of the main reasons I wanted to read this book. There really isn’t much this guy has to do now for me to still want him. In Divergent, he was a bold and strong character, and unbelievably easy to fall for, and in Insurgent we are able to dig deeper into his character to get a better grasp of ‘Tobias’ and know him as well as we know ‘Four’. It’s a pet peeve of mine when the author changes the name of a character halfway through a book and that was something I didn’t appreciate in Divergent and it wasn’t any different in Insurgent. Although he is predominantly referred to as ‘Tobias’, I couldn’t bring myself to call him anything other than ‘Four’. But anyway, trivial points aside, Four was just as astounding in this book as he was in the first. The romance between him and Tris was beautifully crafted. Although things were occasionally strained between them, I enjoyed reading about it and was whole-heartedly satisfied with some of the tension.

And speaking of tension, the ending of this book is a killer. Being a reader who more often than not despises the cruelty in being left to wait for some crucial answers, a cliff-hanger isn’t always welcomed with open arms. Surprisingly though, the ending of Insurgent filled me more with excitement than with frustration. The big revelation is an astounding one with very little, if any, signs of predictability. A whole new door is open for book 3 now and whichever route Veronica Roth decides to take it down, I am sure I will be waiting with bated breath to read it.

The bar is set high once again. Divergent was outstanding and Insurgent proved it could live up to the hype. That next and final book will be released in 2013 and I hope beyond hope that it brings the perfect closure to this remarkable series.

(This review also appears on my blog)
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Jun 12, 2012 Shaylee rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, ya-books, favorites, favorite-ya-books, favorite-characters, surprisingly-good, insta-love-with-cover, romance, buckets-of-tears, sky-high-expectations

Note: This review contains some events from the first book, Divergent, that are not in the spoiler tags. Proceed with caution if you haven't read it yet! :)

Let me start with this confession: I’m a huge fan of Divergent. It was my first read from the YA science fiction genre and I immensely enjoyed the experience. I was intrigued by the premise and entertained by the action and suspense. After reading the book, I can’t wait to find out more about the world and see what’s going to happen next to t...more

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Jul 03, 2012 Dija rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of teenage angst.

Recommended to Dija by: Buddy read with Jenn

Shelves: buddy-slash-group-read, may-2012, could-have-been-sooo-much-better, great-disappointment, meh, my-reviews, read-in-2012, waste-of-anticipation-energy, ya, wtf-abkjkad, everyone-loved-but-dija

My overall impression of Insurgent is mostly bipolar - on one hand, I believe this was the only possible sequel to Divergent. On the other though, I feel almost cheated by what became of one of my favorite YA heroines and series. The latter is the more dominant of the two, and hence the low rating.

Firstly, the brave, sweet Tris I fell in love with in Divergent is replaced by an angsty heroine in Insurgent who is a complete STRANGER to me. What happened to my precious baby?? I realize murder and...more My overall impression of Insurgent is mostly bipolar - on one hand, I believe this was the only possible sequel to Divergent. On the other though, I feel almost cheated by what became of one of my favorite YA heroines and series. The latter is the more dominant of the two, and hence the low rating.

Firstly, the brave, sweet Tris I fell in love with in Divergent is replaced by an angsty heroine in Insurgent who is a complete STRANGER to me. What happened to my precious baby?? I realize murder and war and the works have quite an impact on people's personalities, and I can understand Tris's anguish and depression, but letting it influence everything she does, to the point where she's making rash and careless and selfish decisions and pushing everyone who cares about her away - that just doesn't sit right with me. I seriously expected more from her.

Secondly, I had to force myself to finish this. The plot wasn't boring, but since I was so puzzled by the characters' behavior, I couldn't really bring myself to read this in two sittings, like I did Divergent, and it had nothing to do with a lack of free time. Although I do admit that there were nearly as many "OMG-WTF-just-happened" moments in Insurgent as there were in Divergent, but where I was impressed by them in the first book, I was mostly unpleasantly surprised by them in this one.

Another thing I absolutely didn't like? How Four (I refuse to call him Tobias) never seemed to understand Tris and that she needed love and gentleness after going through all that she did, not somebody to keep pushing her to the limit. After witnessing the chemistry and natural connection between the two in Divergent and how Roth promised there wouldn't be a love triangle, I was sure Tris and Four would become one of my most favorite couples in YA, once they actually got together. But while there were quite a few melty-gooey moments, they were greatly outnumbered by the moments I actually cringed inside by how crassly Four handled Tris.

Still, I hope all of the above is just because this was the second book and Roth is saving all the great relationship development and intrigue for the next and final book, because otherwise, I am very, very disappointed with what became of one of my most-anticipated releases of the year.

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Apr 25, 2012 Lyndsey rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance-rated-pg-13, about-dystopia-or-utopia, genre-young-adult, genre-ya-science-fiction, pov-primarily-female, present-tense, pacing-fast, 1st-person, about-strange-cities

All right. Start it up "We Will Rock You" style, now.

Clap, clap, stomp. Clap, clap, stomp. Clap, clap, stomp. Clap, clap, stomp.

We are, we are DAUNTLESS
We are, we are DAUNTLESS

Beatrice, Now called Tris, Made a big change
Playing on the trains, She became a Dauntless one day
She's got mud on her face
A parental disgrace
Now she'll be kickin your ass all over the place

Singin'
We are, we are DIVERGENT
We are, we are DIVERGENT

Tobias is a Dauntless, Divergent
Shoutin' to them all, We can take on the world...more

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Oct 13, 2012 Inge rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopian, im-from-da-futuuure, young-adult, put-a-sock-in-it, high-expectations-got-disappointed, douchebag-alert

2.5 stars

If you have been following my status updates for Insurgent, this gif will look very familiar to you. That is because I have used it twice in a row. I wanted to use it again, but that might have been overdoing it. Sadly, I didn't enjoy Insurgent as much as I thought I would. The first 100 pages were a total snore-fest and I was literally vibrating my lips just like that, because that was more interesting than what I was reading. I already have concentration issues, and Insurgent didn’t...more

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May 18, 2012 Zemira Warner rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopia, won, i-own, could-have-been-better, disappointed, yawn, killing-machine

Hmm...I wonder what will happen to Peter. Will he become a better person or will he stay an a-hole?

EDIT

First of all,I am NOT one of those people who give 5 star rating to every damn book they read(obviously) so I am NOT going to give Insurgent 5 stars just because Divergent was great. That is not enough. I know all of my friends will say I am crazy for not liking this book but after reading books for so many years I just can't put up with certain things.

I understand some characters need to die...more

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May 03, 2012 Katy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

3.5 stars - Wow, what an end! Overall, a pretty good book, but boy was it infuriating!

First of all, I LOVED LOVED LOVED Divergent. But I didn't like Tris or Four very much in this book. I don't remember Tris being such a bitch, and I understand that she is Dauntless now, and she has been through a lot, but she is just so mean. And Four has more mood swings than a girl - especially for someone who was so stoic, not in actual feelings but in display of feelings, in the first book. The two made me...more

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Jun 17, 2012 Emily May rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopia-utopia, ya-na, 2012, boring, annoying, bloody-awful

The size of my disappointment probably has something to do with why I can't bring myself to award this two stars. I know Divergent isn't really a great book, the dystopia makes no sense, the Dauntless are ridiculous people who jump off trains to prove themselves... but, for me, it was still a wildly entertaining read. It was fast-paced, full of action, Tris was delightfully kickass, and the romance between her and Four complemented the main story without overtaking it. Insurgent failed on all o...more

The size of my disappointment probably has something to do with why I can't bring myself to award this two stars. I know Divergent isn't really a great book, the dystopia makes no sense, the Dauntless are ridiculous people who jump off trains to prove themselves... but, for me, it was still a wildly entertaining read. It was fast-paced, full of action, Tris was delightfully kickass, and the romance between her and Four complemented the main story without overtaking it. Insurgent failed on all of those.

Normally, I might put it down to middle book syndrome and carry on with book three anyway, but not this time. Even though no time passes between the end of the first book and the start of this one, Tris and Tobias/Four feel like completely different characters and this is an inconsistency I can't forgive. Whatever happened to tough Tris who made difficult decisions and put survival above all else? She has disappeared and in her place is a "heroine" quite like the majority of other young adult romantic heroines. Tris is now solely concerned with Tobias and their relationship angst, I lost count of how many pages were filled with their make-out sessions and melodrama.

Tobias also seems to have changed a lot more than his name. I really liked his character in Divergent, I found him to be sweet, kind and a little mysterious (indeed, in this book he was the only mystery). However, he has been replaced by someone who is aggressive, always frowning and frequently yells at Tris. He used to be so cool, even in a crisis - so what the hell happened? I couldn't even begin to believe in a story where the characters had changed so dramatically without logical reason.

Plus, there's also the whopping great fact that nothing actually happens. Okay, so let me be honest, I read the first 300 pages and then I skim-read the rest. So I suppose that it's entirely possible that I missed something really good, it couldn't have saved the novel for me anyway, but I'm just saying that it is possible. In those first 300 pages, though, nothing happens. People sit around talking about their problems and what they should do, Tris repeatedly remembers her parents (I know she's upset, but can't we move on to the current drama?), Tris thinks about Tobias, obsesses about Tobias, worries about Tobias, tries to solve the mystery that is Tobias...

Basically, the first 100 pages go something like:
- Tris and Tobias make out
- Tris thinks about where they should go from here
- Tris and Tobias make out
- Tris and Tobias talk about where they should go from here
- Tris and Tobias make out
- Tris thinks about her parents' deaths
- Tris and Tobias make out

I honestly don't care about their relationship. Maybe I did when I liked their characters, but now I don't even recognise them. It's not even that I doubt Roth has some brilliant ending planned for the third book, it's more that I no longer give a single damn about Tris or Tobias. I didn't even care enough to read this book properly and find out what happens at the end. I think it's clear that this series just died out for me.(less)

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May 18, 2012 Joyzi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Teens

Recommended to Joyzi by: Kwesi 章英狮

Shelves: ya-books, sci-fi, book-series, dystopia, 5-stars-or-more, author-american, e-book, fiction, nook, political-intrigue, reviewed

Non-spoiler review

This is a pretty good sequel to the first book Divergent. The plot is action-packed, there are lots of running, shooting, and fighting. These days I've been addicted in watching Nikita an American T.V. Show about a group of assassins. While watching the show I missed reading Divergent because it made me remember the initiation of Tris in the dauntless faction when Alex, a character from Nikita is undergoing her training to become an assassin. That's why I'm really excited in re...more

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Jul 31, 2012 Mitch rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review took frikkin forever to write, because I know I'm in the minority that didn't like this series, and I really wanted to stay away from a long gripe about everything wrong with Insurgent (which other reviews have covered really well) and concentrate on the weaknesses of this book instead (you may ask why I read the sequel if I didn't like the first, well, certain people can be very persuasive and occasionally persistent). Oh, and there are unmarked spoilers, so be aware of that before...more This review took frikkin forever to write, because I know I'm in the minority that didn't like this series, and I really wanted to stay away from a long gripe about everything wrong with Insurgent (which other reviews have covered really well) and concentrate on the weaknesses of this book instead (you may ask why I read the sequel if I didn't like the first, well, certain people can be very persuasive and occasionally persistent). Oh, and there are unmarked spoilers, so be aware of that before you read on.

Anyway, the main problem with Insurgent is that once again the entire thing feels like filler. Sure, book picks up from where Divergent leaves off with the faction politics plotline - except the twist ending about the history and why the factions were set up just goes on a completely different path. Really, I don't like one book being about one thing until the very end (Tris testing into a different faction) and the next picking up the new plot from the end of the last one until it shifts gears AGAIN in the last paragraph. I like books with breadcrumbs and clues about the next mission during the previous one, not wham! done! next! At this point, I feel either Roth is either pulling things out of her a- as she's going along, or she's got a VERY good plan of what's going to happen and the clues aren't second meanings or subtext, but third or fourth meanings and sub-sub-subtext. Either way, I predict I'm going to either love the next book or absolutely despise it.

Part of that goes back to the criticisms of Insurgent too, though. The factions got a lot of criticism, because of the way they're set up (I know said I'm not going to load up on criticism, but at this point I have to say the only character with glasses is a member of Erudite ... I mean, stereotype much? come on!), their purpose weren't explained much, they kind of sounded contrived for the sake of creating a harsh dystopian world, and they just didn't make much sense beyond yeah this is how our world is. I'm glad Roth at least addressed that criticism in two ways, she's added a lot of background to the factions, and that twist ending again. But I really didn't think either worked that well, the background was no offense kind of boring and took away from the action (felt like Insurgent didn't have as much action as Divergent) and the ending again seems to throw all the buildup out the window. I mean, I like characters being lied to, shades of truth, and all that, but this is just everything you've been told for two books now is a total lie. A bombshell like that deserves hints at least in the middle of the first book, so when I finished Insurgent and got there I could go, oh yeah, how could I not have seen that coming. Instead, I went WTF.

I don't have any comments about Tris and Tobias. Honestly, neither of them bothered me, I was so caught up shaking my head at the plot I really could have cared less about them, so although it seems they're not well received this go, I thought they were fine. Actually, not much of the book made that much of an impression on me, there were only a few scenes that I genuinely liked overall, Tris's test by Candor where she's forced to tell the truth being one of the only ones. There were probably more umm yeah moments, Amity peacekeepers, taking down Jeanine, but once I got to the end I'm left wondering, why do I care about what happened?

Yeah, Insurgent just feels like Divergent all over again. Worse actually. I just wish Roth would weave the overarching purpose into the story, if she's even got one, and if not come up with one so it doesn't feel like I should care about the story then wham! no because something more important just came up than renders everything you've just read meaningless, you just read an entire book of filler again. Maybe she should think about doing standalones with self contained plots instead?(less)

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May 22, 2012 Ariana rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, dystopia, series

3.5 Stars: I am not really sure of my feelings for this book.
- On the good side there was plenty of action and the concept at the ending of the book seems to be quite interesting. (view spoiler)
- On the bad side, parts of the action didn't make much sense. So much hiding in plain view, so much running away with no place to go, so many suicida...more

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May 17, 2012 Giselle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopia-or-post-apocalyptic

There is no denying that this was one of the most anticipated titles of the year. I, like many others, quickly became enthralled inside Veronica Roth's dystopian world where factions decide our values, and fitting in is of the upmost importance. This sequel, although still exciting, is a much somber book centering on Tris' grief and self discovery, rather than on the plot itself.

"Grief is not as heavy as guilt, but it takes more away from you."

Divergent's ending undoubtedly left most of us ins...more There is no denying that this was one of the most anticipated titles of the year. I, like many others, quickly became enthralled inside Veronica Roth's dystopian world where factions decide our values, and fitting in is of the upmost importance. This sequel, although still exciting, is a much somber book centering on Tris' grief and self discovery, rather than on the plot itself.

"Grief is not as heavy as guilt, but it takes more away from you."

Divergent's ending undoubtedly left most of us inside a bubble of emotion. Every war has casualties - this one is no different. In Insurgent, we see the aftermath of this grief. Tris struggles with regret, guilt, and depression; she is quite different from the tough, resilient character we got to know. I understand completely why these changes in her personality occurred. I really do. Her life has been blown to smithereens. It still didn't stop me from eventually getting annoyed by her constant self pity. The moodiness and bitchiness seemed to go on endlessly. Consequently, Four gets fed up with her self-destructive attitude and becomes kind of a jerk. On one hand, I value Tris' moments of clarity that stem from her reflections of her own character. She comes to truly honorable decisions, proving her Divergent state further. But it doesn't erase the fact that this is a very long book filled with a lot of angst. Let's just say I will be happy to (hopefully) get the old Tris back again in the third book.

With Tris' PTSD, and Four's frustrations, we get a very confusing, emotional romance. Their connection was built in Divergent and now they're struggling. I applaud at how the relationship is handled in a situation where there's so much interference. Their extreme circumstances forces them to work through endless disagreements and unimaginable obstacles. What we get is a very distressing, perilous relationship, but genuinely realistic. Where most people would have given up, these two stubborn beings keep fighting for each other, picking up the other's broken pieces. It's believable and touching, however it's not easygoing on our emotions.

You're going to have to keep your head in gear during this story. There is a lot of back and forth between the faction compounds; if you don't read it in one sitting it's easy to lose track of where they are, or what their intentions are in any particular moment. I wasn't confused more than I wanted to get to the point; the shuffling around can make the plot feel like it's dragging at times. What we learned about these factions in the first book gets a bit more complicated in this one when everyone seems to band together to fight the war. Factions are divided among themselves, and now we have the factionless who we learn aren't the dismal, society degrading derelicts they've been portrayed as. This is only one tidbit of the expanding world building that we attain in this sequel. We get a better glimpse inside the factions at a more personal level. We also broaden our knowledge of the past which makes us understand how we resulted in this post apocalyptic state. In turn, this awakens us to the world beyond the fence. Although most of this information is only dispersed at the very end - promising an extremely intriguing third installment.

A solid addition to the series, Insurgent dishes out enough world development to give a good momentum to the story, in addition to great character and relationship building. The characters especially go through drastic changes which may get different reactions from some, but in the end I found it important for Tris to have searched out who she is, besides being a natural progression to where we were left off in Divergent.
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Want to refresh your memory on Divergent? http://veronicarothbooks.blogspot.ca/...

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For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

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May 01, 2012 Liz rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Review: 5/5, but I liked Divergent just a little bit more!

I warn you now that this review will probably be incoherent and completely unstructured and just generally me rambling as I rock back and forth trying to figure out my feelings.

Insurgent was just...amazing. I mean, it was such a great continuation of Divergent. In that excellent way that only an awesome series can pull off. I have to admit, I did enjoy Divergent a bit more, so I’ve been torn over the rating of this book. In the end I gave...more Review: 5/5, but I liked Divergent just a little bit more!

I warn you now that this review will probably be incoherent and completely unstructured and just generally me rambling as I rock back and forth trying to figure out my feelings.

Insurgent was just...amazing. I mean, it was such a great continuation of Divergent. In that excellent way that only an awesome series can pull off. I have to admit, I did enjoy Divergent a bit more, so I’ve been torn over the rating of this book. In the end I gave it a 5, because even though I did like Divergent slightly more, this book was still just too good to be rated anything less.

Tris. Guys, Tris. This girl. I mean, I liked her in book one. I really did. I loved her flaws. I loved how different she was from a lot of other heroines. I loved the way she spoke her mind, I loved her bravery and her selflessness. But I think I loved her even more in Insurgent. I mean, I can’t really even explain it. In book one, Tris was still making the transition from Abnegation to Dauntless. She was still used to hiding her feelings and bottling things up. And while for the most part, that remained true in Insurgent, we got to see little trickles of emotion escape from her. I predicted after Divergent that Tris would have to face the consequences for killing Will, her own friend. And let me tell you, she did. She was consumed by guilt. It was all she thought about for the first half of the book, and I could just feel how terrible she was feeling. We saw a different side of Tris – one that was scared to admit what she’d done, one that was sick from remembering it and too afraid to even hold a gun. I felt so bad for her, and I could understand why she felt so guilty. But I also loved her for still trying to do what was required of her. After all, she was still Dauntless. Still Divergent. And she had things she had to do. She always did what she thought was right, even if it meant hurting people she loved. And that’s what made Tris a great character.

Speaking of great characters...Four. Or Tobias (though I must say, I do prefer Four :P). He was back. And things were different. Some stuff happened (awesome, awesome stuff) and the Dauntless lot started to lose their respect for him. Four was quite understandably frustrated and angry and determined to show them he was still the fearless leader they thought he was before (even if he didn’t believe that himself). On top of that, his relationship with Tris was difficult. It wasn’t sunshine and rainbows and “now we know we love each other, we can sip lemonade and be happy forever!” No, it was hard. It was rocky. They disagreed, they argued, the kissed, they talked, they disagreed some more. And I loved it. Relationships, especially ones in a dystopian world where each day could very well be your last, are not easy. And I think Tris and Four’s relationship portrayed this perfectly. They loved each other, that was easy to tell. But they struggled. They both had strong personalities. They both wanted to protect each other. Sometimes they clashed. And it seemed very realistic and believable. Sometimes it is hard to be with someone, no matter how much you love them. Sometimes things go wrong. To quote Shakespeare, “the course of true love never did run smooth”. I loved Four and Tris so much, to the point where they’ve become one of my favourite YA couples of all time. Honestly, you won’t understand the amazingness until you read this book yourself.

Plot-wise, there were a lot of surprises. Little ones, big ones, medium sized ones. So much happened in those five hundred pages! Tris did some awesome things. She also did some stupid things (one thing in particular) that made me want to pull my hair out and cry. We got to see Candor (my least favourite faction, just saying) which I loved reading about. A lot of drama occurred in Candor, as you can imagine. We also got to see the Factionless, which was one of my favourite parts, probably because what happened there was completely different to what I expected. Everything about Insurgent was just not what I imagined. Even the villains, the supposed “bad guys” were hard to work out. In Divergent, it was quite clear who the villains were, and who the good guys were. In Insurgent, the line between good and evil was blurred. It was hard to tell who was truly evil. I mean, with some people it was obvious, but with others – well, you’ll see :P. The ending though, was the true “WTF” moment for me. I had suspected something like that would happen, but oh wow. It was one hell of a cliffhanger. And left me mindboggled. Literally. I spent about an hour DMing Cait, basically flipping out and demanding that she answer my many, many questions. Looking back, I can’t help but laugh at how freaked out I was! :P.

Overall, Insurgent was a brilliant sequel to Divergent. This is definitely now one of my favourite series and I absolutely cannot wait for book three. I need more!

Pre review: If this book is anywhere near as good as Divergent was...I can't wait.(less)

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Aug 19, 2012 Sparrow rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: chosen-girls, girls-rule, motherless-daughters, reviewed, slaves, utopia-dystopia, young-adult

So, this is where ratings fail me. I mean, ratings are kind of ridiculous anyway because how can I fit all of my love for the books that I love and all of my hatred for the books that I hate into five little stars? I can’t. Here’s how I feel about this book: I liked it exactly as much as I liked Divergent. That used to be a four-star rating for me. But, then I read Graceling, which I like a ton better than Divergent, so then Graceling became a four-star for me. Because, I mean, I can’t love Grac ...more

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Aug 05, 2012 Krys rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, dystopian-post-apocalyptic, own, series-i-love, read-in-2012, first-person-narrative, autographed, series

I'm not going to say a thing about the plot in the much anticipated YA title, Insurgent, which releases in May. Not a bloody thing. What I will do is to give a few brief impressions of the themes of the book.

Factions - seeing into factions that are not Dauntless or Abnegation is the highest treat in the pages of Insurgent. It really helps to center this story. Without the journey into the other mindsets of the players involved we would not be able to understand the bigger picture.

Betrayals - li...more

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May 04, 2012 Michelle, the Bookshelf Stalker rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

9%, that's it. I finished 9% and I can't go one more page. I have a rule, if I didn't get to page 100, I won't rate the book. Well, screw my rules. I REALLY disliked this book. Sorry. I'm rating it. And yes, I did read enough to rate it. No, I don't need to finish it. I don't care if there is something coming, or there is some great twist, or if it will all make sense in the end. The 9% I read was not good. The characters are horrible. This is not even a review. I'm just ranting. Thus, I stop to...more

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Sep 18, 2011 Seth marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Ugggh. I wish that Tobias would just go by Four. Or Toby! That would also be good :D

. . . THE COVER.

I'm so freakin excited for this book!

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Oct 14, 2012 Jen Carstairs rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: series-dystopian, 2012-reading-challenge

***Finally, I've read the book! Please scroll down for the review!***

GOD! I hate it when authors make you wait for the sequel.
I know it's not really their fault that readers are so excited for the next book.
But still...

I hope the long wait would be worth it!
I mean stop making sequels that are not good!
Sequels are supposed to be better than the book that they followed and not the other way around!!!

Make us wait but satisfy us too!!!

I love Divergent!!! :D
I think I will also love Insurgent!
As lo...more

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Jun 29, 2012 Rayzel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: beautiful-covers, books-i-own, favourites, dystopia-post-apocalyptic

Update (Sept. 19, 2011): I saw the little thumbnail picture of the cover and when I read Insurgent, I did a full-on fangirly shriek. Hope the neighbors didn't hear ;) But why is it so short compared to the first book? Only 288 pages :( I guess she isn't including unnecessary paragraphs and the like, but I still wish it was longer. Beautiful cover though, can't wait to see it on my bookshelf.

GUESS WHAT EVERYBODY?! I READ THE BOOK!!! :D

Haha, not really. Ugh, what I would give to hold it in my...more

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Jul 14, 2012 Saniya(Will Herondale is mine) marked it as to-read · review of another edition

OMG OMG OMG! THE COVER! :O <3
Beautiful! (:
Thats Amity (The Peaceful) symbol of a tree!
Whats gonna happen? :O
Give me this book NOW! ^.^

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Jun 05, 2012 Kelli Spear rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Generally speaking, when a book is the second in a trilogy or series, it tends to be weaker than the first. It's usually in the awkward part of the aftermath of whatever the first was setting up. It is also tasked with setting up for what comes next. So even though I was ecstatic to have a chance to read this, I was also leery of it being inferior to "Divergent". I am happy to report that I didn't feel this way at all.

Thankfully it picks up right where "Divergent" left off. There is no one month...more Generally speaking, when a book is the second in a trilogy or series, it tends to be weaker than the first. It's usually in the awkward part of the aftermath of whatever the first was setting up. It is also tasked with setting up for what comes next. So even though I was ecstatic to have a chance to read this, I was also leery of it being inferior to "Divergent". I am happy to report that I didn't feel this way at all.

Thankfully it picks up right where "Divergent" left off. There is no one month to year gap in which we have to play catch up on anything we missed during that time. I tend to get annoyed with plots/authors that carry on in that fashion. It wasted so much time recapping when the story could just have been told to begin with. We follow Tris, Four (as I refuse to call him Tobias), Caleb, and Marcus as they journey to the other factions (Amity and Candor) to make them aware of the teaming up of Dauntless and Erudite factions and make known the war started against Abnegation. Sadly, both refuse to get involved and only offer to take in those displaced from the war that's begun. All we really know at this point is that Jeanine Matthews (Erudite leader and resident genius) wants to collect all Divergent people for study purposes. We are unsure why they have become so important. All we know is that it is to *supposedly* protect the city from the outside. From here the plot can at times become confusing. Four's mother comes back into the picture as the leader of the factionless who are planning to stop the Erudite/Dauntless combination from warring on everyone else. There are some subplots going on as well that can make things confusing at times.

I'm not going to lie here. I loved Tris as a protagonist, but in this book, there were times she annoyed the crap out of me. She became reckless and was almost selfless to the point I wanted to slap her. Not to mention that her guilt over killing Will was drawn out up until the very end of "Insurgent". After awhile, it got really old. She was refusing to defend herself and was about to die because she thought it was for the best. UGH. Then there was Four... I cannot seem to make myself call him Tobias no matter how hard I try. I am not sure if that is because he was introduced to us as Four and that was the character I fell in love with or what. But he is always called Tobias here and it seems wrong. Perhaps he needs a new name altogether as he is a different person in this book. He is still the caring, lovable, sweet guy we know; but also has some harder edges. He becomes selfish in his love for Tris and tries to protect her, which she doesn't allow. The majority of the book, I felt his heartbreak over her carelessness and disregard for his feelings. Had there been another love interest for her in the series, I'm sure this would have been the point she'd have struggled with a love triangle. The two were either arguing or avoiding each other for most of the book. That in itself made me sad. The leaders of the other factions were all weak and pretty much unlikable here. Marcus had a large part and was obnoxious in his own right. His refusal to give up information drove me nuts. I wouldn't have been able to coddle him in order to get information. I'd most likely have used force to get what I wanted. I always had thought Tris's brother, Caleb, was odd. And he turned out to be a traitor as well. My heart did break for her here. The only family she had left betrayed her. All to protect something that was ready to be revealed to all.

Now, for the plot critique. "Divergent" hinted at being protected from the outside. There is more hinting of this until the end, when finally all is revealed. This was a lot of what kept me reading. I wanted to know WHAT it was. I wasn't entirely surprised, although we are still not aware of exactly how much is out there. Am I a tad disappointed? Yes. But now we at least know that much. It's almost like that movie "The Village". Separated by the rest of the world by a fence. Now though, the Divergent are supposed to be released in order to fix things. Hmm. And how? I'm curious to see where the story goes from here. All the simulations and murder were to keep everyone inside? That's it? It can't be... there MUST be more. The cliffhanger left us with a video of Tris's family member announcing all of this and reporting that she was to forget things and take on a new identity. So was it her mother? Grandmother? We're left hanging until the next book.

Overall, I really, really liked "Insurgent". It was a great follow-up to "Divergent" and really keeps the pace of the series going. It's not slow like many middle books tend to be. There is always action or some conflict going on; whether physical or emotional. Some characters take on different personas temporarily and it manages to work. The book definitely has its moments of suspense that keep you reading. You can't help but be curious to find out what is going on. I am so excited for the next book in the series!!
(less)

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Apr 30, 2012 Angela rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 4-stars, apocalyptic-or-dystopian, best-characters, good-ones, swoon-inducing, young-adult, better-than-the-first-one, makes-you-think, read-in-2012

Better than the first w/improved world building, plot, and character development

In Insurgent, Veronica Roth’s much anticipated sequel to Divergent, the stakes are even higher. Tris and a small group have escaped after the simulation that killed countless people, but their struggles are far from over. Possible war looms between the factions, and Tris and Tobias are among those most wanted by the different sides. Tris must grapple with grief, guilt, and deception as sides are declared and choices...more
Better than the first w/improved world building, plot, and character development

In Insurgent, Veronica Roth’s much anticipated sequel to Divergent, the stakes are even higher. Tris and a small group have escaped after the simulation that killed countless people, but their struggles are far from over. Possible war looms between the factions, and Tris and Tobias are among those most wanted by the different sides. Tris must grapple with grief, guilt, and deception as sides are declared and choices must be made, including ones that threaten her and those she loves.

Though I enjoyed the first book, Insurgent was even better with clearer world building, stronger character development, and more intricate plots twists. Like Divergent, the story reads quickly and easily, but this installment has a much quieter, somber tone. Tris, Tobias (Four), and all of the survivors are dealing with the emotional and political fallout after the simulation, and it shows. All of the characters, including those the reader loves and those who are despised, are fleshed out more and given added layers. Tris’s struggle to move forward while burdened by grief and guilt is portrayed in a way that feels real and poignant. Though she engages in a lot of selfish or thoughtless actions in this book, all of those actions seem like honest attempts to deal with her loss, her choices, and how she should best work to honor those she loves. Tris and Tobias also continue to bring the swoon with simple words and small touches, despite having problems. Their relationship encounters major hurdles in this installment, but they are all reasonable and justified given what’s happening. The relationship they share provides a much-needed counterpoint to show that love and connection is worth fighting for and is possible even in a world that’s falling apart.

In addition to these strengths, the plot was unpredictable and gripping. The novel is full of unexpected alliances, betrayal, action, and rebellion on multiple fronts that keep the story moving. The world building also improved dramatically over that of the first book. I really enjoyed being immersed in the different factions, and the author’s description of each group allowed me to imagine them clearly. I also understand now why some information was withheld in the first book, given some of the significant plot reveals.

Even though this book was great read, I still experienced a few bumps. The story starts immediately after the end of Divergent with little to no recapping of events, so it took me a little while to remember or figure out who certain people were or what had happened previously. A few typos and continuity errors pulled me out of the story, and some betrayals/alliances/connections seemed a little too convenient to allow certain parts of the plot to move forward. The book also suffers a bit from middle-book syndrome in that it can’t stand on its own, and the ending leaves off in a dramatic place right after a big reveal.

Overall, though, Insurgent is an impressive sequel that leaves me eager to see where the author will take the story next. Given what’s revealed at the end of this novel, I can’t imagine how Veronica Roth could wrap up the series with only one more book, but it’s no matter to me, as I plan to keep reading whatever she offers.(less)

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Jun 26, 2012 Crystal Starr Light rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopia, young-adult, idiot-protagonist

Beatrice ‘Tris’ Prior is on the run after the Dauntless, under the influence of Erudite simulation serum (get used to reading those two words A LOT), attack Abnegation. Along with Four and a few of their friends/family, they flee to Amity and seek shelter. From that point on, Tris then tours all the other Factions, learns that there is a Super Duper Secret that Erudite is now in possession of that could Doom The World As We Know It, and tries to deal with the ending of the last book and her rela...more

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Shut Up & Read: Insurgent by Veronica Roth	25	31	May 16, 2013 02:16am

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Insurgent (Divergent #2)

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