Insurgent (Divergent, #2) in Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge

Jan 11, 2013 Christina rated it liked it

Shelves: sci-fi

My impression of the plot of Insurgent:
Run run run...pause to scowl, make out a bit, fight some more...run run run...pause somewhere else to scowl, make out a bit, fight some more...run run run...someone gets shot, scowl, make out a bit, fight some more, make up again...run run run...WASH, RINSE AND REPEAT.
So in other words, "plot" is a loose term. The whole book felt like a bunch of episodes designed to kill time while they circled around the big (and really predictable) reveal. Tris was much l ...more

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Mar 01, 2014 Lydia Presley rated it really liked it

Shelves: dystopian, fiction, 2014, coming-of-age, social_issues

This is my week of exploring the world of Veronica Roth, captured in the books of the Divergent trilogy. I remain solidly in the four stars rating after reading Insurgent, let me just start off with that. Roth continued the pace set up by the first book of the trilogy and her world grew stronger with the revelation of new and interesting twists and turns. This review will have some spoilers (unavoidable in subsequent series book reviews) so if you haven't read Divergent, I urge you to do so firs ...more

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Jul 21, 2013 Julie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: teen, dystopian

Unlike most trilogies, this second book was just as good, if not better, than the first. I can't wait to read the last book! I have to say I thoroughly enjoy the fact that there is no love triangle in this series either. Just Four and Tris. :) ...more

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Dec 29, 2012 Nadine in NY Jones rated it really liked it

Shelves: dystopian-and-post-apocalyptic, cotton-candy, stayed-up-way-too-late, young-adult

This book is like cotton candy: it's not really particularly good, but yet I JUST CAN'T STOP. My thoughts while reading the first chapter: "wow this first person present-tense is SUPER annoying! I don't remember Divergent being this annoying ... I'm not sure if I want to even read this ..." Next thing I know: "holy crap it's 2am and the only reason I'm setting this book down is that my head aches from reading for so long."

I kind of hate Tris, I kind of love Four, and I can't wait to find out wha This book is like cotton candy: it's not really particularly good, but yet I JUST CAN'T STOP. My thoughts while reading the first chapter: "wow this first person present-tense is SUPER annoying! I don't remember Divergent being this annoying ... I'm not sure if I want to even read this ..." Next thing I know: "holy crap it's 2am and the only reason I'm setting this book down is that my head aches from reading for so long."

I kind of hate Tris, I kind of love Four, and I can't wait to find out what happens next. Annoying First Person Present Tense be damned ...

*

It gets better. After a while, you get used to the annoyingly self-aware narrator and her annoying first person present tense, and you CAN'T WAIT to find out what happens next. Many of the characters (except the annoying narrator, Tris) grow and change and may surprise you, and the good guys are not always nice or pleasant (I LOVE that! I LOVE GREY!!! black and white can be so boring ...).

And there are some great lines in the book, including:

People, I have discovered, are layers and layers of secrets. You believe you know them, that you understand them, but their motives are always hidden from you, buried in their own hearts. You will never know them, but sometimes you decide to trust them.

The ending was deeply satisfying, which is what earns this 4 stars. (Would have been 5 if Tris was a more interesting character.) I was sad as I closed the book, because I didn't want it to be over. I can't believe I have to wait until next fall for book 3 Untitled!! (which will, of course, be titled "Detergent") Based on how satisfying books 1 & 2 have been, I have every confidence that book 3 will be worth waiting for. I just wish I didn't have to wait.

But the ending held some annoyances. (view spoiler)

To prospective readers: consider waiting until Book 3 is closer to publication, because you won't want to wait between books. ...more

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Jul 26, 2013 Genesis Hansen rated it liked it

Not quite as successful as the first book - some of the character conflict got really tedious and I didn't find it as believable as the first book. Still, some good stuff here and I definitely plan to read book 3. ...more

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May 12, 2013 Courtney rated it really liked it

The 2nd book is also very good and I really can't wait for the 3rd book to come out. I appreciate that Roth isn't afraid of killing off people when it needs to happen to progress the story. ...more

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Nov 13, 2012 stephanie rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult, dystopian, series, 2012

review to come. i think i want to reread it again first.

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Apr 29, 2014 Jen Peters rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult

Decent premise, but not quite as fun as the first book in the series.

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Mar 13, 2014 Katy rated it it was ok

Eh, 2 1/2. The stretched out story and big reveal, and the dumbness of the "gasp"-inducing secret, were killing it for me. That, and the writing. ...more

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Jun 24, 2013 Julianne Dunn rated it really liked it

This was as easy to get through as the first one. Plenty of story to keep me hooked although a missing hard drive still haunts me. Where did it go? But just as I thought I knew where it was going, it threw me again. I am looking forward to the next one.

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Oct 24, 2013 Jennifer rated it liked it

Shelves: kiddie, dystopia, library-book, kindle

Better in the second half, but mainly predictable and fairly weak. So YA. And yet at the end of it I realized I still want to know where they'll end up. Sadly this is another series I think will have a better second movie than second book... ...more

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