Review: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Title: Insurgent

Author: Veronica Roth

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books/Harper Collins

Publishing Date: May 1, 2012

Pages/Format: 525, Hardcover

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.

Initial Reaction of Book in One Word: AAAAAMAZING

Sometimes sequels are good, sometimes they're just okay, and sometimes they're not as good as the book before them. But holy schnikeys I think Insurgent was better Divergent--how is that even possible?! This is one series that I--thank gosh--understand what the hype is all about. The story is good, the characters are good, the writing is good--everything is just so GOOD. Part of me is mad at myself for waiting so long to read this; the other part of me wishes I would've waited longer because book three--STILL UNFREAKINGTITLED--isn't out until October 2013. That's seven months-too-long away. But anyway--you guys, THIS BOOK ROCKS.

There may have been one or two parts of the book I didn't like--for crying out loud, just tell Tobias what you did, Tris!--and some things I didn't understand, but otherwise I don't recall having many problems. Roth pulls off a lot in this book. For one, it's not short--it's nice and thick and over five hundred pages. Some books like that can drag on and you can't wait for the end. However, Insurgent didn't drag on, and I don't think I wanted it to end. The book didn't take place over a long amount of time, but Roth's writing--which, by the way, is fantastic and readable--works at a fast pace that doesn't feel fast-paced. She balances the story and time well, and it works just about right.

I really like the characters and how well-written they are--they all seem pretty real and purposeful. Tris is a fantastic main character/POV: she's strong, but she, like any normal person, has her faults. She seems to break down in Insurgent, while at the same time putting up a ton of walls. And then there's Tobias/Four, who I just love. Him and Tris are great together, especially since they have some similar problems and battles. (Spoiler: The entire time Tris was held by Jeannine, and then Tobias came, and she almost died...just ugh, I loved it.) Some of their moments together just make my heart skip; I love them! Jeannine is evil, but she's great at it. Caleb stepped up--sort of--as a brother, and it was nice to see other characters from Divergent come back.

The story is extremely well-done; there were few things I did not like or didn't understand. I love how so much happened. And of course people died--Roth doesn't shy away from that. There was tension--sexual and nonsexual--and tons of thrills. I had some guesses, but I never really had any clue what was going to happen (and I did not expect a lot of what happened). There were several scenes that had me completely engrossed and my heart beating and me just freaking out, which was AWESOME. (Also, SPOILER, thinking Tris and Tobias might break up freaked me out on more than one occasion. They can't not be together!) And then the ending--WHAT WAS THAT. It's nice to know what the problem is and what everyone has been fighting about, but that's the ending?! Give me book three nowww. (Although I don't want it because I don't want this series to end.)

Side Note: My copy of Insurgent came with the short story "Free Four," which features a scene from Divergent in Four's POV. It's super short, and I'd recommend reading it if you get the chance. It's a nice little peek into Four's world, and what he thinks of how it revolves, along with his feelings for Tris.

In the end, this review is insufficient and doesn't properly put into words how awesome Insurgent is. (This is partly because I didn't write my review right away. Oops.) If you haven't started these books yet, I'd suggest doing so soon: In my opinion, they live up to the hype, and are just so good. They're not romance books, but they definitely have a nice amount of it. *insert sly face here* With all kinds of twists and turns and just plain awesome craziness, Insurgent is an excellent read that does not disappoint itself or its series at all. 

Did I like it? YES!

Did I love it? ABSOFREAKINGLUTELY!

Would I reread it? Yesyesyes.

Would I purchase it? Already have it, and signed!

Would I recommend it? Heck yes I would!