What’s it all about?:
Fighting for survival in a shattered world… the truth is her only hope.
The thrillingly dark sequel to No. 1 New York Times bestseller, DIVERGENT.
I have done bad things. I can’t take them back, and they are part of who I am.
Tris has survived a brutal attack on her former home and family. But she has paid a terrible price. Wracked by grief and guilt, she becomes ever more reckless as she struggles to accept her new future.
Yet if Tris wants to uncover the truth about her world, she must be stronger than ever… because more shocking choices and sacrifices lie ahead.
What did I think?:
There has been a lot of hype over Veronica Roth’s Divergent trilogy, and like other bloggers who loved the first novel, I couldn’t wait to get my teeth into the second offering, Insurgent. It’s quite hard to talk about without giving spoilers, but I’ll do my best. Divergent leaves our protagonist Tris in a dangerous situation, her family are threatened, her former ideas of home destroyed, and the future is considerably uncertain, as revolution looms and looks to rock the Factions from their previously peaceful existence. The author does not provide much of a refresher as to what went on in the previous novel, which is either good or bad depending on the way you look at it and the length of time between reading the first and second instalment. It is definitely action-packed, with new characters and new twists galore entering the Divergent soup, and it didn’t take long for me to realise what was going on and where the story was headed.
Tris is definitely a strong, kick-ass female lead, much like Katniss in The Hunger Games, and being Divergent in three Factions (Divergent, Erudite and Abnegation) gives her the different qualities of fearlessness, intelligence and humility to become both a fascinating character, and a brilliant leader when her world is turned upside down. In this second novel, Erudite are being a slightly naughty Faction who enlist Divergent traitors in their plans for world dominance and mind control. There is also the issue of the Faction-less, who are gathering in great numbers – but which side will they choose to fight on? Finally, the relationship between Tris and Four (aka Tobias) is also explored in more depth, as the reader is given more information about his murky past and his troubled relationship with his father, Marcus. If Tris and Four want to stay together, they must learn how to get past layer upon layer of secrets, and come out the other side stronger and with complete trust in each other. But how can this happen in a world where spies are rampant, violence is inevitable, and you don’t know who you can trust?
I found Insurgent to be a great follow up to a fantastic series (although Divergent does have the edge), and I can’t wait to read the final book where hopefully my curiousity will be satisfied and all my questions will be answered! Veronica Roth is a fantastic writer that keeps you turning the pages, and I’m very eager to see what she has in store for us next.
Would I recommend it?:
But of course!
Star rating (out of 5):
