Synopsis: "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."
Following the disastrous events that unfolded at the climax of Divergent, sixteen-year-old Tris finds herself taking refuge in the Amity (the peaceful) compound after the residents of the Dauntless (the brave) compound were hijacked by the Erudite (the intelligent) via a chip that was inserted into their brains, in order to take control of the government controlling the world they live in. But things are far from over as Tris, a Divergent individual, finds herself in more danger than ever in a world that isn't what she thought it was and doesn't celebrate difference.
The story of Insurgent as a whole is fast-paced and action packed to read and even the slowest of chapters leave you on the edge of your seat, begging you to find out what happens next. The plot is addictive, adventurous and unrestrained and creates a truly remarkable sequel to Divergent.
Roth's telling of this riveting and complex world is so enjoyable to read as she begins to unravel the web she so tightly formed in this superb work of fiction. The themes of control, rebellion and capitalism become more poignant, the politics and power struggles are more fierce and the development of key characters and the world as a whole are simply fascinating and oh so very shocking to read.
However it goes without saying that the exploration of each of the five factions - Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Dauntless and Erudite - is what stands out most about this novel. Divergent saw a lot of exploration of Abnegation and Dauntless which lead to the remaining three factions to feel almost insignificant to the world Roth has so admirably created. However Insurgent spends a lot of time exploring the remaining three as well as The Factionless, creating a greater story for this futuristic Chicago. The exploration of these other factions also allowed Roth to explore and highlight a lot about Tobias'/Four's past and his family, which was something I felt the first book was missing.
Although a feisty character in Divergent, Tris becomes a lot stronger and determined to protect the few people she loves most in the world and isn't afraid to put her neck on the line and participate in scenes of brutal violence, becoming an all-round superb heroin. Saying that however I did find myself disliking her greatly at various points in the book as she just kept shutting Tobias/Four out and I don't understand characters that blatantly don't know what they're doing or can't handle the stress of keeping it all in, yet choose to do so.
Again, although on the rocks at times, the romance of Tris and Tobias/Four remains very much a pleasant side to the story, only coming to light now and again and when it's needed, as opposed to popping up in every possible moment. The novel is in no way defined by the romance and remains very much a background conflict.
Finally, the climax of the novel was truly fantastic. What is revealed is explosive and gives Roth so much to work with in the third and final book of the trilogy, Convergent, and gives me high hopes for it, especially as it suggests that we'll learn a lot about the world outside of the focal location, which promises to be a refreshing read as novels rarely do this.
I give Veronica Roth and Insurgent ★★★★★
