Insurgent (Divergent #2)

Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth
Paperback, 525 pages

Expected Publication: 1st May 2012 by Harper Collins

My shelves: arc-or-review, better-than-expected, books-i-own, dystopian, favourites, imm, read-in-2012, really-good, sci-fi, series-or-companions, to-be-reviewed, young-adult

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Description via Goodreads:

War looms in sixteen-year-old Tris’s dark dystopian world as disputes between the factions grow. Tris must now fight against all odds to discover the truth that can save her and the people she loves. Sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge – and the choices she makes will have devastating and unexpected consequences.

My thanks go to Harper Collin's Children Books for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review.

It's hard to know where to start with this book. Insurgent has been anticipated for months by fans of Divergent, myself included, and so it had a lot to live up to. I am very pleased to say that it more than lived up to expectations and I'd go as far as saying that it was better than Divergent! Hard to believe for a lot of you, right?

I thought that Divergent was great, but Insurgent was spectacular. Roth has already introduced us to her dystopian society and bold characters and in Insurgent, we get to learn a lot more about both. There are a whole load of twists, turns and revelations in Insurgent and you'll probably find yourself changing your opinions on factions and people every few pages - nothing that is happen is simple - it's all very dramatic. This is real edge of your seat reading and it most probably will keep you awake at night, as it's so very compelling! 


I felt like I got to know the characters a lot better in this book. I felt as though I grew closer to Tris and understood her more, and although I did find her to be a little silly in her actions at points, she is an incredible heroine. Tris isn't completely strong or brave though, as she is still haunted and uneasy from witnessing so many deaths. As expected, Tris is still battling with herself and her Divergent categorisation. Her vulnerability let me into her mindset and let me like her more. I certainly formed more of a fondness towards Tobias (Four) in this book, too (and by that, I mean that I now wish he could be my boyfriend). Following on from Divergent, Tris and Tobias's relationship has developed well and I really, really loved the bond that they have - oh, plus there were some very romantic scenes that were just... swoon-worthy.


As aforementioned, my opinions of most of the characters changed a lot throughout. I was so pleased that we were given more information about the factions (especially Amity, who we didn't hear much about in Divergent). The story and characters are surprisingly complex. Roth makes all of her characters seem real and interact in a very authentic way. It did feel as though I knew the people that I was reading about and I was willing them on to make the right decisions. I actually gasped in disbelief at some things. I could see where the book was heading, but I definitely wouldn't call it predictable - there were quite a few moments when I gasped in disbelief! There is just so much that happens and nearly everything that is mentioned is purposeful and contributes to the story.  


If you want a nice relaxing read, this isn't it - It's a bit of a roller coaster to say the least - it'll have you laughing at some parts and worrying at others. However, if you want a grabbing, engrossing and addictive read, this is it. There is a major cliffhanger at the end of Insurgent and I actually can not wait to see what happens in the next instalment - it sounds like it's going to be phenomenal. I really can't get enough of this series and urge you to all go out, buy this book and get reading now! This series really does feel like it could be the next best thing to The Hunger Games.

Watch the official book trailer for Insurgent:

Tweet #INSURGENTUK #AMITYUK for more discussion!