Review: Insurgent by Veronica Roth - Juhina

Title: Insurgent (Divergent #2)

Author: Veronica Roth

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication Date: May 1st, 2012

Genre(s): Young Adult (Dystopian)

Challenges: Dystopian

Source: Own
Format: Hardback

Pages: 525

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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.

Insurgent... sigh, I have waited long months for this book. Had my heart broken when some people got early copies and also when my copy didn't arrive on time. To say that I did not think about this book everyday would be a lie. You can call me obsessed, or borderline addicted to Divergent, but Divergent was one HECK of a book. I am telling you all this to show you how high my expectations of Insurgent were, and for the most part, Insurgent did not disappoint. 

Insurgent kicks off exactly where Divergent ended. Veronica Roth does not waste time with a recap or introductions and you get right into the action. I loved how I just had no idea what would happen next, what Roth would throw in our and Tris & Four's way and I just loved the unpredictableness of this book. Everything was thoughtfully planned and that ending? was so shocking I literally gasped out loud, closed the book and thought in my head "Damn it! Roth did it again!". The plot was so solid, so creative and just fast paced, I loved all the 525 pages of it! 

My only problem lies in Tris & Four's relationship. I am the biggest fan of Four, he is my ultimate all time favorite fictional crush, and I just adored Tris and his relationship. However, in Insurgent, it felt like the bond they had in Divergent was a bit broken, secrets are formed, feelings suppressed, and mistrust crept into their thoughts and I just wanted to grab them by their shoulders and shake them and tell them to wake up! you are TRIS and FOUR, don't break my heart please! The more problematic character for me would have to be Tris. I felt she started the doubts and mistrust and keeping secrets and having her own agenda, even if it is with good intentions, I just didn't understand why she would ask for help from other people and not seek Four. Even though I loved her in Divergent, I just didn't enjoy her character as much in Insurgent. However Four is still the one in my heart. 

Overall while Insurgent did fell a bit short of Divergent, adding in my crazy expectations I think it was a brilliant sequel to Divergent and if I did have any doubt about how amazing it was, the ending erased all of that. Now the torture of waiting for the third and final book has began and all I can say is read Divergent and Insurgent! the wait for the third book is WORTH IT! 

4.5 musical notes