Book Review: Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth

Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth
Release Date: 1st May 2012

Publisher: Harper Collins
Format: Paperback 
Pages: 525
Rating: 5.0/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2013 OTS, 2013 ODY and 2013 BSR

Summary from Amazon:

"Fighting for survival in a shattered world...the truth is her only hope. The thrillingly dark sequel to 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."

Review:
*Pre-Warning: There are some spoilers in this review for the prequel Divergent. They're pretty small and I've kept them to a minimum, but I felt the need to warn you, just in case*

This was just as good as its predecessor. I pretty much loved everything about this book. We see a different side of Tris, who is struggling after having killed her friend, and her best friends boyfriend, Will; Tris and Four/Tobias have some issues in their relationship; and, something I particularly liked reading about, you learn a bit more about what it means to be Divergent. Tris, who has aptitude for Dauntless, Abnegation and Erudite, has the innate ability to be selfless, fearless, and knowledgeable. The combination of these traits make her, in my opinion, one of the only people who is able to take effective action in this series. She can go into battle and fight fearlessly, but can also think logically and therefore is able to spot problems and solve them, and she's selfless enough to sacrifice herself on more than one occasion. For me, I got to understand a bit more what divergence meant in this world, and why some might be threatened by it.

I also think the plot was particularly good. The story picks up quite literally where we left it in Divergent, so you haven't missed any of the action. We've seen the Abnegation and Dauntless factions in Divergent, and little tidbits from other factions, but we get to see more of Amity, Candor and Erudite, up close and personal. Instead of merely hearing about what life is like in these factions, you get to actually see it as our protagonist spends periods of time at each faction compound at some point in the book. I particularly enjoyed seeing how different factions lived, from how the people acted to something as trivial as the clothing they wore. I liked expanding my knowledge of the factions by having all 5 factions showcased at some point in time in this novel, probably because I'm stockpiling information on all the factions for when it comes time to read the final book in the trilogy, Allegiant, when it's released later this year. 

And I particularly enjoyed the twists in this book - who would have guessed that Tris would get betrayed by someone close to her, and helped by someone she hated. And then, that ending. My word, it is going to be hard to wait for Allegiant's release in October (6 months seems soooo long) and I need to know what happens next!!! Seriously, get your hands on this series if you haven't yet, because it's a must read.