Insurgent (Divergent #2)

I bought Insurgent by Veronica Roth for my iPad the day it came out.  I was incredibly excited to read this book, the second one in the Divergent series.  However, I had to delay starting the book b/c I had to finish another book first and then I had a baby.  Newborns seem to take quite a bit of time.  Therefore, it has taken me a bit longer to finish this book than I would've liked.  It didn't take me longer to finish the book b/c of the book, but it was purely my crazy busy life that prolonged the reading of this book.  My husband actually began reading Insurgent the day I bought it, and he finished it just a few days.

Insurgent is actually a really fast read, but you will be confused, and it will slow you down, if the details of Divergent is not fresh in your memory.  I even reviewed Divergent, but I still found myself having to stop and think about the characters and what they did in Divergent as well as the details of the various factions.  Clearly I should've reviewed a bit more.  This Divergent series is one of those series that you must read in order; you cannot jump around reading the books as you get them from the library.

 Insurgent has action from the very beginning; it immediately took off into the story with absolutely no recap of Divergent.  Now, I didn't mind Roth jumping right into the book, sometimes it is refreshing b/c too much recap can be a bit annoying.  However, with so much action going on from the start I was afraid I was going to miss details and/or clues by not remembering crucial bits of Divergent that connected the stories.  In the case of Insurgent I think a little recap would've been easier for the readers, but every author has his/her choice and writing style.  

Roth is a new author.  Divergent and Insurgent are the only books she has written; you can tell she is a new author, but you can also tell she is a good author.  While reading Insurgent there were times that her writing seemed rushed, unclear, or not quite descriptive enough; however, the storyline was excellent and unpredictable.  I think, and hope, that she has a future in writing.  If she continues to have good ideas and hone in her writing skills she will become a well known author.  At least that is my prediction.

All in all I would give Insurgent 4.5 out of 5 stars.  It is a fabulous book and series; I was not disappointed, but I did have incredibly high expectations which can be both good and bad.  This could be why it did not receive 5 out of 5 stars.  Insurgent surprised me several times.  The storyline was orgiinal and unpredictable; I found myself saying "I should've seen (blank) coming, but I didn't."  I enjoy being surprised; Roth did a good job keeping me on my figurative toes.  I think the only reason this book did not get a perfect 5 out 5 stars from me is b/c there were parts that seemed to rushed or unclear.  I think Roth could've worked/written those areas a bit better.  However, that is my ridiculously critical reading eyes and my ridiculously high expectations that are analyze books way more than the average reader.

I found Insurgent to be a clean read as far as sex and language goes.  There is violence, but I found it far less violent that Hunger Games.  However, I would say that Insurgent is a darker story, and it has deeper issues which are both character and society issues.  You could have a 6th grader read this book and not worry about too much, but the inner struggle Tris has as well as the overall society issues would be above a 6th graders head.  I would suggest this book for 8th graders and older.  

The following is a book description for Insurgent.  It doesn't give any specifics for the story, but it does give you a hint of the struggle Tris will have throughout the story.

"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' 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." 

I hope you enjoy Insurgent as much as I did.  As always, I LOVE to hear your thoughts, comments, and/or questions about the book.  I know my husband had some questions about the book, and we had to discuss them after I was finished.  Please share any that you might have!

Happy Reading!