Book Review: Insurgent

This is the second book in Veronica Roth's Divergent trilogy.  If you read my review of the first book, I enjoyed that one even though I agreed with some of the harsh critics at the same time.  So what happens in this book?

Side note: I LOVE the tree graphic on the cover!

There are still four factions, although they are basically at war with one another.  The leader of one faction, the Erudite, manages to shoot a ton of people with simulation trackers.  As with what happened at the end of book one, this leaves many people unable to control what they do when the simulation has been activated.  It reminds me of a drone robot - activate the simulation that has been forced onto these people and they turn into soldiers. 


Why the title Divergent?  We found in the last book that Tris is in fact labeled that.  And she doesn't let us forget it either.  She is constantly reminding everyone and whining about it.  Why did I blindly risk my life for no reason?  I'm divergent!  Wah wah wah, I'm special and such.  At least that's how I read it.  Tris, honey, look.  I've got news for you.  You are not the only divergent and the others are much more composed and level-headed than you.   They've all managed to keep it a secret while you might as well be wearing a brightly colored airbrushed shirt from spring break 96 with DIVERGENT sprayed across it.

Anyhow.  Basically there is information that some people want to destroy, some people want to keep hidden, and others want to share with the factions.  At the very end of the book, which was the only real captivating portion in my opinion, that cat finally gets let out of the bag. (Meow)

What happens in the hundreds of pages before that?  Tris makes a bunch of dumb risks without thinking about other's feelings or her own safety.  Her and Tobias (called Four in the previous novel) break up and get back together a ton.  She finds out that her brother is kind of a turd, and Tobias has to deal with his daddy issues.  It took me longer to read this one, mostly because I was bored.

But dang it all if Roth didn't leave me hanging at the end with the twist and information reveal.  Well played, Roth.  Now I want to know what happens in the last book.  (shakes fist)