Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Book:  Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth, 2012 by HarperTeen, 525 pages.

Synopsis from Goodreads:
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.

"New York Times" bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian "Divergent" series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

My Thoughts:
Insurgent is the second book in the Divergent trilogy.  I loved Divergent and couldn't wait for the second book to come out, nor could my teenaged son.  We both enjoyed Insurgent, and thought it was great, but also found that it was difficult to get into - it took us each about 100 pages.

One of my major criticisms is that Insurgent takes place immediately where Divergent leaves off, but Roth provides no back story or explanations.  She did write a blog post to catch people up if it's been awhile since they read Divergent (you can read it here), but it would have been better to put this in the beginning of the book, or maybe to provide a summary.

Once I did get into the book, it was hard to put down.  I liked the relationship between Tris and Four, even when they were fighting. Tris was a bit frustrating at times, especially with some of the decisions that she made, but maybe these were typical of a teenaged girl.

There are some great twists and turns that keep the excitement level high.  There is also action and a fair amount of violence.  However, we get to meet new characters from other factions and catch up with the ones we got to know in Divergent.  

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to fans of Divergent and the first person style of dystopian books.  It is worth sticking through the slow start and getting to the heart of the book and the great cliff hanger ending.

Here is the book trailer from YouTube: