Insurgent: Divergent, Book 2

In full disclosure, I’ll start off by saying that I love Divergent. I love Tris. I love Four. In my review of Divergent I raised some things that didn’t sit right with me—but, having listened to Insurgent all of my questions/issues were addressed. And while, I can’t change my initial reaction to Divergent---Insurgent has made me love it more and in our trilogy-centric YA world I think that’s a major feat. That being said, I am still reeling a bit by the reveal at the end and if I struggle to find the words I hope you will forgive.

The story picks up literally where we left Tris and gang---and follows them through several different areas. This really helped to flush out the world even more. I loved being able to see the inner workings of different factions. I do not want to give away anything but let’s just say (while I consider myself a truthful person) I do not want to EVER live in Candor.

Tris is much more vulnerable now... deeply affected by losing her parents and wading through the guilt of Will. This story is painful and contains twists and turns that I did not anticipate… betrayal and assistance where I didn’t expect it. And that end… I'm going to start listen to them both again and again... I know it.

Tris and Four… uh! Thank you Veronica Roth… for creating this relationship. Thank you for NOT (can you believe it) giving us a triangle. Thank you for your amazing and realistic dialogue. I… I really am at a loss for words to describe how satisfied I am. And anxious too.

I am in awe of Emma Galvin’s talent. The emotions she brings only enhance the super intense moments. I think her performance was amazingly spot-on.

This is a killer sequel. I am satisfied in a way that I haven’t been in awhile. I am SUPER stoked for the next one. I am also dreading the next one because that will mean the end…

This is just plain, good story telling. There's a little less gushy teen hand-holding and lovey-dovey stuff in this, the second book. Which made me happy. I would have been even happier if this had been released, not as a trilogy, but as one long book. But I guess trilogies are all the rage these days. I can't believe the author is just 23. There's talent there. Hey, Veronica, finish the third book soon, please. Your closeted 50-year-old white male fan is waiting.

Wow! I literally have no words to describe how great a book Insurgent truly is. I just finished listening to it a few minutes ago and I'm still reeling from the amazing storyline. I didn't want to write this review because Insurgent is too emotional and personal for me, but I'm writing it anyway because I feel like I have to, and even though I'm a total book fanatic, I have never been so obsessed with anything before!

I love everything about Insurgent. I love its brutal honesty and its lack of sugarcoating. I love the dystopian world Veronica Roth has created. She gave us a peek at how all the other factions operate along with the personalities behind the people. I love the depth of this book, which seems to be absent in most YA novels nowadays. I love Tris. I love Four. I love their relationship. The characters are very flawed, very human, yet this is exactly what makes them so perfect. I also love the fact that Veronica knows more about the true meaning of love, loyalty and sacrifice than probably any author I've ever known.

Insurgent is just as good as Divergent. Seriously, they are both so excellent it's impossible to say which is better. In this book however, the twists came as huge surprises. I never saw them coming. There are a lot of heart breaks in this story. Having to deal with the grief and guilt of losing Will and her parents, Insurgent is about Tris trying to regain her inner strength and how she embraces her Divergence.

I have very mixed and raw emotions after listening to Insurgent. There are some books which you just devour like a candy and forget about it in a few short hours. However, there are some books which you simply cannot get over no matter how hard you tried, and as time passes, that book eventually becomes part of who you are. Insurgent is one of them. It celebrates humanity under the most difficult of circumstances. It is powerful stuff.

Sometimes a bad narrator can ruin a good book, but Emma Galvin did a fantastic job! She is exactly how I picture Tris would sound like, fierce, determined and direct. I can't imagine anyone else doing the narration.

My only complaint about this series is that I'll have to wait about a year before the third book comes out. This is sheer torture and it's going to drive me insane! I am positive that I'm not the only person feeling this way. Just buy it! You wouldn't want to miss the book of the year.

I thought this book was fantastic, it really developed the other factions and gave you a taste for their lives. I wasn't always agreeable with Tris' choices, but I won't give any spoilers. Also the author made a few mistakes in the book that left me going "what?" until I realized they were mistakes (noted on the author's blog) and not my comprehension of the story. Most notably she says Zeke instead of what I assume would be Uriah once, which left me completely confused.

My husband wasn't as thrilled about this book, although he enjoyed and couldn't put it down. He said his issue with it was that it is just a really long and round about way to get to the original mission. I can understand his point of view, but I felt that because the action never stopped and I felt like it developed a lot of characters and gave a start of a new story line that it was a worthwhile read.

Both my husband and I finished this book in 2 days, independently, as neither could put it down.

I hate big cliffhangers and planned to read this book after the final installment came out in 2013.. However, after reading so many good reviews I finally gave in and decided to read it now instead of waiting. WOW! I'm so glad I did. This was just as good as the first if not better. So much more of the story is revealed and the ending is well worth the listen. Of course now the wait for book 3 is going to kill me!

If you liked Divergent then you will definitely like this one too. Definitely worth a credit for me!

4.5 stars - minus a half star for the long wait for book 3

I'll admit it, I didn’t know how this would go. Would the author be able to keep up the pace of the last book?

My doubts are laid to rest! This was just as fast and intense as the first book! This is a very strong second installment. If you liked ‘Divergent’ you’re going to be a very happy reader!

It’s not just the action that moves the story, either. Tris and Tobias are becoming more and more complex as characters. You could say that one becomes visibly more divergent, while the other almost seems to become less. All the characters start out bruised and battered, and there isn’t time for physical or emotional healing. Amidst the action and chaos, we watch as Tris uncovers “layers upon layers” of the people around her. Inner strengths, secrets, and betrayals lie waiting in unexpected places.

You get to see more of the city in this book, and get to know a little more about what goes on in different factions, which I really enjoyed. The whole concept of factions is so unique that it was exciting to check out the inner workings of those beside Dauntless and Abnegation!

‘Insurgent’ also filled in some places I had wrongly thought were weak points in the overall storyline. Not all my questions are answered yet, but it’s obvious now that the author does have a big picture clearly in mind! We'll have to wait until next year to see how things end, but now I have even more faith that it'll be worth the wait.

Emma Galvin narrates beautifully. She truly gives Tris her voice. I can’t imagine anyone doing it better.

Overall this was wild, intense, and often surprising. Seriously, for anyone reading this who likes action, YA, and dystopia who *hasn’t* started this series yet… Be dauntless. Just jump in!

If you liked Divergent then you will enjoy Insurgent. This book picks up were the first one left off and expands on the conflict. There is plenty of action and internal strife. For being a second book in a series I think Veronica Roth did a good job. Overall I would say its worth a listen.

First of all I must declare that I did indeed enjoy the story line presented by Divergent and immediately carried forward by Insurgent. After listening to the first two books of this trilogy however, I'll find it hard to spend the the time to listen to the third book in the series. Tris and Four are great characters in a very engrossing story set in an imaginative world. A story with plenty of action, relationships, and intrigue to carry the listener into their adventures. However, these books are written for young adults. I found there was much too much gushy adolescent adoration / love and meaningless conflict and confrontations between characters to my liking. The book was rife with Tris's self reflection and insecurities. The story seemed to have been constructed with a great story line but once the story was complete insertions of self reflection, insecurity, and gushy love text were inserted into scenes to extend the story. I would compare it to a poor editing job on a movie where you may have seen a filler street scene once before in the movie. This may be the fault of an inexperienced author or advisement by her editors. It got to the point where I would fast forward over much of Tris's narrative. The words began to feel too sappy. How many times do we have to hear about Four's blue eyes or regret over Will? I'm sorry to say if you are looking for a series to provide you with a "Hunger Games"-like fix you probably won't find it with these books. Insurgent and Divergent, have the hallmark of romance novels for YAs (minus any lurid love scenes) with a sci-fi twist. There's a great story but it becomes mired in too much sappy self reflection, insecurity, and gushy love.

The only thing that is not amazing about this series, is that the 3rd book is not out yet!!!! BUY THIS BOOK, YOU'LL THANK ME LATER!!!!!

This is a fantastic youth novel and series. I enjoyed both Divergent and Insurgent equally and found them to be wonderful reads. I hope that it makes young people think about how important it is to question what is going on in your community. I'm excited for the third book in the series to come out and highly recommend this novel to teens and adults alike.