I really enjoyed Divergent. In fact, I gave it 5 stars and recommended it to a number of friends. I wish I could say the same is true for Insurgent. I struggled through the majority of this book. I often lost focus and had to skim ahead to see if there was a apparent purpose to what I was reading. Ultimately, I felt this book was average at best. I gave it 3 out of 5 stars and can only hope that the final book in this series will take a turn for the better.
The first problem I had is the lack of back story. I realize the book is already 525 pages, but Veronica really needed to reintroduce the secondary characters. After waiting a year between reading Divergent and starting Insurgent, I had forgotten how several of the characters fit into the story. I was able to piece some of it together, but ultimately had to reread a few chapters in Divergent to obtain a clear understanding.
Next, I did not like the angle Veronica took with Tris and Four's characters. She made Tris out to be weak. She was supposed to be at the top of her initiation class and was looked up to by other Dauntless members because of her actions in book one, but she was a total head case in this book. I really wanted Tris to pick up a gun and defend herself. She needed to stop feeling sorry for herself and wasting the life her parents sacrificed their lives to protect. Also, what sort of person would side with her boyfriend's abusive father behind his back? The lack of communication between Tris and Four was incomprehensible to me. They should have been a team, working together towards a common goal.
With regards to Four, Veronica really played up the "he is a coward because of his father" angle way too much. She made his character out to be very harsh and emotionless. He seemed to lack a sense of compassion, which I don't think fits with his character. I also didn't like how Veronica seemed to add a make out scene every so often just to keep their relationship together. There really wasn't a connection between Tris and Four the majority of the book. They were working independently and didn't share anything personal with one another until the very end.
I could bring up some additional issues with the book, but I will move onto the positives. The book was fast paced due to all of the action scenes, which were very well written. We also got to learn more about life in the other factions and how all of the factions and factionless interacted with one another. We can also see first hand that life for the factionless is not as bad as it was made out to be by the leaders. I feel like Veronica left the possibilities for book 3 wide open. I have no idea what direction she will take, but I can only hope that all of the drama between Four and Tris is over. They need to work together and Tris needs to toughen up again if she is going to be of any use in the final book. She needs to stop thinking about all of the things Four taught her during her initiation and start actually using what she was taught. She needs to be the strong divergent character who is not only Smart (Erudite) and Selfless (Abnegation), but Fearless (Dauntless) as well.
Flo's Review
Mary was the first BookNerd to read Insurgent. She kept tweeting us to hurry and read it so we could talk! I finally gave up on the idea of waiting to get it from the library and just downloaded it to my Nook.
So. Much. Love.
I really enjoyed seeing the different factions. In Divergent, we knew Abnegation and Dauntless, basically. In this book, we get to spend time in all of them. Veronica Roth shows us that ALL of the factions have their dark sides -- not just Dauntless.
Tris and Four’s relationship in this book. It grew. It struggled. There were times I did not agree with Tris’ actions. And there were times I hurt because they hurt. But how real and raw their love is. You can’t help but admire something so strong that it stays standing -- even if it wavers a little bit -- when everything else around them is literally falling apart.
Pacing in this book was incredible. I kept wanting to put it down at several points, but I just could not find a natural place to do so! From the time when Tris and her friends leave Amity in the beginning through the very last page, there is non-stop action.
I got to the end and was like, “WHAT?!” Definitely had to re-read it a few times to process what was being set up for the third installment in the trilogy, Detergent. It will bring to light to something that while I honestly should have considered it, it NEVER crossed my mind. I honestly have no idea where Veronica Roth is going with this, and I can’t wait to see!
Divergent was my favorite book of 2011, and Insurgent did not disappoint!
P.S. Tobias, I love you.
Mary's Review
I finished Insurgent before all the other Book Nerds because I could NOT PUT IT DOWN! It was so good! Just like with Divergent it was such a page-turner.
Tris and Four's relationship was totally crazy throughout this book. It frustrated me so much, but I understood what Veronica Roth was doing. Also, like Flo, I liked seeing the interactions with the other fractions and all characters.
The best part of the book was the ending....O......M.......G!!!!!!! Talk about a cliff hanger!! I am counting down to the days till Book 3, for a few reasons. 1) what is going to have to Four and Tris? 2) what the heck is going to happen to the divergent and 3) well.....you have to read it because I do not want to give up any spoilers.
TO FLO: Four is MINE (haha!)
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