Insurgent

(Review originally posted here at Fictionally Inclined.)

I had less than a month between the time I (finally!) read Divergent and when I got Insurgent, and that time felt incredibly long! I have no idea how you people held out for a whole year. I would have gone insane! But anyway. This book was definitely worth the, for me, albeit-realistically-rather-short-but-felt-way-too-long wait.

One aspect of Insurgent made me very happy there was so little time in between them for me: the lack of “infodump” in the book. A lot of times in series, authors will stick in little paragraphs or sentences here and there to remind the reader of things they've already learned from reading the previous book(s). I'd seen some adverse reactions about the fact that Roth was purposefully not doing this, but I personally felt like it was a great choice. Admittedly, the information of Divergent was still fresh in my head, but Roth also made a huge post to remind everyone of necessary information from Divergent, which was pretty darn awesome of her. I think that Insurgent was spared the unnecessary clutter of the infodump, and I definitely appreciated this.

Another thing I liked about the book is that I feel like we got a better look at the other factions besides Dauntless and Abnegation. I really got a feel for them, instead of just being told some facts about them and meeting some people originally from them. However, there are still lots of questions in my mind waiting to be answered! I am anxious to read #3, which is, as yet, untitled and uncover-fied. Alas. 2013 never felt so far away. Well, except when I think about the other books that won't be coming out until then. But I don't like to do that. Oh! And I just now discovered that Free Four exists! So, I'll probably wait and read it at some point when I feel in desperate need of a Four fix. Because it'll happen. I'm calling it now.

While Insurgent wasn't quite as riveting as Divergent, it was still a great book. I really enjoyed the continuation of the story. Insurgent really had a little bit (or more) of everything! Adventure was constant throughout the story. There were several things that made me laugh out loud. There were intensely romantic moments. I was utterly shocked a couple of times, and that doesn't happen to me a lot. All-in-all, I was definitely happy with Insurgent, and I have high hopes for #3.


❝Just the thought of saying the words out loud makes me feel so heavy I could break through the floorboards.❞

❝His breaths, my breaths, his body, my body, we are so close there is no difference.❞

❝I know that I am birdlike, made narrow and small as if for taking flight, built straight-waisted and fragile. But when he touches me like he can't bear to take his hand away, I don't wish I was any different.❞

❝We both have war inside of us. Sometimes it keeps us alive. Sometimes it threatens to destroy us.❞