Flashback Friday (#8): Mini Review: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

This is a more irregular feature. Flashback Friday is where I review, or possibly discuss, an old TV show, movie, book, or album. So what's considered old? Anything that was not released within the past year and a half. By years, I mean calendar year (so for this year, June 2014-December 2015 would NOT be old).

Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
Release Date: May 1st, 2012

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.

So I never meant to write this review or mini-review, but I've decided to write small reviews for some of the books I've read semi-recently and haven't reviewed to give myself time to sit and finish some books.

Anyway, I think I'm one of the few people that actually enjoyed Insurgent, potentially a lot more than Divergent. I found Tris to be more bearable and didn't find myself nearly as much at odds with her as I did before. I thought Veronica Roth did a great job at creating tension between the characters, but it also meant that much of it came down to Tobias' actions. It killed me to see how he was acting and reacting. He was such a hypocrite, but I can't help but love him. Yes, so much would have been easier, so much wouldn't have happened if he had just listened or if they had just communicated better! But obviously it wouldn't have been as exciting if they had just done that. ;)

I liked the mix of action and Tris' internal struggle. Some people might have found it slow, perhaps in the way I found the beginning of Divergent so boring. I'm glad Roth took the time to explore Tris' emotions and to let her work through her grief and come to terms with all that happened in Divergent. So often in action novels, that internal struggle and working through grief is forgotten about or pushed aside in favor of more action. Maybe that works for some people, but it was so much more realistic to see Tris struggle, and it made everything she did so much more compelling. I truly felt connected to Tris; I could understand her. She's still human, just like the rest of us. HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF YOU KILLED SOMEONE? WHAT IF THAT SOMEONE WAS YOUR FRIEND? Yup, there you go.

I really loved this book, and I'm hoping I'll enjoy Allegiant more than other people have enjoyed it.

Insurgent: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

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