The Book Addict Reviews: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Genre:  Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopian
Order Online: Amazon.com  
Author Info: Goodreads | Website
Rating: 4 stars   
Borrowed book from a friend. 

Note: There may be spoilers to Divergent in this review.  If you have not read Divergent, please see my review. 

In A Nutshell:  
I do not think I have eagerly anticipated a book this much since the last two Harry Potter books.  I was on a countdown for months waiting for this one to be released.  And all I can say is I was not disappointed--but now I am on another countdown for Book 3 because one again Veronica Roth left me begging for more!

Review:  
Dauntless is divided--those that have aligned themselves with Erudite are wearing blue arm bands and acting as guards.  Those that have not are in hiding, planning, waiting for the ideal time to show their fearlessness and the leadership to make a stand.

Tris is divided--she is hiding the fact that she murdered one of her best friends from everyone (even the person she loves most).  She is struggling with how to honor the sacrifice her parents made with their lives.  She is not sure how to best handle her feelings for Tobias.

Tobias is divided--he does not necessarily want to tell the world who he is but more and more his true name is gaining him access to information.  He is cautious about his feelings for Tris--and the more he feels that she is hiding something important from him the more he feels he needs to pull away.  But he made the decision to stay in Dauntless based in part on his feelings for her--he cannot throw that away lightly.

What I wanted most when I started the book was more information about Tobias.  I loved that Insurgent allowed me more insight into who Tobias was, where he came from, and how all of that affects how he approaches the world.  As much as I loved Four in Divergent, I found Tobias in Insurgent more interesting and more compelling.

At some points, I was frustrated with the lack of trust between Tris and Tobias.  Every time they going got tough or the answers were not readily given, they seemed to be willing to drop each other or at least believe the worst of each other.  For people who claim the level of love and dedication that they do, it seemed they had very little faith in that love, that dedication or each other.  But the more I thought about it, the more I realize that this wish-washiness is more of a sign of their background.  Tobias had very little experience with true love or true dedication.  Tris, as a Divergent raised in Abnegation, came from a family who displayed love in a way that she either did not fully understand or did not fully meet her need for love.  

And that is probably what I love the most about Veronica Roth's writing.  She reveals a lot of the details in subtle ways.  A careful reading of her books is rewarded with more insight and more connection with the characters and the story she has woven. 

And then at the end she drops a bomb--now I cannot wait to read the next book!

Recommendations:
According to Goodreads--Book 3 (still untitled) will not be out until Fall 2013.  I do not know how I can possibly wait that long!  But in the meantime, I just found this short story about Four--and really is there ever enough of him?
Free Four: Tobias Tells the Story