Following the recent trend of post-apocalyptic novels, Veronica Roth puts her own spin on the future with her “Divergent” trilogy. Given that “Insurgent” has just recently been released in theaters, I found it appropriate to do this week’s book review on the novel of the same title.
The first installment of the series, “Divergent,” takes place in a post-apocalyptic Chicago. The people living in the city are broken into five different factions that include: Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Dauntless and Erudite.
The main character, Tris, is originally a member of Abnegation, but chooses to switch to Dauntless, the most dangerous and challenging faction. The novel chronicles Tris’s time spent trying to become a member of Dauntless and ends with the corrupted Dauntless faction destroying a majority of the Abnegation faction.
“Insurgent” picks up where “Divergent” left off, with Tris and her friends fleeing the Abnegation district to find a safehaven in Amity, a faction known for kindness. The Dauntless traitors are working with members of the Erudite faction to find Tris and Four, who have been identified as Divergent.
Tris and Four escape Amity before the traitors can capture them, but ultimately are arrested when they reach the district of Candor. Tris and Four are put on trial where they are put under a truth serum and are forced to answer questions in front of the people of Candor.
The traitors continue to search for Tris and others who are Divergent. There are continuous attacks on members of Candor and loyal Dauntless members, and Tris is continuously in the line of danger. Between avoiding the grasp of the traitors and maintaining her relationship with Four, Tris is now faced with having to reveal a secret her parents had died to protect; a secret that could shatter all of the factions and change life as they know it, forever.
I have read all three books in the “Divergent” trilogy, and I would have to say that “Insurgent” is my least favorite. The second installment tends to drag on and is focused mostly on Tris’ whining and self-loathing. Also, Tris and Four’s constant battling back and forth gets old very quick. It almost seems like Roth is trying to create as much unnecessary, petty drama as possible, which gets in the way of the actual good parts of the story.
Although “Insurgent” was not my favorite novel of the series, it must be read in order to understand what happens in the third novel, “Allegiant,” which is much more interesting.

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