“I wake with his name in my mouth.”

From Veronica Roth’s Divergent: Insurgent.

The entire known world in the Divergent series is divided, literally; people are separated based on qualities (Abnegation: selflessness, Candor: honesty, Dauntless: bravery, Amity: peacefulness, and Erudite: intelligence)… and everyone is currently searching for Tris.  We join Tris (our heroine and point-of-view for this story) a very short time after she stopped the simulation that would have allowed the Erudite leader (Jeanine) to use the Dauntless faction to wiped out the entire Abnegation faction (Tris’ birth faction).  While she should be a hero for saving so many lives, Tris and her boyfriend (mysterious tough guy named Four) are on the run for their lives.  Their attempts to stay away from Jeanine leads them to hide with two factions, as well as the Factionless.  While each faction that Tris seeks protection from says that the Abnegation-ending simulation was wrong, none are willing to stand against Jeanine.  Tris’ will to stop the evil going on within the city walls, soon places her in situation that will challenge everything she believes in.

Roth’s sequel to Divergent is, without a doubt, an action-packed adventure that starts off at high speed and uses that momentum to push the story through the first section of the book.  As the story develops, the characters are also developed in a satisfying way, especially for the characters of Tris and Four.  While the first book focused mainly on the Abnegation, Dauntless, and Erudite factions, Insurgent allows a deeper look at the lesser-known Amity and Candor factions.  A frustrating aspect of this book, is that since it is the middle of a trilogy, the reappearances of several characters throughout the story makes them feel almost unbeatable.  However, the story as a whole is satisfying and ties up enough loose ends to provide closure between the books.  Insurgent provides an enjoyable read that has both action and heart.