Insurgent by Veronica Roth (Divergent #2)

Genres: Young Adult, Sci-fi, Dystopian, Romance
My Rating: 4 out of 5

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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.

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I rarely have as high hopes as I did for this. Its not a good idea to let your hopes get so high but I couldn't help it. I ended up not getting what I expected. I was so unjustifiably upset while reading this that it can only be because of my ridiculously high expectations. I couldn't get over how sad everything was. Everything was going to sh#*s and I wasn't enjoying it. Tris was being a big baby and antagonizing Four at every opportunity, Four was being stiff and stand-offish, no one trusted them, the world was falling apart, and I almost cried. But its Insurgent! I had to finish it.

Things ended up getting better, and what Tris and Four went through together in the Erudite headquarters seemed to strengthen their bond again. But I am still really disappointed in them both. I know Tris' parents

died and she couldn't deal with it, but it really didn't make for good reading IMO, to see her falling apart. I blame her behaviour for most of her troubles with Four, but he is not without fault. I was really upset about the way he treated her after their meeting with the factionless. He brought her because of her perceptiveness, but then he didn't even ask for her opinion, and when she gave it, he ignored it and accused her of being biased. What?! Tris and Four were always the epitome of YA couples for me. The couple that all other couples were compared to. It hurt me personally, to see them fighting. I really hope it means that they have worked through all their problems and it will never happen again.

But needless to say the writing and story were great. Besides all the confusion at the end, and Tris and Four's relationship, I was impressed with where this went. Lots of action, and twists and turns. Even though the ending was way too abrupt and I didn't fully understand it, it was ambitious and I did not see it coming.

“We're all right, you know,' he says quietly. 'You and me. Okay?' My chest aches, and I nod. 'Nothing else is all right.' His whisper tickles my cheek. 'But we are.”