Insurgent CD (Divergent Series, 2) Audio CD – CD, June 4, 2013

Publishing her award winning trilogy Divergent in 2011 Veronica Roth has gone on to write the rest of the series including Insurgent. The author has written with integrity showing readers consequences of their actions, revolutions and how our society could end up being with corrupt government officials. This book analyzes how the government can affect the society in tremendous ways but also displays how one person can change everything. Shown in the late teenage protagonist Tris Prior is the mental health effects caused by revolution and how bad it can be face punishment. Because she creates Tris and Tobias as complex characters while showing their developments throughout the story, Veronica Roth accomplishes informing the readers about consequences of making wrong choices and how future society can be while entertaining them with revolution. The novels starts with Tris Prior with Tobias Eaton and the rest of the remaining council members on the train heading to the welcoming arms of Amity in post apocalyptic Chicago. After surviving the Dauntless attack lead by Jeanine, Tris has to find shelter where she will not be exposed. But instead Tris forced to leave Amity in search for a new home. Throughout this time she struggles with her mental health and her relationship with her brother Caleb and boyfriend Tobias. She finds herself with the Candor and Factionless who leaders she can not seem to trust. Being attacked again by Jeanine and her minions she finds out that all the citizens were hit with a simulation serum. While under the simulation they let out a message saying for the Divergent (Tris) to surrender herself or everyday three new people will die. Tris is left with the choice to give herself up and be executed or continue leading the revolution she started. Roth relies on major character development to show just how bad it can be to deal with the effects of your actions and that it can get better. The novel shows how badly Tris’ mental health is affected by her killing her friend. She explains on her way to her execution, “ I felt assured of my long lifespan, if nothing else. Now there are no reassurances, except that where I go, I go because I choose to” (Roth 318). Killing Will and having the rest of her family be dead forces her to no longer care about her life and in fact disregard it. Saying “I felt assured of my long lifespan” tells the readers just how much she disregards her life. However, on the execution table Tris finally realizes that her life is worth living and that she must finish was she started. Laying on the table she internally screams, “I don’t want to die!” (Roth 383). She finally grows into the fighter she is supposed to be and realizes she has to live in order to finish what she started. Having her thoughts change shows the mental development she goes through in order to change the way she thinks. Roth teaches readers the effects the actions they can do can affect not only others but themselves too by using major character development. Despite what Tris is going through, Roth changes the story by having her brother Caleb switch over to the side Tris is trying to destroy. This entertains the readers with a thrilling an unexpected plot twist but also shows minor character development. In the beginning while talking to Tobias, also referred to as Four, Caleb questions “And you don’t think you’re too old to be with my little sister?” (Roth 17) By using the word “little” Caleb displays how much she cares about the well being of his sister and that she isn’t ready for everything because of how young she is. Having this protective sense over his little sister shows just how much he cares about her. Unfortunately, later in the book Caleb ends up helping Jeanine in using and killing his little sister. In her cell, Caleb walks in and is talking to Tris about how she is helping with the advancement of science. He tells her how her death is for the greater good to which Tris replies with, “I’ll still think delivering your sister to be prodded and executed is evil” (Roth 386) Using the words “delivered” and “evil” shows just how much Caleb has changed and that he willing gave up his sister instead of protecting her like he did earlier in the book. This shows just how majorly minor character development affects the plot of the story and how entertaining it is for the reader. Without having major family drama and plot twist, the story would have been just like any other Young Adult Dystopian novel. To add to the story Roth uses Text to Text and Text to World connects to make the story more exciting. Connecting to other stories and to what is happening makes the reader feel that the book is relating to him. On the train on there way to Candor, Tris and Tobias run into the factionless and describe how they act towards others. Tris explains, “A factionless man with an eye patch has a gun pointed at Tobias” (Roth 89). The factionless are basically the equivalent of the homeless in our society. People characterize them and harsh looking and angry in our society and in this book. Saying he has an eye patch and gun shows this. The factionless and the homeless both have don’t have very clean or fought after living conditions. Making this key connection makes the book more relatable to the readers. In addition, Roth makes a crucial connection to another very popular young adult book. Talking to Jeanine while being tested Tris realizes what she is being used for and how. Jeanine says to her, “I mean, you did come here of your own free will. That’s not what I call a good survival instinct” (Roth 333). Saying this and other words shows that Tris is closely related to Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games. Both are the main characters of their books that have to fight against corrupt government leaders and loose things close to them along the way. They are also both willing to risk their lives in order to save others. Making these two connections enriches the plot and entertains the reader. By the end of the book, readers are left on the edge of their seats over the actions certain people took in order to restabilize the government. Not only did the novel entertain readers with how society could be but it also informed readers on how choices can affect other and themselves. This is done through major and minor character development and connections to text and world events. Readers looking to escape into a completely different world and trying to find out how their choices affect others would benefit greatly from reading this book. Even though society has not reached the stage that the books has, readers can only wonder if it ever will.

"Insurgent" begins almost exactly where "Divergent" left off, with the protagonist Beatrice "Tris" Prior and her boyfriend Tobias "Four" Eaton riding the train to an uncertain future in the aftermath of a surprise attack that devastated two of the five personality-based "factions" that reside in what was once Chicago. They turn to the peaceful folks of Amity for a safe haven, but there's really no time to recover from the physical and psychological wounds of battle. There are secrets to uncover, alliances to be made, enemies alert for another chance to attack.I didn't enjoy "Insurgent" quite so much as I did the first volume of Veronica Roth's dystopian trilogy. Although there was plenty of action in "Divergent," it was on the whole a much more thoughtful and character-driven novel. The first few chapters were concerned primarily with exposition, worldbuilding, and Tris's soul-searching as the day approaches when she must choose her faction. There are hints fairly early on that there's some kind of trouble brewing on a societal level, but most of the novel concerns Tris's initiation into Dauntless and her relationships with both other members of her chosen faction and the family she left behind. "Insurgent" is much more plot-driven. That's not to say it's a mindless sequence of action scenes; Tris finds herself struggling to live with the aftermath of all that she witnessed and performed at the end of the previous book, and it takes its toll on her relationship with Four. Guilt, grief, and sacrifice are recurring themes, and Tris rarely makes it through more than a day or two without facing a new devastating ethical dilemma. However, the characters feel a bit more contrived and manipulated here, occasionally acting in ways that contradict everything we know about them so far when it's convenient to the plot.One of the central conflicts of "Insurgent" - certainly the one most important to Tris - concerns the possession of a dangerous, potentially devastating, piece of information. Unfortunately, Roth commits the authorial sin of building suspense by openly withholding information "just because." At least two major characters know exactly what the big secret is, and a third may or may not know everything but certainly knows much more than Tris. She is told again and again just how crucial this piece of information is. A character she has no real reason to trust seeks her aid in recovering the information from what he insists are the wrong hands, but refuses to tell her what it is - "but not because I don't want to. It's because I have no idea how to describe it to you. You have to see it for yourself." No character even attempts to tell Tris anything substantial, no matter how desperately they wish to persuade her of the rightness of a particular course of action. Even worse, Tris, usually so determined and resourceful, never once puts her foot down and says "Tell me what it is or I won't help you." By the time I started the last chapter, I figured Roth was going to carry the mystery over into "Allegiant." I was wrong. The final three pages of the novel are devoted to the Big Reveal, which was pretty much the kind of thing I was expecting it to be based on the few hints other characters had dropped. There were still a few surprises in store, but they would have had much more of an impact if there hadn't been such a huge buildup to something so utterly ineffable even the person who knew it best couldn't find a way to describe it.My favorite thing about "Insurgent" was that, whereas "Divergent" took place almost entirely within two factions, the sequel finds Tris and Four spending time in each of the factions, and even passing a few chapters in the company of the factionless. I don't think a dystopian novel could ever contain too much worldbuilding for my taste, and I set down "Divergent" longing to learn more about the other factions and their values and ways of life. Of course, with society descending into chaos, "Insurgent" doesn't offer quite the pure slice-of-life descriptions I craved, but there's definitely enough to get a feel for each faction, to understand its strengths and weaknesses, and to confirm my suspicion that Roth never meant to portray any faction as entirely virtuous or entirely villainous. Probably what tipped this book firmly into four-star territory for me, however, was Roth's venture into the relationship between neurology and personality, long a favorite subject of mine, when Tris submits to a series of medical scans and tests in an attempt to learn more about her Divergence: "I did not know that my entire personality, my entire being, could be discarded as the byproduct of my anatomy. What if I really am just someone with a large prefrontal cortex . . . and nothing more? . . . I feel like my mind is cracked open, its secrets spilling over the floor for me to finally see.""Insurgent" ends with a plot twist that, upon reflection, raises more questions than it answers. Although "Divergent" was written to be able to stand alone (Roth knew better than to expect any publisher to commit to an unfinished trilogy by an unknown author), "Insurgent" wasn't: readers who plunge in without having read "Divergent" are likely to be pretty confused, and the ending is a cliffhanger. Just how well "Insurgent" succeeds in its purpose, therefore, is probably impossible to say without knowing where things go in the third book. I'm willing to give Roth the benefit of the doubt because I enjoy spending time with her characters in the world she has created, but there's going to need to be a little less nonstop action, a lot more explanation and backstory in "Allegiant" if the trilogy as a whole is going to work as anything but a charming contrivance.

This review contains spoilers for Part one of the Divergent series.)The second instalment of this thrilling YA dystopian series follows the aftermath of the massacre of the Abnegation leaders by the mind-controlled Dauntless that Tris manages to halt, though at a great cost to herself.Having not only her seeing her family members killed before her eyes, Tris has to deal with the guilt of having to kill one of her best friends, Will, in order to survive the attack in the previous book. Tris’s PTSD is so bad that she cannot fire a weapon, and that leaves her vulnerable to the events that unfold in this second book.There is much focus on the tension between Tris and Tobias, as they argue over untold secrets and struggle with mutual and self doubt. In a way the attention on their budding relationship, which is sure to engage the attention of those seeking the romance part of this series, unfortunately (in my opinion) slows down the action. For a second book in what was originally a trilogy, this is usually the portion where there is much exposition and something of a stocktake in between the first and final books.In this fashion, we get some insight into the other factions like Candour and Amity, which we had learnt about but in a peripheral fashion in the first book. Here we meet some prominent individuals and the communities, but perhaps because the factions have been infiltrated, the boundaries between them have become leaky, we get a less definitive picture of what they were like before the covert attacks by the rogue Erudite and Dauntless leaders.More revelations, betrayals, alliances gained and lost, and vivid action scenes (though arguably fewer in this instalment), Veronica Roth continues to build up the story with enough twists and new revelations, and an ending with a climactic cliffhanger that makes the reader want to plunge right into the third book, “Allegiant.”

I am very late to the Divergent party and now really wish I had been punctual and read the books when they originally came out. I am absolutely hooked to the Divergent world and this second book was unbelievably even more unputdownable than Divergent. I had actually said to myself the other night that I was just going to read the first few chapters and then go to sleep but I ended up reading half of the book as I just had to know what happened to certain characters at a majorly large book plot moment. If you are a fan of YA and dystopian and are one of the rare few like me who haven't yet read the Divergent series then I highly recommend the series and urge you to read it. There are no book spoilers for Insurgent in this review but there are spoilers for the first book Divergent so don't read any further if you haven't read Divergent and don't want to know anything.Wow what an ending to the first book! This book follows immediately on from the first with no breaks which I love when a series does this as it makes the world feel more real to me. Anyway following the attack simulation which Tris and Four managed to stop with the help of her Father, Marcus, Peter and Caleb the five remaining of them escape the madness on one of the trains headed for the Amity compound. Once there they call upon the Amity to choose a side as now all out war is threatening to take over their city with half of the Dauntless mortified of what the Erudite did to them and they have taken up with Candor and the other half more than happy to continue on with Erudite and their mad leader Jeanine. So will Amity choose a side or stay on the fence? Will Tris and Four manage to overthrow Erudite and Jeanine or has she darker plans for them and their friends? Will Christine be okay and will she forgive Tris if Tris reveals the truth about Will? And just what is the great secret if there is actually one that Abnegation didn't want to fall into Jeanine's hands?An absolutely amazing read and I have been drawn into the world of Divergent and don't want to come back out. I absolutely love the character's Tris and Four and love the world that Veronica Roth has built. I have read some amazing books this year and this one is right up there with the best ones. I literally couldn't put the book down until after chapter 36 at one point and when you read the book you will see why. Also just when you think Veronica can't surely add any more twists to the book.....erm lets just say she does and Allegiant is set to be another amazing read. A must read book for fans of YA and Dystopian.

Leaving pretty much where Divergent left off, the second book follows Tris, Four and their companions head out to speak to the other factions about what they have learned. Their first stop is Amity, yet they aren't welcomed with complete open arms and acceptance. Throughout their time in Amity, and after they leave, we learn more about the history of the factions and how they were implimented to keep the peace.Four's father has more of a role in this book, and he is definitely a character with secrets. I think, in this book, he is the reason the readers turn the pages. We want to find out what he knows.I have to admit, both Tris and Four/Tobias irritated me in places during the story. They made choices throughout the book that felt completely out of character for them, and in places felt as if it were just to move the story forwards, but after a couple of chapters, they made more sense. This created more tension for the couple, but it was realistic. How can a couple survive if they are either keeping secrets from one another or don't trust each other fully?As the story moves on further and further, the action ramps up further and further, particularly once Tris makes a choice that puts her in the direct line of fire. From this moment, I couldn't put the book down.There are quite a few moments in Insurgent that made me gasp, like the emergence of the truth about Jeanine and what she is trying to accomplish with the serums and how she wants to control the factions. The twist at the end, segues perfectly into the third, and final, book of the series. Yet, again, Tris makes a choice that is out of character and completely blew me away.I felt that this book, more than Divergent, was a lot more visual and descriptive. I have never been to Chicago, having only seen pictures of a bustling and vibrant city, but Roth's Chicago is completely different. Through her words, I can see it's is run down, the streets are in ruin, with greenery growing anywhere it wants and can. Transportation is virtually non existent yet electricity and technology has continued to move forward. The world she has created is at odds with itself, and that is no hard to imagine as you read.

“Insurgent, he says. Noun. A person who acts in opposition to the established authority, who is not necessarily regarded as a belligerent.”A lot of the time, the second book in a trilogy becomes a "filler" book, basically just to fill the gap between an amazing start and brilliant ending. But this was not the case with Insurgent, It held its own, and gave us a lot of vital information as well as including some of the most memorable scenes.Insurgent carries on immediately where Divergent ended, leaving our characters to deal with the consequences of the simulation that ended many lives lost. For many of the Dauntless this means dealing with the fact they are now murderers, for Tris this means dealing with the death of her parents and Will, for Tobias this means dealing with the fact that his father back in his life.This book very much tests the friendships and relationships made in Divergent. Family betrays family, lovers lie and friendships are tested when the ultimate forgiveness is required.“Cruelty does not make a person dishonest, the same way bravery does not make a person kind.”Divergent was all about making the choice of who you wanted to be, Insurgent seems to be more about fighting for the right to be that person. We have previously only seen life in Abnegation and Dauntless, but in Insurgent we are given glimpses into the lives of Amity, Erudite and Candor. I found it fascinating seeing how each faction worked and seeing the differences in the beliefs and ways of life. Each faction has something that is important to them, whether its honesty, peace, intelligence, bravery or selflessness. The way Veronica Roth wrote about each faction allows us to see both the good and bad of each faction, and the importance of them all both separately and as a whole.“It reminds me why I chose Dauntless in the first place: not because they are perfect, but because they are alive. Because they are free.”Insurgent is an intense emotional rollercoaster for Tris who is dealing with the death of her parents and the guilt she feels over Will's death. This results in Tris making a lot of careless decisions which leave her in some extremely dangerous situations. It was quite hard to see her in such a desperate way at times, but even so she remained a strong character and eventually finds her way.“Sleep,” he says. “I'll fight the bad dreams off if they come to get you.” “With what?” “My bare hands, obviously.”Insurgent allows us to see a lot more of Four/Tobias then just the strong and brave trainer he was in Divergent. He is still that strong character, but we also get to see him at his most vulnerable, at his most frustrated and at his most loving. Tobias has a lot to deal with in the book; an unwanted reunion with his dad at the end of Divergent really shakes him and he has difficulty deciding how he wants to deal with it whilst trying to survive and fight for the survival of those he loves.“We both have war inside us. Sometimes it keeps us alive. Sometimes it threatens to destroy us.”Insurgent makes way for the development of Tris and Tobias'/Fours relationship. It's not easy or beautiful, there are a lot of obstacles and emotional baggage, with each keeping secrets from the other to try and protect them, which doesn't help matters. But it makes it real. They are forced into this tough situation, of course there's going to be struggles, and that's what makes it believable. I will admit, there were points when I was slightly worried for them, but they always overcame it, and it made their relationship even stronger, and made me love them even more!“The truth has a way of changing people's plans.”This book is action packed and a shock cliff hanger ending really leaves you wanting more. I actually had to read the ending a few times it was that much of a shock. I can't wait to see were Veronica Roth takes it after this.

What I love about good authors of trilogy's is when you dont have to re-read the book before, this is no exception as Veronica seamlessly flows between Divergent and into this second in the trilogy Insurgent. You dont lose that exciting feel and flow as can happen in subsequent books.Its aimed at Young adult but I'm in my 40's and loved it...maybe Im a child at heart...but it felt like an adult read despite being about teenagers. This is not a quickie coffee book read, its a fully immersive escapism read to another magical world.Insurgent is captivating right from the first chapter again and we are pulled along with Tris as the factions are now at war. I enjoyed the fact of her finding friends and survivors within Abnegation, Dauntless, Erudite to find a safe haven.I found the plot quite complex with its multi-layered political conspiracies within conspiracies and even though not difficult to follow; if you dont read this book in one or two sittings you may get confused if you have to come back to it after a break.Im not a girl who loves romancey style books but I did enjoy reading about Tris and Tobias, its very subtle and runs parallel through the book alongside the main plot; but I would have liked to actually see more romance between her and Tobias as they seemed sadly cold towards each other, so I hope this will repair itself in the last book.In this second book Im finding Tris slightly more cocky and more annoying than in the first book because she has become confident in herself. She has become reckless and makes silly decisions and I found myself wanting to yell at her. She has become a little unlikable since the shy relatable young girl in book one; murder, fighting and death has turned our sweet heroine into a fearless fighting machine; but she is still a brilliantly written heroine.One point however in this read Tris does something so reckless; but so brave and is rescued by someone completely surprising, this part blew me away as it headed towards the breathtaking cliffhanger.The plot is created and built up well from book one and this continues as you are swept along so fast you really wont want to put this book down till that last digital page. The storylines are so believable and realistic and Roth has continued with her fantastic twists and turns and no matter what you think you may know what is going to happen you wont.Do I like this book...I....adore this series so far....WOW. ;-) You have everything from stimulating conspiracy, betrayal, suspense and murder with a dash of romance and an amazing cliffhanger. I finished this book at 5.30am and loved every thrilling page. I highly recommend this trilogy, but you need to read Divergent first to fully understand the plot.Veronica Roth is the Queen in this genre and I cant wait for Allegiance the last in the trilogy out now!