Insurgent (Divergent #2)
by Veronica Roth

Summary
After the horrifying events that occurred on Initiation Day, Tris and Four are joined by some unlikely allies as they make their way to the Amity compound in hopes of finding a safe haven. But before Tris can be much help to the growing group of dissatisfied faction members, she must find a way to overcome the grief and guilt that are threatening to overwhelm her. While trying to move forward and determine what comes next, Tris realizes that uncovering the secrets that started the war between the factions may be the key to their next move.  Will she be able to deal with her issues and uncover the truth before it’s too late? And can she make the right choices without having to loose any more people she cares about?

Review
Picking up right where Divergent left off, Insurgent makes for a gripping and action packed second installment in the series. Roth continues to delve deeper into the characters’ history and mindset, creating layered and complex individuals that are rarely matched in YA fiction.  The world-building in this novel is also excellent. We learn more about the other factions than expected, and combined with (minimal) knowledge of current-day Chicago, I found it easy to visualize the city as it is in this dystopian future.  Despite the time spent on character development and world-building, the plot does not suffer. The story moves quickly and is rarely predictable. A surprising ending with a huge impact on the future of the series makes for a satisfying stopping point in the current story, but still leaves the reader wanting more.

Verdict
Insurgent is an excellent follow-up to Divergent that builds on the first novel and moves the story forward beautifully. I can’t wait for more!

*I won this book in a contest. Thanks @HarperCollinsCa!