Insurgent (Divergent, #2) by Veronica Roth

Insurgent (Divergent, #2) by Veronica Roth
Published: May 1, 2012 by HarperTeen
Received: ARC from publisher (thank you!)

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. {goodreads.com}

Veronica Roth has created a world of factions that separate people by their instincts, personality traits, and loyalties.  She introduced us to this world in Divergent, as we followed Tris from one faction to another; making sacrifices for herself, her family, and even strangers she met along the way.  When I read Divergent a year ago, I felt like my mind was blown.  This novel embodied so much of something that I had never read before.  Just when I thought nothing could top it, Veronica Roth produces it's follow-up Insurgent and everything I thought I knew about reading captivating literature has been blown to bits.

Stating this book as something that's phenomenal, brilliant, or 5-star does not do it justice.  I'm afraid the word for this continuation is still out there.  It's hushed whispers, giant screams, and all the sounds of words in between.  I want to push this book, this series, into the hands of every one I know.  The beauty of this type of story is that anyone can relate to it, anyone can lose themselves in it, and anyone can hold it to a higher degree.  It's just that good.

Insurgent is 525 pages of heart-pounding, gut-wrenching, eye-opening, jaw-dropping excellence.  This woman can write.  I am amazed at where her mind allows itself to wander.  How in the world does someone come up with a story so intricate, yet so identifiable among the masses?  Divergent was just an ounce of the enormous weight that Insurgent has shattered me with.  The characters in this follow-up are truly tested physically, emotionally, and mentally.  I have walked away from this novel completely baffled by what they've experienced.  The world that was beating so strongly in Divergent, separated by factions, is now full of question, chaos, and uncertainty.  The ending will leave you with just enough hope of a resolution, but the burning desire to know what happens next will overcome everything else.

This book. This series. AMAZING. Veronica Roth deserves all the praise she's received and I look forward to the many more she will endure after Insurgent is out in the wild.  Grab your copy now!  It's a must-read.