Insurgent (Divergent Series) by Veronica Roth

This is the second book in the  Divergent Series by Veronica Roth.  The review will definitely touch on subjects that are major plot points in the first book.  So, if you are not a big fan of spoilers and think you may want to read this book, stop reading this review here.  You can always read the review of Divergent and decide to read the book and then read this review later.

By the end of the first book, Tris and Tobias (Four) had shut down the Erudite's simulation they were using to control the Dauntless (at least those who weren't Divergent).  They were not in time to save a great many Abnegation (including Tris' mom and dad) that were slaughtered during that invasion.  This was all done with the bonus task of bringing Tobias out of a simulation that was engineered to worked on Divergents.  This brings us to the point where Tris and Tobias try to rally support from all the other factions as well as the Factionless.

I really liked the first book.  Maybe it was the clear and concise goals  and the movement towards them that seemed to be set out for the characters.  Maybe it was the rhythm of the story and the feeling of always climbing towards a greater reveal or resolution.  It might have been the interesting introduction and exposition of each of the principle characters in the story.  It was likely a combination of all these factors that I felt were done well in the first book yet, lacking in the second.

Character development was a bit stifled in the second book.  There were a handful of new characters brought in but, none of them seemed to be brought to life quite in the same way the ones in the first book had.  As far as already established characters like Tris, Tobias and Caleb were concerned, there was some continuing development and growth though not enough to keep my interest up.  Some characters were so incomplete I kept confusing them with each other.

Part of my problem with the characters could have been rooted in the slow pace of the story as a whole.  Where the first book climbed a spiral staircase of events and revelations to and ultimate event, the second book felt mired in trying to accomplish a single goal.  Maybe that was on purpose and the author was trying to express the futility of the struggle.  I really don't think that's the case.  Either way,  it leaves plenty of time for readers to grow bored with the progress of the protagonists and look for more exciting selections.

As a whole,  Insurgent is not a bad addition to the series.  It just suffers from being the slower, more deliberative sequel used to get readers ready for the more thrilling conclusion in the third of the series.  It does have some very graphic violence and the interpersonal is getting a lot more personal in spots.  All of which lands this one as solid PG13.

 

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Posted by Tynga at 01:00

 Divergent, Dystopian, Harper Collins, Love amp; Romance, Purchased, Review, Veronica Roth, young adult  2 People left their mark

Divergent by Veronica Roth

A young person who has the feeling of not quite fitting in.  Not even at home does this person feel comfortable or truly accepted.  Then comes a crucial moment where one decision could lead to fulfillment or even worse disappointment and failure.  Beatrice finds herself in just that moment as this story begins.

This is one of those stories that is primarily character driven.  Many may say that with all that is going on around Beatrice, or Tris as she is later named, that it is plot focused.  This book spent a great deal of time defining the main character and her change from Beatrice to Tris.  Along with Tris, we get learn about her family and fellow initiates.  It is the initiates where we start to get a feeling for not only who they are but, who Tris is as well as who she is becoming.  I will admit, there are some archetypes that border on stereotypes in this book.  Most of those are clearly for plot development and don't require real character development so, I tend to overlook them.

Ordinarily, I like to have, as I put it, texture in a story.  I like the author to pain a picture with words that gives me texture, smell and sound so I can feel the world of the book.  This book does not do that because, it does not need to.  It's one of those exceptions that makes the rule.  The lack of these stimuli tends to highlight some of the bleaker parts of the narrative and help the reader stay focused on what is important: the characters.  That said, we do get a feel for Tris' world as well as an understanding how it has helped shape her outlook as well as those around her.

While this is a character driven story, that doesn't mean it is bereft of story.  It has a modern take on a few tropes we've seen in the past but, they are handled well for the most part.  I won't go into the twist and turns that comes with this type of social/political intrigue because that's where much of the entertainment is.

Though these are not new ideas for a story, in Divergent by Veronica Roth they are brought together in a way to make an engaging tale.  It is a thought provoking tale that I would recommend for anybody high school age and above.  There is violence in it but, none that is glorified which in my mind earns it a PG13.

 

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Posted by Tynga at 01:00

 Divergent, Dystopian, Harper Collins, Purchased, Review, Veronica Roth, young adult  Leave your mark

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Because of the video Tris released at the end of Insurgent, everybody knows that there is more outside their city limits and to say their opinions on the subject varies would be putting it mildly.  Jeanine is ready for anything to keep everyone contained and the factions destroyed, while the allegiants strive for freedom, the right to find out what's out there, and the right to reiterate the factions. Tris and Tobias also disagree on the course of action they should privilege, and nobody was ready for what awaited them out of the fence.

I didn't really have any expectations when I started reading Allegiant, the last book of the Divergent trilogy, and I didn't have my mind set on how it should end. I think diving in with an open mind allowed me to appreciate that much more everything miss Roth brought to the table.

Nothing discovered in the previous books could've prepared the readers for what awaited the characters outside of Chicago and I loved being surprised every step of the way. The outside world is nothing like what the characters have ever known and I truly enjoyed being as destabilized as our heroes, learning by their side the truth that's been kept from them.

[spoiler]The basis of the outside world is based on a belief that damaged DNA pushes people to violence. There was a war called Purity War in which people went nuts and afterward the government tried to repair the damage by 'fixing' people's DNA. Those experiments were lead in enclosed areas, such as Chicago, with hopes of obtaining candidates with genetically pure DNA, the divergents.  It was a total shock for our heroes to learn their lives was nothing but lies, and to learn that they were monitored 24/7. [/spoiler] I think the whole thing was highly original and I liked the ethic controversy this situation unveiled. Is DNA really responsible for our faults? Are genetically 'damaged' people worth less then the others? Should they have less rights? A big part of the plot revolves around those interrogations and I appreciated its raw honesty and its authenticity.

True to themselves Tris and Tobias can't seem to keep out of trouble and being in The Bureau doesn't change that. It seems controversy is everywhere and they have to step right into it every time. Tris is a defender of justice though and she can't stay away when she discovers the GDs (genetically damaged) are being mistreated, top that with the discovery that [spoiler] The Bureau is responsible for the serum that caused the death of the Abnegation faction, including her parents [/spoiler] and she is pumped for a fight. Of course, The Bureau also had to throw oil on the fire by making rash decisions against Tris' values and fireworks were sure to blow off!

The whole plot kept me on the edge of my seat the entire 525 pages this novel contains! I felt completely immersed in the world and was breathless witnessing the struggles and the pain the characters went through. The action kept a somewhat slow burning rhythm with some crazy spikes of excitement and the tempo really worked for me. I also liked that this alien situation allowed us to discover a whole new facet to characters we already loved (or not).

I know the conclusion caused a lot of drama and I'm sure many readers were pissed at Veronica Roth for her decision, but personally I respect her choice and bow down in front of her courage. I honestly liked the end because in the real world, not everyone gets their Happy Ever After, and that Roth dared to kill such an important character at the end of a series not only brings a healthy dose of reality to her novel, it also proves that she is committed to deliver a story the way she feels it, despite what everybody will think. And that, my friends, is the spirit of a true storyteller.

The Divergent trilogy is a delight and dystopian lovers will fall I love, of that I am sure. If you don't know yet, the first book, Divergent, was filmed and will be released in March 2014. Why not go on and read the book before it hits the big screen?

Read an excerpt

Here's the official movie trailer for Divergent:

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Posted by Tynga at 01:18

 Divergent, Dystopian, Harper Collins, Katherine Tegen Books, Purchased, Review, Veronica Roth, young adult  2 People left their mark