Insurgent is the second book of the Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth. Veronica Roth is best known for the Divergent series, consisting of Divergent, Insurgent, and Allegiant. The books were later produced into three movies, one for each book. The story follows the point of view of Beatrice “Tris” Prior, in the continuation of the events from the preceding novel. The story of the factions takes place in a Dystopian Chicago, sometime in the future. 

With Jeanine Matthews at large in the war between the factions, things aren’t looking good for those who are against the Erudite and their plans, including the loyal Dauntless, the factionless, and specifically the Divergent. Tris, along with others from her group, take shelter by living with the Amity in the early chapters of the book. They move on to the Candor headquarters, where they reunite with the rest of the loyal Dauntless, including some old friends. After deciding on new faction leaders, Tris and friends (along with some new allies) charge head-on into battle to conclude the war once and for all.

Throughout the story, Tris struggles with overcoming betrayal, fighting for love, and uncovering the truth, as well as the lies.

"I didn't realize until that moment that Dauntless initiation had taught me an important lesson: how to keep going." (Beatrice Prior, page 86)

Over the duration of the book, Tris overcomes many obstacles, severs and rekindles relationships, and learns important things about the past of her family, friends, and society. This quote from chapter seven does an incredible job of portraying Tris’s perseverance over the course of the plotline. No matter what happens, Tris always manages to put others before herself and do what she believes is right. Throughout the story, Tris learns the significance of her life after it is nearly taken away from her. Tris needs to work hard and put herself and her relationships on the line in order to fulfill the mission and find out the secret her parents sacrificed their lives for.

As readers know from the previous book, Jeanine Matthews, leader of the Erudite faction, is willing to go to great lengths in order to complete her plans. The plot thickens when readers learn to be suspicious of any and all characters in the book, as you never know which ones are hiding their true position in the matters.

Overall, the Insurgent book is a great sequel as it continues the story of Tris and the factions in a way that doesn’t end up being monotonous, but just as exciting. This book is not recommended to those who have not yet read the first book of the series, Divergent, because without the background knowledge, the plot would become extremely confusing. This book is great for those who wish to know what happens to those in the Divergent book, because it gives insight on everyone and what happened to them during the affairs. This book keeps you on your toes as the beloved protagonist of the story, Beatrice “Tris” Prior, constantly puts herself in danger in order to uncover the secret that will change everyone’s lives.

Checkout Insurgent from the Newport Beach Public Library.