At the beginning of the book Insurgent, the sequel to Divergent, most of the Abnegation faction and some of the Dauntless have taken refuge with the Amity. Tris is there with her boyfriend Tobias (also known as Four), her brother, and a few friends who survived the attack. But there are also enemies there: Tobias’s father Marcus, who is planning something with the leader of Amity, and Peter, who had tried to kill Tris in the earlier book.
But the real problem is that Erudite is looking for the Dauntless. Tris and Tobias must leave Amity headquarters and travel around the City, taking sanctuary where they can find it. Sometimes in unlikely places. Sometimes with unlikely people. Throughout the book, Tris is unsure whom she can trust, including her boyfriend Tobias and members of their families. There are twists and turns, deceptions and counter-deceptions. I would love to tell you more, but don’t want to give any spoilers.
My only issue is that there is a sluggishness here which wasn’t present in the first book. The two protagonists go from one locale to another, meet different people, get betrayed, repeat. I prefer books that constantly move forward, while this one doesn’t seem to do so. Don’t get me wrong. Insurgent isn’t a bad book; it may just be that it pales in comparison with Divergent. Tris’s decision she must make at the beginning, her initiation into Dauntless, her feelings toward Four: all these elements kept that book moving for me.
But having said that, there is a big surprise waiting at the end of Insurgent, which alone makes it worthwhile, There are also some important events occurring in this book, necessary to move the series along. So, by all means, read Insurgent. You’ll need the information for the final book Allegiant, which I will review next month.