Insurgent

Insurgent by Veronica Roth, 544 pages

This is Roth's follow-up to Divergent, a dystopian futuristic YA novel (really, are there any other kind?) in which the residents of what was once Chicago are split into five factions named according to the characteristics prided by each: Erudite, Amity, Candor, Dauntless, and Abnegation. The story centers on Tris, an Abnegation-born girl who chooses, at age 16, to join Dauntless, though she's actually Divergent, meaning she has the qualities of two or more of the factions. Insurgent picks up after Erudite has decimated Abnegation, using mind-controlled members of Dauntless to do the dirty work. The City Formerly Known As Chicago is on the cusp of an all-faction war (well, other than the hippie-ish Amity), with Tris and her boyfriend Four right in the middle of things.

I loved Divergent, and I'm happy to say that Insurgent doesn't disappoint. It's a bit jarring at the beginning, as Roth simply picks up where Divergent left off, with no exposition for you to find your bearings. But Insurgent grabs you and doesn't let go, just like its predecessor. I can't wait to see what Roth has up her sleeve for the next installment in Tris's story.