Author: Veronica Roth
Title: Insurgent
Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books
As every reader knows all too well, there's nothing worse than waiting for the sequel to a novel you've absolutely loved.
Not only will you be waiting for the better part of a year (and that's if the author is the quick, prolific sort, not say, George R.R. Martin), but there's a good chance the effort will ultimately disappoint anyway because your expectations are impossibly high.
But before you start mistaking this critic for Debbie Downer (cue the wah wah), there's some pretty fantastic news for fans of Veronica Roth's dystopian YA fiction. For anyone who's breathlessly awaited the follow-up to Divergent, Insurgent is more of a Dark Knight than an Iron Man 2 in the sequel department.
Picking right up from where Divergent left off (yes, no pesky time gaps), Insurgent is heavy on the action and character development right from the get-go, a quality that ups the ante right from the beginning. And unlike some dystopian societies that are hard to really wrap your brain around, Roth does such a fantastic job of immersing the reader in the elaborate world she's created. In fact, it's downright cinematic—no special effects required.
To avoid venturing into the dreaded spoiler territory, I'm going to stay away from the particulars of the plot, but for anyone who's curious, let's just say you won't be disappointed. Not only is the pacing just as brisk and efficient as before, but the power of choice for our protagonists has never been more crucial.
Hitting on themes of forgiveness, grief, loyalty and identity, it's definitely the light and fluffy beach read that many naturally gravitate toward in the summer. For anyone looking for something engaging and thought-provoking, the sort of story that causes you to wonder how you'd fare in a similar situation, well, Insurgent will certainly satisfy your literary itch. You know, before sending you into a frenzy as you wait for the inevitable third chapter.
*This Review First Published 5/23/2012
