Title: Insurgent
Author: Veronica Roth
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publish Date: May 1, 2012
Genre: YA, Dystopian
Pages: 525
Source: Publisher

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

Tris, Tobias, Peter, Caleb and Marcus have escaped the simulation, but the battle has only just begun. The factions are warring, and Tris and her friends seek refuge in the shelter of the Amity headquarters, but the war rages on just outside the door. Finding a shelter isn’t as easy as it seems though, as Tris’s guilt and grief boil over, and loyalties are tested. The world is a scary place, and the factions might not just be as black and white as they seem. Choices are in order, loyalties are in question and war threatens to tear absolutely everything a part. How did the world become the way it is today, and what is Tris’s place in it? Can she find out before it’s too late?

Sequels have a notoriously difficult time measuring up to their predecessors. You know I’m right. Trilogies, or so I’ve found, follow a series of highs and lows, with there being an epic start, a lackluster finish and (often times) a climactic finish. Insurgent by Veronica Roth, however, refuses to be thrust into this mold and, instead, breaks the boundaries of excellence. Incredible writing and storytelling collide for a novel that is so heart-pounding, heart-wrenching and riveting that you’ll likely be unable to put it down from start to finish. From the first through the last page, the reader is treated to a thrill ride of action and emotion that explores the very core of the human condition in a beautiful and tragically poetic way.

I didn’t honestly think that Insurgent could really outdo the excellence that was Divergent because, let’s be honest, that book really nailed the dystopian genre with a new concept, a brutally forsaken world and a system. Insurgent, however, upped the ante in absolutely every respect possible. Tris was very emote throughout the novel; her pain, fear, grief, anxiety and internal conflicts spoke volumes without her ever having to come out and say in actual words how she felt. It was tangible, and her true feelings resonated throughout. The true beauty of Insurgent was that, though the novel is set in a world that is futuristic and broken, it actually felt real, and it was something that people can relate to. You can see how and why the world crumbled, and we begin to see the true nature of the factions, though there is never a simple black and white. The world is blurred in shades of gray, and it’s eerily foreboding and familiar to see this broken societal system attempt to function in some semblance of normalcy. The relationships throughout the story only serve to heighten and personalize the tale, and though the romance between Tris and Tobias (Four) isn’t always in the foreground, you’d better believe it is always simmering, smoldering and boiling right below the surface – escalating the tension to a fever pitch right when you think you can’t take any more. Insurgent is raw and realistic, painful and entirely evocative. It’d be completely remiss if I didn’t say that this book’s true talent lies beyond the words themselves…it lies in the how it makes you see and feel the world around you.

I was completely and utterly blown away by just how spectacular Insurgent really was. This is the sequel that all sequels should strive to be, and I have to say that it just might be THE book of 2012. I give it a 6 out of 5, and I highly recommend it to all fans of YA, as well as adult novels, especially those who enjoy complex dystopians with incredible writing. 

 I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. The feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists over at The Broke and the Bookish. They'd love to share their lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week they will post a new top ten list that one of our bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All they ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

Top Ten Young Adult Dystopian Books:

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - I would be a failure of a blogger if I didn't put this book first. I put it off for a long time after this first book came out only because of the concept, but once I read it, I was completely and utterly hooked. This series is just about up there with HP for me!

2. Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer - This is the only book in the series that ended up completely capturing me, but it did so in a way that has me loving it to this day. Written in diary form, we're given a first-hand account of one girl's desperate struggle for survival when the moon is knocked out of orbit.

3. Blood Red Road by Moira Young - There was such a strong divide on this book because of the dialect, but I was one of those bloggers that loved it. Once I became used to the voice of the novel, it became a complete strength, and the story was so strong and engrossing.

4. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins - I actually don't think it's a cop-out for me to put two of the same series on this list because I feel they stand just as strong apart from one another. This one somehow managed to up the ante from an already intense book one, and I was hooked.

5. Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari - This was, again, one of those books where bloggers seemed to love it or think it completely missed the mark. For me, it was a complete win, however. With great characters, a fantastic storyline and a great writing style, I highly recommend it.

6. Partials by Dan Wells - There was something about this one that was just so sophisticated that made it stand apart from the rest. With a rich blend of military, science and political themes, it was more than just a tainted world. It was heartbreaking and fascinating.

7. Wither by Lauren DeStefano - When I first read this book, I honestly didn't love it. Perhaps I'd read a string of bad books, or I wasn't in the right mindframe, but it didn't work at the time. I gave it a re-read a month ago though, and I found it to be far more poignant and powerful than I remembered. This is definitely a success.

8. Pure by Julianna Baggott - Frankly, this should be higher on my list, but we'll just go ahead and say they're all on par with one another on this top ten. This was one of those books that just blew me away by the sheer enormity and originality of the story. It's one I recommend to everyone who asks!

9. Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver - In an effort not to put series again and again on this list, I'm only putting book two, but Delirium is right there with it. Book two, for me, really stepped up its game and was even better than book one though, and that's what I look for in series as a book blogger.

10. Eden by Keary Taylor - Though this one wasn't originally a favourite of mine, I have to include it on this list because of the sheer originality of the world. It still possesses some of those YA cliches that drive me mad, but it is a fascinating world and concept, and it's one that gets better every time you read it.