Book review: Insurgent

Some time has passed since I read the first book in the Divergent trilogy. It has been months, and since then the movie based on the first book has come out. I saw this movie and enjoyed it and I thought beginning the second book in the wake of watching the first would be a great idea.

This book is exciting and paints a very visual picture for the reader. It is easy to get lost in the book and because it is an easy read, one does not tire of turning the pages. There are many double-crosses in this book and thoughts of conspiracy. There is danger lurking around every corner, and like the first book we think we know what the danger is until more is revealed. In the first book, it appeared that the danger was the other Dauntless recruits and making it through the initiation phase, however at the end we learn that there is much more to be worried about. The Dauntless are being used as blind soldiers and those who do not fall under the serum used to control them are being hunted down. In the second book we know the danger lies in stopping the Erudite from trying to take control of all others by using people and controlling them with serums. The Divergent are still being hunted and at the end we learn that what might be the real danger is what lies beyond the walls of the city.

While I enjoyed the build up and all of the plot twists and turns I was not crazy about the ending. It was a very soft way to end the story. Certainly a movie can be more dramatic than delivering a message about how the future is intended to be, especially after all of the violence and uncertainty. I also found it hard to believe Tris' romantic intentions and feelings in the latter half of the book, actually in any part of the book. Tobias went from being a love interest to someone that was estranged and cold. Beatrice brought this on herself with her uncaring and reckless actions. I had a hard time believing that she cared for him or wanted the relationship to become strong again. It seems as though it was a phase she went through and something she had to decide how to work to get past. Notice I did not say she had to work to get over him.

I'm not sure I am excited to read the third book. I'm sure I'll get to it when I get to it. I am not curious as to what happens or how the story progresses. To me, there are no questions left unanswered. I have no motivation to continue to read. I certainly did not feel that way when reading other novel series. After reading the Hunger Games I was compelled to keep buying the next book until there was nothing left. This trilogy gets a big 'meh,'