Insurgente

Posted Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Actual Ratings: 4 out of 5 stars

I expected Insurgent to provide us with a better understanding of Tris’s world and what it meant to be Divergent. Instead, I found myself at the end of the book with a major cliff-hanger of an ending and more questions rather than a stronger sense of resolution and understanding. That isn't to say that the novel was bad, but I was just hoping for further explanation than what I was given. This novel stays on par with Divergent in its portrayal of a young woman on the brink of change, in this case in the form of a war where she will be forced to make difficult choices which could cost her everything.

I am somewhat disappointed in myself because it took me seven days to read Insurgent from start to finish, whereas when I read Divergent I was able to read it in two days. The reasoning behind the necessity of my extended reading of Insurgent is in no way a negative against author Veronica Roth, rather it is a compliment to her writing. For the purposes of this review I want to discuss Roth’s portrayal of Tris’s PTSD, the continued absence of world building, and Tris’s relationship with Tobias. Again, I will post my more in depth analysis of the text behind a spoiler tag in the event that someone who hasn't read it should come across my review.

Tris and PTSD
I have previously mentioned that I have suffered some abuses/traumas in my life and it is because of this reason that I found myself taking an unusually high amount of mental breaks while reading Insurgent. Personally, I suffer from depression which is brought on by PTSD from these past experiences and Roth’s portrayal of Tris and her PTSD was reminiscent to my own though brought on by two very different sets of circumstances. My increased reading time, while unusual and infuriating, wasn't brought on by anything negative which is a more common case for this behavior among readers. Rather, my increased reading time can be attributed to excellent and realistic writing by Roth in her portrayal of Tris’s suffering of PTSD. So kudos to Veronica Roth and her ability to realistically portray this condition in a manner which didn't deter the reader from finishing Tris’s adventure.

World Building, or Lack Thereof?

In my review of Divergent I brought attention to the lack of world building found within Tris’s Chicago and found Insurgent to be similarly devoid of it as well. Here are some of the items of world building I found to be rather devoid/lacking.

The Faction System
The question regarding the reason for the existence of the five factions themselves was given a somewhat vague answer. The justification being that the factions were created long ago by individuals who were willing to shed their former lives and memories in favor of new lives within the walls of Chicago due to a war which is happening unbeknownst to the factioned and factionless alike within the walls of the city. A long standing war and fight against human nature and what it has devolved into. The video left by Amanda Ritter/Edith Prior explains the goal of the faction system as attempting to create a cure to that same devolution of human nature and mentioning the Divergent as being important without any further explanation or reason. So yes, we are given some insight into the reason for the existence of the factions but not enough to have a true understanding of their part to play both inside and outside the wall. Furthermore, we have no more information on the importance of Divergence other than its future potential as a cure to the loss of humanity occurring outside the wall.

The Destroyed State of Chicago
The question of what could have destroyed Chicago in such a manner wasn't fully answered either. Yes, we are left with the understanding that a major war took place (is still taking place?) but aren't given much in the way of details. The only detail we are presented with is the perceived/supposed necessity of building a wall to keep the chosen citizenship locked within the walls of Chicago. Of course, the perceived notion of erecting a wall is typically in order to keep something out…not something in. I vaguely recall thinking the same idea that the walls were erected in order to keep the citizens inside rather than keep something out when Tris visited the wall in the first novel. To have that supposition confirmed only raises more questions about the how and why for the state of Chicago itself.

I am hoping that Allegiant will go into further detail regarding the world as a whole and explanation regarding how everything came into being.

Tris and Tobias

One of the items which tends to be a make-or-break point in young-adult fiction, much to mixed receptions of the genre fandom at large, is a love story. While Tris and Tobias each have their own issues and ineptitude at relationships, what I find to be a truly defining characteristic of their relationship is that the two of them were able to remain true to who they are as individuals. Tris and Tobias didn't try to mold themselves into different people for each other which is one of the most common flaws not only in literature, but in relationships in general!

Tris and Tobias have a relationship which deals with a majority of the issues which are so common with that first love, that first real relationship, rather than just glossing them over and presenting them as the perfect poster couple in the face of the adversities of a dystopian world on the brink of possible collapse, restructuring, and war. I admit to finding that realism to be refreshing. Their relationship isn't a matter of convenience, it isn't forced, it isn't fake, it is just…natural, and that is a beautiful thing.

With these impressions and thoughts of Insurgent in addition to my previous ones regarding Divergent, I am looking forward to Allegiant and learning with Tris what it truly means to be Divergent.

Originally posted on my Tumblr.