Title: Insurgent (Divergent #2)
Author: Veronica Roth
Dates read: 27/12/25 – 19/01/26
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 stars)
Publisher: HarperCollins
Number of pages: 576
Fiction or non-fiction: fiction
Subject or genre: dystopian, romance, science fiction, young adult
Book blurb:
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.
New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth’s much-anticipated second book of the dystopian DIVERGENT series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.
How I discovered or acquired this book:Second book in a series that I started… a while ago but somehow never picked up – and this year I want to work on in-progress/unfinished series
My thoughts:Insurgent is an interesting but uneven middle book – one that kept my attention without ever fully winning me over.
I’m very aware that I’m not the target audience for this series, and I think that colours my response here. There’s a lot in Insurgent that will work well for readers invested in the characters and the world, particularly the escalating stakes and constant forward momentum.
At the same time, the novel often feels busy rather than deep. The plot is packed with movement, faction politics, and shifting alliances, but emotional beats are rushed through in favour of action. As a result, moments that should land hard sometimes pass by without much impact.
That said, I was intrigued. The world-building continues to raise interesting questions about control, identity, and rebellion, and the series’ larger ideas kept me turning pages even when the execution didn’t fully work for me. Tris remains a compelling central figure, even if I never felt as emotionally connected as the story seemed to want me to be.
Ultimately, Insurgent is a solid, readable sequel that does what it needs to do to move the story forward. It didn’t quite click for me, but I can absolutely see why it resonates with its intended audience.