Insurgent: Factions in Fractions

In the days long after the United States, human society is split into “factions”: communities of people dedicated to a trait deemed by them most important to the success of humanity. Tris is a member of this society, but barely. She is one of the Divergent, meaning she has an equal aptitude for multiple factions, and is struggling to stay alive.

In Insurgent by Veronica Roth, the second of the series, Tris is a powerful force in a fight which will make or break the future of her society. The Erudite (knowledge) faction has been massacring the Abnegation (selflessness) through the power of mind control over the Dauntless (bravery). Unfortunately the Erudite are also after the “Divergent”; those with equal aptitude for multiple factions (as determined by an aptitude assessment at age 16) who are also resistant to the Erudite’s form of mind control. Tris is caught in the middle of all of this as she is an Abnegation-born Divergent who changed factions to Dauntless. She has to become a leader in the fight between the Erudite teamed with the Dauntless traitors and the Dauntless and their allies. In this exciting novel full of unexpected twists, Roth leads the reader with Tris on an exploration of society, family, allegiance, and the merits of humanity.

This book is a captivating read, drawing in the readers straight from the beginning with action and drama and skipping the expository writing that is the downfall of many dull books. While this adds to the thrill of the story, it makes it a must to read the first book, and read it soon enough before that it’s fresh in your mind (which shouldn't be a problem as you'll be scrambling to get your hands on the next book). The story itself is one worthy to be compared to the stories woven by greats such as Orson Scott Card, Frank Herbert, Orson Wells, J. R. R. Tolkien. Unexpected twists, fallen societies, raw human nature struggling between life and allegiance exposed through the form of Tobias, Tris’s romantic interest: “We both have war inside us. Sometimes it keeps us alive. Sometimes it threatens to destroy us” (Roth 401).

Veronica Roth does a remarkable job writing this story. The society she has created is complicated yet believable and completely described to every detail. The reader truly understands what it would be like to live in Roth’s society and is able to empathize with all the characters, not just the main ones. Roth also does a wonderful job fleshing out her characters; every action revealing something of the character, every emotion conveyed as in this quote spoken by Tris, the main character: “...teetering on the edge of grief’s mouth…” (Roth 253). Roth’s bravery to delve into the thoughts and feelings whose admission to most is nothing short of unimaginable creates Insurgent’s depth of character and its moral and emotional weight.

The praise being said, Roth was not without fault. Her lack of interesting vocabulary and description was one fault. This, however, is somewhat overlookable considering the intended audience is teenagers and it’s taken from the point of view, and thus vocabulary, of a sixteen year old girl. The word usage was not impeding to the story and did not make it hard to read. It was also greatly made up for by the content of the language, simple or not. The main character, Tris, was also portrayed as a whiny, irrational, overemotional, and generally unreliable. She would have been done much more justice as a strong woman figure who has grief, sorrow, and fear, but doesn't feel the need to complain about her life incessantly.

In short, this book is a wonderful story full of thought provoking material and concepts. It would be better served with a better author; one with a better grasp on language the Veronica Roth. In spite of this, I would highly recommend this book as a sequel to the first; or if you’re feeling ambitious about unraveling complex backstories, as a novel standing on its own.

Roth, Veronica. Insurgent. New York: Katherine Tegen, 2012. Print.