Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Ever since I read The Hunger Games trilogy, I've been loving dystopian novels.  I got the first of this trilogy, Divergent, for Christmas and read it in two days.  When Insurgent came out, I got it right away.  Unfortunately, due to weddings and the craziness of moving I couldn't start it for a couple weeks.  Once I did, I finished it in a day because I just couldn't stop! 

The book picks up where the first one left off.  Tris and Four are in Amity headquarters, where Four reunites with his father.  Along the way, they also run into Four's mother, who is not dead like he was led to believe.  She is a leader of the factionless, and wants Four to help.  The Amity state that people can stay as long as they agree to no violence, which is naturally hard for the Dauntless.  Meanwhile, Eric and other Dauntless leaders are still working for Jeanine and trying to gather Divergents to study.  At one point, Tris gets captured and is studied by Jeanine and her brother, who chose Erudite at the choosing ceremony.  There's not to much more to say that won't reveal key parts of the plot, but it's much more stacked than the first book in terms of stories.  There seem to be multiple story lines going on at one time, which keeps the book moving at a quick pace.  The cliffhanger at the end of the book is KILLER.

Tris and Four's relationship grows a lot more in this book.  They constantly battle due to Tris's disregard for her own safety in search of the truth, and the fact that Four would do anything to keep her safe.  Because of that, there are things Tris hides from Four in an effort to keep him safe and help the cause.  Naturally when he finds out he's angry, and their relationship is on the rocks most of the book.  Regardless of what happens, or what Tris and Four do, they always seem to come back to each other.  Their romance is one of the better ones I've read in young adult books, because they don't let their feelings stop them from doing what's right.  They also have a good sense of self, and don't lose themselves in their relationship with each other.

We also learn a lot more about Four's family in this book.  We meet his mother whom we thought was dead, and see her as a leader of the factionless.  Four is mad because she left him alone with Marcus, knowing what he did.  Tris and Marcus have an uneasy alliance at one point because they are both out for the same thing, the truth.  This puts distance between Tris and Four, but he eventually sees why she's doing it.

Overall, great read!  Can't wait until Allegiant comes out this fall.  Side note.....they are currently shooting the movie in Chicago right now.....

<3, jacquie