I liked it; it was good
The second book of the Divergent series. Leading into it, the first book ended with such potential, so I’m excited to get started!
Read: August 7 – August 11, 2023
Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopia
Audience: Young Adult
Book contains: violence, manipulation, death, murder, non-graphic torture, human experimentation, mind control, depression, suicidal thoughts
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After shutting down the simulation and freeing the Dauntless from Erudite’s mind control, Tris and Tobias seek refuge in Amity, but they know they can’t stay there for long. The Erudite’s plans have been thwarted for now, but there are always other plans, and Jeanine Matthews will not stop until she is successful.
When I first opened this book, I was quite excited by how it would continue on from the first, and it was no disappointment. It picked up right where we left off: in the train car on the way to Amity headquarters, the farmlands outside the fence. Because of the simulation, Abnegation has been splintered, and Dauntless is divided into those who support Erudite and those who don’t. The only two Factions in question are Amity and Candor. So far, Amity has shown that they’re willing to shelter refugees, but will they help fight Jeanine’s ambitions? And Candor is questionable until later on in the story.
For the first book, I listened to a reader on Youtube, but that same channel hadn’t gotten to book 2 yet, so I had to find someone new for this one. I found JayMarii Robinson on Youtube. She did this reading about five years ago, so I’m pretty sure she’s also done book 3, but she stumbled a lot on the words, which really took me out of the moment. Plus, there were a few chapters missing here and there; I read them on my own just fine. Still very good, and she reads at a reasonable pace, but I’ll check out my options for Allegiant.
Once again, the book was in first person from Tris’ perspective, which helps the reader look directly into her head. Since it’s from her perspective, we don’t get any scenes unless she is in them (no switching to other scenes), and we receive a biased look. For example, in the first book when she’s being kidnapped by Peter, Al, and Drew, there is darkness because she’s blindfolded, and most of what’s described is her sense of smell, sound, and the sheer panic she feels.
Because of how the book is written, I could easily connect with Tris as the main character, even if I don’t agree with some of the actions she takes. She has a reason behind every action that’s supported by who she is and all the things she’s done leading up to it. However, she’s a bit more depressed in this book as she’s haunted by the guilt of having to shoot and kill Will while he was under the simulation. She, understandably, hates that she had to do it, and believes that everyone will hate her if they find out. She is also struggling with the deaths of both of her parents during the invasion, especially since they both sacrificed their lives for hers.
Luckily, she has the support of her boyfriend (Tobias), and others, though their relationships are certainly tested to their limits in this book. She also has to deal with Marcus, who came with them from the city as they fled. Tobias is a whirlwind of emotions himself, hidden behind his usual cold exterior, and while juggling her own problems, she needs to be there for him.
Once again loved the writing and how the story is laid out, though there still were those parts where a word was repeated and came across strangely (wasn’t just the reader, since someone else was reading the book this time). It was easily ignored, though, in favour of the excellent description and witty dialogue.
This series is shaping up to be another of my favourites, and though my friend mentioned that the second and third movies aren’t as good as the first, I still recommend the second book and this whole series to readers who love dystopia or wouldn’t mind dipping their toes into the subgenre.
Divergent Book 1: Divergent by Veronica Roth
Divergent Book 2: Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Divergent Book 3: Allegiant by Veronica Roth
A Divergent Collection: Four by Veronica Roth
The Hunger Games Book 1: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Maze Runner Book 1: The Maze Runner by James Dashner
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