Insurgent: Divergent, Book 2

Gr 9 Up—Taking up where the popular Divergent (2011) left off, this volume (2012, both Katherine Tegen Bks.) finds Tris still jumping trains as a loyal Dauntless, but inwardly cringing from the violence she was a part of when Dauntless traitors turned against their own faction, enslaved by Erudite's simulation control device. Romances and relationships from the previous book are preserved, and family members thought lost reappear, as the loyal Dauntless seek aid within Candor's compound and at Amity headquarters. The various factions, and the factionless, work together and against each other, as everyone jostles for power. Legal injectable drug use is a regular occurrence, as every faction has serums. Roth's short, punchy sentences keep the action moving as people launch themselves at one another in battle and struggle with internal conflictsl. A computer file gives a shocking reveal in the last pages that will leave students eager for the final book in the trilogy. Emma Galvin continues as talkative narrator Tris, and her slightly husky voice works well for both young men and women, without much change in inflection. Her rendering of Tris's loopy moments under an overdose of calming serum is delightful. This book emphasizes world-building and action over character development, and is a must where the first title is popular.—Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley School, Fort Worth, TX