Book Review: Insurgent (Divergent #2)

Quick synopsis from Goodreads:
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.

Author: Veronica Roth

My Rating: 3.5 stars

My Review:

This is the kind of book that will jumble your head with endless thoughts and waver your emotions to extreme lows and highs. That being said, I will be making a list of what I liked and didn't liked, to avoid any some random bursts of madness or just plain randomness ;)...
What I liked:

Tris: Yes, sometimes she annoyed me with her careless behavior and spontaneous actions, but she had great depth to her character, and was, all in all, a great main character. Ms. Roth has definitely achieved in making Tris a complex character, yet still making her somebody to which you can relate to. Her Divergence was what made her character so multi-layered and compelling. She was intelligent and quick-minded, although sometimes she made spur of the moment decisions that would ultimately hurt her. She lacked no bravery or courage, and was always willing to do selfless (though sometimes stupid) acts. Her strengths and flaws are what makes her into a unique, and strong female lead.

The fluidity of the text: I don't like books where I feel like I have to make a big effort to read, almost like I'm forcing myself to understand every word. Insurgent was the opposite. When reading it, I found myself forgetting the fact that I was actually turning pages. The sentences and paragraphs were just so smooth to read, like an even, flowing motion.

The action: I like to think of myself as someone that prefers non-violent, more peaceful books, but I think, deep inside of me, I know that I'm a big sucker for some kick-ass action. It is amazing how words on a mere piece of paper can provoke such vivid, wild images in your mind. That's how I felt about the action in Insurgent. It was almost like I was there, watching the events unfold second by second.

Realistic events: In one sense, the idea of having factions divide our nation in the close future is not very realistic. Yet, if we're talking about common sense according to this book, all the events that have happened in Insurgent are very realistic. There's no short cut. Everything in this book is real, raw and taken on the harder, more believable path.

What I didn't like:

The romance: I'm still feeling pretty iffy about the romance. Sometimes, I felt like it could have been toned down, yet in other times, I felt like it was fading away, like it was forgotten. Tris and Tobias's relationship is quite tumultuous, and sometimes I felt like it was just too much for this story to handle.

The negligence of the dead: Every time somebody died in this book, it was always looked over. I mean, I'm not asking for a grand funeral for every deceased person in the book, but I would've appreciated some kind of words in memorial of them. I mean, don't just be like "oh he's dead" and then pretend nothing just happened.

So, one might think by judging what I just wrote, I should've gave this book a four stars or something. But I just can't get myself to give this book more than 3.5 stars. The story didn't impact me as much as I thought it would, and I just wasn't into it as much as Divergent. Plus reading all those other reviews praising this book like it was some kind of God didn't help me get over my disappointment of it.

For I had not fallen for the huge hype, I would've gave this book a 4 stars. Unfortunately, my big expectations for Insurgent would ultimately end in a downfall.