Insurgent (Divergent #2) Collector's Edition (includes Free Four) by Veronica Roth

I finally got around to reading this!!  It's been so long since I read Divergent, in fact it's been since April of 2011!!  I tried so hard last year to win an ARC, because I'd gotten to read Divergent as an ARC. And then I didn't get to meet the author at BEA, and I think I would have gotten a copy there.  And then, well, I had to really stop buying books last year.  I mean I got like 50 books at BEA, and I was poor.  Staying for 2 weeks with my sister in NYC cost a lot more money than I had planned.  So, I asked my brother for the Collector's edition for Christmas, and I got it, and as you can see, I still didn't get to it till February!  But it was worth the wait.  While at first it took me a bit to remember all that happened, it still grabbed me right back in with the characters.
We join back with Tris and the other Dauntless that didn't turn into traitors with the Erudite, as well as the Abegnation members that are left.  They've found a place to stay, starting with Amity.  They get attacked and move on to stay with the factionless, and we learn that Four's mother is still alive.  And we learn that the factionless are more organized than thought, and that they want to do something.  They end up with Candor soon, and Tris must tell the one thing she doesn't want to share.  They're also left to deal with Four's father, who Tris doesn't trust, and we learn even more about how he treated his son growing up.  When the traitors soon attack, and are searching for Divergent, even killing them.  Killing one child that was standing right next to Tris.  Also, it is shown that Divergent people in the past have been killed, either by accident or turns out on purpose.  And many people have raised their children to believe that the Divergent people have something wrong with them, and should be left alone. Within this attack, we learn of even more subterfuge, people posing as the Dauntless traitors or Erudite faction to try to find out what is really going on and keep tabs on the movement.  And not only are there spies on what we'd call the "good" side, we learn of a traitor within their own family and friends.  At one point Tris is even taken, or she turns herself in to try to save others, which of course won't work when Four feels he must follow and try to save her.
Tris learns more about her father and mother.  And according to Four's father, there is some secret that Jeanine Matthews doesn't want to share.  But Four's father believes it is necessary to know and let everyone else know.  But the Dauntless faction intends to destroy all the Erudite information so that no one can keep tabs on anyone anymore.  So that they can't try to kill Divergent people.  When we do find out the information that Four's father was talking about, it leaves us hanging, and actually left me with many more questions!  I need to know more!
This was another awesome book in the series.  Unlike many 2nd books, it had lots of action, and wasn't just a bridge to the 3rd book.  And I can't wait until the next book, I assume the final book, comes out this fall!  I intend to not wait so long to read it.
Now, let's talk about the short story, Free Four.  Not actually a free story, just a scene from Divergent, retold from Four's point of view.  I liked it, but it just left me wanting to read more from Four's side!!  If you haven't started the series, you need to start now!!  Great book once again.

Waiting on Wednesday - Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases that we're eagerly awaiting!  This week the book I've chosen is Insurgent, the second book in the Divergent series by Veronica Roth.  Here is the blurb from Goodreads.com:

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.

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

I was left wondering at the end where it could go from there, and things were left so just up in the air, that I knew there had to be more coming!  This is a long wait on the publishing date, not till May!  It'd be cool if I can get an ARC of it like I did with Divergent, but it rarely happens that way.  Oh well, I'll be ready when it is out for sure!

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What book are you eagerly awaiting?

2011 Debut Author Challenge 5: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Another ARC. And I kept hearing great things online about it, how picking it up and not being able to put it down. I have to admit, I'm not a fan of the coverwork, it doesn't really draw me in. It's cool looking, don't get me wrong, just wouldn't have grabbed me or made me think what it was about.

Well, the things I read going on and on about how great this book was? They weren't exaggerating. When I picked it up, I could barely put it down. I finished it in 2 days, while teaching and having to work at the bookstore one of those nights. As I read it, I thought in my head that this reminded me of the Hunger Games. Anyway, it's great, awesome, I even recommended it to one of my students as I was reading it, and it's not even published till May! So, let's get on with the summary of the story.

In this future society, the people decided that if people only chose one way/society of approved areas to be a part of, that would keep there from being war. Abegnation is the one our main character Beatrice is from. Now, I've never heard the word abegnation, so wasn't sure exactly what this group did until they explained. The other factions were easy to understand, Candor - honest, Dauntless - bravery, Erudite - knowledge, and Amity - happiness. Anyways, Beatrice is the age where she must choose which faction to spend the rest of her life in. There is a mental simulation game that determines which area they would be best in, but they can choose whatever they want. Beatrice gets unexpected results, she is something called a Divergent, but must keep it a secret, in fact, the test examiner changes the results to hide this. Beatrice doesn't choose her own faction, even though it means leaving her family, because the motto is Faction before family. She goes to Dauntless. Her brother Caleb also stuns her by choosing Erudite instead of Abegnation. So we follow Beatrice, who becomes Tris, into Dauntless. This is an extreme life. Jumping on and off trains to travel places. Jumpingn off buildings, fighting other new members to determine just who will actually get to join and who will be sent away to live factionless.

A great dystopian story. Not sure if it left off in a way that could be a sequel, but I'd go back to this world to see how things work out. Can't wait to make it a staff rec at the bookstore I work at!