(SP) Insurgent - Anyone want to discuss?

[ThirdandLong]

<Spoilers ahead>




I liked it. The constant conflict made it feel much more sluggish than Divergent, I thought. I'd set it down and feel very grumpy and cross just because my nerves were a wreck. Nonetheless, I was very entertained. I bit off all my fingernails during the last 100 or so pages. I thought the twists with Caleb and Peter were unexpected. I didn't like the distance between Four and Tris, so I was happy they worked things out. I wanted to cheer when she told him off up in the private laboratory at the end, but I was glad he believed her.

So what was the video all about? I guess it was supposed to be Tris' grandmother or great grandmother. Was she basically saying that Amity was the best of people and everyone else was being locked into Chicago until they could learn to be wise and brave and selfless and honest (Divergent)? Wasn't it said that Amity was supposed to open the fence when the Divergent became prevalent? But we clearly see that Dauntless guards the lock from the inside. I dunno... I was confused by the video and I read it three times. I guess we're supposed to be. It seems clear that Jeanine wanted to control "human nature" in everyone, even Divergent, by running simulations, but that would have kept everyone inside Chicago, which is not what the original founders seem to have wanted. So why would Jeanine have wanted that? Also, why did the Abnegation leaders want everyone to know this information - what does it really change?

Where do you think the story will go from here? The factionless still have all the weapons, but do you think it matters? What does it mean for the non-Divergent? And if they leave Chicago, where will they go? What will be the consequences of Erudite technology being destroyed? Already Lynn has died because of it. How many others?

I'm excited for the next book... in a few years. Do we know it's the last of this series?

[secretlyevil]

I don't have a whole lot to add because the details are getting fuzzy. Merymac had a good point in our original discussion (TN). As a second book of a trioloy, one shouldn't expect too much and Insurgent lived up to those expectations. There were big fat gaping HOLES in the storyline, plot development, etc. Four needed to be smacked upside the head many times throughout the book. Seriously, like it wasn't obvious to everyone that his mother was going to betray him. Duh. I wanted to slap Tris a few times too. But then again, it's YA and they are teenagers so really why should we expect them to act like mature adults?

[ThirdandLong]

May 22, 2012 8:44:52 GMT -5 secretlyevil said:

<snip>Four needed to be smacked upside the head many times throughout the book. Seriously, like it wasn't obvious to everyone that his mother was going to betray him. Duh. I wanted to slap Tris a few times too. But then again, it's YA and they are teenagers so really why should we expect them to act like mature adults?

Right. It's just willing suspension of disbelief... they are teenagers who are in a committed relationship that withstands difficult and trying tests in which life and death are at stake. It's not realistic. When I was 16, girlfriends had new boyfriends every week and no one was getting beaten and shot at.

It's still entertaining, and I have questions about the story as it is, looking past the imperfections. I just thought it might be fun to speculate, and I thought someone might have more insight than I do. Since I didn't finish it the week it came out, I missed the discussion on the nest.

[secretlyevil]

May 22, 2012 7:58:26 GMT -5 ThirdandLong said:

<Spoilers ahead>

So what was the video all about? I guess it was supposed to be Tris' grandmother or great grandmother. Was she basically saying that Amity was the best of people and everyone else was being locked into Chicago until they could learn to be wise and brave and selfless and honest (Divergent)? Wasn't it said that Amity was supposed to open the fence when the Divergent became prevalent? But we clearly see that Dauntless guards the lock from the inside. I dunno... I was confused by the video and I read it three times. I guess we're supposed to be. It seems clear that Jeanine wanted to control "human nature" in everyone, even Divergent, by running simulations, but that would have kept everyone inside Chicago, which is not what the original founders seem to have wanted. So why would Jeanine have wanted that? Also, why did the Abnegation leaders want everyone to know this information - what does it really change?

Where do you think the story will go from here? The factionless still have all the weapons, but do you think it matters? What does it mean for the non-Divergent? And if they leave Chicago, where will they go? What will be the consequences of Erudite technology being destroyed? Already Lynn has died because of it. How many others?

The video definitely showed an ancestor of Tris'. It proved that Chicago was really just one big experiment and now that there were so many Divergents it was time to go rescue the real world. What that actually means, I don't have a clue. The faction-less are going to be just as floored as everyone else. Mommy dearest obviously knew about the video being married to a leader and all. She's about to lose any leverage she had.

This is supposed to be a triology but I can see a spinoff series or maybe just a fourth book because really, too much needs to happen in the third book unless it just ends at the gate being opened. The end, tah dah. Which could very likely happen if the HG trilogy taught us anything.

[rootbeerfloat]

May 22, 2012 9:21:37 GMT -5 secretlyevil said:

The video definitely showed an ancestor of Tris'. It proved that Chicago was really just one big experiment and now that there were so many Divergents it was time to go rescue the real world. What that actually means, I don't have a clue. The faction-less are going to be just as floored as everyone else. Mommy dearest obviously knew about the video being married to a leader and all. She's about to lose any leverage she had.

I agree.

What I liked about Insurgent is that it addressed some things that bothered me about Divergent... why aren't there more Divergent (there are!), shouldn't there be lots of factionless since the odds of perfectly fitting into one of five factions is unlikely (yes!), wtf do the Candor people actually contribute to society (pretty much nothing!).

The relationship angst did get tiresome, but for teenagers I felt Tris and Four were relatively mature, and I'm happy they ended up on the same side again.

Also, I like Christina a lot, so I was pleased that her relationship with Tris was mended as well.