After the Erudite-controlled simulation destroyed half of Abnegation Tris Prior watched as her father was gunned down in an effort to allow her to escape. She and Tobias Eaton, Four as he was known to the Dauntless, and her brother Caleb escape the city to the Amity compound. Amity has restrictions on the refugees--Tris and her group are not the only survivors--restrictions Tris and some of the other refugees have trouble with.
War is brewing and the peace-loving Amity do not want to get involved. Johanna Reyes, elected spokesperson of the Amity explains their stance to Tris, Tobias, and Tobias' father Marcus, the only remaining member of the former government.
After a particularly painful fight between Tris and Peter, the refugees decide to leave, only to expedite their plan when the Erudite come for them. Tris and Four escape but are met by the Factionless where Tris learns Tobias's name is a powerful tool.
They are taken to the Factionless headquarters where Tobias's mother (long assumed dead) is alive and leading the scattered groups. The Factionless are waiting to rise against the system which has kept them isolated and starving for several years. Tobias's mother wants him to join her in the fight, but he is hesitant.
Meanwhile, a wedge forms between Tris and Tobias as he refuses to see what she points out and his refusal begins to tear at her confidence. As their individual emotional burdens grow, they each begin to keep secrets which drive them further and further apart. Marcus claims Jeanine, leader of the Erudite, knows information the Abnegation was responsible for and she attacked her fellow factions to keep hidden. Tobias doesn't believe his father's claims and dissent grows even greater between father and son.
The Dauntless faction splits into two groups, half allied with Erudite and half with the Factionless for their final showdown. The Factionless-Dauntless alliance is simply concerned with destroying all power that Erudite holds over society and the knowledge that allows their dominance. Tris goes to Amity when it appears no one wants to consider that the attack plan may be flawed or even wrong. Her goal is to save the innocent lives and to retrieve the information that allows their world to continue, as well as what Marcus is sure Jeanine is hiding.
With a small group, Tris manages to get to the one computer terminal housing the mysterious information but must confront something much more dangerous and painful: the chance she has lost Tobias forever.
Insurgent deals with the continued conflict between Dauntless and Erudite as they vie for power. The darkness of humanity is illustrated throughout the story, but so is the power of conviction. Despite the titles and perceived traits of the individual, Insurgent shows how each person has a variety of skills and abilities, and how isolation not only breeds contempt but also distrust. Isolation becomes the barrier to success before an attempt is even made. Readers as young as middle school will enjoy the story, though there are moments of intense violence and light intimacy. This is the story of rebellion and how relationships are how we survive conflict.
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