The Insurgent

When Asher Solomon’s family and the love of his life, Brynn, are threatened by megalomaniac Silas Reeves, his only recourse is to become the stone-cold killer A36 in order for them to go free. Ash shuts down and lets his inner monster do the director’s bidding, unable to accept the horrors of what he’s forced to do.

Nearly eighteen years ago, I was built in a lab and genetically engineered to be the perfect assassin.
The Insurgent- Teri Polen

Declan is seeking redemption. He betrayed the Insurgents’ trust for all the wrong reasons and now is trying to make it up to them by becoming the general’s right-hand man so he can spy on the creep and anonymously send the information to Silas’ enemies.

Paige and Brynn have no reason to believe anything Declan says, but desperation makes strange bedfellows and soon they find themselves in an unlikely alliance with some of the colony’s most dangerous enforcers in a bid to overthrow Silas, free Asher, and save the Insurgents’ children from a violent oppressor.

People should never be judged by their outer shell, only on what’s inside. What they contribute to the world and how they choose to live.
The Insurgent- Teri Polen

The Insurgent is the second in The Colony series and can be read as a standalone, but I’m glad I read A36 first, it gave me a deeper connection to the characters and their plight. I highly recommend both books in this outstanding series!

The Insurgent is the emotional sequel to Polen’s Subject A36. In this story, A36 is the primary focus: where he came from, how he ended up being evil Silas’s right hand man, and who he will become. We get points of view from other characters, too, but A36 is the main protagonist. There is also a romance element to The Insurgent with just the right amount of love story without interfering with the rest of the plot.

Silas is the main villain in this story. He is the utmost in powerful, greedy, vicious villains. Kudos to Polen for creating such a cruel character readers will despise.

Polen also did a great job setting up A36’s predicament. He’s between a rock and a hard place, and no matter what he decides, people will get hurt. The stakes are high. I was gripped by his tale.

One character in particular thinks A36 can be turned, whether it’s his humanity being salvaged, or perhaps him being used as a spy or a weapon. (Whatever it is, I’m not telling, no spoilers here.) It’s a dangerous assumption and adds yet another enticing layer to the plot.

There are three huge surprises in this book. It’s fun to run into something so unexpected in a story.
The only letdown for me is that Polen uses a lot of words when a character is alone, thinking. These passages are important because readers do need context, but the exposition and interior monologue get quite lengthy. Still, Polen’s dialogue and action scenes are fantastic (the hostage rescue was unbelievably exciting), which help make up for the slower parts.

There is no need to read the first story because Polen lays out the circumstances leading to A36’s situation, but I recommend reading Subject A36 first so readers will have an even deeper appreciation for the characters’ ties to one another. Overall, The Insurgent is exciting, emotional, and satisfying.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Insurgent. I’m more than happy to share my thoughts about Polen’s book.