Thursday, September 18, 2014

Review: Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Title: Red Rising
Author: Pierce Brown
Series: Book One in the Red Rising Trilogy
Published By: Del Rey (January 28, 2014)
Source: Copy Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: YA Dystopian
My Rating: 5 Stars!

Book Description:
The Earth is dying. Darrow is a Red, a miner in the interior of Mars. His mission is to extract enough precious elements to one day tame the surface of the planet and allow humans to live on it. The Reds are humanity's last hope.

Or so it appears, until the day Darrow discovers it's all a lie. That Mars has been habitable - and inhabited - for generations, by a class of people calling themselves the Golds. A class of people who look down on Darrow and his fellows as slave labour, to be exploited and worked to death without a second thought.

Until the day that Darrow, with the help of a mysterious group of rebels, disguises himself as a Gold and infiltrates their command school, intent on taking down his oppressors from the inside. But the command school is a battlefield - and Darrow isn't the only student with an agenda.








I love a good dystopian, I mean really, who doesn't. But a well written, well plotted out one with characters that make you feel? Well that is every book lovers dream. And I won't lie, I seriously had my doubts going into this that I would like it, let alone love it.

So surprise surprise when I fell in love with it after the very first chapter.

It was captivating and intriguing and everything I love in a well told story.

How could you not feel for the Red's? How could you not feel for Darrow and his loss and struggles to survive and understand all the lies that he thought were truths? To know that his whole world was shattered in a matter of seconds and turned upside down? Quite simply, I don't think you couldn't not feel for the characters in this story. Not feel their hardships and heartaches and willingness to believe what is told to them simply because they don't know any better. Simply because they wanted to believe in the good and ignore the bad.

Gold's, Red's, Pink's, Blue's, Whites, Bronze, honestly, I don't think I would want to be any of them. Nothing is ever what it seems and things are never as good nor as bad as what they are told.

This was so brilliantly done. Just the right amount of fantasy blended with dystopian to truly create something imaginative and original. I simply couldn't get enough of it. 

The game, oh the games! Titus,, Cassius, Antonia, Mustang, Lea, Quinn, Sevro, Roque, Pax...gah I couldn't get enough of them and the twists and turns of the whole thing, the brutality, the madness, seriously brilliantly thought out and conceived and entirely captivating. I know, I know, I said that already but it was captivating, right up until the very end. 

It was brutal and harsh and so very savage and I loved every stinking minute of it.

I am eager to get my hands on the next book and see where Darrow goes from here. I want to see the Red rise but I also want more for the others too. As the book says, we aren't all bad. Most of us have some goodness inside as well and I want to find all of that goodness in the characters I have come to love and like and see it grow. See it exceeds everyone's expectations and then some.







*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*

37 comments:

  1. I'm excited!!! I've been debating if I should buy this one or not and after reading this review I definitely will! Great review!

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    1. You really should, it is definitely worth the read!

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  2. Wahoo! This made my top ten last year and just blew me away. I am so excited you loved it too.

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    1. Thanks Kim! I can't wait for the second book now. :)

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  3. I NEED TO READ THIS ALI!!!! It's gotten rave reviews from all my favorite bloggers, so it's definitely one I don't want to miss out on. Especially if it grabbed you from the first chapter. Love it when that happens:)

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    1. You really do Jenny, I think you would love it!

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  4. I also love a good dystopian, it's always interesting. I heard so many great things about this one but I haven't read it I confess. Great review!

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  5. Great review Kindlemom, and wow Great cover I almost thought it was an Angel wing until I read the premise

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  6. I seriously need to read this book. Everyone just loves it. I don't know why I haven't picked it up yet! I suck! >.<
    I'm so glad you loved it, Ali. Your review is motivating me to read it. :D

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    1. You really do Nick, I think you will love it too.

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  7. Yes!! I'm so so happy to hear this. I had no idea that I'd fall in love with this one either but it was really easy to. I totally agree with everything you've said and I really cannot wait for the sequel :) Great review, Ali.

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    1. Yay!So glad you love it too Tanja. I agree, I need the sequel yesterday! :P

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  8. So glad you are a fan of the series as well Kat!

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  9. Woots! Yay for awesome reads. That's always so exciting. I'm not too much for dystopians but every once in a bit I stumble on one that catches my interest :)

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    1. You should try this, it is wonderful and so very different than what I was expecting.

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  10. I LOVE this book. Hardcore. I'm so glad you loved it too.

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  11. I love the cover of this book...The colors are a unique Idea. Can't wait to read it especially after your fabulous review :)

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  12. So happy to see such a bright review from you, my dear! I loved this book so much the very first time I read it. The prologue was so captivating, wasn't it?! I remember reading and I was having withdrawals already! I just knew I didn't want that one to end!

    Faye at The Social Potato

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    1. I am so glad you loved this too Faye and you are right, I want the second book now!

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  13. Just put a hold on it at the library :)

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  14. This sounds like such a fascinating world! I am DYING to read it now - so happy to see such a lovely positive review from you. I have an arc and for whatever reason I wasn't able to read it but now I have to make time for it!

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  15. 5 stars?! It sounds like I definitely need to read this one!

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    1. Oh you should Candace, I know you will love it!!

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  16. This sounds awesome and I love a good dystopian. I am definitely checking this one out. Great review.

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  17. I love Dystopia but I've been underwhelmed with the ones I read the past few years. But this one sounds sooo good and you gave it a rare 5 stars so I have high hopes for it. Glad you enjoyed!

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    1. I do hope you try it, it really is unique and fun.

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  18. I NEED THE SEQUEL! No idea how we're all expected to wait to read that, it's just not fair. Glad you loved this as much as I did :)

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  19. This is one of those books that totally flew under my radar until recently - and now I REALLY want to read it! Great review!

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

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