by Victoria Aveyard
HarperTeen, 2015. 388 pgs. Young Adult Fiction
This is a great read for fans of The Hunger Games and Divergent, though I would classify this book as fantasy instead of Sci-Fi/Dystopia.
Mare Barrow lives in a world where one's lot in life is determined by the color of one's blood. Red blooded people, or Reds, are enslaved to the elite ruling class of Silvers whose blood gives them magical abilities to manipulate the elements of water, fire, air, and earth. But when Mare develops supernatural abilities unseen before, the Silver monarchy are worried this might spark a rebellion and attempt to cover up her powers by claiming she is the lost daughter of Silver nobility.
There are many dystopian themes covered such as the harsh realities of war, class struggles, and the main character being played as a pawn by both sides. However, with the fantasy elements, you will find enough new material to make it worth the read. Also, with the movie rights already acquired and the sequel just released, this is a series you’ll definitely want to follow.
AJ
3 comments:
I agree with this review, I thought the beginning of Red Queen was a lot like The Hunger games and the end was a lot like Divergent, but that didn’t keep me from devouring this book and buying book two immediately. My favorite aspect of Red Queen was the fast paced plot and all the twists. Aveyard knows how to keep her audience on their toes! The battle scenes were written well; I thought they were very visual and intense. For the sake of spoilers, I won’t say much more than that!
Parts of this book were interesting, but I wish the main character had been a bit more proactive. She seemed more like a chess piece being moved around a board rather than doing much herself. I also felt like the writing lacked a bit of flavor, although the story's pace moved well with different twists and turns.
My husband and I really enjoyed this book! It's very fast paced with lots of intense scenes. More than once I found myself convinced that the main character wasn't going to make it. The main character does get bogged down in some internal doom and gloom dialogue, but there's enough action throughout the book to make it bearable.
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