Author: Moira Young
Published: June 7, 2011
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Series: Dust Lands Trilogy #1
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian
Pages: 459
Source: Purchased
Rating: 4.5 stars
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“I never knew that missin somebody could hurt, I says. But it does. Deep inside. Like it's in my bones. We ain't never bin apart till now. Never. I dunno how to be without him. It's like... I ain't nuthin.”
― Moira Young, Blood Red Road
Synopsis
Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The Wrecker civilization has long been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge from. That's fine by her, as long as her beloved twin brother Lugh is around. But when a monster sandstorm arrives, along with four cloaked horsemen, Saba's world is shattered. Lugh is captured, and Saba embarks on an epic quest to get him back.
Suddenly thrown into the lawless, ugly reality of the world outside of desolate Silverlake, Saba is lost without Lugh to guide her. So perhaps the most surprising thing of all is what Saba learns about herself: she's a fierce fighter, an unbeatable survivor, and a cunning opponent. And she has the power to take down a corrupt society from the inside. Teamed up with a handsome daredevil named Jack and a gang of girl revolutionaries called the Free Hawks, Saba stages a showdown that will change the course of her own civilization. (Goodreads)
The Book
I loved, loved, LOVED this book! Did you hear I loved this book? Because I did! This was a hidden gem. I discovered it on someone's blog, and I had never heard of it before. I'm so happy I came across it!
This book defines the word dystopia. This dystopia has cage fighting, a band of women freedom fighters, and flipping huge man-eating worms that come out at night from underground with huge claws! It even had bad grammar! If that's not a dystopian world, I don't know what is! The bad grammar actually worked because no one's speech was flawless, and it didn't bother me. It was more authentic. Saba's adventures are wild and, well, adventurous. She isn't always saved in the nick of time. She doesn't have any magical wishes or a knight in shining armor. She does have a crow though. I love Nero!
Saba is fierce. She is kickass! In the absence of her twin brother, she discovers she's a force to be reckoned with. While Jack saves her a couple of times, she also saves him. And she fights like a pro. All of the women in this book are amazing! I almost wanted to scream girlpower! a couple of times. No lie. The Free Hawks are just as fearsome and vicious as Saba, but they become fast friends of Saba's and loyal to the death. I loved them all! Even Epona who made me think of Link's horse from Legend of Zelda. I kept expecting to hear her neigh. Even Saba's little sister Emmi earned my respect with her bravery and devotion.
As for the romance, I loved Jack! At first, he comes off as the stereotypical, bad boy. But he really isn't. He shows a sweeter side, and he isn't an a**hole which is refreshing. Plus, he actually lets Saba do her own thing! When she wants to save someone's skin or go off on an adventure, he doesn't pull her back and say let me do it, I'll protect you. He encourages her! He might join her, but he doesn't try to stop her. Holy crap! They work together. Jack complements Saba's tough, prickly attitude. Though she did start to annoy me after awhile because she can be so awful to Jack. But he keeps coming back, with a smirk on his face, like some masochist. He even sings to her, but I do like the song he sings, even though she's clueless it's about her.
So if I loved this book so much, why did I give it a 4.5? First off, I missed having quotation marks. There were none. It was a different approach and I didn't like it. Sometimes, I had to backtrack and figure out if Saba was thinking or speaking. But the main reason was because the ending was a little too predictable and just not as amazing as the rest of the book. But while this is a part of a series, the ending could have been a real ending. It wrapped up very nicely, if predictably, and provided some closure. So, that's a definite plus!
I cannot wait for the sequel Rebel Heart coming out October 30th!
Happy reading,
Courtney
I loved, loved, LOVED this book! Did you hear I loved this book? Because I did! This was a hidden gem. I discovered it on someone's blog, and I had never heard of it before. I'm so happy I came across it!
This book defines the word dystopia. This dystopia has cage fighting, a band of women freedom fighters, and flipping huge man-eating worms that come out at night from underground with huge claws! It even had bad grammar! If that's not a dystopian world, I don't know what is! The bad grammar actually worked because no one's speech was flawless, and it didn't bother me. It was more authentic. Saba's adventures are wild and, well, adventurous. She isn't always saved in the nick of time. She doesn't have any magical wishes or a knight in shining armor. She does have a crow though. I love Nero!
Saba is fierce. She is kickass! In the absence of her twin brother, she discovers she's a force to be reckoned with. While Jack saves her a couple of times, she also saves him. And she fights like a pro. All of the women in this book are amazing! I almost wanted to scream girlpower! a couple of times. No lie. The Free Hawks are just as fearsome and vicious as Saba, but they become fast friends of Saba's and loyal to the death. I loved them all! Even Epona who made me think of Link's horse from Legend of Zelda. I kept expecting to hear her neigh. Even Saba's little sister Emmi earned my respect with her bravery and devotion.
As for the romance, I loved Jack! At first, he comes off as the stereotypical, bad boy. But he really isn't. He shows a sweeter side, and he isn't an a**hole which is refreshing. Plus, he actually lets Saba do her own thing! When she wants to save someone's skin or go off on an adventure, he doesn't pull her back and say let me do it, I'll protect you. He encourages her! He might join her, but he doesn't try to stop her. Holy crap! They work together. Jack complements Saba's tough, prickly attitude. Though she did start to annoy me after awhile because she can be so awful to Jack. But he keeps coming back, with a smirk on his face, like some masochist. He even sings to her, but I do like the song he sings, even though she's clueless it's about her.
So if I loved this book so much, why did I give it a 4.5? First off, I missed having quotation marks. There were none. It was a different approach and I didn't like it. Sometimes, I had to backtrack and figure out if Saba was thinking or speaking. But the main reason was because the ending was a little too predictable and just not as amazing as the rest of the book. But while this is a part of a series, the ending could have been a real ending. It wrapped up very nicely, if predictably, and provided some closure. So, that's a definite plus!
I cannot wait for the sequel Rebel Heart coming out October 30th!
Courtney
Hi,
ReplyDeleteSaw the link to your blog on Goodreads. Following you via GFC. My blog is:
365 Books A Year
My Twitter if you want to exchange follows. Just follow me and I'll follow back.
I've been meaning to read Blood Red Road since it came out. Don't know why I haven't yet. Great review. Weren't they going to make a movie out of this book? Do you know when it's being released? I want to read it before the movie comes out.
Wow! I did not know there was going to be a movie. Apparently it's coming out 2014? That's awesome! You should definitely read it!
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