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Rebel Heart (Dust Lands #2)

3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 · rating details · 4,591 ratings · 977 reviews

Nothing is certain and no one is safe in the second book in the highly praised Dust Lands trilogy.

It seemed so simple: Defeat the Tonton, rescue her kidnapped brother, Lugh, and then order would be restored to Saba’s world. Simplicity, however, has proved to be elusive. Now, Saba and her family travel west, headed for a better life and a longed-for reunion with Jack. But t...more

Hardcover, 432 pages

Published October 30th 2012 by Margaret K. McElderry (first published August 2nd 2012)

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Nov 03, 2012 Kenia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: sequels

UPDATE 9/3/12 guise. oh. my. jesus. bale. que? I just read a spoiler and I just..

(view spoiler)

UPDATE 9/2/12 Giveaway? ... well don't mind if I do

UPDATE 2/4/12 OCTOBER 30TH?! ~~i need to cut someone~~

UPDATE 1/12/12 A COVER?! IS THAT JACK? -someone needs to slap this grin off my face-

2012?

80 likes · like · see review

Aug 27, 2012 Rose marked it as to-read

Another Update: You know when you read a book for the first time and you think it's so cool but when you read it again you realize it's not so cool...

Not that hated the book, but it went from 4.5 stars to 3.5 stars
And I still like Jack :P

Update: Just read a couple of reviews (view spoiler) Now I'm not excited anymore.

Update: Look what I found! the new Blood Red Road cover, it's way cooler than the first one.
description

Update: 30th October?? freaking...more

50 likes · like · see review

May 23, 2012 Kira marked it as to-read

I'm not a Hunger Games fan, but I call foul play on whoever decided to write, "Better than The Hunger Games lolfuck!" on the cover of this book. That's jammy! You can't do that! The packaging of the book should not be dedicated to trampling the competition!

How rude.

In other news, I'll be reading this series. It sounds freaking kick-ass.

Let's do this, bitches!

Also, *sniggersnigger* the cover is terrible, compositionally. There's a stick coming out of the guy's butt. What's going on there? Design...more

67 likes · like · see review

Aug 27, 2012 Leah rated it 5 of 5 stars

When i found out the sequel was coming out this year

When i found out it was coming out in October..

53 likes · like · see review

Dec 25, 2012 kelllsify marked it as need-to-read

Shelves: dystopian-postapocalyptic, ya

If DeMalo is not in this book, I will flip shits. What would have been the point of all those sexual tensions from the previous book? And he saved her life. Umm, yeah, that's a pretty big deal.

33 likes · like · see review

Jul 15, 2012 Sam rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-or-galley, dystopia-or-post-apocalyptic, romance, dystopian

3.5 stars

‘…you can’t kill all the badness in the world. You cut it down in front of you only to find that it’s standing right behind you.’

Blood Red Road proved to be quite an invigorating read, with its unique writing style and fierce characters. Needless to say, Rebel Heart quickly became one of my most anticipated sequels this year. A part of me was so very sure this book would be even better than its predecessor. Although I feel this hasn’t quite been the case, I can still say I enjoyed thi...more 3.5 stars

‘…you can’t kill all the badness in the world. You cut it down in front of you only to find that it’s standing right behind you.’

Blood Red Road proved to be quite an invigorating read, with its unique writing style and fierce characters. Needless to say, Rebel Heart quickly became one of my most anticipated sequels this year. A part of me was so very sure this book would be even better than its predecessor. Although I feel this hasn’t quite been the case, I can still say I enjoyed this novel.

The language was much easier to appreciate this time around. I had little trouble adjusting to it, different to my experience with Blood Red Road. The opening section is told in third person from Jack’s point of view, and then we are back to Saba’s first person narrative thereon in. I actually relished it this time. Her dialect felt very natural and it was surprisingly easy to immerse myself back into it. Blood Red Road left me in a muddle at first, where my poor brain read speech as not-speech and not-speech as speech. There were no issues getting comfortable with it here.

Once we are back with Saba after our brief glimpse into Jack’s journey to The Lost Cause and Molly, the story becomes more significantly about Jack and Saba’s reunion in the West. Of course, being Jack’s biggest fan, I had no problem with this… only I wish it hadn’t been so excruciatingly drawn out. I hate to admit it, but I grew increasingly bored as the book progressed. This carefully slow pace may be perfect for some readers, but it made me restless more than anything. I kept waiting for that little something to push the story forward and it came a fraction too late. There were other sub-plots that fluttered past and lay forgotten about afterwards, such as Saba’s fragile state of mind. She starts seeing things and hearing things that aren’t (apparently) there. I felt this aspect in particular was smoothed off in a hurry.

Saba herself drew mixed feelings from me. I admired her tough approach and determination, but did find her a little too sullen and rash at times. Especially towards the end of the book, some of her hasty decisions left me wondering if she had left her common sense at Pine Top Hill. Even more so when it became apparent quite a few of these heedless actions were associated with Jack. Still, careless moments aside, I liked her. She is an undoubtedly flawed character, but never unrealistically so.

The last quarter or so of the book is my favourite part. The story wraps up beautifully, though remains open for another sequel. I think only then did I really appreciate the secondary characters in this book, including Tommo and DeMalo. Moira Young has taken the plot to an interesting new place, even though it took a little while to get there. I’ve been under the assumption that this series is a trilogy, and if I’m right in thinking so, I look forward to the final Dust Lands book.

(This review also appears on my blog)
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55 likes · like · see review

Aug 14, 2012 Sparrow rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: motherless-daughters, needs-a-sassy-gay-friend-real-bad, slaves, up-hill-both-ways-in-the-snow, utopia-dystopia, young-adult, reviewed

YA writing often lives on surfaces: the girl with the blue eyes fights with the dude with the grey eyes, car chase, change of clothes, somebody dies, blue eyes and grey eyes kiss, to be continued. I find some storytellers exceptionally good at that type of writing. For example, Kristin Cashore knocked it out of the park with Graceling; Veronica Roth hit it with Divergent; and, of course, Suzanne Collins took that story, shook it all up, turned it upside down and used it as a mirror for the broke...more

52 likes · like · see review

Aug 07, 2012 Maja rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: amazing-writing, arc-2012, creepy-love-triangle, dystopia, moments-of-great-frustration, magic, i-see-dead-people, ya, review-copy, open-ending, reviewed-in-2012

3.5 stars

I have a small confession to make, though it’s hardly a secret since my review is here for all to see: I wasn’t really a fan of Blood Red Road. In fact, I was so disappointed by it that I never intended to read Rebel Heart. That said, I’m happy it showed up on my doorstep completely unexpectedly. Painful as it may be, I like the direction the story is taking.

Rather than focusing on giant killer worms, Moira Young decided to explore the extent of human cruelty and willingness to survive...more

46 likes · like · see review

Feb 08, 2013 Brigid *Flying Kick-a-pow!* rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopia, on-my-kindle, addicting-as-crack, badass-ladies, young-adult, this-is-it-the-apocalypse, sci-fi, futuristic, romance, adventure

I read Rebel Heart several weeks ago by now, and I still can't decide how I feel about it. Let's just say, I had a lot of mixed feelings about it. While I enjoyed it, there were several things in it that infuriated me. And over all, I thought it was kind of a disappointing follow-up to Blood Red Road.

I was in love with the first book. It was like someone had taken The Knife of Never Letting Go and The House of the Scorpion and combined them into one crazy story. Not to mention, it had a kickass...more

19 likes · like · see review

Nov 02, 2012 Stacia ~ Mistress of Mediocrity rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

What is up lately with me and books that almost made it to the DNF pile, only to be yanked back at the last second, when a scene all of a sudden grabs me by the throat and forces me to keep reading?

Yes, I completely meant that. Certain books are pulling a master/slave act on me, telling me that I will like them...or else. I can feel the books almost glaring at me, daring me to push them, else I feel their punishing wrath.

WHY BOOKS, WHY?!? I want my reading experiences to be black and white - eit...more What is up lately with me and books that almost made it to the DNF pile, only to be yanked back at the last second, when a scene all of a sudden grabs me by the throat and forces me to keep reading?

Yes, I completely meant that. Certain books are pulling a master/slave act on me, telling me that I will like them...or else. I can feel the books almost glaring at me, daring me to push them, else I feel their punishing wrath.

WHY BOOKS, WHY?!? I want my reading experiences to be black and white - either I like you from page 1 or I quit out. Don't pull this confusing wtf-ery on me. Please.

This is another one of those times when I feel like the things that I really want to say are things that I can't. Because if I tried, then I'd have to spoiler tag the entire review and I really hate doing this.

So what can I say? Uh, there was a moment which reminded me of a scene from The Sound of Music. Yes, I can pull comparisons from just about anywhere. (very) Mini spoiler ahead - quick, jump to the next paragraph if you are afraid! Without giving away who the traitor was, I had a brief flashback when Mr./Ms. X turned on a member of Saba's crew, just like the little squealing nazi-in-training did to the Von Trapps when they were hiding in the abbey. Btw, did you know that the famous hiding scene from that movie was inspired by a cemetery? I just found this out now. Random, but I really want to go to Austria on a Sound of Music lovers tour. Does such a thing exist?

What else? If you're looking for lots and lots of Jack time, sorry. Oh, he's there. And he's awesome, of course. But I felt like a fangirl standing outside of Michael Jackson's balcony back when he was still alive, hoping to catch a glimpse of some baby-dangling. By the time I finished the book, I'd felt like I'd been camping out for days, unwashed and grumpy - and the baby dangling was not worth the reward.

If you were a big fan of book 1, then Rebel Heart is probably worth the read. Even though it took me a while to warm up to the plot, eventually I did get there. If you were on the fence about book 1, I'd say go ahead and skip this because any struggling that you might have had with the first book will be echoed in the second.

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Oct 28, 2012 Giselle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, own, dystopia-or-post-apocalyptic

The long anticipated sequel to Blood Red Road is finally here! Rebel Heart reacquaints us with our stubborn and fierce protagonist, Saba, after she found her brother, after Jack left her, after everything has become so complicated. And the fact that she is seeing things, things that aren't there, is not making it easier.

What I enjoyed the most from the first book is what has been the most polarized; you either love the writing style, or you hate it. Myself, I looked forward to being propelled i...more The long anticipated sequel to Blood Red Road is finally here! Rebel Heart reacquaints us with our stubborn and fierce protagonist, Saba, after she found her brother, after Jack left her, after everything has become so complicated. And the fact that she is seeing things, things that aren't there, is not making it easier.

What I enjoyed the most from the first book is what has been the most polarized; you either love the writing style, or you hate it. Myself, I looked forward to being propelled inside this vivid, desolate world again by a writing style that truly makes it come alive. As much as some may find it hard to get into, I find it powerfully characteristic. It gives the book a very tangible atmosphere. You are not reading a story, you are being told a story. It still remains the most unique and best aspect of this series.

In this sequel, the characters we have come to know are back, but they aren't quite the same. Saba herself was turned from a strong, unstoppable character to this emotional mess. Yes she has gone through a huge ordeal and I'm glad that Moira didn't turn away from the emotional circumstances, but she has to stop thinking only of Jack for 5 seconds so she can realize how much she is crippling herself, and bringing her friends down with her. She was never a loveable character --what with her attitude towards her sister in book one--but she was a character I gladly rooted for. All she made me root for in this sequel, was for someone to smack her upside the head. Nonetheless, I like her, I do. She is flawed and real, no matter how frustrated she made me. As far as the side characters go, some of them definitely have grown--Tommo for one--but it wouldn't have hurt to get a little more character breakthroughs. I'm still waiting to see what Lugh's problem is; what made him so bitter. Basically, I love all the side characters so much that I'm dying to get more face time with them. I need their stories! I'm even drawn to the mysterious villain with which we make fascinating plot progress.

As Blood Red Road is in action, Rebel Heart is in emotion. There are not many intense scenes and dramatic situations such as we saw in high numbers in Blood Red Road. No cage fighting, no crossings filled with killer worms, sadly, nothing of the sort. We do get oodles of emotional distraught, hormone filled angst, and love. Lots and lots of love. No love triangle though, more like a love… waiting list? Saba is plenty busy with them boys. As much as I enjoyed all these emotions running amok, it turned the book--which I was expecting to be fun and action packed like the first--a lot more broody, and much more slower pace. For this reason, I didn't enjoy it quite as much as I was hoping.

It isn't a bad book, by any means, proven by my 4 stars, and actually by itself I would have loved it. It's raw, gritty and emotionally intense, slowly filling its space with cruelty and trauma. But when I sit there and compare it to the first, when I go in expecting a sequel on a par with its predecessor that stifled me with exhaustion, end after end, and made me feel the never ending longing for something other than…. nothingness, it has nothing on it.

--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.

For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

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18 likes · like · see review

Jan 21, 2012 Maeve ~Bad Wolf~ rated it 5 of 5 stars

INITIAL IMPRESSION

Okay. First of all, why is there a stick ccoming out of that guy's ass? Second, the title is really cheesy. Rebel Heart. Not interesting and lyrical like Blood Red Road was. The entire cover doesn't match the original cover of Blood Red Road. It might match another edition, but still. That's kinda stupid. Despite my complaining, I'm actually really looking forward to this book. I loved Saba in book 1, and really loved her attituide. I also loved the writing style. It was fun an...more

17 likes · like · see review

Oct 07, 2012 Keertana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-that-linger, kick-ass-heroines, arc-galley-and-first-reads

Rating: 3.5 Stars

I think we're all aware, and familiar with, the concept of the second novel in a trilogy being the weakest link of the series. Rebel Heart, however, for all its flaws, is actually a much stronger novel than Blood Red Road ever was. If we think back to Blood Red Road, it was nothing more than an engaging, fast-paced, and page-flipping dystopian novel. Yet, Rebel Heart, despite its page-flipping action, is also a much slower, deeper, and intoxicating tale. Yes, there we...more

12 likes · like · see review

Oct 23, 2012 Kilikina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: badass, love-love-love, no-words-just-tears, speechless, swoon-worthy, favorites, favorite-couple

Hurt. Betrayed. Deceived.

OHMIGAWD. MY TEARS.

I literally cannot even think straight. I can't..I wasn't expecting this book to be so emotionally draining. I never in a million years would have thought the book would have played out like this. I couldn't have asked for a better sequel.

(view spoiler)...more

10 likes · like · see review

Sep 07, 2012 AJ rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, series, dystopia

*sigh* It was ok, but I was hoping for so much more!

This book suffered from ‘middle book syndrome’. I felt like the entire book was a set up for the next and final book of the trilogy. We met some new characters and a couple of important things happened, but it was really drawn out. I actually considered putting the book down at one stage, but the promise of Saba’s reunion with Jack kept me going. (view spoiler)...more *sigh* It was ok, but I was hoping for so much more!

This book suffered from ‘middle book syndrome’. I felt like the entire book was a set up for the next and final book of the trilogy. We met some new characters and a couple of important things happened, but it was really drawn out. I actually considered putting the book down at one stage, but the promise of Saba’s reunion with Jack kept me going. (view spoiler).

It started out promisingly enough, and I found it easy to slip back into the language and the post-apocalyptic world set up so well in Blood Red Road. It starts with Jack’s POV when he arrives to see Molly at The Lost Cause. Seriously, this was my favourite part of the whole book – and it only lasts 26 pages!

All the time I’ve knowed you, Jack, you kept the door to that heart of yers locked up tight an the key hid away. Looks like she found it.
He says nothing. Molly waits. Then:
Keys ain’t her style, he says. She kicked the door down.

From then on we’re back to Saba’s POV. I liked Saba a lot more in this one. She is a little annoying when we first see her as she is pining for Jack, emotionally lost and having weird ‘I see dead people’ moments (but following a very strange intervention with the ‘Sky Speaker’ that whole storyline disappears, seeming to have served little to no purpose at all – however I will withhold final judgement until I read the next book). But when Saba discovers that something has happened to Jack, her entire focus shifts into finding him and saving him. Bringing back the Saba we saw in book 1, her determination takes her and her companions on a journey into dangerous territory, meeting a new set of characters, reuniting with some old, and uncovering a resistance to the new order that is taking over the territory. All the while looking for Jack who may, or may not, be who he seems.

I missed Jack *sigh*. He hardly appears at all in this book, and I missed him, not only because he is so awesome, but because his wittiness and bantering that lightened the first book wasn’t there, and the whole book felt moodier because of it. Creed helped to fill this gap (loved him, and am excited to see more of that storyline), but his presence was oh-so-brief. To add to the darker mood, Lugh was such a whiny little bitch for the majority of the book I actually wondered why Saba bothered saving him at all! The other side characters were all really strong though and added a lot to the story – Emmi, Tommo, Molly, Slim, Maev and even DeMalo were all great.

But it was the twist at the end of the book that completely threw me! Thinking she's been betrayed, all of a sudden Saba starts acting all stupid and irrational, culminating in a scene that comes up completely out of the blue and had me shaking my head and screeching ‘WTF??’ Holy love triangles, not again!!! I’m really unhappy about this little addition to the story, and all of its potential ramifications. Particularly as at the end we’re given a teaser about another problem brewing. Do you call it a love square… diamond… trapezoid? I don’t know, but it’s looking mighty dangerous!

The finale had a bit of excitement, but the action from the first book is missing (making way for all of the emotional turmoil, I’m sure). But with a rebellion brewing, I’m hoping for a lot more from the third and final instalment in the trilogy. (less)

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Sep 02, 2012 Isamlq rated it 4 of 5 stars

3.5/5

In place of action packed and at the edge of your seat moments, we get something that’s more emotionally intense. We also get a different side to Saba who’s not the Saba Blood Red Road introduced. But first to the positives, the language remains the same, basic and a reflection of who they are. It was never that hard to get into for me and was in fact one of the things that drew me in to begin with…and all that is still present. In fact, her voice in this one is so clear that her conflict c...more 3.5/5

In place of action packed and at the edge of your seat moments, we get something that’s more emotionally intense. We also get a different side to Saba who’s not the Saba Blood Red Road introduced. But first to the positives, the language remains the same, basic and a reflection of who they are. It was never that hard to get into for me and was in fact one of the things that drew me in to begin with…and all that is still present. In fact, her voice in this one is so clear that her conflict comes clear across.

As to that, her conflict and the story, I mean, those have taken direction wholly unexpected, mainly because she’s not the same girl I’d come to admire. This one is filled with rash decisions on her part that made no sense considering the Saba of old, but was making more and more sense with the current Saba, the suffering and haunted version in mind. And though I was uncomfortable and a bit disappointed by these changes… I was still swept along

Imagine her, from being kick ass and doing what had to be done, being mean at certain points but always with purpose, to her acting or more apt, reacting… rashly. A lot of what happens here stem from little thinking on her part, instead a lot of reacting, but reactions to what exactly? Lugh for one but Jack for the most part, and if the truth were told, a lot of Lugh’s moments had me wondering why he was rescued to begin with. Plenty has changed and it’s most evident between them. A friend of mine raised a point that I am only now seeing: that Saba’s motivations for her twin was a little like that between George and Shaun in Feed. I didn’t see then it through her eyes, but now with the growing distance between the two, I found myself thinking this possible. But it boils down to this: he was what all her fuss was about in book one?! Throughout, I failed to see what was in him to propel all of them to act the way they did in BRB. Now Jack… oh Jack, Jack, Jack *shakes head* I’d have loved to see more of you in this but what your absence does to Saba was… ergh…well, I have no words.

Again, it’s not as action filled but more harrowing in the emotional sense. It’s Saba who takes things that route. Saba who’s haunted by a number of things, and it’s in this state that a number of infuriating things are decided on then done. All that and the anguish and silent suffering going on with her leads to hastily made decisions that infuriated me, but made sense considering where her head was at the moment.

Though we’ve characters who are so far from perfect that their decisions had me wondering why I was rooting for them at all, I got swept along nonetheless because despite being far from perfect, and being as flawed as they were, this is a story that’s got some of what I like: conflicted characters, changing directions, new developments and secondary characters that push them along.

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Mar 28, 2013 Melanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: sequel-must-reads, oh-so-meh

See more reviews at YA Midnight Reads
'They're gonna need you, Saba. Lugh and Emmi. An there'll be others too. Many others. Don't give into fear. Be strong, like I know you are.'

While Blood Red Road promised an awe inspiring debut, Rebel Heart says otherwise. If I were to describe this book with two words, they'd definitely be 'disappointing' and 'infuriating'. It turns out that not all novels get better as they go, fortunately though, I still enjoyed the premise.

The sequel to Blood Red Road,...more See more reviews at YA Midnight Reads
'They're gonna need you, Saba. Lugh and Emmi. An there'll be others too. Many others. Don't give into fear. Be strong, like I know you are.'

While Blood Red Road promised an awe inspiring debut, Rebel Heart says otherwise. If I were to describe this book with two words, they'd definitely be 'disappointing' and 'infuriating'. It turns out that not all novels get better as they go, fortunately though, I still enjoyed the premise.

The sequel to Blood Red Road, Rebel Heart is filled with just as much action, blood-shed and twists. Saba has a price on her head now. Yet still, she and her friends venture towards a new home-and meet Jack.

As I had just finished Blood Red Road two days ago, the book is still quite fresh in my head. Maybe that is a bad thing, as now, I'm consistently comparing the two simultaneously. For instance, I admired Moira's skill of creating such realistic and loveable characters. However, Rebel Heart is a totally different strong in general. Saba turned into some sort of sensitive-irritating-slut-love struck-impulsive chick, rather than the kick ass female protagonist that I once loved. Additionally, the character connections were weak.

Shut up! Jest shut up! he explodes. Gawdammit, Saba, give it a rest an stop lying to me! His face is hot. Flushed dark and red. The little muscle in his jaw-the one Emmi calls his mad muscle- is bunched tight an jumpin. This happens a lot these days. This quick snap of rage.

Lugh changes from the caring brother in Blood Red Road, he is snappy, short tempered and he is hiding something. I really hate how the author changed this brother sister relationship, for once I had found something less stereotypical- and it left again. *sighs*

You reading this book because there is a picture of Jack on the front cover? Well stop right there because this book will infuriate you. Jack is some of the only characters who stay consistent and relatable yet we barely come in contact with him. At all. *sobs* Stupid cover deceived me.

Rebel Heart takes a downfall but still can satisfy with it's action and twists. Lovers of Blood Red Road will still love this, but may possibly get disappointed and annoyed by the suddenly-changed female protagonist. I will be definitely sticking around book 3! Recommended to lovers of The Knife of Never Letting Go and Divergent.(less)

5 likes · like · see review

Jan 18, 2013 Carolina Perez is currently reading it

I honestly have not been this impatient for a book release since HP7!

10/5/12: omfg I'm going to die I really need this book

8/4/12: TWO MONTHS GUYS. TWO MONTHS. WE CAN DO THIS.

4 likes · like · see review

Sep 04, 2012 Maria rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Maria by: Janus Vielle (The Blair Book Project)

Shelves: dystopia, ya, borrow, wish-list

I like Rebel Heart.

*****

Have you read Insurgent by Veronica Roth? If yes, ever thought that Tris was annoying and mind-numbingly useless? Well, she's got a twin. In the form of Saba.

For a moment, I thought about giving Rebel Heart a 4. But I realized I had a few issues that kept bothering me.

1. What happened to Lugh in the hands of the Tonton that made him such a prick to Saba?
2. The "destiny" and "all in the stars" crap that Saba's father told her were as vague as ever.
3. The story behind Jack'...more

11 likes · like · see review

Sep 23, 2012 Kara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: animals, arc, dreaded-love-triangle, edelweiss, dystopian, favorites, for-review, post-apocalyptic, young-adult

When Blood Red Road came out last year, dystopians were still a fairly new trend and most book lovers were still enthusiastic about reading them. At least I think so. But now, after a year, they are still coming strong and there looks to be no end in sight. Which is fine, but it is a little tiresome and the fresh ideas seem to be running out. The good news though, is that if you were anticipating this sequel, it is every bit as good as the first book was, and in some ways better. Yes, I gave the...more When Blood Red Road came out last year, dystopians were still a fairly new trend and most book lovers were still enthusiastic about reading them. At least I think so. But now, after a year, they are still coming strong and there looks to be no end in sight. Which is fine, but it is a little tiresome and the fresh ideas seem to be running out. The good news though, is that if you were anticipating this sequel, it is every bit as good as the first book was, and in some ways better. Yes, I gave the first book 5 stars and only gave this one 4. But you also have to understand how picky I am now. And also, me knocking off a star is totally a personal thing. I had major issues with Lugh.

Lugh. What is there to say about that little, whining, bad-decision-making blowhard? Well, I could not stand him? He would not shut up, and he kept trying to boss Saba around. And the thing is, that's fine if you have more knowledge or know more about a situation and you are trying to get someone to see it your way, but he went above and beyond that, and to be honest, he was an idiot. He was NOT coming from a place of knowledge because he knew nothing. He was almost verbally abusive and I think some readers might think he was. Now I know the author wrote him this way to make him appear damaged because of what he went through in the hands of the Tonton, but she also made him completely unlikable. I wanted him to get burned at the stake and shot by the Tonton all in the same day. No, I am not exaggerating. He. Was. INFURIATING.

Fortunately, that's really my only complaint. It is a little weird that there is absolutely NO dialogue in these books, but somehow it works. And I'm sure if you decide to read this book, you have already read Blood Red Road and so you know the dialect takes a little getting used to. This time I fell right into the language. It truly took no time at all. I LOVE this author's writing style. Once this series is done, I don't know what she will do next, but I know it will be different because the styling here has totally to do with Saba's character and the world-building. But I still really enjoy the flow of her words and the words she chooses! It is SO important to me.

As for the story? It just keeps getting better. There is a severe lacking of Jack in this book, which was disappointing, but there are reasons for that also. I really loved the story and the direction the author is taking it in. And the suspense? IT WOWED ME. This book was SO hard to walk away from and I read it faster than I have read most books lately. It's definitely one of my favorites of 2012. And in a year when most sophomore attempts are turning out to be mediocre, this is not one of them. And I could not be happier about that since this is easily one of my favorite series.

It is a dystopian setting that is believable, truly works, and is actually frightening. The characters (sans Lugh) are brilliantly written and developed. If you liked Saba in BRR, I think you will like her even more here. She is a little selfish in this one but she has her reasons. We're also introduced to a couple of new characters that I fell hard for. As always, Moira Young isn't afraid to kill off her characters if she deems it necessary, so prepare to be a little heartbroken. Oh, and Saba does something really stupid. But if you can look past that and realize it is because she's human, flawed, and makes mistakes, then I think this is a book that will really resonate. It did with me. And I am DYING for the next one.(less)

6 likes · like · see review

Oct 30, 2012 Regina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, dystopia, post-apocalyptic, arc-publisher-netgalley

Rebel Heart should be rewarding for fans of the Dust Lands series. It begins with action, ends with action and has a lot of action throughout. We gots lots of Lugh and lots of Saba – -and hey, all through Blood Red Road we wanted Lugh, right? I could not put down the first 40% of this book. It was surprising and just fun.

Young develops the mythology and adds some interesting elements to Rebel Heart. The authority in control of the settlements and land are brutal; to demonstrate this brutalness...more Rebel Heart should be rewarding for fans of the Dust Lands series. It begins with action, ends with action and has a lot of action throughout. We gots lots of Lugh and lots of Saba – -and hey, all through Blood Red Road we wanted Lugh, right? I could not put down the first 40% of this book. It was surprising and just fun.

Young develops the mythology and adds some interesting elements to Rebel Heart. The authority in control of the settlements and land are brutal; to demonstrate this brutalness are some heartbreaking and gruesome scenes. The loss that began in Blood Red Road continues in Rebel Heart, which I guess is realistic considering the setting. I did have some questions about the convenience of things happening, things they witnessed and people they ran into … similar to my thoughts on Blood Red Road. But hey, this is dystopia-lite -- to enjoy, you have to go with it.

There is a plot line introduced in Rebel Heart that I was impressed with and wasn't dystopia-lite-like at all. (view spoiler) And it really rocks that Saba seems to be stronger than Lugh; she can take him on in a fight and outlast him out in the wilderness. Nice. Saba matches up with Jack, they complete (*snicker*) each other -- after all, wasn't it Saba that saved Jack in the first book?

I listened to Blood Red Road and I read Rebel Heart. The narration for the first one was done really well and as I read Rebel Heart, I often missed the voice of Saba. I recommend to people who started this book in audio, to continue in audio.

I didn’t love Blood Red Road, I enjoyed it. It wasn’t ground breaking for me. In the end it was a decent young adult dystopia novel with a splash of angsty romance. I would say the same about Rebel Heart. Rebel Heart continues down that path but turns that splash of angsty romance into more of a pouring in or mixing of angsty romance. There is a lot of longing, misunderstandings, and miscommunications. Several men/boys want Saba, but she only has eyes for Jack — but where is Jack? Jack is nowhere to be found and that was the frustrating part of this book. I wanted more Jack. Romance is not my favorite genre and I dislike tension created by absence, miscommunication and misunderstanding and that is how tension is created in Rebel Heart. But despite that I still enjoyed parts of Rebel Heart. It is a fun adventure book with a mature dose of romance scenes (pre-teens should stay away there is sex in this book — sorry as a mom of a 13 year old girl, I can’t stop being a mom.).

I think fans of Blood Red Road will like Rebel Heart. Readers lukewarm about Blood Red Road, will probably not be that excited about Rebel Heart. Readers critical of the coinicdences in the first book, may have the same problems with this book. But … there are some really rewarding scenes and the tension that builds in the beginning of the book is done well.

(less)

5 likes · like · see review

Oct 10, 2012 Mariam of the Yemen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: future-ts, my-ebooks

3.5
No way near as amazing as BRR.
Hated the LT plus tommo's feelings for her.
Hated how Lugh acts. From beginning to end he pretty much annoyed me. Oh so annoyed me!

I don't feel Saba is as strong as in BRR. I loved her then. She didn't let feelings for Jack distract her. But in Rebel Heart her love life made a mess of everything. Her common sense and strength was clouded by "love".

Oh, and DeMalo, NOTHING like how I expected him to be. In BRR you get the feeling that he's menacing, nothing like how...more

5 likes · like · see review

Jan 02, 2013 Aneeqah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: wishlist, dystopia, fantasy, read-in-2013

Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars

I want to slap Saba.

Hard.

Full review to come!

7 likes · like · see review

Oct 17, 2012 ๑ஜ๑ Jαѕмιиє ๑ஜ๑ rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012, released-in-2012

18-Oct-12: Ok, I'm puttin this back up to 2 stars. When I finished, I was thinking of rating it three, but I was so annoyed I rated it two. Then I kept talking about it & thinking about it, & I got so angry that rated it one. I deserves more than one though, so while I can't bring myself to rate it three, I will give it two.

1-Oct-12: I originally rated this two stars, but I've decided to rate it one. I'm just so mad. And when I look back to see what things I liked? I remember next to not...more

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Nov 08, 2012 Sophie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: high-expectations, be-still-my-ya-loving-heart, badass-main-character, bad-case-of-insta-love, defied-expectations, hauntingly-good, mc-with-a-death-wish, oh-no-the-world-is-ending, painfully-engrossing, they-see-me-angstin

Edit:
This review can also be found on The Dreaming Reader.

We ain't got time fer you to yell at me or fer me to tell you everythin that's happened, so I'm jest gonna cover the main points real quick an then I'm gonna kiss you, he says.

I think this book should've been titled LACK OF JACK instead of Rebel Heart. Just sayin'. For the second book in a series, it can be argued as a pretty darned good one. I still think the first was better (probably because there was more Jack), but this one is st...more

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Oct 08, 2012 Surin rated it 2 of 5 stars

I feel that this book really needs a warning, that this isn't really the sequel to Blood Red Road. I mean on the surface it is because it takes place right after the events of BRR but in terms of essence, characterization and definitely writing style Rebel Heart is no way a direct sequel to BRR.

Now the main problem is that I had just skimmed through Blood Red Road prior to reading Rebel Heart (just to refresh my memory) and I couldn't help feel how jarring the differences between the two books a...more I feel that this book really needs a warning, that this isn't really the sequel to Blood Red Road. I mean on the surface it is because it takes place right after the events of BRR but in terms of essence, characterization and definitely writing style Rebel Heart is no way a direct sequel to BRR.

Now the main problem is that I had just skimmed through Blood Red Road prior to reading Rebel Heart (just to refresh my memory) and I couldn't help feel how jarring the differences between the two books are. They are so stylistically different that I almost felt cheated in some ways because well when you're writing a trilogy, you kind of expect the books to be stylistically similar because there were certain things you liked about the first book that you're hoping to see in the 2nd.

Rebel Heart is the grown up version of Blood Red Road but not necessarily as fun. It is definitely more emotional as Saba sorts through her feelings of missing Jack. Than there's Lugh who is broken by the traumatic experience of getting captured by the Tonton and we're also dealing with the grief of some familiar characters from before. Oh and Tommo is no longer a kid but a teen boy with raging hormones. While the action is still there, it's taken a dramatic back seat to give way for emotional tension and development.

The sweet almost naive romance in Blood Red Road is absent and instead has turn into the typical raging hormone teen romance. Well I suppose it was only a matter of time but I do miss that sweet romance in book 1. Now the romance turns into a giant mess involving several people and calling it a love triangle is just simplifying things.

I think I would have liked Rebel Heart a lot more if it was a stand alone book and if RH happened a couple of years later. As a sequel to Blood Red Road, I don't like it as much because everything I liked about Blood Red Road was absent in Rebel Heart. I like how juvenile Blood Red Road is and how simple it was. I liked the fact that it was mostly action and it didn't bother me that there wasn't much in terms of an emotional connection.

Now the differences between the two books is almost like comparing Harry Potter book 1 and Harry Potter book 5. One may argue that the characters and the writer have matured but I think the difference is way too great in too short a time (considering the fact that it did take JK Rowling 4 books in between HP 1 and HP 5).

The plot twist also further drive the differences between the two books as the plot turns in Rebel Heart seem to come out from no where! Old characters are reintroduced but there's no hint of foreshadowing in Blood Red Road that alludes to their bigger role in Rebel heart. I really dislike it when writer's do this because it seems as if the writer had no idea what was going to happen in book 2 and didn't foreshadow these items in book 1. I prefer if my trilogy books plot lines and themes flow one from the other. This just seems jarring and out of place.

It's really hard for me to rate Rebel Heart objectively. As a stand alone book it's not bad actually, I would probably rate it around 3 stars I guess but as a sequel it's quite weak.

So for fans who were expecting all the fun of Blood Red Road may be in for a disappointment. I do applaud the writer's effort in trying to mature her book but I think it just happened a little too sudden and too fast. (less)

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Oct 31, 2012 Kevin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads-arc, reviewed

Oh Saba...what will I ever do with you....

Even though Rebel Heart for the majority has the same cast and problems based on Blood Red Road, this is a completely different novel, and not quite up to the high standards of the first. For one, Saba has changed immensely. In the first book of the Dustlands series, she is named the "Angel of Death" and with good reason, she has to be one of the fiercest female heroines in all the young adult books that I've read. She is that girl that I would step asid...more

5 likes · like · see review

Oct 30, 2012 Jen (The Starry-Eyed Revue) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, 2012-src, arcs, dystopian-post-apocalyptic, favorites

Epic. Crazy. Even better than the first book, and seeing how BRR was one of my favorite reads last year, that's major.

**Updated**

Hurt.
Betrayed.
Deceived.

Those are the last three words of this book, but they sum up the whole of this novel beautifully. Those same words appear over and over in the novel, and the characters feel them time and again. I think every reader will come to know them as truth by the end, as well. (I know I felt gutted by the time I finished, anyway.)

If Blood Red Road was a...more

5 likes · like · see review

Nov 15, 2012 Talyah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, favorites, kick-ass-girls, read-in-2012, young-adult

after reading:

Wow, just WOW! This was definitely a second (in the series) book, but it was still amazing. I'm still a little confused by the ending. Maybe a re-read soon =D

(also, I love how Moira Young doesn't shy away from sticky subjects. but I'm a freak, I really love that kind of stuff...it makes it more real for me.)

before reading:

I was prepared for June/July...

But October?
OCTOBER?!?

I can't, I just can't! What happens if I get hit by a bus? What if I never get to read this?

Oh please,_______...more

2 likes · like · see review

Sep 27, 2012 helluva_girl rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

6 likes · like · see review

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Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Saba's First-Time Mark?	5	46	May 20, 2013 09:42pm
End of the book!?? - SPOILERS!!!	58	229	May 03, 2013 02:43am
DeMalo's 'vision'	5	32	May 02, 2013 09:44pm
Moonpath?	2	25	Apr 21, 2013 12:53am
Saba's Heartstone?	3	39	Mar 24, 2013 03:27pm
DeMalo? spoilers	6	75	Mar 22, 2013 05:10pm
Demalo - Evil?	15	198	Mar 20, 2013 07:12pm

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About Moira Young

Moira Young has been by turns an actress, dancer, and opera singer, but her first loves are books and writing. A native Canadian, she now lives in the UK with her husband. Blood Red Road is her first novel.

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The Leopard Prince (Princes Trilogy, #2)

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Quotes from Rebel Heart

“All the time I’ve knowed you, Jack, you kept the door to that heart of yers locked up tight an the key hid away. Looks like she found it.
He says nothing. Molly waits. Then:
Keys ain’t her style, he says. She kicked the door down.” — 77 people liked it

“Don’t you dare walk away from this, Jack, don’t you dare, Molly says fiercely. Most people don’t ever feel what yer feeling. Be with her. An if it lasts one hour, one night, a week a month, it don’t matter. Be with her, burn with her, shine with her… fer whatever time’s given to you.” — 39 people liked it

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Rebel Heart (Dust Lands #2)

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