Red Rising (Red Rising Saga, #1) in Around the Year in 52 Books

Jul 24, 2019 Susan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

AMAZING BOOK!!!! I just found my newest favorite book of the year. I have so many but holy cow this book is so good. It was so hard to put down. Once it got rolling it really got rolling. every chapter there was something new going on. It was such a page turner. I haven't had a book like that in a long time and I can't wait to keep going with the rest of the books in this series. OMGosh I can't say enough good about this book. The writing was amazing and so easy to read, the characters were fant AMAZING BOOK!!!! I just found my newest favorite book of the year. I have so many but holy cow this book is so good. It was so hard to put down. Once it got rolling it really got rolling. every chapter there was something new going on. It was such a page turner. I haven't had a book like that in a long time and I can't wait to keep going with the rest of the books in this series. OMGosh I can't say enough good about this book. The writing was amazing and so easy to read, the characters were fantastic, I loved the heros of the book and hated the villains with such a passion which to me is the sign of a great author. When an author can make you feel so passionately about character (good or bad ones) then this author is incredible at his craft.

This book reminded me of The Hunger Games a little bit. Hunger games had districts and Red Rising had colors and each had specific tasks they do. Reds being the lowest of the colors and Golds being the pampered and the ones with all the luxuries they can get their hands on. Never go hungry or lack the comforts in their homes. The Reds are lucky if they get food every night or have a bed big enough for a husband and a wife.

I am really going to be spoiling the book so don't read if you don't want to know :D

(view spoiler)[
Darrow was born a Red and was a Helldiver, He dug for Helium-3 which was supposed to help terraform Mars so that people on Earth could come in live there. They were told they were the pioneers of Mars and even though they were never going to see Mars with it's cities and life they could rest assured that their children's children would one day reap the benefits of all the hard work they did to make Mars livable. The lie is that Mars is livable and they are using the underground Reds as slaves to keep digging the Helium-3 needed to keep life on Mars alive. So much had to happen for Darrow to find this out. He lost his wife, he lost his own life or that's what the underground believes.

There is a secret society working to set free those that kill themselves daily underground and Darrow they feel is their ticket. They turn him into a Gold using what is known as a carver who does all sorts of painful horrible things to get the Red off of him and inplant everything that Gold is. Beauty, brawn, speed, brains. They were gifted with everything and what they weren't gifted with they have a carver fix 9or that's what I gathered) above ground there are Pinks who are for pleasure purposes only and I don't think they had Pinks underground. There is so much to this book and it's done so well. I loved everything about it.

These young Golds have to go through a Passage (which breaks my heart) then into a school which turns out to be castles that each clan is in charge of and they try to find their leader of this castle. Blood is shed and kids are killed and it's like it's real life except it's only a school and they are being taught lessons no kid should have to live through. Darrow goes through many changes in this lesson. He makes enemies and makes some great friends and allies.

I can't wait to pick up Golden Son and read it next. I want it now :D EXCELLENT book. I can only imagine that the whole series will be just as good if not better. I swear if I could give it 10 stars I would! (hide spoiler)] ...more

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Dec 29, 2020 Karan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I don’t usually read sci-fi. This was a great escape with tight storytelling.

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Nov 26, 2016 Paula S rated it liked it

I had some trouble getting started with this book. I have read a ton of YA dystopias this year and Red Rising didn't seem very interesting compared with some of the others. Maybe because the story doesn't really take off until the second half of the book, or maybe because it was a male protagonist and I'm used to female protagonists. I don't know.

I didn't like that the author killed of some people that I found more interesting than Darrow. I didn't like the way the MC had to be pushed onto the ...more

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Jan 07, 2015 Lauren rated it liked it

While I liked the book and it kept me reading the pacing was super slow for me. It was really sad even from the beginning though. I wish they'd explained more about the world in the beginning as well. ...more

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