Red Rising (Red Rising Saga, #1) in SOS: Serious Overload of Series

Sep 19, 2018 Carrie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: science-fiction, read-my-shelves, mgr, young-adult, 4-and-a-half-to-5-stars, fantasy, 24-for-24

4.5 stars....

*May contain spoilers*
Set in time that our time is ancient history, and humans have colonized the cosmos. Where people are not considered equal and have been divided into a color class system.

Red are slaves lowest and Gold the ruler and highest. Darrow is a red and a helldiver on Mars, trying with the other reds to get the planet ready , terraforming it for humans left on a "dying" Earth to come and live. But little do they realize they are nothing more then slaves.

So this was fan ...more

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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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Jun 14, 2016 Nancy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, science-fiction, ya

I started this book twice - the first time it didn't grab me, but I came back to it due, if nothing else, to the fact the narrator had a lovely Irish accent and it seemed a shame not to listen. And aren't I glad I persevered. I felt the book didn't really pick up until about Chapter 7 but from there I simply couldn't stop listening. Perhaps because I have just finished listening to Ender's Game, I was open to the kind of story which pitted young people together for the sake of a game, controlled ...more

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Jun 30, 2014 Jesslyn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: cat-series-ongoing, audiobook-whispersync-companion, audio-book, cat-sci-fi, audiobook-discounted, z2014-kindle-reads, cat-no-diversity, cat-new-series, z2015-kindle-reads, audiobook-great-narration

EDIT 6/2018 - I did this last read on audiobook. Still as good as the 1st time. But wondering again how a future that developed from earth has a total lack of diversity.

EDIT 2/2016: The re-read in prep for Book 3 is almost as good as the first 2 times, but this time around I'm noticing the complete lack of diversity. Just.....nothing.

EDIT 1/13/15: The re-read in preparation for Book 2 was just as enjoyable. I highly recommend.

Original Review - I loved this book and can't wait until the next inst ...more

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Feb 05, 2016 Marla rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, boys, challenged, award-winner, with-reservations, science-fiction, dystopia, mythology, zz-2018, pick-one-for-me

3 stars for the interesting but slow beginning of the book, 2 stars for the dry prep in the middle, then 4 stars for most of the intense Institute Game. Dystopia isn't my thing, but I've heard great things about this book and someone chose it for me for a challenge. I think I am going to listen to the rest of the books in the series.

This story seemed like The Hunger Games meets Ender's Game. I think the classroom setting and battle room of Ender's Game was more productive to teaching about lead ...more

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Mar 08, 2014 Jen rated it liked it

Shelves: 2014

This was a good read. It's a quick and enjoyable read, The Hunger Games meets Enders Game/sci fi type book. I'm glad that Sydney picked this book as our group read as it's not a book that I think I would have picked up on my own, but I'm glad that I discovered it. I'll have to read the next books when they come out. ...more

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Jan 07, 2014 D rated it liked it

Sloooooow start. I was seriously considering giving up on this which I never do. But I got to the point where the setting changed and everything picked up. I might have even considered 4 stars were it not for the beginning. I recommend everyone reading this waits until the setting changes before marking this as DNF.

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