Red Rising - First Thoughts

[Shannon]

Hello, i am new here. I got Red Rising at a con for free (because who doesnt love free books). This book to my imagination to a whole new level, i loved the detail throughout the book. I havent gotten the second book yet but so far it is a series i want to continue.so good so far.

[Scott]

Also new here. I just plowed through the first 60 pages, and I have to say I'm not impressed. So far it feels to me like an endless stream of overwrought cliches.

The trouble with these popular dystopian novels is that they end up a little bit samey, so I tend to look to the presentation to determine quality. The Hunger Games has a smooth, stripped down feel with the finesse to keep it a quick page-turner. This, on the other hand, is somehow both overwritten and underwritten, and it lacks the nuance to make it stand out as a strong adult variation on the theme.

Plus, Darrow's kind of a douche. A bloodydouche.

My question is whether anyone here started out with a similar impression, but then warmed to the book after reading further. I realize 60 pages isn't that much, and for some reason I haven't totally lost hope. Anyone?

[Trike]

I picked it up again yesterday for my second attempt at it and despite the "been there done that" familiarity of the tropes, I'm wading through it fairly easily. I'm not bouncing off of it the way I did the first time, so there's that.

If it hadn't been marketed as "The Next Great Thing!" (TM), I think it wouldn't be judged as harshly. After all, these sorts of juveniles used to be thick on the ground and no one disparaged them much. It was just a level you went through as you read your way up to more complex SF.

[Don]

I dunno... when I was a kid I read: Burroughs, Tolkien, Howard and Heinlein.

[Christopher]

Scott wrote:"My question is whether anyone here started out with a similar impression, but then warmed to the book after reading further."

I had this reaction too when starting out the book. But it gets a lot better, so I'd recommend to continue with an open mind. This book ended up being one of my all time favorites. I guess it's not your typical SF reads, the writing style reminds more of modern fantasy.

[Trike]

Don wrote: "I dunno... when I was a kid I read: Burroughs, Tolkien, Howard and Heinlein."

Yeah, juveniles.

[Bonnie]

100 pages in. I didn't know it was a YA or YA-like; book was in regular SF section at the store. (Upon reading this thread I see many people have same impression.)

Now I've started checking things off mentally against "The Hunger Games": 16, lost a parent, totalitarian society, oppressed peoples catalogued in groups of colors/numbers, protagonist (P) is in poorest group (low red/district 12), certain dance/song is against the law bc signifies rebellion, P sees Upside/Capital and is angered by extreme inequalities (I am too!), P is putty in the hands of adults who transforms P according to norms and needs young P does not understand... would prefer to be swept up in story rather than cataloging.

I was sad when I started thinking "Does the guy have to be 16? Couldn't he be 20, 24?" And start analyzing whether a teenager would do X; would a teenager in a society where they get married off and Work at 14 would do x; He certainly wouldn't have said X, does this mean it is written as narrative from when he is old, looking back? But if so why in in present tense? Etc.

I was hoping for a nice update on "Red Mars" I guess, with castes and slaves. I intend to finish it, just disappointed so far.

[Bonnie]

Jeezzle wrote: " The Reds live in a place that could not exist because how could it?"

Why could it not exist? Do you mean physically (mines on Mars), or anthropological-ly, or economically ... ?

[Kim]

Bonnie wrote: "book was in regular SF section at the store."

I find more and more the regular Sci-Fi and Fantasy sections at my local store are merging with the Teen Sci-Fi and Fantasy sections. It's a problem because they'll reduce it down to one section and then it will all be YA and no room for anything else :(

[Carl]

FYI it's dropped to 99p on Kindle today in the UK if you were considering joining this group read.

[Chris]

I am reading it now. It is definitely inspired by The Hunger Games and Ender's Game. Nothing wrong with that, but I think I have a higher bar for how well the author fleshes out the template.

[Aiden (The Book Scourge)]

I gave it a go earlier this year, managed to read 50 pages before throwing in the towel. Honestly, it felt like I read this before. I'll probably give it another chance, but I think I'm pushing my luck here.

[Don]

I guess if you read "Red rising" before anything else...meh, it might be okay. It just reminds me of a Novel done with refrigerator word magnets.

[Olivia]

The first book is solid... the second book however really takes off and becomes its own thing.

[Don]

Dear Trike, I view Tolkien as Literature which transcends a Juvenile label. Burroughs, Heinlein... juvenile yes.

[odedo1]

I also got Red Rising for free as an Audio book but it was the second of the trilogy so instantly I bought the other two, and then the bomb fell on me when I started listening to the first because the narrator is from Scotland or Ireland and the accent was so strong that I really couldn't understand at least a couple of words per sentence, it was so bad that I was getting ready to return the books but just then I started understanding the accent and on top of that it got really really good!
So good that within one week I finished all 3.
I totally recommend sticking with this trilogy it's so different from what we are used to ( that when we buy a book we usually know what to expect ), not here this writer redefined SiFi or added something new to it!
EXCELLENT TRILOGY !

[Jen]

Started reading this last night, seems like it'll be quick and easy. Reminds me of Hunger Games and Maze Runner.

[Julian]

I'm on page 17, not a bad read so far. I guess ill have to keep reading before I have a solid opinion...

[Meagan]

I bought this on my kindle for $2.99 and could only make it to 8%. Idk how many pages that is, but not very many. The tone was off. The writing felt preachy and forced. I liked the idea. It was like a bridge between the present world and the world of Leviathan Wakes. But it just did not grab me. I can't see myself finishing it.

[Melanie, the neutral party]

It does pick up not too far in, and eventually gets quite exciting and suspenseful. However Leviathan Wakes has MUCH better world and character building.

[Olivia]

I couldn't stand Leviathan Wakes because of Holden. He just made the book such a hard read, but I loved Darren!

[aPriL does feral sometimes]

Miller was my favorite in Leviathan Wakes. Yes, I did seem to pick what turned out to be terrible bad boyfriends most of my life.

: (

[Ellen]

Just starting this. I'm a bit behind