Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: Angst ridden dystopian that follows one girl’s terrible journey to find her brother. The writing style takes a little time to get used to but it fits the story perfectly.Opening Sentence: Lugh got born first.Review:Blood Red Road is a dark and terrifying dystopian set in a distant future where humans are few and far between. Saba, her twin brother Lugh, her father and her “horrible” sister live on the edge of Silverlake. The lake has long since dried up but her father doesn’t want to leave. Saba’s world is turned upside down when Lugh discusses leaving. Unfortunately he drops this bomb on Saba just minutes before he is attacked and taken away by a group of strangers who want him because of the significance of his birthdate.Saba can’t live without her brother so she embarks on a journey to save him. She is forced to take her younger sister with her as she begins her journey, much to Saba’s dismay. Saba has been taught to distrust people in the world around her, especially places where there are lots of people, so it seems quite strange when she tries to be friendly towards some people who are traveling to where she wants to go. Things for Saba just go downhill from there and just when you think things can’t get any worse for Saba they do.The bleak nature of Saba’s travels underscore how desolate and alone she is in this world. It really shows how terrible people can be even as Saba learns the kindness of strangers, that she doesn’t have do to everything herself. Saba has a strange nature. She has a crazy love towards her brother (if she hadn’t met the mysterious Jack that she finds herself attracted too, I would almost say it could be incestuous what she feels for her brother) while she unduly treats her sister like trash. There are more times I felt sorry for her sister than I did for Saba but she had to be tough if she was going to survive to save her brother. In the end Saba learns some life lessons, good and bad, that transformed her outlook on life.Saba is the narrator for Blood Red Road. She is uneducated and lives away from most human interaction so she has a strange way of talking (*see notable scene below*). Also, there is absolutely no use of quotation marks when someone is talking. It does take a little bit to get used to but this style really fits this dystopian world and how Saba would really talk and think. Once I got used to the style I could clearly see this world and I was engulfed in Saba’s trials and tribulations.If you like your novels with emotional turmoil and constantly wonder “how is she going to get out of this mess?” Blood Red Road, the first novel in the Dust Lands Trilogy is for you. I can’t wait to learn more about Jack and the next step in Saba’s journey. Thankfully I don’t have to wait long, Rebel Heart is available now!Notable Scene:He hurries to finish with Emmi, then moves over to me. Whaddya mean, she killed the last one, I whisper. What last one?He don’t reply. I try to make him catch my eye, but he won’t, he jest stares down at the bowl. His face is shiney with sweat an the spoon trembles in his hand. Fer the first time, I notice his hands an wrists is covered all over with ugly purple burn scars. Like somebody’s gone at ‘em with a hot poker.So that’s what she means when she says she’ll give him the burn. That’s what she does when he crosses her. He ain’t gonna help us. He’s too terrified.We’re on our own.An I feel calm.It seems crazy, seein how we’re both chained hand an foot an there ain’t a soul to help us, but I’m calm. Because now I see what I gotta do. An what I ain’t gotta do, which is waste time thinkin that anybody’s gonna help us. That somebody’s gonna come along an rescue us. I cain’t count on nobody but me.So what I gotta do now is watch. An learn. An think. An plan. I’m gonna make sure we stay alive, Emmi an me. I’ll do whatever it takes. I’ll do what the hellhag tells me.But I’ll be watchin an waitin. An when the time comes, when it’s the right moment to make a move, I’ll be ready. I’ll know what to do an I’ll git us outta here.FTC Advisory: Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster provided me with a copy of Blood Read Road. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Show lessReview courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: Angst ridden dystopian that follows one girl’s terrible journey to find her brother. The writing style takes a little time to get used to but it fits the story perfectly.Opening Sentence: Lugh got born first.Review:Blood Red Road is a dark and terrifying dystopian set in a distant future where humans are few and far between. Saba, her twin brother Lugh, her father and her “horrible” sister live on the edge of Silverlake. The lake has long since dried up but her father doesn’t want to leave. Saba’s world is turned upside down when Lugh discusses leaving. Unfortunately he drops this bomb on Saba just minutes before he is attacked and taken away by a group of strangers who want him because of the significance of his birthdate.Saba can’t live without her brother so she embarks on a journey to save him. She is forced to take her younger sister with her as she begins her journey, much to Saba’s dismay. Saba has been taught to distrust people in the world around her, especially places where there are lots of people, so it seems quite strange when she tries to be friendly towards some people who are traveling to where she wants to go. Things for Saba just go downhill from there and just when you think things can’t get any worse for Saba they do.The bleak nature of Saba’s travels underscore how desolate and alone she is in this world. It really shows how terrible people can be even as Saba learns the kindness of strangers, that she doesn’t have do to everything herself. Saba has a strange nature. She has a crazy love towards her brother (if she hadn’t met the mysterious Jack that she finds herself attracted too, I would almost say it could be incestuous what she feels for her brother) while she unduly treats her sister like trash. There are more times I felt sorry for her sister than I did for Saba but she had to be tough if she was going to survive to save her brother. In the end Saba learns some life lessons, good and bad, that transformed her outlook on life.Saba is the narrator for Blood Red Road. She is uneducated and lives away from most human interaction so she has a strange way of talking (*see notable scene below*). Also, there is absolutely no use of quotation marks when someone is talking. It does take a little bit to get used to but this style really fits this dystopian world and how Saba would really talk and think. Once I got used to the style I could clearly see this world and I was engulfed in Saba’s trials and tribulations.If you like your novels with emotional turmoil and constantly wonder “how is she going to get out of this mess?” Blood Red Road, the first novel in the Dust Lands Trilogy is for you. I can’t wait to learn more about Jack and the next step in Saba’s journey. Thankfully I don’t have to wait long, Rebel Heart is available now!Notable Scene:He hurries to finish with Emmi, then moves over to me. Whaddya mean, she killed the last one, I whisper. What last one?He don’t reply. I try to make him catch my eye, but he won’t, he jest stares down at the bowl. His face is shiney with sweat an the spoon trembles in his hand. Fer the first time, I notice his hands an wrists is covered all over with ugly purple burn scars. Like somebody’s gone at ‘em with a hot poker.So that’s what she means when she says she’ll give him the burn. That’s what she does when he crosses her. He ain’t gonna help us. He’s too terrified.We’re on our own.An I feel calm.It seems crazy, seein how we’re both chained hand an foot an there ain’t a soul to help us, but I’m calm. Because now I see what I gotta do. An what I ain’t gotta do, which is waste time thinkin that anybody’s gonna help us. That somebody’s gonna come along an rescue us. I cain’t count on nobody but me.So what I gotta do now is watch. An learn. An think. An plan. I’m gonna make sure we stay alive, Emmi an me. I’ll do whatever it takes. I’ll do what the hellhag tells me.But I’ll be watchin an waitin. An when the time comes, when it’s the right moment to make a move, I’ll be ready. I’ll know what to do an I’ll git us outta here.FTC Advisory: Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster provided me with a copy of Blood Read Road. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
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In short: Blood Red Road by Moira Young was an entirely engrossing and exciting read with emotionally gorgeous writing and a fiercely strong heroine.I was completely and utterly ENRAPTURED while reading Blood Red Road, more than any other book I've read this year. The unique writing style, the memorable and charming characters, the intriguing and enigmatic world - every aspect of Blood Red Road grabbed me instantly and did not let go until the very end. I loved loved LOVED Blood Red Road and would have no trouble including it among my favourite all-time reads. Within this gritty and barren post-apocalyptic desert wasteland of a world, with its frequent sandstorms and violent cage fights, emerges a FIERCE heroine on an epic journey to save her brother.Blood Red Road is written in an uneducated dialect with no quotation marks. Some people might be turned off by the style of writing, at least in the beginning. But I thought it had personality. I felt the sparse prose really contributed to Saba's voice and the novel's atmosphere - it really brought the book to life! This flow of consciousness type of writing seems to have the effect of making the writing flow quickly as well as enabling the reader to truly FEEL what Saba goes through, making for a very fast-paced and emotional read. Moira Young may be a debut author, but girl can WRITE!Saba has a laundry list of flaws as a character: she's bull-headed, selfish, and harsh. Not particularly likeable, at least at first. But over the course of Blood Red Road we get to see another side of her: fiercely loyal and determined and somehow also sensitive and vulnerable. And FEISTY! Her desperate plight to save her beloved brother, her fortitude in the cage fighting arena, her strongly protective nature towards those that she loves, and her faithfulness to her friends and family all endeared her to me immediately.In fact, all the characters, both primary and secondary, are pretty amazing and I loved seeing Saba interact with them. The romance between Saba and Jack is just - OH SWOON! The romantic tension and banter was just perfect. They worked as a great counterbalance to one another and were never afraid to stand up to each other. But I think I may have enjoyed the growth in the relationship between Saba and her younger sister, Emmi, even more, as their relationship grows from a place of disdain to one of respect.It really is no surprise Blood Red Road resonated with me so strongly considering it has a lot of elements in common with my favourite non-Harry Potter series, the Chaos Walking trilogy: stream of consciousness style of writing, a loveable animal pal, and an uneducated and ill-tempered protagonist who is hard to like initially, but grows into a strong-willed and persevering character that you can't help but root for. I HIGHLY recommend Blood Red Road to anyone looking for a unique and surprising story with strong characters and exquisite writing. The sequel, Rebel Heart, will be released October 30, 2012.
Show lessIn short: Blood Red Road by Moira Young was an entirely engrossing and exciting read with emotionally gorgeous writing and a fiercely strong heroine.I was completely and utterly ENRAPTURED while reading Blood Red Road, more than any other book I've read this year. The unique writing style, the memorable and charming characters, the intriguing and enigmatic world - every aspect of Blood Red Road grabbed me instantly and did not let go until the very end. I loved loved LOVED Blood Red Road and would have no trouble including it among my favourite all-time reads. Within this gritty and barren post-apocalyptic desert wasteland of a world, with its frequent sandstorms and violent cage fights, emerges a FIERCE heroine on an epic journey to save her brother.Blood Red Road is written in an uneducated dialect with no quotation marks. Some people might be turned off by the style of writing, at least in the beginning. But I thought it had personality. I felt the sparse prose really contributed to Saba's voice and the novel's atmosphere - it really brought the book to life! This flow of consciousness type of writing seems to have the effect of making the writing flow quickly as well as enabling the reader to truly FEEL what Saba goes through, making for a very fast-paced and emotional read. Moira Young may be a debut author, but girl can WRITE!Saba has a laundry list of flaws as a character: she's bull-headed, selfish, and harsh. Not particularly likeable, at least at first. But over the course of Blood Red Road we get to see another side of her: fiercely loyal and determined and somehow also sensitive and vulnerable. And FEISTY! Her desperate plight to save her beloved brother, her fortitude in the cage fighting arena, her strongly protective nature towards those that she loves, and her faithfulness to her friends and family all endeared her to me immediately.In fact, all the characters, both primary and secondary, are pretty amazing and I loved seeing Saba interact with them. The romance between Saba and Jack is just - OH SWOON! The romantic tension and banter was just perfect. They worked as a great counterbalance to one another and were never afraid to stand up to each other. But I think I may have enjoyed the growth in the relationship between Saba and her younger sister, Emmi, even more, as their relationship grows from a place of disdain to one of respect.It really is no surprise Blood Red Road resonated with me so strongly considering it has a lot of elements in common with my favourite non-Harry Potter series, the Chaos Walking trilogy: stream of consciousness style of writing, a loveable animal pal, and an uneducated and ill-tempered protagonist who is hard to like initially, but grows into a strong-willed and persevering character that you can't help but root for. I HIGHLY recommend Blood Red Road to anyone looking for a unique and surprising story with strong characters and exquisite writing. The sequel, Rebel Heart, will be released October 30, 2012.
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"My time's nearly up... Listen. I dunno what happens after this.I could only see glimpses. But they're gonna need you, Saba. Lugh and Emmi. An there'll be others too. Many others. Don't give in to fear. Be strong, like I know you are. An never give up, d'you unnerstand, never. No matter what happens." In a far-distant post-apocalyptic future, Saba has grown up with her twin brother Lugh and little sister Emmi. Their mother died during Emmi's birth, and their father hasn't been right ever since. In the desolate landscape of Silverlake, the family struggles to survive alone. When four horsemen arrive in a red dust storm and kidnap Lugh, their father dies in the struggle, leaving Saba to track Lugh with little Emmi in tow. It's an epic hero's journey, with battles to be won and friends to be found, and a rescue mission like no other I can recall. Lugh is going to be the main event at a ritual sacrifice for the insane king, and in order to save him Saba joins the revolution aiming to overthrow the government. Along the way, she's working really hard at not falling in love with Jack, who seems to be in the way and absolutely bent on helping all at the same time. This is a powerful book: there are no doormat girls here. This is the kind of Mad Max place where if you're weak, you die. Period. Saba and the revolutionary women known as the Free Hawks are tough as nails, and Emmi's not far behind (for such a little thing). There are cage fights and prison breaks! The most difficult part of getting into the book is Saba's voice: she is illiterate and her dialect takes some getting used to, but once you do, you won't be able to imagine the story coming through any other way. Saba is a flawed hero, who resents her sister's needs (and the fact that she's the reason they have no mother), and who makes mistakes. But she never, ever gives up and she is absolutely single-minded about getting her brother back. Can't wait to see what happens in the next book! 8th grade and up.
Show less"My time's nearly up... Listen. I dunno what happens after this.I could only see glimpses. But they're gonna need you, Saba. Lugh and Emmi. An there'll be others too. Many others. Don't give in to fear. Be strong, like I know you are. An never give up, d'you unnerstand, never. No matter what happens." In a far-distant post-apocalyptic future, Saba has grown up with her twin brother Lugh and little sister Emmi. Their mother died during Emmi's birth, and their father hasn't been right ever since. In the desolate landscape of Silverlake, the family struggles to survive alone. When four horsemen arrive in a red dust storm and kidnap Lugh, their father dies in the struggle, leaving Saba to track Lugh with little Emmi in tow. It's an epic hero's journey, with battles to be won and friends to be found, and a rescue mission like no other I can recall. Lugh is going to be the main event at a ritual sacrifice for the insane king, and in order to save him Saba joins the revolution aiming to overthrow the government. Along the way, she's working really hard at not falling in love with Jack, who seems to be in the way and absolutely bent on helping all at the same time. This is a powerful book: there are no doormat girls here. This is the kind of Mad Max place where if you're weak, you die. Period. Saba and the revolutionary women known as the Free Hawks are tough as nails, and Emmi's not far behind (for such a little thing). There are cage fights and prison breaks! The most difficult part of getting into the book is Saba's voice: she is illiterate and her dialect takes some getting used to, but once you do, you won't be able to imagine the story coming through any other way. Saba is a flawed hero, who resents her sister's needs (and the fact that she's the reason they have no mother), and who makes mistakes. But she never, ever gives up and she is absolutely single-minded about getting her brother back. Can't wait to see what happens in the next book! 8th grade and up.
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