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verochanterelle's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
man gets extensive surgery to rebound from his wife’s death and infiltrate a boarding school
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Rape and Sexual violence
funsizedrachie's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Rape
Rape references are not graphic, but mentioned a few times.ashlyncherie's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
What do I even say? I have never read a book that made me feel this way. It is absolute perfection. I shed tears for this book and for Darrow. Pierce Brown has written an emotional masterpiece that is top of the genre. This book will feel legendary in my heart for as long as I live. ❤️💛
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Confinement, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Alcohol
gems_and_garbage's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
- One of my favorite series of all time, despite not being a Sci-Fi fan.
- Book 1 lags a bit but pacing improves after Darrow’s “transformation”
- Limited cast of female characters, and suffers from the “woman in the fridge trope,” BUT Mustang grows on you a lot.
- Sevro.
- Fantastic prose and killer one-liners
- Lacks diversity
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: War
Minor: Rape
claire_not_rebecca's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I really really enjoyed this book, the world was visceral and brutal and the characters, while not quite likable, were very interesting and multilayered. Red Rising really shines through in its understanding of power and manipulation, and in its sense of unavoidable tragedy. The main characters victories feel earned and the relationships he forms are fascinating. My only genuine complaint in the book is that I don't love the treatment of the female characters. I oftentimes felt like they were inherently written as less important and rather than the author taking that as something out protagonist could have noticed and discussed, it was all but ignored. I was also frustrated with specifically the way they were brutalized within the plotline of the book, because it was used as character development for the male characters, but not used as important or really significant in their respective B-plots. Other than that, though, I really enjoyed this book, I feel like I thought about nothing else while reading it and I will absolutely be continuing the series!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Rape, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Cannibalism
rifflerafflereads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The concept of fighting for freedom, rights, or equality is abstract and daunting. The immensity of the concept is enough to scare most into passivity. This is a story of one such person. It's an emotional, intense, dark, and violent story with heart and humor that never loses track of the origins of the story, or the main character, Darrow - one who acts for change not because he cannot accept the status quo but because the status quo has changed to something he could not accept. I believe the beginning of this book will resonate with many people for a long time; “I would have lived in peace, but my enemies brought me war.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Racism, Violence, Sexual harassment, and War
Moderate: Ableism and Rape
blueeyes's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
My mom had been telling me to read this book for a while but I was very hesitant. For one it is written by a man, and I tend to read more books written by women. I was afraid that this book would have poorly written women (and it kinda did). Also, it just didn't seem like a book I would like. It is set on Mars and I have no interest in Mars, and I do not read a ton of dystopian books. But this book surprised me.
My biggest qualm with this book is that in the first half a lot of the women where presented as tits that walk around. Like it seemed to be over sexual when it came to women. This might have been on purpose to show how the society values it women, but I think that can be shown through the actions of people, rather then what occurs in the characters head or around him (and Darrow does not view women like this so it feels unnecessary). I do not find this in the last half of the book though. The women became very fleshed out characters.
This book reminds me of the hunger games, from the game where children fight each other to music and how it can impact a revolution. This book does not shy away from what people will when they are desperate. I love how names (or rather nicknames) create a persona of someone who is larger then life. The Jackal, Reaper, and Mustang create a myth instead of a person, and I love how the nicknames relate perfectly to the characters.
I love the proctor for Hermes. They just seem so fun. Also seemed weird that the Minerva proctor did not care what happened to Mustang at the end of the book. Also love Severo. He might be my favorite.
I also liked the narrator for this book quite a bit. He used a Irish accent, which just seemed to fit the accents for the Red perfectly, and it contrasted with the accents the Gold's use so well. The end of the audio played Eo's song with music and it was really cool. I've never had an audio book do that before.
Their where so many shocking part in this book. I gasped when it was revealed Titus was a red before. Shocked when Leah was killed and Roque went missing (but I knew he wasn't dead). When Cassian stabbed Darrow. Pax's death made me gasp and cover my mouth on my bus. Like I can still hear him screaming his name while fighting people. Mustang being the Jackal's brother was shocking. But I knew she wouldn't betray Darrow cause she wants the world to change too.
I love that Darrow won the game by beating the system. He won by breaking the system and playing by his own rules. That is what is going to happen in the revolution, and I think this book does a good job at showing what could happen in the rest of the series.
Darrow and Mickeys relationship is so weird. The book has Darrow come to like him, maybe something more, but its so gross. In the end Darrow knows that Mickey is bad, but it still feels icky while listening to it.
I really did not like how women where presented in the first half of this book (like walking tits), but it surprised me as the book when on and had well rounded female characters. Mustang, Leah, Quinn, Antonia. However, this book does focus on men but I found it handed actions men can and do complete very well. Rape is a topic that comes up a lot in this book, but I think it is handed very well, which was surprising to me as I had not expected that.
My biggest qualm with this book is that in the first half a lot of the women where presented as tits that walk around. Like it seemed to be over sexual when it came to women. This might have been on purpose to show how the society values it women, but I think that can be shown through the actions of people, rather then what occurs in the characters head or around him (and Darrow does not view women like this so it feels unnecessary). I do not find this in the last half of the book though. The women became very fleshed out characters.
This book reminds me of the hunger games, from the game where children fight each other to music and how it can impact a revolution. This book does not shy away from what people will when they are desperate. I love how names (or rather nicknames) create a persona of someone who is larger then life. The Jackal, Reaper, and Mustang create a myth instead of a person, and I love how the nicknames relate perfectly to the characters.
I love the proctor for Hermes. They just seem so fun. Also seemed weird that the Minerva proctor did not care what happened to Mustang at the end of the book. Also love Severo. He might be my favorite.
I also liked the narrator for this book quite a bit. He used a Irish accent, which just seemed to fit the accents for the Red perfectly, and it contrasted with the accents the Gold's use so well. The end of the audio played Eo's song with music and it was really cool. I've never had an audio book do that before.
Their where so many shocking part in this book. I gasped when it was revealed Titus was a red before. Shocked when Leah was killed and Roque went missing (but I knew he wasn't dead). When Cassian stabbed Darrow. Pax's death made me gasp and cover my mouth on my bus. Like I can still hear him screaming his name while fighting people. Mustang being the Jackal's brother was shocking. But I knew she wouldn't betray Darrow cause she wants the world to change too.
I love that Darrow won the game by beating the system. He won by breaking the system and playing by his own rules. That is what is going to happen in the revolution, and I think this book does a good job at showing what could happen in the rest of the series.
Darrow and Mickeys relationship is so weird. The book has Darrow come to like him, maybe something more, but its so gross. In the end Darrow knows that Mickey is bad, but it still feels icky while listening to it.
I really did not like how women where presented in the first half of this book (like walking tits), but it surprised me as the book when on and had well rounded female characters. Mustang, Leah, Quinn, Antonia. However, this book does focus on men but I found it handed actions men can and do complete very well. Rape is a topic that comes up a lot in this book, but I think it is handed very well, which was surprising to me as I had not expected that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexual violence, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
wifi_bifi's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Minor: Cannibalism
queerhoneybear's review against another edition
Main character is unsympathetic, feels like it is fanfiction about someone else’s world building. Sexual violence. It wants you to think it’s dark and edgy but is just another white mans chance to be the chosen one and inflict violence on the female characters
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Body horror and Cannibalism
jessi825grace's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and War
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Medical content, Cannibalism, Murder, and Classism
Minor: Cursing