Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

83 reviews

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. ❤️💛

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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

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. 
 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexual violence, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

gabi_715's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cursing, Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and War

timmytunter's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Classism

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Cannibalism, and Injury/Injury detail

tracey_jamieson17's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad 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? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, and Classism

kitten_nugget's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death and Death

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Death of parent

ciecyreads's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Wow that was a lot. I feel like I got lost in the details a lot of the time. Getting confused about characters with similar names since there were so many. But it was interesting to see how Darrow grew and changed and learned, the friends he acquired, and the strategies implemented. I was a bit disappointed at tge ending. I wish he would have chose the 3rd instead to pledge loyalty to. Anyway it was an interesting story though long and complicated in the details and history 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gore, Slavery, Torture, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Animal death, Rape, Violence, Blood, and Grief

Minor: Death of parent

kathrynleereads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Red Rising will never cease to amaze me. No matter how many times I read this book, I am always left surprised and in constant awe of Pierce Brown's brilliance. There are not many writers who could fill 400 pages with near-constant strategy and incredible insight into human civilization.

In my opinion, worldbuilding is one of the most crucial elements of a good book/series, and there are no worlds better written than the Society in Red Rising.

The complexities of this world vary from the obvious (the color system), to the minute (the use of bloody instead of gory), and they are shared with the reader in a way that feels completely organic and unforced. 

And then there are the characters. 

**Spoilers Ahead**

On the one hand, Darrow is the textbook definition of morally grey, but on the other, he couldn't be more different. He has a good heart, but it is because of that good heart that he is able to commit normally heinous acts. Not once did his mind stray from his overall mission (at least not to the point of hindering his mission), even when his goals required that he sacrifice his own morals. 

I was never really a fan of Cassius. He expected respect without earning it, even while constantly disrespecting his friends in little ways. He wasn't capable of putting his goals above his personal opinions and vendettas. 

Sevro is just his own breed. Utterly perfect in every way. I'll fight anyone who says a bad word about Sevro. He deserves everything good in the world (but probably doesn't want it).

Mustang was the character through whom Brown's brilliance really shown. Her unwavering logic and strategy made her loyal in a way that wasn't blind but was genuine. She always reminds me of Annabeth Chase (another daughter of Minerva/Athena).

Pax au Telemanus. 

Such a soft heart in such a hard form.

I will never forgive Pierce Brown for what he allowed to happen to Pax. Never.

If you haven't yet read Red Rising, I suggest you sit down and start right now. It's the kind of book you'll always wished you'd read sooner. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Excrement, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, and Death of parent

mayhem9683's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Classism

Moderate: Child death, Death, Sexism, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Vomit, and Cannibalism

spatterson7's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and Classism

Minor: Animal death, Physical abuse, Self harm, Excrement, Cannibalism, and Death of parent