Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

27 reviews

tokiberry's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark inspiring 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

4.5

Red Rising
⤷ ⭑⭑⭑⭑.𝟱

⟢• ❝ I would have lived in peace. But my enemies brought me war. ❞

I rated this a 4.5 but I’m rounding up my rating to a 5. For some reason, it felt wrong to keep it at a 4. This book is another title I kept seeing on social media and I admit, it was more better than I expected. You’ll love to hate and hate to love characters. This was one crazy rollercoaster of emotions that kept building and building.

THE AUDIOBOOK IS AMAZING. I urge you to listen to it.

I’m not into sci-fi genres, but I can’t help but wonder what comes next after that crazy ending. I’m happy I only got into this now because I am definitely reading the next books in the series.

“You do not follow me because I am the strongest. Pax is. You do not follow me because I am the brightest. Mustang is. You follow me because you do not know where you are going. I do.” •⟢

┆ Bloodydamn.

“Break the chains, my love.”

⋆˙⟡♡

post-read: WHAT THE HECK

pre-read: i couldn't resist

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying

Minor: Alcohol

insideunder'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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A vivid young adult sci-fi dystopian novel with interesting world building and a main character who absolute goes through it. I like Darrow, especially since he has a character flaw - rage - that I find cathartic and relatable. His anger makes him impulsive and passionate, and gets him in trouble as much as it helps him. The performance of this audiobook elevated the story for me by at least one star. Wasn't sure I'd care for another War School story, but this one managed to have enough new and interesting ideas to keep me on my toes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal death, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Police brutality, Stalking, Murder, and Alcohol

Minor: Excrement and Cannibalism

erinmassey23's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Excrement, Cannibalism, and Alcohol

Minor: Trafficking

needread's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

Usually I stay away from sic-fi but I was persuaded to read this. 

And I’m glad that I did. 

It’s a very raw and real and heavy story. 

I love the concept, the dialogue, along with the clear changes characters experience. Even the inner monologues changed as time went on. Very well thought out. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Classism

Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Animal cruelty, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

hcox's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring tense slow-paced

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

3.75

This is a book to invest time in. The story is slow and detailed yet it stretches over several years. I rate it 3.75 because the pacing was inconsistent; some chapters were long winded and others skipped years in a moment. Even so, the writing is excellent and the world building is unique compared to other dystopia. There are moments where the reader can connect with the challenges the protagonist is going through, rooting for his mission and there are moments you question his morals in a shattered world. It's a reflective book on clasism and the irony of climbing to the top to bring it down.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

ashlynregan's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-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? Yes

3.5

Close enough welcome back Katniss Everdeen!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

readyforit's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense slow-paced

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

4.25

4.25⭐️0🌶️0.5💧

I can’t believe this missed me during my 2014 dystopian phase but I’m glad it found me 10 years later. I think I would’ve liked it more if I read had a copy to read while I listened, since there are a lot of fantasy-esque names to remember. I liked the narrator a lot but I had to slow it down since he has an Irish accent so I couldn’t get through it as fast as I normally do with audiobooks. The beginning was a bit slow to start, as most fantasy books are with world-building, but surprisingly it also slowed down in the middle after Darrow entered the institute. This author is really good at jerking you around with his twists and turns though I’ve never had my jaw on the floor as much as when reading this series. 

Darrow is a labor worker in the poorest class of people in the solar system, red. He and his people are told they’re making mars livable for higher classes, but we soon find out the dream has already been realized and all classes of people are living on mars, and other planets. To free his people he must become one of his enemies, a gold, and bring them down from the inside. He goes to the institute (aka hunger games for district 1 kids but somehow more brutal), where he makes friends and enemies, trying to win. We meet a lot of side characters who are all deeply fleshed out, and you either learn to love or hate.

If you liked the hunger games, divergent, or the maze runner, you’ll love this series. I’m definitely going to try listening to the graphic audio and reading along to a physical copy to see if that’s a better experience. Overall, I really liked the book and will reread! I wish this had a larger fan base for a series or movie or better fanart though, since I’m someone who has trouble picturing things in my head. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, and War

I’ve seen this labeled as YA but I wouldn’t let your kids read this, it’s really gory. I’d recommend hunger games instead

goodwillcunting's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Red Rising is a book about power, and about hope, and about all that matters to being human once everything else is made perfect. The cast is messy and complicated in a way that makes you forget who you’re rooting for. The worldbuilding is engaging, but still tethered in reality enough that it comes easily to the reader. The story is full of plot twists, unlikely alliances, and highly detailed action, and I would recommend most to read it. 0.25 stars were taken off for pacing and the other 0.25 for excessive use of the word “piss.”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Suicide attempt, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body horror, Rape, Excrement, Trafficking, Grief, Cannibalism, Toxic friendship, and Classism

Minor: Animal death, Death of parent, and Alcohol

cepbreed's review against another edition

dark tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

The adult men who make book content on TikTok dickride this book so hard I was expecting something different. Red Rising is an amazing book, but strikingly unoriginal. Tell me why this has the plot of every dystopian novel enjoyed by me and my peers in middle school. " Chosen One" attends an academy for the elite and must fit in and rise to the top. Also, a lot of the twists were similar throughout. Pierce Brown just loves parentship twists. If he wrote Harry Potter Voldemort would’ve been Harry’s dad. Not that this is real criticism, because I EAT these basics up every time, I am just so shocked no one mentions it. Still, Darrow is PEAK. What an amazing protagonist who carries the novel beyond the standard plot. You become so invested in this man and his future: his pain, his passion, everything. Sevro captured my heart too, totally unexpected. I am so eager to read the next book in the series which is insane because in the review of the last book I read, I think I mentioned how much trouble I'm having continuing series. Like I'll read the first book and love it, but for some reason can't get myself to actually start the second. Wild. Thank you Piece Brown for such a compelling novel! The world-building is so intricate I am so obsessed. Brown has really thought of everything, from the most subtle slang and habits to the obtuse. I have an urgent NEED to understand all the loose ends left at the end of this book. What will happen with Cassius?

How will Darrow's new position under the ArchGovernor affect his relationship with Mustang??? With the rest of his peers??? I am also so eager to see Roque recover and their brotherly bond.

UGH I'm just so obsessed with this series!! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Slavery, and Alcohol

Minor: Death of parent

abitterknitter's review against another edition

I just could not care enough about the characters to keep going. It was all just violence.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Vomit, and Alcohol