Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

113 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

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!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Rape, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Cannibalism

jtredd05's review against another edition

adventurous 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

loquaciousleon's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

This book lived up to the hype.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Gore, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment

booksense's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful inspiring 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

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

driedmintleaves's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

4.75

Like the hunger games but if the MC was actually the most confident sort-of-idiot ever. Sort of homestuck. Very fun.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Genocide, and Colonisation

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