Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

8 reviews

wonkyfrogg's review against another edition

emotional 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Blood, Grief, and Abandonment

eefmaoam's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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

4.0

This story was different than I expected it to be, both in good and bad ways. 

I love the premise, world building, characters, and general ~vibes~. The story is pretty fast paced in the beginning, to slow down a bit after the first ~25% of the story, which gives you some to time to get used to the current situation and what has happened before that point; it really works. It’s clear from the very first chapter what this book will be about and it still manages to surprise me and not felt like a dime a dozen dystopian YA book, just going through the motions. 

However, even though the plot itself was surprising, the beginning (and also some minor plot points after that), was pretty obvious and felt a little too easy; it didn’t feel like it was the writers intention to make the reader more knowledgeable than the characters in the story, therefore not increasing tension but taking some away. This problem did let up, once the story ramped up luckily! 
Second point of ‘megh, why, otherwise this was a 5-star read’ is the weird discrepancy between the actual age of the main character and how he came across. Yes, Darrow sometimes even makes remarks about this himself, and, yes, it makes some sense in this world looking at his background, but it still irked me. Especially when

he has sex with his, also underage, wife (reading it felt pretty yucky, even if it fits the narrative)

and

when the other student, supposedly around his age and even less developed mentally then Darrow himself, start raping each other (yes, that happens in the real world as well, and I’ve read multiple books in the same genre that also discuss it, but this felt so much more jarring because of their age and the way it is discussed. And no, not in a ‘what a cruel dystopian world this is, that these things happen!!!’ kind of way)

, but also more generally it gave a bit of an ~I’m not like other people!!!~ vibe that reminded me a little bit too much of some YA troops. But, this problem has also (partially) solved itself now with him aging in the story. 

Over all I’m excited to start the second book. I’ve seen some people think that the story really gets going only during the second book, so I’m hopeful I will enjoy it even more and my icks will not rear their heads again! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Excrement, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Classism

Moderate: Gun violence, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Medical trauma, Abandonment, and War

eliaa's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark informative reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Vomit and Death of parent

beth_taggard's review against another edition

slow-paced

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

3.0

There is so much hype for this series right now — one that began ten years ago with Red Rising — and I don't get it. Maybe I'm simply over the brutal annihilation of teenagers for the sake of a better society. It's a noble goal; equality always is, but why must the young be sacrificed?

Then there is our too-perfect, enhanced main character. Yawn. Beyond the physical changes he endures to appear gold, not red (societal class is denoted by color in this world), the insinuation is that his intellect, instincts, and athletic prowess have always been this perfect. I prefer more nuance and, frankly, flaws in my main characters. 

The pacing is also off. It's a super slow slog in the beginning, though the back half did pick up the pace a little. Was this enough to save the series for me? Will I continue? At the time of this review, I Just don't know. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, War, and Classism

blackbird300's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful reflective sad 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

3.75

I’m mad that I enjoyed this so much. My biggest issue with the entire book lies with the fact that nearly every femme-presenting character introduced in the story is assaulted at some point. Yes, many of them are well developed characters, but it does not erase the fact that they were assaulted/nearly assaulted. That fact alone feels out of place in the entire plot. 
This first book belongs solidly within the YA genre. The plot moves at break neck pace, losing the reader first at the beginning, but once accustomed, it becomes easy. Certain plot points are wrapped up quickly upon being introduced, but all strings are tied at the very end. 
I’ve been wrestling with myself as to whether or not I should purchase the sequel…and my answer is a solid yes. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Blood

Minor: Rape and Sexual assault

n0elle's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

ka_ke's review against another edition

I got bored. The book is predictably dystopian. 

I’m all for rallying the people against the oppressors, I think these stories are truly important, however there has to be a way to get the point across in less pages or with faster pacing. 

Also… you can tell a hetero-cis-male wrote the series.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Medical content, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Alcohol

emilineopines's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Death of parent, and Abandonment