ameschreiber's review against another edition
5.0
I really, really loved this book. Post-apocalyptic fiction, with some slight hints at romance. Very good. Saba's tough from the get-go, and Jack is no weak Peeta. I'm really looking forward to the next book in this series!
sarahannkateri's review against another edition
3.0
18-year-old Saba, her twin brother Lugh, her younger sister Emmi, and their father live in isolation beside a dying lake. Their only contact with the outside world has been an occasional visit from a trader or a distant neighbor, until the day four hooded horsemen arrive, killing Saba's father and kidnapping Lugh. Feeling like her heart has been ripped in two, Saba vows to find Lugh and bring him home, setting off on a quest across deserts and mountains, and through the most dangerous parts of a society she didn't even know existed.
The plot was interesting, although it had quite a few holes and too many deux ex machina and 'duh' moments. Unlike other reviewers, I didn't mind the sparse prose or the dialect.
However, I really disliked Blood Red Road's portrayal of relationships. Saba and Jack's romance felt ripped from the pages of a cheap Harlequin romance - it fell victim to what I refer to as the 'Fated to Do It' Cop Out - and I found the 'sisters-in-arms' camaraderie between Saba and the Free Hawks to be way too compressed and forced. Practically everyone Saba encountered along her quest wanted to immediately drop everything and join her, and though I was told (not shown, incidentally) that they had their own motivations for doing so, I never really bought it, especially once it got to the cheesy "we're your friends, and so we're going to stick by you no matter what" moment. Really? You've known each other for a grand total of two weeks and you're already willing to give up your life because you're totally BFFs? Riiiiight... Saba's resentful, love-hate relationship with Emmi was better, but even that felt over-the-top; it was more like how a 13-year-old would act towards a younger sibling than an 18-year-old.
Maybe my hopes were too high for this one because I saw so many good reviews. Maybe I'm just tired of dystopias. Maybe it just wasn't the book for me at this time. Whatever the reason, I didn't love it. It was a decent book though, and teen girls who want something Hunger Gamesy or with strong female characters will probably be satisfied with it.
The plot was interesting, although it had quite a few holes and too many deux ex machina and 'duh' moments. Unlike other reviewers, I didn't mind the sparse prose or the dialect.
However, I really disliked Blood Red Road's portrayal of relationships. Saba and Jack's romance felt ripped from the pages of a cheap Harlequin romance - it fell victim to what I refer to as the 'Fated to Do It' Cop Out - and I found the 'sisters-in-arms' camaraderie between Saba and the Free Hawks to be way too compressed and forced. Practically everyone Saba encountered along her quest wanted to immediately drop everything and join her, and though I was told (not shown, incidentally) that they had their own motivations for doing so, I never really bought it, especially once it got to the cheesy "we're your friends, and so we're going to stick by you no matter what" moment. Really? You've known each other for a grand total of two weeks and you're already willing to give up your life because you're totally BFFs? Riiiiight... Saba's resentful, love-hate relationship with Emmi was better, but even that felt over-the-top; it was more like how a 13-year-old would act towards a younger sibling than an 18-year-old.
Maybe my hopes were too high for this one because I saw so many good reviews. Maybe I'm just tired of dystopias. Maybe it just wasn't the book for me at this time. Whatever the reason, I didn't love it. It was a decent book though, and teen girls who want something Hunger Gamesy or with strong female characters will probably be satisfied with it.
coletters's review against another edition
5.0
So good. Another book that doesn't use quotation marks during dialogue, and they all speak like they belong in the deep south (I was jest so afeard you were gonna die) but you get used to it.
But the story was great. I can see why people think it's better than the Hunger Games, but the stories aren't as similar as the reviews make them out to be. Yes, what happens in The Cage at Hopetown is a little dog eat dog fighting style, and pits young people against each other, but the loser isn't killed by the other fighter - they are basically ripped apart by the spectators.
I can't wait to go out and buy the next book! Need to wait until number three comes out in paperback.
But the story was great. I can see why people think it's better than the Hunger Games, but the stories aren't as similar as the reviews make them out to be. Yes, what happens in The Cage at Hopetown is a little dog eat dog fighting style, and pits young people against each other, but the loser isn't killed by the other fighter - they are basically ripped apart by the spectators.
I can't wait to go out and buy the next book! Need to wait until number three comes out in paperback.
goodbetterbetsy's review against another edition
5.0
I have to say, the first few pages of this book did not grab me. I really didn't like the way the characters spoke. I'm a sucker for grammar and spelling. However, I was soon able to overlook all of that because the story was super cool. Saba really is one of the most annoying and stubborn characters ever written, but she's completely awesome. This is one of those books where I'm content with the end (and I'm pretty sure it's a stand alone) but I kind of wish we could keep following the characters to see how their lives turn out as they grow up. Loved it! Definitely deserving of all the glowing reviews I've read.
paradoxically's review against another edition
3.0
I don't really understand why people seem to like this book so much. It's a decent enough dystopian YA, but nothing about it blew me away. Part of the reason may be because of the dialect--I absolutely cannot stand how Saba and the rest talk in this book. Seeing as the book is all in her words, it's written like how she talks as well, which drives me up a wall.
As far as I can tell, the only thing truly special about the book is the way it's written--a minimalistic, rough sort of voice that matches Saba's character. In that way, I think the author succeeded, but I think if you aren't all that fond of Saba's voice... well, this book will be a flop. I actually don't mind Saba. She's her own character, is pretty unrepentant about it, and this sort of rough and tumble, stubborn to a fault, and slightly unpleasant personality doesn't really bother me. The way she speaks though... Argh.
The pace is fast and there's a lot of action. That said, the action feels a bit diluted to me because of how sparse the words are. A bit like there's a barrier between myself and what I'm reading that doesn't let me get into the story as much as I do other books. It's also pretty shallow. A somewhat quick, supposed to be fun read, but the convenient happenings, the way some things get glossed over because it seems easier for the author to write it like that than give a real reason--well. Overall, the book was rather flat to me. It wasn't bad. It just wasn't all that great. 3 stars.
As far as I can tell, the only thing truly special about the book is the way it's written--a minimalistic, rough sort of voice that matches Saba's character. In that way, I think the author succeeded, but I think if you aren't all that fond of Saba's voice... well, this book will be a flop. I actually don't mind Saba. She's her own character, is pretty unrepentant about it, and this sort of rough and tumble, stubborn to a fault, and slightly unpleasant personality doesn't really bother me. The way she speaks though... Argh.
The pace is fast and there's a lot of action. That said, the action feels a bit diluted to me because of how sparse the words are. A bit like there's a barrier between myself and what I'm reading that doesn't let me get into the story as much as I do other books. It's also pretty shallow. A somewhat quick, supposed to be fun read, but the convenient happenings, the way some things get glossed over because it seems easier for the author to write it like that than give a real reason--well. Overall, the book was rather flat to me. It wasn't bad. It just wasn't all that great. 3 stars.
syd_nanez's review against another edition
5.0
This book hit every single one of my buttons.
A MILLION STARS.
A MILLION STARS.
replay's review
3.0
At first the writing style—first person, written in some weird, vaguely southern(?) accent—is what interested me, then it got a little annoying, and then I got over it.
Saba is a dystopian heroine with poor social skills (albeit from living secluded in the desert) and a twin brother who is the aesthetic ~polar opposite~ from her. She also has some a nasty hatred for her younger sister, which is frustrating to read for half of the book.
She's on a mission when suddenly, she's kidnapped, forced into cage fighting, encounters some weird Louis XIV impersonator who has declared himself king of a world that, since we are reading from Saba's point of view, we don't know much about (and never do, actually find out), and finally some mutant "wurms" of sorts. There's also a romance that I find to be pretty corny(the only word I can think for it: smug, cocky, dreamboat guy, but alas he's got a heart under those moonlight silver eyes!!11!!!, and wouldn't you know, this "magic" heartstone, the only "magic" in the entire story, heats up whenever he's around)
All that being said, I've read worse books, definitely read worse dystopian. The story was interesting enough that I finished the book and wondered what was going to happen next. However, I'm not tempted to read the sequels.
Saba is a dystopian heroine with poor social skills (albeit from living secluded in the desert) and a twin brother who is the aesthetic ~polar opposite~ from her. She also has some a nasty hatred for her younger sister, which is frustrating to read for half of the book.
She's on a mission when suddenly, she's kidnapped, forced into cage fighting, encounters some weird Louis XIV impersonator who has declared himself king of a world that, since we are reading from Saba's point of view, we don't know much about (and never do, actually find out), and finally some mutant "wurms" of sorts. There's also a romance that I find to be pretty corny(the only word I can think for it: smug, cocky, dreamboat guy, but alas he's got a heart under those moonlight silver eyes!!11!!!, and wouldn't you know, this "magic" heartstone, the only "magic" in the entire story, heats up whenever he's around)
All that being said, I've read worse books, definitely read worse dystopian. The story was interesting enough that I finished the book and wondered what was going to happen next. However, I'm not tempted to read the sequels.
saluki's review against another edition
4.0
It took me a short while to get used to reading the dialect, and the lack of speech punctuation, it's written in; but that style also helped give these characters a realistic voice too.
I'll be picking up the sequel Rebel Heart not just for the main characters, but more out of curiosity for two minor characters. And, one is a crow! Yes, Nero is a smart crow and I'm sure there is more to him. Also, without spoilers, a bad-ass character DeMalo is a total enigma... I want to find out more about him.
Totally different to what I expected. There were a few moments when things got tied up too improbably or easily, but it was still a solid and entertaining dystopian tale.
I'll be picking up the sequel Rebel Heart not just for the main characters, but more out of curiosity for two minor characters. And, one is a crow! Yes, Nero is a smart crow and I'm sure there is more to him. Also, without spoilers, a bad-ass character DeMalo is a total enigma... I want to find out more about him.
Totally different to what I expected. There were a few moments when things got tied up too improbably or easily, but it was still a solid and entertaining dystopian tale.