hannahrita27's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
sabi_isus's review against another edition
5.0
It was a re-read BUT PLS IT WAS JUST AS AMAZING AS I KNEW IT. The story is very well structured and the slow movement of the action just make it more enjoyable
1) THE ACTION
LET ME TELL YOUU... This book made me cry, made me scream at 3 AM in thr morning at every touch between Mare and Cal or Mare and Maven. The whole creation fulled all the gaps in in and just explained everthing I wanted to know. BUT LUCAS BROKE MY HEART. The man was SO SWEET AND KIND but he fel awful when Mare(kinda) betrayed him. He didn't deserve it
1) THE ACTION
LET ME TELL YOUU... This book made me cry, made me scream at 3 AM in thr morning at every touch between Mare and Cal or Mare and Maven. The whole creation fulled all the gaps in in and just explained everthing I wanted to know. BUT LUCAS BROKE MY HEART. The man was SO SWEET AND KIND but he fel awful when Mare(kinda) betrayed him. He didn't deserve it
patriciapluggedin's review against another edition
4.0
I have heard a lot about debut novelist Victoria Aveyard’s Red Queen success and color me curious but yes, I read this one out of sheer curiosity. In all honesty, the premise did not really appeal to me. In my mind, I can list other novels which more or less share an almost similar setting. But what kept me reading was the writing, the plot, the characters and how they were all created, all carefully thought of and each one made to play an important role in this tale of power and betrayal.
There’s just a lot of elements which made me think that I’ve seen or read about it before. Red Queen reminds me so much of Game of Thrones, while Mare Barrow seems like a bit of a crossover between Katniss Everdeen and Tris Prior, while the Silver and their abilities felt like something from the Xmen movies.
Red Queen is the story of bloodlines and privileges; how one’s blood color determines his/her place and role in the world. Mare Barrow is a Red who felt the hardships of being one. Life was hard and unfair. With three brothers sent to war and her closest friend to be sent too, Mare was getting desperate. A series of events led her to the palace, among people she has hated her whole life and discovered that she might not be so normal after all. What follows is a succession of new discoveries, plots and schemes to fight for freedom and equality. There’s a love story, which for me was a bit underdeveloped and whole lot of action, twists and revelations.
This novel was written smoothly and I can just imagine the mental effort and creative juices spent to create this masterpiece. Though there were times when I felt like the story was just dragging me, there were scenes which will pull me straight back in. I love the setting and how the author made me feel and see how it is to be a Silver and a Red. I enjoyed reading about the characters and how deep their love, hatred, depravity and evil go.
It was entertaining at most but to say that it stayed with me, not so muc
There’s just a lot of elements which made me think that I’ve seen or read about it before. Red Queen reminds me so much of Game of Thrones, while Mare Barrow seems like a bit of a crossover between Katniss Everdeen and Tris Prior, while the Silver and their abilities felt like something from the Xmen movies.
Red Queen is the story of bloodlines and privileges; how one’s blood color determines his/her place and role in the world. Mare Barrow is a Red who felt the hardships of being one. Life was hard and unfair. With three brothers sent to war and her closest friend to be sent too, Mare was getting desperate. A series of events led her to the palace, among people she has hated her whole life and discovered that she might not be so normal after all. What follows is a succession of new discoveries, plots and schemes to fight for freedom and equality. There’s a love story, which for me was a bit underdeveloped and whole lot of action, twists and revelations.
This novel was written smoothly and I can just imagine the mental effort and creative juices spent to create this masterpiece. Though there were times when I felt like the story was just dragging me, there were scenes which will pull me straight back in. I love the setting and how the author made me feel and see how it is to be a Silver and a Red. I enjoyed reading about the characters and how deep their love, hatred, depravity and evil go.
It was entertaining at most but to say that it stayed with me, not so muc
raemelle's review against another edition
2.0
Call it 2.5 stars. A relatively entertaining read, but it lacks a lot. You can tell the author is a bit of an amateur, and I think there is a chance for her to get better. There is potential. But for now, Red Queen is full of weak relationships, two-dimensional characters that unsuccessfully attempt to have depth, and childishly predictable scenarios. The annoying trope of the special main character with amazing hidden powers reigns in this story. Again, I think this story has potential, and it was an easy read, so I'll probably eventually try the second book. I'm not going to rush to read it, though.
rachaelvo4's review
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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
darcynicholson_'s review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
kaylabmt's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
All in all, after reading, my main takeaway, and the most important thing to say about this book is:
Fuck maven, fuck Cal. Kilhorn is where it's at.
But, in all seriousness, I expected more from this book. Like, it was good but also kind of boring, and I only really got into this book once I passed the 60% mark. But the 2nd half of the book was pretty good, and that ending??? Ugh, it made me furious. I felt so betrayed even though I knew something along what happened would happen from spoilers. I just was not expecting that. I feel like a fool was made out of me. Frick you, Maven, and especially Frick you, Elara.
Anyways...
Fuck maven, fuck Cal. Kilhorn is where it's at.
But, in all seriousness, I expected more from this book. Like, it was good but also kind of boring, and I only really got into this book once I passed the 60% mark. But the 2nd half of the book was pretty good, and that ending??? Ugh, it made me furious. I felt so betrayed even though I knew something along what happened would happen from spoilers. I just was not expecting that. I feel like a fool was made out of me. Frick you, Maven, and especially Frick you, Elara.
Anyways...
angelofthetardis's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Mare is a Red blooded girl, destined for a life of conscription into never ending warfare at the behest of the Silver blooded ruling elite. But a chance meeting, and an even more chance discovery, take her right to the centre of the Silver court and she must decide where her loyalties lie. Should she act to maintain the safety of her family and friends, or risk showing her true colours?
I have developed a real love for dystopian YA fiction, and this is certainly a series I'm looking forward to exploring further. The premise is relatively simple, and the story is very well told. It appears to be a great introduction to the world, but leaves plenty of room to build on in the next books. The characters are all well drawn and an interesting mix of personalities, the setting is vivid and clearly visible on my mind's eye, and there's a nice amount of twists and turns to keep you guessing.
That being said, the writing does lack a little depth in my opinion, particularly in the inevitable romantic element. You can clearly see what the author is trying to achieve - the choice between two brothers, and there are definitely moments that make you favour each of the boys in turn. But I didn't feel the growth of the relationships as much as I would hope, particularly given the way the book leaves off. I think the ending would have had far more impact if this element had been more fully rounded. However, there is still room for development in the rest of the series, so I haven't lost all hope just yet!
There are of course the inevitable comparisons to make with the likes of 'Divergent' and 'The Hunger Games'. Perhaps it is just me, but one of the reasons I do like this particular genre is that there is so much similarity between the stories, so it really makes the bits that are new and different shine through! I don't think this is quite on a par with the first books in the aforementioned series, simply because there is actually very little 'original' content; a lot of things have been well recycled. But I stress the word 'well' - what has been lifted and reworked fits nicely and it doesn't feel like you are just reading a rip off.
I think I'll keep reading before I commit to buying the series; the next one is already on order at the library! But a definite recommendations for a book that's an easy reading escape.
I have developed a real love for dystopian YA fiction, and this is certainly a series I'm looking forward to exploring further. The premise is relatively simple, and the story is very well told. It appears to be a great introduction to the world, but leaves plenty of room to build on in the next books. The characters are all well drawn and an interesting mix of personalities, the setting is vivid and clearly visible on my mind's eye, and there's a nice amount of twists and turns to keep you guessing.
That being said, the writing does lack a little depth in my opinion, particularly in the inevitable romantic element. You can clearly see what the author is trying to achieve - the choice between two brothers, and there are definitely moments that make you favour each of the boys in turn. But I didn't feel the growth of the relationships as much as I would hope, particularly given the way the book leaves off. I think the ending would have had far more impact if this element had been more fully rounded. However, there is still room for development in the rest of the series, so I haven't lost all hope just yet!
There are of course the inevitable comparisons to make with the likes of 'Divergent' and 'The Hunger Games'. Perhaps it is just me, but one of the reasons I do like this particular genre is that there is so much similarity between the stories, so it really makes the bits that are new and different shine through! I don't think this is quite on a par with the first books in the aforementioned series, simply because there is actually very little 'original' content; a lot of things have been well recycled. But I stress the word 'well' - what has been lifted and reworked fits nicely and it doesn't feel like you are just reading a rip off.
I think I'll keep reading before I commit to buying the series; the next one is already on order at the library! But a definite recommendations for a book that's an easy reading escape.
hohum's review against another edition
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5