Reviews with content warning for Bullying - Red Queen

While there were definitely parts of this book that were somewhat predictable - I actually predicted 2 plot twists, and screamed out "I FUCKING KNEW IT" out loud when I got to them - I thoroughly enjoyed this book!!
I read this as a buddy read with a friend of mine, and we both enjoyed elements of it. I think there were parts that went on a little longer than they needed to, but overall it was so intriguing. I loved the court intrigue, the world and abilities, and I liked the characters. So many of them are flawed and their flaws stick out to the reader.

I will note that I read this as an ebook and was SO CONFUSED how the ebook was over 800 pages but it says the actual book is less than 400. The true plot twist - there are tons of extras at the back of the ebook, like 100 pages of extras - HAHA! That was oddly the one thing I did not predict.

Anyways, I really liked this book and will definitely continue the series. Hopefully as a buddy read!

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paperbackprincess19's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging mysterious 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

3.25

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sugarchaieli's review against another edition

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adventurous dark 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

3.5

The social class differences between those with red blood and those with silver blood make for a very interesting premise. I liked the fact that the novel was faster paced, as I tend to nod off with books that take too long to get to the point or explain minor things in major detail. The characters were interesting and the twists were well executed with foreshadowing that makes me want to reread the book with my current understanding of their true goals and feelings.
Because this is the first book in the series, the focus on setting up the world and characters was wonderful; however, the characters didn't develop much in this volume, but I look forward to seeing how the end of the first book changes how certain characters perceive their world and interact with each other in the future.
This book definitely showcases the "if everyone just talked honestly and made an effort to empathize with each other, 90% of their problems would fix themselves" trope, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, and I enjoyed watching the characters trying to out-scheme each other throughout the novel.

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robin_leeann's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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mortonsspoon's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-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

3.5

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aravenclawlibraryx's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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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Finally! This book broke the reading slump that Babayaga had put me in. I was hooked on this book from the first page and I’m so mad at myself for sleeping on it for so long. It was one of those super hyped up books that I couldn’t bring myself to read at first because I didn’t want to be disappointed. I just want to scream from the rooftops about how much I love this book because in this case, the hype was so real. I already have all the books in my wishlist on Amazon, ready to be bought.

The world and world building was my favorite part. In any good dystopian novel, the world and how it’s created is a huge part of the book. If it’s not well done, then the whole book just falls apart. In this case, the world was excellent. It followed the trope of one population being poorer than the other and that population has to serve them. It’s common but it’s something I love. I love the idea of Reds and Silvers. The Silver powers were super interesting and I wouldn't mind reading a book about the genealogy of Silvers. It’s so fascinating that there could be a multitude of different powers.

I got Hunger Games vibes from Red Queen but it was still it’s own story. Mare was a great MC and reminded me of Katniss in a way. She was a realistic teenager with mood swings and indecisiveness. I’m interested to see how she is going to grow as the series progresses. Plus I am so anxious to see how this love triangle goes. This is the first and probably the only time where I am loving a love triangle and can’t decide who I want the person to end up with. Guess I’ll have to read the rest of the series to find out.

Overall, this book was amazing as you might be able to tell from the review. I can't recommend it enough. If you are a lover of the dystopian genre (like me) and like the Hunger Games then this is the book for you! I guarantee that you will love this book and if you don’t, you can yell at me.

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