March 1, 2015

"Red Queen" Review


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Book: Red Queen

Author: Victoria Aveyard

Format: Hardback

Page Count: 383

Publisher: HarperTeen

My Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis: The poverty stricken Reds are commoners, living under the rule of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers.

To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red girl from The Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change.

Mare finds herself working in the Silver Palace, at the centre of
those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control.

But power is a dangerous game. And in this world divided by blood, who will win?

     When I first saw this cover last year on "Epic Reads", I knew I had to have it. Without even reading the synopsis, I bought the book, excited to read it. Best decision of 2015 so far. This book was a fast-paced fantasy novel with a touch of romance. The world Victoria Aveyard built was absolutely stunning. In this world, there are two social classes divided by their blood, the Silvers who have powers, and the Reds who are treated like dirt. Mare Barrow is a Red but has powers, leading to the royals hiding the truth and portraying her as a long lost Silver.
      There isn't much I can say without spoiling this novel. I grew very attached to the characters. Sometimes I adored some characters, other times I wanted to kill them. Mare is a character that you just love from the start. She has an authoritative aura to her. She knows what she wants and she'll do anything to get it. She realizes the world she lives in is not at all fair and things need to change. She learns of her powers and uses her new position as a princess to help the Scarlet Guard, a group working for the advancement of Reds. With the help of her betrothed and others, Mare starts getting the power needed to finally start changing the world.
    THAT'S LITERALLY ALL I CAN SAY WITHOUT SPOILING ANYONE. IF YOU HAVE READ THE BOOK, CONTINUE, IF NOT, GO READ IT. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT.
      So glad I can talk freely now, I can' contain my excitement. Now I will be the first to admit that this book was a tad predictable and  highly similar to some other novels , such as "The Hunger Games", especially when it came to the radiated district. However, does it really matter? As long as the book is enjoyable and the author made the book on their own, that is all that matters. Writing will be similar amongst authors, and that's because a lot of people of similar ideas that they want to write about. The execution of the ideas is what makes it different. I'm sure if we look long enough, we will find books similar to "The Hunger Games" before it was written.
      First things first I need to talk about Maven.... That little shit. I knew he was shady from the start but I wanted him to be good. However, I just new that he was going to be bad. Maven just seemed to perfect and the first description of him made him seem creepy. I was really disappointed in him. Maven grew on me and I thought there would be a tiny bit of remorse in him. Nope he is a bastard just like his mom Elara. Elara is a scheming bitch. Honestly, I knew she was evil from the start, but to force her own stepson, Cal, to kill his father, her husband and the father of her own son; low blow. I knew Maven and Elara were evil, I just didn't think they were going to work together. I guess it's not a surprise that Maven turned out so messed up growing up with a power hungry mother.
      Cal... I was right about him too from the beginning. He seemed nice in the very beginning, then shady, but I always figured he would see the light. While his hand is now forced on what side he is on, I'm glad nevertheless that he is on the right side because I shipped him and Mare so much. Maven never felt right for Mare to me. Cal and Mare though... that's some chemistry. When they first kissed I had to put the book down because I was so happy.
      As for the other characters, I always though Evangeline was a bitch from the start to end, I loved Julian, and Lucas was a great Silver to me. He didn't treat Mare like shit because of the color of her blood. I was so sad when he died. I figured something bad would happen to him, but I never thought he would actually die.
      I loved how Victoria Aveyard was able to make me feel all of these different emotions. One minute I am in love with a character, the next I want to see him die a terrible death. The world she created and the tone she employed just really added to the overall greatness of this book.
      One thing that was also pretty predictable was the fact that every single plan went to hell. Sometimes I was okay with that, other times it seemed like the plan messing up really shouldn't have. What surprised me was the blowing up of the bridge. I knew it was going to happen, but the execution of it really surprised me.
      Speaking of surprising, that ending. Holy shit I knew Maven was going to be cold-hearted but to that extent... damn. He laughed while his brother and a girl he supposedly loved fought for their lives. That entire scene had me on edge. When Cal started humming the song Mare and him danced to, I almost cried because it was so emotional because he had given up all hope. The action was just so riveting and I liked the way it was written. Seriously, the way Mare was able to control that lightning storm was badass. I also was also surprised to learn there are others like Mare. I knew Shade was never dead but I never thought him and others would have powers.
      I'm excited to see what direction the next book takes. Seriously, I need that book now. Who do I kill-- I mean contact for it? This book was so good that I'm going to go into withdrawal.

FAVORITE QUOTE:
"Revolution needs a spark and even sparks burn."

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