Reviews tagging 'Gore'

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

148 reviews

marciareadsandrescues's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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? Yes

3.75

I had to get past all the misogyny. It was annoying. Lots of derogatory "like a girl" comments.  Among other things, check the trigger warnings. It's a weird book. Good plot and interesting twist on a dystopian fight the hierarchy theme but odd.  Probably could've used a glossary. It was If hunger games (more gore), will of the many (with a less endearing MMC), Frankenstein and the avengers (just Thanos) had a baby. I'm questioning if I'm a Scifi dystopian Fantasy fan.  Maybe it's me or maybe I was expecting more because of all the hype. The character development was good but I guess I'm among the few who feel like the world building is a bit weak. The class system is well explained but not so much the why or how.  I'm glad I read it. I enjoyed much of it but it felt like a giant tossed  word salad, at times.  I'm not sure I enjoyed it enough to finish the series because I'm not sure I like Darrow all that much or that I believe he's passionate about his cause. They should've sent Eo. 

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qveenmab's review against another edition

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adventurous dark fast-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

goodman is basically a slur at this point

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auniverseinside's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75


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anni_swanilda's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional 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

3.75


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brittonmc1221's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense

2.5


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jenmarie11's review against another edition

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adventurous dark fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5


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guime's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0


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aschmitttyy's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark fast-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

4.25

Listened to the audiobook although it was LONG (took me 12 hours on 1.5x speed!). Not my usual genre but came highly recommended, and I absolutely loved it. I was rooting for the main character, Darrow, the whole time throughout his quest. I was shocked by the ending considering his feelings towards the powerful families throughout the book, so I would be curious to continue reading the series.

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qgg's review against another edition

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4.5

What I find interesting about reading YA dystopian fiction in my 40’s is the parallels that can be drawn to systemic failures in today’s society. I might not pin all of our hopes on the shoulders of one teen, but the passion and desire to shift the paradigm is pretty universal in new generations. 

The story in Red Rising is far more complex than Hunger Games (the book this one seems most often compared to) if you ask me. Darrow has grown older than his actual years in hunger and want, but the betrayal of reality is sharp. Eo’s dream cut deep and it’s felt through the writing. He’s not confused in a love triangle for 3 books. And the systemic imbalance of power spans not a continent but a freaking solar system. The body modifications and technology are not for fashion but for brute force (plus unattainable beauty standards). 

And the institute or “school” that is referenced is unlike any seen before in YA books. This is closer to Game of Thrones—gore, piss, filth, and r*pe off scene. When “students” sometimes wear animal carcasses before battle, you can’t compare the book to others out there. 

The audiobook is truly excellent. 

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bookfulthoughts's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Magnetic and captivating ✨

“I am the spark that will set the worlds afire. I am the hammer that cracks the chains.”

I really liked this one! The story was extremely well written and interesting. The world building was excellent and extremely detailed. I was able to visualize exactly what was happening and what everyone looked like! I like that the plot was never lost in the storytelling and this book sets up for the rest of the books in the series perfectly. I do believe that I can see this book becoming a classic in the near future. I loved the concept of the color classism and how that was presented. In my opinion, that was a unique aspect of the story. I also loved that Darrow wasn’t perfect! I he has many flaws but that’s what makes this book good. It gives his character room to grow and develop in complexity.

My reasoning for not giving it 5 stars. Personally, in certain parts of the book it was very reminiscent of the Hunger Games. Having inspiration is fine and I have no problem with that. I’m not sure if it's just me but some scenes felt too familiar. Another thing I took points off for was the fact that I felt like I should have been more emotionally attached to certain characters but I didn’t feel much when things happened. I felt like it was a little cold at times with other characters. Besides these issues, I really liked this book and I do plan on reading the rest of the series in the near future. 

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