Reviews tagging 'Murder'

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

243 reviews

goodwillcunting's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Red Rising is a book about power, and about hope, and about all that matters to being human once everything else is made perfect. The cast is messy and complicated in a way that makes you forget who you’re rooting for. The worldbuilding is engaging, but still tethered in reality enough that it comes easily to the reader. The story is full of plot twists, unlikely alliances, and highly detailed action, and I would recommend most to read it. 0.25 stars were taken off for pacing and the other 0.25 for excessive use of the word “piss.”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Suicide attempt, Violence, War, and Death

Moderate: Cannibalism, Classism, Excrement, Grief, Toxic friendship, Body horror, Rape, and Trafficking

Minor: Alcohol, Animal death, and Death of parent

dwindch's review against another edition

adventurous tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Rape, Sexual assault, and Slavery

maziemouse's review against another edition

4.75

an appropriate read for pride month 🌈

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Rape, Suicide, Torture, Blood, War, and Violence

saskiajva's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-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

4.25

This book had me hooked from the very first chapter. I love the concept and the plot, the whacky and interesting characters you meet, and the detailed world building. It’s often formulaic but it’s a formula i love dearly. This book is fast paced, and occasionally left me wishing the author used more show-don’t-tell, however it was typically the gorier parts that weren’t shown so for many readers I imagine it’s appreciated. There were even a few key moments that happen fully off page, and as someone who loves big epics with intense battles and mind games, i was left wanting more.

Even with these faults, I ended up plowing through this in just a couple days and am excited for book 2 and 3. I highly recommend this for fans of the Hunger Games and anyone who loves world building that features the cruelest of humanity and those moments that make you go “holy shit, that’s messed up”. The audiobook narrator also does a great job, though there was at least one line i couldn’t understand what he said even after rewinding, and it was hard to tell who was talking on occasion, but overall it did not take away from my enjoyment. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death of parent, Excrement, Death, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, War, Fire/Fire injury, Rape, Grief, Murder, Blood, Classism, Torture, Violence, Body horror, Cannibalism, and Gore

Moderate: Rape and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Misogyny

has3000's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-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? Yes

4.5

Well, that was the fastest I’ve finished a book in a long time. In many ways, this has a lot of similarities to the Hunger Games. Dystopian future where young adults fight each other to the death for the entertainment of the rich, as the main character works to undermine the whole society. But in many ways this stands clearly as its own story.

It’s much more of an adult book. Not explicit, but it contains rape, murder, and mutilation. The character interactions and politics are complicated and ever-changing.

One huge point in favor of this book is that it’s across space. The story takes place centuries in the future, after mankind has colonized not just Luna and Mars, but most of the moons in the solar system.

The main character has plenty of flaws, and fights within himself to control his instincts for the sake of the better, harder path. He also grows as a person and his view of others changes from very black and white into more complex hues (if you’ll pardon the pun).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual violence

Minor: Rape

Space, rebellion, mars,

katharina90's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

2.0

I could never really get into this. It was boring, I didn't like any of the characters, and the writing/language wasn't my thing. 

I didn't care for the audiobook narration either.

Not going to pick up the sequel.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Rape, Classism, Kidnapping, Slavery, and Confinement

Minor: Ableism, Cannibalism, and Colonisation

kayadargusch's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, War, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Slavery, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Murder, and Gore

jacksonmax12's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

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

4.5

Hunger games for adults with very strong themes of class warfare. 

Pros: fast-paced but manageable, accessible sci-fi with exposition woven seamlessly into the story. 

Cons: The main character has a lot of plot armor. There is a lot of graphic violence and child death

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Sexual assault, Death, Grief, Racism, Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Police brutality, Blood, Rape, Child abuse, Child death, and Kidnapping

guessgreenleaf's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Torture, War, Classism, Slavery, Death of parent, Death, Violence, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Grief, Gore, and Murder

Minor: Rape

jordyfrombookclub's review against another edition

adventurous 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? No

5.0

A futuristic look at class warfare, set on Mars? I’m sold. I devoured this book and can’t wait to read the next one. 

A lot of reviewers note having to trudge through the start of the book. Personally, I could have gone for even more of this world-building story. You have to really experience being underground in the mines to believe our main character’s fury. The book without the first 150 or so pages would fall quite flat. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Classism, Murder, and War

Minor: Animal death