Scan barcode
A review by amelieraw
Red Rising by Pierce Brown
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
The premise is interesting but that's kinda it.
The first half of the book was boring and hard to get through. The sentences were choppy and weird, disrupting the flow of reading. The writing did get a bit better over the course of the book, but, personally, I am still not a fan.
My biggest issue is the use of cruelty for shock-value. I went into this series expecting savagery that is typical for survival games, as such settings produce all kinds of deranged sides humans have to offer. This includes general violence, but also brutality such as sexual assault.
However, the amount of rape in this book is astounding and made me extremely uncomfortable. It was always used for provocation and nothing else. At a certain point I simply expected the women to be victims of rape -or at least attempted SA- after being captured. And I was right every time.
Additionally, the female characters are extremely bland. They solely exist to further a male character's story; their suffering purely a plot device.
All in all, I am extremely disappointed, because I am aware of how loved the series is.
I won't continue reading.
The first half of the book was boring and hard to get through. The sentences were choppy and weird, disrupting the flow of reading. The writing did get a bit better over the course of the book, but, personally, I am still not a fan.
My biggest issue is the use of cruelty for shock-value. I went into this series expecting savagery that is typical for survival games, as such settings produce all kinds of deranged sides humans have to offer. This includes general violence, but also brutality such as sexual assault.
However, the amount of rape in this book is astounding and made me extremely uncomfortable. It was always used for provocation and nothing else. At a certain point I simply expected the women to be victims of rape -or at least attempted SA- after being captured. And I was right every time.
Additionally, the female characters are extremely bland. They solely exist to further a male character's story; their suffering purely a plot device.
All in all, I am extremely disappointed, because I am aware of how loved the series is.
I won't continue reading.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape