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A review by boba_nbooks
Red Rising by Pierce Brown
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Spice Rating: 🫑 / 5 🌶️
My friend's constant badgering me to "Read Red Rising, Hope!!!" (you know who you are 😂) finally paid off, and I'm so glad she never laid off because I loved this book.
In the color-coded society of futuristic Mars, Darrow is a Red--the lowest of the low. The people who work underneath Mars' surface in order to pave the way for future generations to live on the surface. His life is a simple one, but one day he loses everything and everyone he loves. Darrow learns the Reds have been lied to for centuries, and he is one of the few people who can bring them justice. Darrow leaves behind his world and his family in order to help the right this terrible wrong. All of this leads to his complete transformation which could be his downfall.
It's really difficult to write even a short summary of Red Rising without giving away its major plot points, so I'll give some spoilers here:Learning that the Golds and all the other colors that are "higher" than the Reds have been convincing the Reds that no one is living on the surface is wild. The other colors have been living in opulence on the surface for centuries, yet they still use the Reds like cattle--they're just slaves meant to mine the substance needed to keep their world afloat. I was so fully invested in the resistance and felt Darrow's rage as he learned the truth. And that only happened in the first half of the book?! Darrow's full transformation into a Gold was fascinating and terrible. He truly lost who he was trying to infiltrate the enemy from within. The crimes and violence Darrow has to commit from there are truly insane. I can't imagine how difficult it was to remember who he truly was as he became so invested in the games (both literal and figurative) he had to play.
Long story short, I am now going to be the friend constantly badgering you to, "Read Red Rising, PLEASE!!" Pierce Brown has created an intricate world full of political, moral, and ethical dilemmas where Darrow and others have to choose what truly matters most. Red Rising brings a mirror up to our society today and asks us, "Is this really the future we want?"
My friend's constant badgering me to "Read Red Rising, Hope!!!" (you know who you are 😂) finally paid off, and I'm so glad she never laid off because I loved this book.
In the color-coded society of futuristic Mars, Darrow is a Red--the lowest of the low. The people who work underneath Mars' surface in order to pave the way for future generations to live on the surface. His life is a simple one, but one day he loses everything and everyone he loves. Darrow learns the Reds have been lied to for centuries, and he is one of the few people who can bring them justice. Darrow leaves behind his world and his family in order to help the right this terrible wrong. All of this leads to his complete transformation which could be his downfall.
It's really difficult to write even a short summary of Red Rising without giving away its major plot points, so I'll give some spoilers here:
Long story short, I am now going to be the friend constantly badgering you to, "Read Red Rising, PLEASE!!" Pierce Brown has created an intricate world full of political, moral, and ethical dilemmas where Darrow and others have to choose what truly matters most. Red Rising brings a mirror up to our society today and asks us, "Is this really the future we want?"
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Minor: Cannibalism