A review by dowleyrachel
Red Rising by Pierce Brown

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

4.0

I really didn’t know what I’d think about this book! I often dislike books where the protagonist has to steel themselves emotionally to fit into high society. But I think Brown did a great job writing Darrow’s internal monologue. He thus far has not lost his sense of self or where he came from. 

I’m waffling on how I feel about the cadence of the book and its intended audience. These characters are teenagers but they feel like adults. The transformation of Darrow in the beginning is quite graphic too. In terms of cadence, it felt a little quick which wasn’t what I was expecting but I think I liked? It seemed that once Darrow set his mind on taking a fortress, they’d implement the plan within a chapter or so. It kept the book riveting.
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