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A review by paperbackd
Raging Star by Moira Young
1.0
A slow, unsatisfying end to a series which began so promisingly. Blood Red Road was one of my favourite reads of 2012, and the first book I reviewed on this blog. Raging Star was one of my most anticipated new releases of 2014, but when I finally got my hands on a copy, I ended up skim reading most of the novel. The gorgeously atmospheric prose and whirlwind speed of the first book is nowhere to be found in this instalment.
One of my favourite things about this series was the emphasis on Saba developing strong, healthy relationships with her siblings, Lugh and Emmi. In Blood Red Road, Saba learned to love the sister she had previously loathed, and found self-confidence as she journeyed to rescue the brother she had previously been entirely dependent on. Thematically, Saba’s relationship with her siblings has been the driving force of the Dust Lands series, which is why Young’s ending - which dismisses the importance of their relationship and unravels Saba’s brilliant, hard-earned character development - feels cheap and meaningless. Saba’s siblings are reduced to quickly-disposed-of plot points, and with them, the heart of the series is lost.
Instead of strengthening the bond between Saba and her siblings, Young shifts focus to Saba’s complicated relationships with Jack and DeMalo. I’ve never liked the romance in this series - while Young excels at writing women, her male characters are all horribly misogynistic and their relationships with Saba are deeply problematic. DeMalo, we learn, has a fifteen-year-old son, making him likely at least twice Saba’s age. Several other older characters set their sights on our teenage heroes - including a fifteen-year-old showing interest in Saba’s ten-year-old sister - and while Young obviously doesn’t intend to romanticize these relationships, the lack of healthy comparisons is troubling.
While I still love Blood Red Road as a stand-alone novel, I honestly wouldn’t recommend continuing with the series and I doubt I’ll be reading more from this author.
Publisher: Scholastic
Rating: 1 star | ★✰✰✰✰
Review cross-posted to Paperback'd
One of my favourite things about this series was the emphasis on Saba developing strong, healthy relationships with her siblings, Lugh and Emmi. In Blood Red Road, Saba learned to love the sister she had previously loathed, and found self-confidence as she journeyed to rescue the brother she had previously been entirely dependent on. Thematically, Saba’s relationship with her siblings has been the driving force of the Dust Lands series, which is why Young’s ending - which dismisses the importance of their relationship and unravels Saba’s brilliant, hard-earned character development - feels cheap and meaningless. Saba’s siblings are reduced to quickly-disposed-of plot points, and with them, the heart of the series is lost.
Instead of strengthening the bond between Saba and her siblings, Young shifts focus to Saba’s complicated relationships with Jack and DeMalo. I’ve never liked the romance in this series - while Young excels at writing women, her male characters are all horribly misogynistic and their relationships with Saba are deeply problematic. DeMalo, we learn, has a fifteen-year-old son, making him likely at least twice Saba’s age. Several other older characters set their sights on our teenage heroes - including a fifteen-year-old showing interest in Saba’s ten-year-old sister - and while Young obviously doesn’t intend to romanticize these relationships, the lack of healthy comparisons is troubling.
While I still love Blood Red Road as a stand-alone novel, I honestly wouldn’t recommend continuing with the series and I doubt I’ll be reading more from this author.
Publisher: Scholastic
Rating: 1 star | ★✰✰✰✰
Review cross-posted to Paperback'd