Author: Moira Young
Series: #1 - Dustlands
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: June 7th, 2011
My Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0
Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The Wrecker civilization has long been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge from. That's fine by her, as long as her beloved twin brother Lugh is around. But when a monster sandstorm arrives, along with four cloaked horsemen, Saba's world is shattered. Lugh is captured, and Saba embarks on an epic quest to get him back.
Suddenly thrown into the lawless, ugly reality of the world outside of desolate Silverlake, Saba is lost without Lugh to guide her. So perhaps the most surprising thing of all is what Saba learns about herself: she's a fierce fighter, an unbeatable survivor, and a cunning opponent. And she has the power to take down a corrupt society from the inside. Teamed up with a handsome daredevil named Jack and a gang of girl revolutionaries called the Free Hawks, Saba stages a showdown that will change the course of her own civilization.
Blood Red Road has a searing pace, a poetically minimal writing style, violent action, and an epic love story. Moira Young is one of the most promising and startling new voices in teen fiction.
My Review:
Moira Young pulled one out of the hat with this book. Blood Red Road was riveting to be honest. When I first started the book, the broken language and how I guess some Americans may say it's like a redneck talking, which could be true. I thought the broken language and how Saba chooses to say and enunciate different words makes her character that much more brazen, strong, and even bold.
The world in this book is far from serene and nice, Saba is thrown into a world where her brother is kidnapped, her sister goes through pain because of what Saba does, and much more (I don't want to give spoilers away). The determination to keep going, to push forward and find her brother is what makes this book go on. As well, Saba is one tough chick; not in the sense that she's stubborn or that sort of nature, but she takes a beating over and over in this book.
Now, the one thing I will say that makes this book a little aggravating and why I honestly can't wait for Rebel Heart to catch up on and correct this issue I have, but the love story here is too late. Saba is a brazen girl who wants to find her brother, Lugh, over getting involved with anyone else. When the time comes and she's ready to put the relationship and stuff on the line, it's too late in this book to make it a real good love story, maybe a family love story, but not the love-relationship type story I thought would crop up sooner. I'm not saying it wasn't good or was bad, I am saying that for this book calling it a love story is drastically wrong.
Now a lot of the awe for me came with the worms, there was one scene with worms that crawled out from the ground. I loved how Young described those worms and made me, not want to be there. I felt them, the giant worm like creatures, and could almost see them. I enjoyed this, and I hope she has new creatures for us in the future of the series. To me that was probably the most original, and best creativity in this book.
I see why a lot of people say this book is a lot like Under the Never Sky and how the two almost go hand in hand. I see and understand that the stories are both great, both have this strong female character, even though I give Saba the benefit on that argument, that are driven toward a goal. The problem I have again, is that the stories are so different, rightfully they should be, that I have a hard time seeing how people get the two mixed up. If you want a love story, hands down go check out Under the Never Sky; but if you are more interested in a better action, bolder, more brazen female character Blood Red Road is the choice. It all depends on what you're ultimately looking or expecting for from a book.
