Red Rising (Red Rising Saga #1)

Seems like every other book I listen to is so highly derivative that my opinion hinges almost solely on whether it is a worthwhile step forward or a redundant rehash. Red Rising, after a promising start, slowly but inexorably proved itself to be a cynical exercise in cashing in on the popularity of The Hunger Games. RR: hero is from the mines, HG: heroine is from the mines. RR: 12 tribes, HG: 12 districts. RR: kids go through a \”draft\” before being sent to a carefully designed course to compete in games against each other, with help from proctors, while being watched from afar by the privileged class. HG: ditto, ditto, ditto, except that they called them mentors instead of proctors and they call it a reaping instead of a draft. RR: young girl sings a song of rebellion before dying. HG: young girl sings a song before dying that becomes the theme of rebellion. RR has the Reaper, HG has the reaping. This is not inadvertent similarity. This is either willful ignorance (especially on the part of the editor, who should have known better) or outright plagiarism. If you\’re going to do this, you have to add something. Especially in characterization, especially to the main character. In that respect, Red Rising is retrograde. Katniss (like Harry Potter and Tris from Divergent) is never that sure of herself, is the last to recognize her power, is always the reluctant hero. Darrow/Reaper, from the very first scene, is the best ever, and he knows it. And yet as brilliant as he will tell you he is, he falls for four, five traps in a row, getting many of his friends killed in the process. And when faced with a choice between doing the right thing or getting revenge, the always self-righteous Darrow inevitable chooses bloody revenge. Jeez, if you\’re going to rip off a beloved story, don\’t reverse all of its best qualities. To which you can add the central conceit of Red Rising: social, political and economic inequality is embodied in a facile color-coding system. Hunger Games presents the same issues in a far more nuanced way (even down to the subtleties of fashion and mannerism) without resorting to obvious gimmickry. Other bones to pick: the level of violence is off the charts for a supposedly YA entry, and the internal logic of this world fails early and often, especially the technology. I for one will not be moving on to the ensuing episodes in this trilogy.

The best way I can describe the plot is that it just felt childish. The main character is supremely intelligent to borderline supernatural levels and able to think six steps ahead of his enemies whenever the plot demands it, and then unfathomably stupid and repeatedly walking into obvious traps whenever the plot demands that. I almost stopped listening by the third time that happened. We are also just expected to believe that the main character is a prodigy at everything, he is perfectly skilled in combat and all things physical, despite minimal training compared to those who trained their whole lives. I would have loved this book when I was 14 maybe, but I really don\’t understand where all the praise for this book comes from by adults.

I tried for almost a year to listen to this book but gave up with only two hours to go. I could not enjoy or like this book, it is a bitter nasty book about vengeance in a dystopian society. There is forced natural selection and culling among students. “He didn’t score like I did on the tests, so he was a sacrificial lamb. 100 students and the bottom 50 are only here to be killed by the top fifty… I know they made me do it … what other choice was there? I do not understand how this series could have received so many positive reviews but I will return my book.

I don\’t remember the last time I stayed up all night to read a book, but this one had too much intensity too much momentum to put down. I just had to finish. Darrow\’s story is rich with memorable characters and emotion and had plenty of suspense. It\’s one that I\’ll remember for a long time. I can\’t wait for the second novel. Tim Gerard Reynolds makes it come alive. his accent brings the story a perfect edge and he does the wide variety of characters justice. A must read.

Wow. Just wow. It’s rare to see a book so far up its own main characters ass. He is the chosen one. For the people. But is the best ever. He uses potions of intelligence that for some reasons no one else does. And it’s all his cleverness that’s brings him to victory… except for being saved by deus ex machine CONSTANTLY. stay away from this.

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