Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Blood Red Road

Title/Author: Blood Red Road by Moira Young.

Narrated by:  Heather Lind.

Genre: Post-apocalyptic.

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio.

Source: Library.

Favorite character:  Saba, Emma and Jack.

All in all: Terrific and entertaining!

Favorite Quote: "We're in a race, the moon and me." ~Saba.

Synopsis: A girl goes on an epic journey through a bleak landscape in the first book of this post-Apocalyptic trilogy. 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 a 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 is a fierce fighter, an unbeatable survivor, and a cunning opponent. 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. ~Goodreads.com
My Thoughts:
I really loved this book.  It was a truly pleasant surprise and I never thought I would enjoy it as much as I did.  The main character Saba's voice captured me right away and I was led on an adventure with twists and turns coming from all sides. 

Saba is not really the nicest person.  She's ungrateful, rude, and only cares about finding her brother.  She is a bit blind to the way she comes off to others and blind to any help that may be offered.  She is mistrustful so she dismisses anyone else's ideas preferring to only do things her way.  Yet she is such an engaging and honest character I absolultey loved her. 

She believes that all she needs in life is Lugh, that is until they are separated.  Then she learns about herself, about the world and about people.  She has come to believe that she can't be without him.  That he is the sun and she just blindly follows.  Her whole world is about Lugh.  She also believes that Lugh is the good and she is the bad.  She doesn't see her own qualities, the same ones that make her mission successful. 

I also loved their little sister Emmy.  Emmy has been a thorn in Saba's side since she was born.  But Emmy finds a way to accompany Saba because as she insists, Lugh is her brother too.  It is apparent that Saba doesn't really feel this way.  She feels that it is, or should be just her and Lugh especially since they are twins.  To Saba, Emmy is an afterthought.  It was sad to see Saba's treatment of her.  However, Emmy proves herself and soon the two sisters learn about each other. 

Jack is Saba's love interest in the story.  Their romance is charming and at times at odds.  The romantic parts are not mushy, but honest and real.  The only thing that bothered me is that Saba is so stubborn about her feelings.  Either she doesn't want to lose focus or because she is just embarrassed.  At times it gets annoying, but I also had to remember that Saba is just 18. 

Also, the narration?  Perfection.  Heather Lind has a beautiful voice.  It's soothing yet strong and so natural.  She is a perfect fit for this story.  It wasn't as if she was reading or even remembering, she was actually there and so in turn I was there experiencing everything right along with Saba. 

I loved the world that Young created.  A post-apocalyptic setting, stark and difficult.  The language used is so creative and the slang and incorrect tenses worked to create a civilization that is not what we would call terribly civilized.  "cain't

The only issue I had is that it seemed too much at times.  I know you have to throw rocks at your characters and truly everything that happened in Blood Red Road works and is believable and pertinent to the story.  But sometimes I read adventure stories where there are just perhaps one or two more obstacles or adventures than might be warranted.  The characters can't just climb the treacherous mountain, they have to climb the treacherous mountain while being chased and then when they get to the top they find out they have to swim through snakes.  Perhaps I just wanted to know how the story ends.  I saw that this is #1 in the series or trilogy and I'm looking forward to the next one, but I also think that book works absolutely perfectly as a stand alone. 

In spite of my complain in the previous paragraph I really adored this book.  I think it is strong.  Everything about it is strong, the characters, the plot and the writing.  It shows the transformation of Saba through the course of the story and how her world changes too.  She discovers the outside world and discovers what is on the inside too.  This is one of the fastest reviews I've ever written because my opinion about the book, like the book itself is so clear.  If you have been putting off reading this, I urge you to try it.  If you can, listen to the audio version.  It brings so much dimension and richness to the experience.


Other editions:




5 comments:

Smash Attack Ash said...

YESSSSSSSSSSS! This book was incredible and I really need to make time for Rebel Heart! Audio sounds like the way to go for people who can't handle the absence of quotations. I was able to get used to it quickly, but it does bother some people. Saba's voice comes out loud and strong, regardless, and I LOVED Jack and Nero!

Midnyte Reader said...

I didn't realize the book had no quotations. I think that is kind of cool and lends itself to the post-apoc. culture where everything is changed and different.

Smash Attack Ash said...

I've read two post-apoc books like that, and my husband said The Road was that way too. Must be the genre...?

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