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Monday 10 June 2013

Review - Blood Red Road by Moira Young


Blood Red Road (Dust Lands, #1)

Goodreads summary: This fast-paced YA debut novel has it all: smart, savvy characters making their way through an eerily dystopian society, with all the requisite action, adventure and romance characteristic of the genre vividly and at times, chillingly, portrayed. 

In a wild and lawless future, where life is cheap and survival is hard, eighteen-year-old Saba lives with her father, her twin brother Lugh, her young sister Emmi and her pet crow Nero. Theirs is a hard and lonely life. The family resides in a secluded shed, their nearest neighbour living many miles away and the lake, their only source of water and main provider of food, gradually dying from the lack of rain. But Saba's father refuses to leave the place where he buried his beloved wife, Allis, nine years ago. Allis died giving birth to Emmi, and Saba has never forgiven her sister for their mother's death. 

But while she despises Emmi, Saba adores her twin brother Lugh. Golden-haired and blue-eyed, loving and good, he seems the complete opposite to dark-haired Saba, who is full of anger and driven by a ruthless survival instinct. To Saba, Lugh is her light and she is his shadow, he is the day, she is the nighttime, he is beautiful, she is ugly, he is good, she is bad. 

So Saba's small world is brutally torn apart, when a group of armed riders arrives five day's after the twin's eighteenth birthday snatch Lugh away. Saba's rage is so wild, that she manages to drive the men away, but not before they have captured Lugh and killed their father. 

And here begins Saba's epic quest to rescue Lugh, during which she is tested by trials she could not have imagined, and one that takes the reader on breathtaking ride full or romance, physical adventure and unforgettably vivid characters, making this a truly sensational YA debut novel. "

This thrilling dystopian debut by Moira Young gripped me from start to finish. Set in a bleak wilderness known as the Dustlands, Blood Red Road follows eighteen-year-old Saba as she makes it her mission to rescue her twin brother when he is taken captive. The unusual narrative style gives Saba a unique voice which completely pulls the reader into the story, very much like other dystopian novels such as The Knife of Never Letting Go. And it’s easily as good as Patrick Ness’s book – if not better.

Saba might not be the most likeable protagonist, especially the way she still blames her younger sister for her mother’s death in childbirth, but we come to identify with her and admire her courage as she undertakes a dangerous journey, fighting for her life in a terrifying dystopian world. It’s as adrenaline-charged and compelling as The Hunger Games and Divergent, but totally unique in its narrative style. Like Katniss, Saba’s a survivor, and her voice dominates this fantastic tale of action and romance. A must for all dystopia fans!

Rating: *****

1 comment:

  1. Glad you liked this! It's one of my favourite books. :)

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