Blood Red Road Review

Title: Blood Red Road (Dustlands #1)

Author: Moira Young

Publication Date: June 7, 2011

Published By: Margaret K. McElderry books

Format: Hardcover, 459 pages

*I purchased this book

Summary

Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried up wasteland savaged by constant sandstorms. The wrecker civilization has long since 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 ugly, lawless world outside of 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 gang of girl revolutionaries called the Free Hawks, Saba stages a showdown that will change the course of her own civilization.

My Thoughts

I cannot stress enough how much everyone should read this book. Hands down my favorite read this year. 

Saba is a fierce heroine any girl can be proud of and admire, she goes from one unimaginable situation to the next and just keeps on going, a definite force to be reckoned with. In one part of the book she even acquires the nickname Angel Of Death. The rest of the characters are just as fantastic. The baddies are as repulsive as the good guys are awesome. 

The world building in Blood Red Road is so vivid you're instantly transported into Saba's story with ease. The strangest thing about this is the writing is extremely simple, Saba narrates the story with the words of someone sheltered and uneducated, pronouncing words like afraid as "afeared". I thought this would make it harder for the author to present everything clearly since Saba has a limited dialogue but it didn't inhibit at all, if anything it enhanced.

The plot is quickly paced and filled with triumphs and losses. This story really has something for everyone, it has drama, action, adventure and romance. This book gets my most enthusiastic 5 out of 5 this year!