(Red Queen #1, By: Victoria Aveyard)

SUMMARY:

This is a world divided by blood - red or silver. The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change. That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace.

Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.Fearful of Mare's potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.

But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance - Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart.

Published February 2015 by HarperTeen

REVIEW:

I gave this book 3.5 stars. While the general world concept was not that unique for YA fantasy, I love dystopian books - especially when they are mixed with some magic, so it was no surprise that this book was a fun read for me. I enjoyed the spark that the main character brought as well as the plot twists and romance that built throughout the story. If you are a fan of The Selection series, or The Hunger Games I would highly recommend this book as your next read. 

As I mentioned above, the concept of this story was a bit been there, done that; aka an oppressed society with a heroin miraculously jumping from the lower to upper class to aid in a rebellion. That being said, the similarities didn't really bother me. The book was stacked full of action which kept me turning the pages, waiting eagerly to see what would happen next. 

The author did a wonderful job of creating conflict within the main character, highlighting her struggle between adjusting to her new world and new relationships, and remembering and fighting for her people. I also appreciated that the romance in this story was unique compared to the typical head-over-heals love triangle. I am a sucker for a good romance and this one kept me on my toes, never quite knowing what love story was going to play out.  

My biggest pet peeve in this book had nothing to do with the story line or world at all, it was focused around the POV and overstated foreshadowing. A LOT of this book is spent inside Mare's (the main character's) head, and I found that often the thoughts were repetitive and unnecessary, overly explaining what the reader already knew Mare would be feeling. I wanted more of the story to be experienced through inference and interactions rather than so much telling behind the scenes of the action.

Overall, I thought Victoria did a good job of making the story her own despite the similar story line to some other popular YA books. The ending was exciting, with a huge plot twist that perfectly set up the need to read the second book in the series. 

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