Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

75 reviews

jacksonmax12's review

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Hunger games for adults with very strong themes of class warfare. 

Pros: fast-paced but manageable, accessible sci-fi with exposition woven seamlessly into the story. 

Cons: The main character has a lot of plot armor. There is a lot of graphic violence and child death

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Sexual assault, Death, Grief, Racism, Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Police brutality, Blood, Rape, Child abuse, Child death, and Kidnapping

guessgreenleaf's review

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Torture, War, Classism, Slavery, Death of parent, Death, Violence, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Grief, Gore, and Murder

Minor: Rape

andiezae's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Grief, Mental illness, Violence, Gore, Torture, and Murder

cepbreed's review

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The adult men who make book content on TikTok dickride this book so hard I was expecting something different. Red Rising is an amazing book, but strikingly unoriginal. Tell me why this has the plot of every dystopian novel enjoyed by me and my peers in middle school. " Chosen One" attends an academy for the elite and must fit in and rise to the top. Also, a lot of the twists were similar throughout. Pierce Brown just loves parentship twists. If he wrote Harry Potter Voldemort would’ve been Harry’s dad. Not that this is real criticism, because I EAT these basics up every time, I am just so shocked no one mentions it. Still, Darrow is PEAK. What an amazing protagonist who carries the novel beyond the standard plot. You become so invested in this man and his future: his pain, his passion, everything. Sevro captured my heart too, totally unexpected. I am so eager to read the next book in the series which is insane because in the review of the last book I read, I think I mentioned how much trouble I'm having continuing series. Like I'll read the first book and love it, but for some reason can't get myself to actually start the second. Wild. Thank you Piece Brown for such a compelling novel! The world-building is so intricate I am so obsessed. Brown has really thought of everything, from the most subtle slang and habits to the obtuse. I have an urgent NEED to understand all the loose ends left at the end of this book. What will happen with Cassius?

How will Darrow's new position under the ArchGovernor affect his relationship with Mustang??? With the rest of his peers??? I am also so eager to see Roque recover and their brotherly bond.

UGH I'm just so obsessed with this series!! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Murder, Violence, Bullying, Classism, Gore, War, Death, Grief, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, and Rape

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Alcohol, Animal death, and Slavery

Minor: Death of parent

mirandyli's review

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This book is Brave New World meets Hunger Games, with way more oppression. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, War, Blood, Classism, Death, Murder, Violence, Body horror, Gun violence, Medical content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Domestic abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Rape, and Sexism

anni_swanilda's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Racism, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Classism, Death, Grief, Physical abuse, Torture, Animal death, Violence, Murder, Slavery, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Death of parent, Cannibalism, Medical content, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and War

Minor: Colonisation

stephanieluxton's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book book did not hook me from the very beginning. It takes a but of time to get a feel for the setting and what is going on. I found myself thoroughly captivated during the second half.

This book is about 16 year old Darrow - a member of the Red's on Mars who beleiie they're slaving away in the planets mines for a higher purpose of terraforming the planet to get it ready for future generations. He lives with his family and wife, in terrible conditions. An act of disobedience triggers a series of events which shatter his entire world and he learns Mars is already terraformed and Mars is a bustling, fairly high tech civilization run by the Golds. His people, the Reds have been lied to in order to create an entire cast of people who are literal slaves. Darrow is then presented with the opportunity to infiltrate the Golds and must push himself beyond the limits to move up in society in order to reform the system.

So much happens in this book. The book takes place over the course of a couple years and it's fantastic. There's a ton of characters but they feel complex. The stakes feel super high in this book. I love feeling afraid for the main character. There's little twists and turns throughout the whole story. I loved not knowing how things would play out. The character growth is unreal. Darrow changes so much during the story and it's empowering to experience his growth - although he messes up quite a bit too.

I can see how some people may think of the Hunger Games or Lord of the Flies while reading this but it's definitely it's own story. I am not someone who enjoys series a lot, but I am really excited to keep reading this one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, War, Grief, Toxic friendship, Child death, Classism, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Death, Murder, Misogyny, Slavery, and Bullying

Moderate: Cannibalism, Sexual violence, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Alcohol

Minor: Excrement

A lot of dark things happen in this book but none are described in absolutely excruciating detail. You can probably handle it.

nicain's review

dark emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death, Slavery, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Xenophobia, Medical content, and Medical trauma

habitualbookoffender's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

The first quarter (ish) of the book is kind of slow, BUT it’s a lot of world building and pertinent information. But there’s a significant turning point in the book and from there, it’s full speed ahead. This book is SO unbelievably good. It draws you in so well, the characters are so well formed, etc. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Grief, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Rape and Racism

aft888's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Slavery, and Classism

Minor: Blood and Suicide attempt