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Blood Red Road (Dust Lands, #1)

Moira Young

Start date: October 1, 2012

Finish date: October 31, 2012

Discussion: Monthly Reads!

Discussion leader: Jon

Why we're reading this: Chosen by your member of the month JazzyJams!
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Monthly Reads!

March 2013 Nomination Thread
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What Members Thought

Aug 23, 2011 Rose rated it really liked it

Shelves: tbr-challenge, audiobooks, young-adult, adventure, dystopia, quarterly-challenge-5-2012, rrrc-audiobook-challenge-2012

Moira Young's "Blood Red Road" took me by complete surprise, I'll admit. I didn't expect such a engaging dystopian novel about a girl who travels out of the realm of her hometown to search for her abducted brother.

Saba's not the most likable heroine in the beginning, but its understandable because of some of the events she endures. She's particularly fond of her twin brother, but doesn't care for her younger sister, Emmi. When some strange men gallop through the sands and abduct her brother, Sa Moira Young's "Blood Red Road" took me by complete surprise, I'll admit. I didn't expect such a engaging dystopian novel about a girl who travels out of the realm of her hometown to search for her abducted brother.

Saba's not the most likable heroine in the beginning, but its understandable because of some of the events she endures. She's particularly fond of her twin brother, but doesn't care for her younger sister, Emmi. When some strange men gallop through the sands and abduct her brother, Saba sets off on a journey to find him. She tries to make Emmi stay behind, but to no avail. In a series of events, the two manage to be captured and put into a duelist camp, meet a group of gents who want to help go against the King responsible for Saba's brother's abduction, face off against gigantic sandworms, among other harrowing experiences.

The action and emotional core of the story is actually quite well done. For me, the action was just a backdrop to what is ultimately a study in character growth on Saba's behalf, from her interactions and experiences. She starts off as being independent and resentful of people trying to help her or get in the way of accomplishing her goals, but she becomes more accepting and open as the story moves forward and events come to pass. Her stubborn nature doesn't make her immediately likable, but gradually, I think it gets easier because she comes to terms with the people around her. I don't know how I felt about Emmi's character, to be honest, because it seemed obvious how the plot would pull her along into the conflict for some measures and she never completely connected with me personality wise. I predicted that in a few turns and it didn't allow me to be surprised by the story events in some measures either.

The romantic angle this work takes is decent, and I saw the natural push/pull relationship between Saba and Jack play across in different parts of the work. I liked how much of a fighter Saba comes across in her characterization. I also liked how Jack seems to be a combination of carefree, funny, yet firm. I found myself invested in the larger cast developed in the novel, and when the losses hit, they hit me in a few turns. Young has an interesting way of describing the realm this took place, though I'll admit it felt a bit sparse to me. I think she could've taken it even further than what it was. Still, I enjoyed the rolling action and character interactions, with the exception of a few turns.

Overall, I will definitely read the sequel to this since it kept me engrossed from beginning to end.

Overall score: 3.5/5 ...more

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Nov 06, 2012 Ayu Adisty rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: stupid-annoying-heroine, my-eyes-my-eyes, own

2,5 out of 5, lebih tepatnya.

Kenapa buku ini harus dicompare sama Hunger Games? Why, just why?

Gw jadi ngarep lebih. Ngarep buku yang bikin merinding, yang bikin geregetan, yang bikin gw bisa ngayal dan jadi aneh; persis yang dilakukan Hunger Games ke gw.

And it's not.

ArARgFAFJFJAHSKASB VKABSASALKN?:DBLJKBjkfd.bfkabfanflalfcbnalcfbad

(ノ`Д`)ノ彡┻━┻

Sinopsis

Saba terlahir kembar bersama Lugh. Lugh yang berambut pirang panjang, bermata biru langit, tampan (yes, dia cowok) dan mudah disukai orang. Lugh ...more

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Dec 04, 2011 Sabrina rated it it was amazing

If only words could describe how much I loved this book (and for once, I am NOT being melodramatic)! This book was amazing, outstanding, fantastic and a whole slew of other positive adjectives.

I read this book with low expectations, it was a White Pine nomination (and from past experience, I have come to not think that highly of White Pine). But, thank god I was wrong! Moira Young, a CANADIAN (like moi) wrote a wonderful novel that compelled me to review it.

The world is now made up of sandy de ...more

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Jul 11, 2011 Courtney rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

More reviews at

In all honesty I didn't think i would get into this book at all. The description of the book was what drew me in but when I began to read the preview for this on "Pulse It" a site by Simon & Schuster, the language was slightly appalling. But, reading more into the story and learning about the post-apocalyptic background and thinking about how society would revert to common time-place and lose the ever growing language, i started to step ...more

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Mar 31, 2013 Naomi rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Once I got used to the way the characters spoke I was well & truly hooked on this story. I am looking forward to reading what's in store for Saba & friends in the next book!! ...more

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