Book Review #42: Blood Red Road

Title: Blood Red Road.
Author: Moira Young.
Format: Audio Book/Hardback.
Pages: 9 CDs/459.
Series: Nope.
Publisher: McElderry Books.
Published Date: June 2011.
Source: Library/Barnes and Noble.
Buy: Amazon

Summary:

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

Cover:5/5

I love it! The more I look at it, the more my love grows for it! Before reading the book, you can guess what it might be about. A girl who has to travel alone through the desert? Who might be lost? Is she looking for something or someone? That's one thing about book covers, every element in the cover has to have a connection to the story.

The girl is Saba, the main character. She's on the search to save her twin brother Lugh. The dry land she's walking through may represent her home, where her family lives. Lastly the dust clouds, in the background, represent how her brother was kidnapped and how her journey began.

Characters-

Favorite:

I really enjoyed all of the characters and how they grow and developed through Blood Red Road. Even though you don't get to know a lot about Emmi and Lugh, they are definitely, my number one and two. Lugh just seems like the perfect older brother who wants to keep his sisters save.

While Emmi, is the youngest who feels like she has to prove something. The relationship between her and Saba grows tremendously, which was one the reasons I really enjoyed this book!

Least Favorite:

Before I say who my least favorite is, I just want to say I loved all of the characters in Blood Red Road! I don't hate Saba, but at times she wasn't my cup of tea!

I think the only thing that I dislike about Saba is the way she thinks. At the beginning of Blood Red Road, you find out how her mother passed away; during her little sister's birth. Instead of just letting it go and moving on Saba hates her little sister for it. She hates that Emmi is still alive, while her mom is dead. You can't blame someone who didn't have a choice of being born or not, for being the cause of your mother's death!? You just can't!

Later throughout the story, a group of close friends wants to help Saba save Lugh. But instead of sucking up her pride, she just keeps pushing everyone, who is willing to risk their life for her, away. Why won't you just accept help? Things would be a lot easier!

Story Line: 5/5

Saba and her family (her father, her twin brother and her little sister) have a lived their whole lives in Silverlake. I wouldn't be sure if you could call it a lake anymore, since it's just a dry wasteland, which frequently hosts dust storms.

After a recent dust storm, which wasn't a dust storm at all. Lugh, Saba's twin brother is dragged away by their closest neighbor (which they only see every two months), and few other men on horses. Men, who also shot her father, now losing everyone (in Saba's eyes), she had to get Lugh back. This marking the beginning of Saba's long journey, to save her not only her twin brother but also her best friend.

With only her little sister left, Saba decides to bring Emmi to her mom's closest friend. Saba doesn't want to drag Emmi a.k.a. the supposed cause of her mother's death behind her; only causing her to slow down and waste more time.

After walking through dry land, being kidnapped, becoming a cage fighter, a slave, and various other things, Saba becomes attached to Emmi. She's the only person left that Saba has. She changes her ways of thinking, and finally realizes that it wasn't Emmi's fault her mom passed away; she was only a baby.

I had a blast reading Blood Red Road, it's a book that I could read over and over again! I really like the different characters you get to meet, and how they and their relationships with each other develop.

And who doesn't love a book with a strong female main character, who we all have to admit, kicks some serious butt!? I really enjoyed this book and want to read more of Moira Young's writing!