#60: Red Rising by Pierce Brown

A pleasant surprise.

I work at an aerospace company with a lot of sci-fi and fantasy nerds. A bunch of us have found each other and started a book club that’s been going for a little over 2 years now. During our October meeting, our newest member raved about the 5-book Red Rising series by Pierce Brown. We decided to give it a shot.

I came into it with plenty of expectations and reservations. Many of my Goodreads friends have reviewed it positively, but I also saw a lot of comparisons to Hunger Games. I really didn’t want another Hunger Games experience.

The first 6 chapters checked all the dystopian YA boxes and felt very much like another Hunger Games experience: Young, gifted and talented protagonist. Oppressive hierarchy. Public executions. Talks of an uprising. I was ready to put it down.

Then things got crazy. And a little weird.

I won’t go into details, but I was pleasantly surprised and highly entertained by the direction this went. There are surprising turns, emotional moments, intrigue and action, and overall I can recommend it if you’re looking for an entertaining, futuristic adventure story.

Even the ending is satisfying and I’m usually disappointed by endings. It sets up the next book, but not in an annoying cliff-hanger type of way. I’m curious and excited to see where this story goes.

Thanks for reading! Let me know what you thought of Red Rising and what books you’re enjoying.

Kyle