Review: Red Queen

The Details

Title: Red Queen

Author: Victoria Aveyard

Read By: N/A

Genre: YA Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Dystopian

Length: 383 pages

Release Date: February 10, 2015

Medium: Paperback

Rating: 5/5

Pace: Fast

Stand-alone or Series: Book 1 of the Red Queen Trilogy

“Anyone can betray anyone.”

The Goodreads Synopsis

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.

The Review

Debut novel by this author. I was instantly hooked! This novel was an amazing combination of history (in it’s own world), sci-fi, and dystopian. I loved the main character and what she stood for. Having not known who she was and what she was capable of, she was always looking to help others.

There are some intense betrayals throughout the book from all characters. I never knew who I could trust. The same issue that Mare had throughout the book. The action scenes were so detailed! I loved feeling like I could visualize the whole book.

When you’d think there couldn’t be any more twists, there is. Without spoiling the book, I can’t say any more.

The Style

The book was well written and very easy to follow. I didn’t feel like I was jumping around while reading it. It was fast paced and I read it in about a day and a half. I just had to know what happened next and ran to the library for the second novel.

The Recommendation

I recommend this book to those looking for dystopian novel. There is a strong presence of sci-fi/fantasy as the characters have powers. Keep in mind when going into this book that some of the story isn’t necessarily original as it is similar to other dystopian type books. Which, is part of the reason I loved it so much. 

Review: The Woman in Cabin 10

The Details

Title: The Woman in Cabin 10

Author: Ruth Ware

Read By: Imogen Church

Genre: Fiction, Mystery

Length: 380 pages

Release Date:

Medium: Audiobook

Rating: 3.5/5

Pace: Medium

Stand-alone or Series: Stand-Alone

“I know what it's like. Don't you see? I know what she must have felt like, when someone came for her in the middle of the night. That's why I have to find out who did this to her.”

The Goodreads Synopsis

In this tightly wound story, Lo Blacklock, a journalist who writes for a travel magazine, has just been given the assignment of a lifetime: a week on a luxury cruise with only a handful of cabins. At first, Lo’s stay is nothing but pleasant: the cabins are plush, the dinner parties are sparkling, and the guests are elegant. But as the week wears on, frigid winds whip the deck, gray skies fall, and Lo witnesses what she can only describe as a nightmare: a woman being thrown overboard. The problem? All passengers remain accounted for—and so, the ship sails on as if nothing has happened, despite Lo’s desperate attempts to convey that something (or someone) has gone terribly, terribly wrong…

With surprising twists and a setting that proves as uncomfortably claustrophobic as it is eerily beautiful, Ruth Ware offers up another intense read.

The Review

This is my first ready by this author. I was so intrigued right away and excited to see what would happen. The first few chapters were not what I was expecting. To be honest, I didn’t read any of the reviews before starting this one. It was a book club choice of the month and I knew the synopsis sounded great.

I enjoyed the book for the most part. I didn’t like the main character, Lo. She was so bossy and rude throughout the entire book. For being a journalist and trying to get people to talk to her she wasn’t very approachable. She was relatable with the panic attacks and the feeling of claustrophobia as many people suffer from those things daily.

The story line was OK. I wasn’t blown away, but thought it was an interesting take on the cruise ship mystery. I was questioning each and every character trying to figure out the big story. I kept wanting to turn on my phone to listen to the audio book. So, the suspense factor was great.

The Style

I felt like the style of the book was well done. The narrator did a great job with the different characters. It was a bit slow at the start and then the ending felt so rushed.

The Recommendation

I recommend this book to those looking for a simple mystery read. Keep in mind however the triggers involved including: weight, depression, anxiety, claustrophobia, and shipwrecks/drownings.