Blood Red Road by Moira Young

Source: Publisher
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.
Blood Red Road has a searing pace, a poetically minimal writing style, violent action, and an epic love story. Moira Young is one of the most promising and startling new voices in teen fiction.
At the very beginning, I had a hard time getting into Blood Red Road because of the writing style and it took me about fifty pages to get immersed into this book. Luckily there was a great cast of diverse, but amazing characters and a stunning plot drew me right in. Saba is a fierce character and she definitely isn't afraid of a fight. She can be stubborn at times, but it definitely fits her personality well. I also liked the independence that she gained after losing Lugh and the devotion that she had to save him. I loved that her sister Emmi was similar to her and was adorable at times. Jack while mysterious, was a great guy and I instantly fell for him.Saba's crow Nero had so much spunk and attitude. Blood Red Road was intense and full of adventure with a hint of romance. The subplots were also well developed an kept this story exciting. Young's world building was fantastic. This dystopian novel was well developed and kept me engaged the whole time. Young's writing style is going to be a hit or miss. While most of the book is lyrical and sparse, it takes a while to get used to how the story is written. By about fifty pages in, I was too in love with the adventure and excitement of this book. I would say that this book is a mix of Graceling and The Hunger Games and would recommend this book to those fans. It is a mix of lovable characters, a thrilling plot, and a gorgeous new dystopian world. I am really excited to see what originality Moira Young will continue to bring to the Young Adult genre.