Red Rising (Red Rising Saga #1) by Pierce Brown

My rating: 4 out of 5
Goodreads rating: 4.27 with 167,990 ratings (as of 9/11/18)

Genre: SciFi, Fantasy, Dystopia, Young Adult
Print Length: 382 pages
Publisher: Del Rey (Random House)
Publication Date: January 28th 2014
ISBN 0345539788 (ISBN13: 9780345539786)

“I live for the dream that my children will be born free,” she says. “That they will be what they like. That they will own the land their father gave them.”
“I live for you,” I say sadly.
Eo kisses my cheek. “Then you must live for more.”

Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations.
Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children.
But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity already reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and sprawling parks spread across the planet. Darrow—and Reds like him—are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class.
Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity’s overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society’s ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies… even if it means he has to become one of them to do so. “Red Rising” on Goodreads

200 Word Review

“Red Rising” is the first book in the “Red Rising Saga” by Pierce Brown. I read this book switching between a printed copy, an E-book and, when in the car, listened to the audio book. While this story is not a new concept the story is engaging and a quick read. At the start of the book, Darrow, a member of the lowest caste is full of hate and rage toward the dominant Gold caste. (SPOILERS FOLLOW) Throughout the story, and even toward the end, Darrow is surprised to learn he likes, and has become friends with, some of the Golds. He learned not all members of a group are the same. At the end of the novel, he is still full of rage and hate but it’s now directed mainly at specific people, not just all members of the ruling Gold caste. I would like to see this story added to required reading lists for students. This book is a subtle way to teach tolerance. I will read the rest of the series but at this time. I had read twice. The 1st read (in 2015) was for me. The 2nd read (in 2018) was for a book club.