Moira Young

Wow.

Great premise. With probably the worst execution possible.

The writing style reminds me of the Chaos Walking trilogy, but it's almost an insult to Patrick Ness, because while the two styles share similarities in misspelled words, lots of dialect, etc., Moira Young's writing is just . . . really poor. She uses her style as a crutch to mask her very simple and awful prose. An example:

As written in the book:
"I ain't doin nuthin fer you, I says.
You ain't gotta choice, she says.
You cain't make show more me do nuthin, I says.
Oh you'll do ezzackly what I tell you, she says."

Now, without the "spice" of her misspelled words, it's just:
"I ain't doing nothing for you, I say.
You ain't got a choice, she says.
You can't make me do nothing, I say.
Oh you'll do exactly what I tell you, she says."

I don't really know if it makes a difference, but according to the high praise and 5-star reviews, it must. It's 459 pages of writing that reads like a first draft: barely readable writing, way too much that needs to be cut, underdeveloped characters, and random, aimless events plugged in for drama but that don't further plot/characters/etc.

So many things happen at breakneck speed, but it's all one pace. It's all without depth. No action has a consequence. People get hurt--they're miraculously healed so they can do something the story requires them to do. And then they remember they're injured when the love interest comes back into play. All plot points end with a feeling of "well, that was easy".

This book also wins an award for the most cheesy and sickening romantic device ever to be used in YA history: the heartstone. A rosy pink stone that heats up around the wearer's true desire.

:|

Not to mention, Saba (the MC)'s love interest is this cliche, cocky fellow who teases Saba relentlessly--but no, this book is so original, a breath of fresh air!! (and if Moira Young writes "My lips is tinglin" after a kiss one more time . . .)

But I need to give this book SOME credit. I mean, who doesn't love a teaspoon of ableism with their crappy YA post-apocalyptic romance? Enter the villain: the King. The King who is present in maybe 1/16 of the novel, who is always talked about as being "crazy" and also "the devil" but is never actually . . . there, until the end. Where you find out he actually probably does have some sort of mental problem, referring to himself in the third person and spitting over everyone when he talks. Don't you just love negative representation!

After finishing the book, I have a couple thoughts:

1. The entire 7/8 of the book was about finding Lugh. Saba wouldn't sleep, wouldn't eat, wouldn't bathe until she found Lugh. Well, she found him, and after a brief hug, she basically went, "Ok, now that that's taken care of, what's next??" I don't . . . understand.
2. I also don't understand Emmi. Was she just in the book to be beaten up in order to hurt Saba? It's ridiculous.

This review turned out a lot more sarcastic and cruel than I intended. But, as you can tell . . . this really wasn't for me. show less

Blood Red Road, a Young Adult dystopian title scheduled for release June 7th, 2011, is a fast paced action-adventure filled with dark, post-apocalyptic settings and truly likable characters on a quest. Written in the first person perspective with the voice of an illiterate, but not unintelligent, main character the narrative is presented entirely in the dialect of the uneducated. While it may take some readers a while to get beyond the trimmed-down minimalistic language the quaintness of the show more dialogue holds a certain sui generis charm and is what really made this book an exceptional read for me. It was unusual enough to catch and hold my interest from the start and once it had my attention I was hooked. In some ways this novel reminded me a little of Cormac McCarthy’s works Outer Dark and Suttree which contain their own flavor of dialect and Blood Red Road will inevitably be compared to The Road for its murky settings, ruined landscapes, and quest motifs. Another remarkable thing about this book is that while it is admittedly aimed at the 14+ crowd of young adults there is no doubt that it will appeal to almost every age group. Take it from someone who’s been in almost every age group. It’s a catchy, well-written story and I still find it hard to believe it’s a debut novel. The author’s narrative voice, lurking beneath the dialect, is a surprisingly mature one. Add the fact that it can be read almost overnight (it really is that fast-paced and readable) and you’ll find that Moira Young has created a decidedly fresh and enjoyable novel that will not disappoint.

Somewhat predictable (the deaths of two main characters, a heated, young romance, and somewhat clichéd characters) Blood Red Road never-the-less kept me entertained throughout with its many unique and uncommon elements. The crow that thinks and acts as if it is human is a wonderful, inventive character that tends to steal the show whenever in scene. Jack, the mysterious thief, embraces untold secrets which we hope to see revealed in the later books of the series. The dark and foreboding ninja-like Tontons have yet to show their dark side and there is a mystifying familiarity between Saba, the main character, and the Tonton leader DeMalo. There are some really nasty and evil antagonists as well, especially The King and Miz Pinch. Far be it for me to reveal any spoilers here but there’s a lot of potential in this series and I for one can’t wait to read and review the future exploits of this band of survivors.

Blood Red Road is the first book in the planned Dustlands trilogy but even so Moira Young does a great job of making the book stand alone without resorting to one of those aggravating cliff-hanger endings that have become so prominent in serial novels. I truly enjoyed this read and finished the book in only a few nights. As a result I will definitely make note to purchase the remaining books in the series when they’re released.

At its heart, Blood Red Road is an old story of new love, loss, and friendship in a world where survival seems next to impossible. And perhaps that’s why it’s so interesting to me. I am, after all, a huge fan of post-apocalyptic narratives and this one mixes the very best elements of familiar stories like City of Ember, Mad Max, Desolation Road, and 70’s spaghetti westerns and turns it upside down. I should also mention that the film rights were optioned by Ridley Scott (Black Hawk Down, Kingdom of Heaven, etc.) It’ll be interesting to see what Scott makes of it and, of course, I’ll also make a mental note to look for the movie in the coming years.

Blood Red Road is a fast paced, intelligent, and fun read.

The Alternative
Southeast Wisconsin show less

What one person does affects us all.
We're all bound together. We're all threads in a single garment of destiny.
I make my destiny myself.
By the choices I make.

Wow, what a shocking and explosive final book in the DustLands series. I can't say this one didn't break my heart. It did. And I can't say I like where it went and all the twists and turns it took, I don't.

But, I can say it was right. It was true. Everyone was exactly as I knew them to be OR they surprised me with what they could show more become - because it was so amazing and so much more than I thought.

This one is a ride. At first it's a little slow, but it's the build up of what's coming. The 2nd half of the book is completely worth the wait for the first half.

In this broody dawn of torchlight an drums, crow on my shoulder, wolfdog at my side, people aren't certain if I'm real or not. The Angel of Death. Slayer of Kings. She who rides the night with starfallen souls.

Come ride this adventure with Saba and see where the tale leads. show less

RATING: 4 stars

Ainda não sei bem o que dizer deste livro, mais um de tantos que estão na minha estante há já algum tempo, mas nos quais tenho medo de pegar por ouvir tanta coisa boa. Parece estranho, mas é verdade; quando oiço/leio muitas coisas boas acerca de um livro, tenho mais receio de lhe pegar. Porque penso sempre "e se eu não gostar do livro? Como é que vou escrever uma opinião de um livro tão adorado?"

Felizmente, não foi o caso com "Estrada Vermelha, estrada de sangue" show more (Blood Red Road). Gostei bastante deste livro, com as suas personagens refrescantes, o seu romance bem desenvolvido e a sua heroína "kick-ass". Ok, algumas partes foram um bocado foleiras (o colar da Saba, por exemplo), mas no geral foi uma boa leitura, compulsiva mesmo.

Saba vive num local isolado com a sua família, constituída pelo pai, pela irmã de nove anos Emmi e pelo seu gémeo Lugh. Eles são as únicas pessoas em Silverlake.

Mas quando homens armados a cavalo raptam Lugh e matam o seu pai, Saba sente a raiva a crescer dentro de si. Ela vai ter de atravessar desertos e enfrentar tempestades de areia para cumprir a promessa que fez ao irmão: a de que o encontraria, seja onde for que ele estivesse.

Pela primeira vez, Saba sai da sua pequena terra e enfrenta um mundo hostil onde o deserto e o sol reinam e não existem leis a não ser as da crueldade, impostas por um misterioso Rei.

Estrada Vermelha, estrada de sangue tem uma estrutura parecida com as dos livros de fantasia, apesar de ser um livro distópico/ pós-apocalíptico. Saba deixa a sua terra isolada numa demanda (encontrar o irmão e salvá-lo dos seus raptores), conhece outros locais e vai "coleccionando" companheiros que a ajudarão a conseguir o seu objectivo. O próprio mundo tem um ambiente muito fantástico, com criaturas estranhas, um Rei tirânico e tudo coberto de areia. No entanto, Young conseguiu introduzir habilmente ao longo da narrativa alguns aspectos que nos lembram que este local fantástico é, de facto, o nosso próprio planeta. Por exemplo, Saba mede a distância a que está uma tempestade contando os segundos entre o relâmpago e o trovão com uma variante da utilizada pelos americanos ("one Mississipi, two Mississipi"); Jack possui uns binóculos; uma das personagens tem um livro sobre Luís XIV.

Mas nunca sabemos muito sobre o que aconteceu à sociedade humana e ao planeta para que a primeira tenha sido destruída e o segundo transformado num grande deserto com poucas fontes de água. Existem pistas, mas nada de concreto; espero que a autora nos diga mais sobre o que se passou em livros posteriores.

Apesar da construção do mundo ser um pouco vaga, a acção e as personagens mantêm-nos interessados. Saba é uma heroína deliciosa: é teimosa e rude, mas de forma engraçada. Tem defeitos (alguns deles algo graves), mas redime-se ultrapassando os seus maus hábitos e as suas percepções erradas de certas coisas. Saba (e as outras personagens) é muito humana e é definitivamente uma personagem que gostei de seguir. As suas interacções com Jack explodem de química e alguns dos momentos entre estes dois protagonistas são tão incrivelmente "fofos" que só apetece dizer "awwww" (eu senti-me sorrir diversas vezes).

Temos então uma história interessante e bem construída, personagens carismáticas que são alvo de desenvolvimento e uma narrativa com um bom ritmo, colorida com o inglês (ou português, na tradução) estranho falado pelos protagonistas. Isto, para mim, equivale a umas horas bem passadas. Gostei imenso deste livro por ser YA mas não se focar no romance (apesar de haver romance), por ter um enredo imaginativo e por ter personagens com fibra (e sem poderes especiais). Gostaria de ter lido mais sobre o mundo e as suas origens, mas esta falta de desenvolvimento do mundo não impediu o desenvolvimento da história uma vez que esta não estava directamente ligada ao mundo e ao que se acontecera no passado (ao contrário do que se passa em muitos livros pós-apocalípticos), porque as personagens não estavam interessadas em saber o que causou o declínio da sociedade. Assim a falta de desenvolvimento do mundo não me irritou tanto como o faz geralmente, mas estou algo curiosa e espero saber mais sobre ele.

No geral, uma boa leitura. Recomendo este livro sobretudo pelos protagonistas. show less