Blood Red Road by Moira Young

#1 in Dustlands Series

Published in 2011 by Margaret K. McElderry

5 Stars
DAC 2011

Goodreads Review
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.

Review:  Blood Red Road is an action packed debut novel that is sure to excite readers and have them jumping for more.  Blood Red Road is like a combination of Mad Max and The Road Warrior and The Road by Cormac McCarthy; thrilling kill-or-be-killed post-apocalyptic narratives that had me on the edge of my seat.  I literally could not put this book down (I've gotten pretty good at doing everything one handed...cooking, brushing my teeth, showering...).

One of the most interesting aspects of Blood Red Road is the writing style.  This book is written in the dialect of the narrator without softening her harsh voice or using quotation marks.  While it may be difficult at first, I found myself completely engrossed in the experience of reading this language after only a few pages.   I think the language really lends to the overall feel of the book and helps the reader become fully immersed in Saba's bleak world.

The action in this book is fantastically written.  There is a little bit of everything.  High speed chases, cage fighting, fire and explosions, fist fights, knife fights, and oh yeah, human sacrifice.  These action sequences are everything they should be, exciting, dangerous, and unpredictable.   The setting of the book is also fantasticlly described and takes place in a whole variety of terrain.  The land is dangerout and brutal, and so are the people who live in it.

The slower parts of the book were also very well done.  The growth of Saba throughout this books is fantastically handled.  In this book she grows into her own independent self and also learns how to trust her instincts and appreciate the people who are willling to help her.  There are also some very well done romantic aspects that aren't overplayed.  They are subtle and provide a nice break from all of the hardcore action.

The very best aspect of this book is that it is an introduction to the series while still being a complete and full story within itself.  There is a distinct beginning, middle, and end with problems that are encountered and resolved by the end of the book while at the same time introducing a greater story arc that will be carried throughout the series.  This is a difficult task to accomplish and I think that many first books in a series fall short of that goal.  Blood Red Road achieves this effortlessly. 

Overall Blood Red Road is a thrilling science fiction novel that is a stand out among the recent crop of YA dystopian novels.   Blood Red Road is a satisfying adventure novel set in a gritty world that will have your heart pounding with every page.

Oh also, did I mention GIANT KILLER WORMS OF DOOM!?  Because they're in this book too.