Blood Red Road by Moira Young

Title: Blood Red Road 
(Dust Lands #1)
Author: Moira Young
Length: 466 pages
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Classification: Young Adult, Dystopian, Action and Adventure, Science Fiction
Release Date: June 7, 2011
Source: e-book 

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 four cloaked horsemen capture Lugh, Saba's world is shattered, and she embarks on a quest to get him back. Suddenly thrown into the lawless, ugly reality of the outside world, Saba discovers she is a fierce fighter, an unbeatable survivor, and a cunning opponent. Teamed up with a handsome daredevil named Jack and a gang of girl revolutionaries called the Free Hawks, Saba’s unrelenting search for Lugh stages a showdown that will change the course of her own civilization. 

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At first I had a hard time getting into this book. I don't know exactly all the reasons why, but one of them was due to the writing style. Specifically the dialect that the book was written in.

But I didn't give up and as I continued reading the story, I started to LOVE the way it was written. The dialect makes sense. They live in a time where they wouldn't be taught the "correct" pronunciation of words. They do not go to school and books aren't that common.
I think the author did an amazing job capturing the type of dialect that we could expect in a future where children are not taught "proper English".

If you have been trying to read this book, but gave up due to this, I strongly urge you to give it another chance. Just keep reading, and hopefully you too will hit that point where it feels normal. It is part of the story. And I think the story wouldn't be the same without it.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was one of those that I read pretty quickly and had a hard time putting it down after the first few chapters.

The story focuses on Saba's point of view. She pretty much watches her twin brother get taken away from the very first chapter of the book. Then she goes after him to save him.

I thought the love between siblings was very touching in this story. Saba pretty blantently favors her twin brother Lugh over her little sister, Emmi. But I love how the relationship between Saba and Emmi begins to blossom.

I LOVE how this book is full of action and adventure. There were some surprises and twists that I didn't see coming.

The Characters:
And I definitely began to love these characters.
Saba: At first I had mixed feelings for her. She is the main character and I know that I am supposed to like her, but I didn't really like how she was acting toward her sister. Saba is strong and fierce. She is also stubborn. And her character grew on me. The more she developed the more I loved her.
Lugh:  He is mysterious and you constantly wonder what is happening with him.
Emmi: I loved how Emmi develops through the story.

We come across several other characters, ranging from bad guys to allies. And I must say, I found them all to be pretty interesting.

I love Jack. And the Free Hawks are so cool.

I think the author did an awesome job developing these characters!

The Story:

Full of action and adventure. There were times that I "would be on the edge of my seat". And it was really difficult for me to put the book down to do the others things that I needed to get done.

I will definitely reread this book in the future. It is one of my favorite Dystopia books.

I couldn't wait to start the following book in the series after I finished this one. And now I am really anxious to see how it ends in May.

My Rating: