aimee (aimeecanread)'s Reviews > Red Queen

Reading Red Queen was like receiving sour candy when you were expecting some glorious sugary sweets. I just felt so much disappointment after turning the last page, since I was expecting a fresh new story out of this one.

This book had so much potential, but after a few chapters of reading, I got this sense of déjà vu, and yup, you guessed it, this book was a cardboard cut-out of all your favorite YA novels put together.

Exhibit A: There are the Reds, slaves the Silvers, who are amazing beings with odd powers. The Reds don't do much to escape their current living states and go on being doormats throughout the book, until a certain figure of strength (the heroine) supports them. A very common dystopian trope.

Exhibit B: Mare Barrow is the reckless "Savior of All" who is eventually blinded by her romantic interest. Yes, Mare can be considered badass with her unique ability and sassy attitude, but she felt like your typical Mary Sue for me. And when her two love interests come along, she thinks of them both constantly and rather obsessively.

Exhibit C: Yes, the customary love triangle square is present. Mare is drawn to two brothers (should I mention that they're princes?) but is more attracted to the older, more mature one (who, by the way, I think is as interesting as a brick). I like the other brother's character, but there's definitely zero chemistry between him and Mare. There's also your resident Queen Bee, Evangeline, who seems to hate Mare the moment they lock eyes.

Another iffy thing about the book was the lack of a backstory. Sure, I enjoyed all the Red vs. Silver propaganda, but I would've liked to find out how everything became the way they are now. Maybe the next books will give me that.

Overall, if you're one of those people who reads and loves all those popular young adult books out in the market today (as well as The Selection-esque type books, I really believe that Red Queen will be a good fit for you.