I can say so many things about Red Rising that, I’m vaguely sure, other people, readers, and reviewers have already pointed out. Still, I cannot help but greatly commend Pierce Brown for creating, developing, and masterfully fleshing out what is perhaps the most wonderfully detailed, thrillingly complex, and interestingly nuanced world-building I’ve ever encountered as an avid devourer of dystopian novels.

As expected, Darrow does get involved with an admittedly unimpressive group of rebels whose sole vision is to eventually execute a revolution that will overthrow the dominating Gold elite. In that regard, the objective of these characters is pretty straightforward. What’s not straightforward, however, are the lengths required of Darrow in order to be able to fulfill his role in this uprising revolution – and these astronomically high stakes are exactly why and how Red Rising kept me on my toes and on the edge of my seat simultaneously.

Honestly, this is not a perfect book; however, because of the many flaws both in its characters and in its delivery, Red Rising succeeds in making its audience really think about whether or not we are what we are born into, among other serious matters such as color-based discrimination, morally gray areas, and the lengths we are willing to endure for the sake of justice. Certainly, this book should be taken with a grain of salt and an open mind. In my opinion, the best way to appreciate Red Rising is not by blindly loving its story and action-packed sequences but by analyzing its content over and over again. Gorydamn, I can’t wait to read the next one.