Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

I realize that I have a problem. Some people tell me they read to fall asleep. I then sit there trying to process. How that is even possible. Maybe I just love reading. Maybe I need to start Binge Readers Anonymous. Or maybe I pick up a wonderful book like Red Queen  and there was never any chance for me to put it down.

This is a series I’ve heard about for a while. I have listened to panels with Victoria, I’ve listened to her interviews on podcasts. I’ve followed her on social media. So when I found an extra gift card from Barnes and Nobel, I knew I wanted the hardbound copy.

Sitting down to read this on a free week night, wasn’t probably my smartest idea, but I’m so glad I did bookworms. Mare is brash and loud, but loving and lonely. Her relationship with her family shows the true bonds of love, even through small jibes. The strength of the characters truly shines and I have personal favorites, but it is more than apparent that each character has a backstory and is a whole person.

I will say, and maybe this is me coming as someone slightly older than Mare, but one of the larger plot twists I did see coming. However, it was beautifully executed in a moment of true drama.

While I could guess the plot twist, other than me face palming a few times at Mare’s choices, it didn’t detract from the story. Aveyard kept the pace rolling, and just as I thought we’d settled down, the whole world changes again. It grows and expands, and right at the end you see how even with a large world, she seems to have every little detail planned out.

In truth I have no idea what is coming next, but I can’t wait to see it. The last minute events and overall development in character were stunningly done. There possibilities for where Aveyard takes us are endless, and I look forward to the rest of the series.

You can get Red Queen here through Bookshop.org, which supports local independent bookstores!

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