City News
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Reviewed by Christina
In a world where Silvers reign over Reds with their superhuman abilities, there lived a girl named Mare Barrow. Mare was thought to be an ordinary Red who lived in the Stilts, her only skill being pickpocketing. If nothing occurred in the next week, she was due to be conscripted to war with her only friend, Kilorn. So of course, Mare was going to make something happen.
In an attempt to raise money to escape the conscription, Mare took to pickpocketing. She knew she might never make enough money, but at least she could leave her family with a little spare change. She got more than she bargained for. Let’s just say that after getting caught with pickpocketing, she was not punished but rewarded with more than enough money to escape. This came with a price though, as instead of getting to use that money, she was summoned to the Silver palace to work as a servant.
It was a good job, but Mare came to the palace at the worst time possible, the time princes chose their brides. There, she received a nasty shock when she recognized the identity of the to-be-king. It was also there where Mare discovered an ability of her own: the power to not only control lightning, but also to create it. Mare was unique, a Red girl more powerful than any Silver. That was a spark to a new dynasty.
I rate Red Queen an 8/10. First let’s talk about the pros. For one, this book cut right to the chase. There were few moments of down time as every event dovetailed perfectly in the storyline. Sections were organized in conflict, action, then romance scenes, dissipating any urge to skip pages whatsoever. In addition to its intensity, I loved the setting of Red Queen. The book’s world explored the concept of racism (Silvers and Reds) to a deeper level. Their differences extended beyond the colors of their blood. Though they may look the same on the outside, Silvers had powers Reds could never dream of. Exploring how Reds got the courage to stand up against Silvers despite how weak they are comparatively is inspiring. It made me think: If Reds can stand up against Silvers, why can’t we stand up against racial injustices?
Now for the cons. Though the story flowed perfectly and kept me on my toes, (I finished this book in less than two days) the storyline was filled with plot holes. You may find yourself asking: Why did that have to happen? How could they not know? Why did that go that way? The fact that I could predict events in this book didn’t make it much better. There were a few clichés here and there that made the story less interesting. If you can infer too many parts of the story, then it prevents the readers from being too invested in the plot.
Nevertheless, the fact that I am dying to read the next book in the Red Queen series should tell you something. The pros outweigh the cons.