Rebel Heart by Moira Young

(source)

Title: Rebel Heart (Dust Lands #2)
Author: Moira Young
Length: 448 pages
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Classification: Young Adult, Dystopian, Action and Adventure, Science Fiction
Release Date: October 30, 2012
Source: Hardback (purchased)
Read: January 2014

Saba thought her world would return to normal after they defeated the Tonton and rescued her kidnapped brother Lugh. The family head west for a better life and a longed-for reunion with Jack. But a formidable enemy is on the rise. What is the truth about Jack? And how far will Saba go to get what she wants? (From GoodReads)

My Rating:

***This is the second book in a series. There will be spoilers of things that happened in the first book, so if you haven't read Blood Red Road and don't want to know things that happened, please stop reading now.***

Overall, I really liked the story. I enjoyed that the action and adventure continued. But I didn't like it as much as I liked reading the first book.

And there were several things that surprised me. Some plot twists that I didn't see coming.

And now there are questions. The ending was a cliffhanger (for me at least)! And now I MUST know what happens.

So I can't wait until the final book comes out in May!

The Characters:
Saba: We get to read about a different side of Saba. In the first book she is determined, strong, and stubborn. But in the beggining of this book, she has been overcome by the emotions of her actions from the last book's ending. She has to get through the guilt and find the strength to accept what she has done and move on. I like that Young wrote Saba this way. I feel that it is more realistic and believable, that our heroine, would be feeling the pain and guilt from what she had to do. We read as Saba finds a way to overcome this pain and move on. We also get to read how she grows as a character, no longer needing to be tethered to Lugh. She becomes ready for being herself without always thinking of how Lugh would react, think, or what he would want her to do.
Lugh: He drove me a bit crazy in this book. I started to not like him as much. I felt that he wasn't very appreciative of everything that Saba had to go through to find him. And at times I felt like he was just bringing her down, instead of trying to help her get through the pain she was in.
Jack: Jack had a very small part in this book. (At least that is how it felt to me.) I definitely wanted some more Jack.
Emmi: Emmi is another character that I feel like I didn't read much about in this book. I like how she did try to help take care of Saba. And I like that their relationship didn't seem to fall apart.

The Story:
I did feel that this story started off a bit slower then the first book did. And it did take a little time for the action and adventure to pick up. But I also felt that all the stuff that Saba had to go through in the beginning (like seeing the spirits of others) was an interesting and important part of the story. It helps make Saba more human and grounded. And it gives her another challenge that she has to overcome.

There were several surprises that I didn't see coming and they added suspense and interest to the story.

But there were some events in the book that frustrated me.

Like the new love triangle.

And the fact that all the guys are now in love with Saba.

The story really picks up when Saba starts to feel better and takes off to find Jack. And from that point on, readers are then swept back into the action and adventure.

I am glad that I read this book, and it is a book that I would read again.

Blood Red Road by Moira Young

(source)

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 (purchased)

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. (From Amazon)

My Rating: 






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.