Red Rising

Goodreads Synopsis:    The war begins...

Darrow is a Helldiver, one of a thousand men and women who live in the vast caves beneath the surface of Mars. Generations of Helldivers have spent their lives toiling to mine the precious elements that will allow the planet to be terraformed. Just knowing that one day people will be able to walk the surface of the planet is enough to justify their sacrifice. The Earth is dying, and Darrow and his people are the only hope humanity has left.

Until the day Darrow learns that it is all a lie. Mars is habitable - and indeed has been inhabited for generations by a class of people calling themselves the Golds. The Golds regard Darrow and his fellows as slave labour, to be exploited and worked to death without a second thought.

With the help of a mysterious group of rebels, Darrow disguises himself as a Gold and infiltrates their command school, intent on taking down his oppressors from the inside.

But the command school is a battlefield. And Darrow isn't the only student with an agenda...

My Thoughts:

-    OMG! This is probably the most intense book I've ever read! The institute makes the hunger games look like a picnic.

-    The beginning is a little slow. It was hard to get into, and the world is complicated. It was hard for me to picture and understand. But once it starts going, it never stops! I was hanging on every word. 

-    The society reminds me of an episode from Stargate SG-1. 

-    Oh the violence! There is A LOT! Some of the savage and violent acts bothered me. I would not recommend this for teens. It is for adults.

-    In the beginning Darrow reminds me a lot of Day from Legend, but Darrow learns and grows a lot and he becomes his own distinct character in the end. He is hardened, and he becomes a leader I would follow. 

-    There are a lot of characters in this book, and it was a little difficult to keep them all straight. I liked a lot of the sub characters though, especially Sevro and Mustang. I loved Pax as well.

-    Cassius and Darrow's relationship makes me sad. I want them to be friends. They would be unstoppable together.

-    This story was amazing! I felt so many emotions for the characters, but mostly I am scared for them. Wonderful read, but again, it is pretty graphic.