Blood Red Road

I just finished reading Blood Red Road by Moira Young. It's part of the series Dust Lands. This is one cover for the book, there is also different cover, for the paper back book and it's red with white lettering, if anyone is confused.

Anyway, well. I guess I'll start off with what bugged me about this book first. There is no quotation marks at all in this book and the spelling killed me! It is written in the voice of Saba, the main character of the book. She is 18 years old and lives in a basic wasteland in the future. She speaks with what you would call a southern hick accent. Hearing it is one thing, reading it is a whole other barrel of monkeys. Most of the book is written phonically. Now, don't get me wrong, reading by phonics is wonderful, it's how I learned to read, but writing in it for others to read, wow! It took me a while to get passed it to enjoy the story.

An example: " He'll of thought about it, you can bet on it. He's watched us fix it fer five year now. Ever since I found him fell outta the nest an his ma nowhere to been seen. Pa warn't too happy to see me bring a crow babby home. He told me some fool consider crows bring death, but I was set on rearin him by hand and one I set my mind on somethin I stick with it."

It was a bit much and took away from the story in my mind.

Ok, those were my gripes, on to the good.

The story of Blood Red Road was actually good. I enjoyed it. Think Mad Max, but with with a girl in the main roll. The world as we know it is gone. There is a large sandsea, a lot of the area is a barren waste land with patches of paradise (greenery). Anything that is left of our cities are just empty shells where stray cats wander.

Saba is the twin sister to Lugh. He is the older of the two. They have a little sister named Emmi and they live with their Pa. Their mother died in childbirth to Emmi. Saba and Lugh have a close relationship. Saba doesn't care for Emmi at all. They live in a place where their mother died. There father doesn't want to move on, but Lugh is ready to explore and find out what is beyond where they have lived.

One day, a massive dust storm comes and following it are riders. They speak to Lugh and Saba after and upon finding out the information they are needing, they take Lugh. The riders kill their father and leave Saba and Emmi alone. Saba during the grab, promises Lugh, that she will find him.

The story follows Saba's journey to find her brother, while trying to ditch her sister, which never works. She has the help of a highly intelligent crow named Nero. She also makes friends along the way when she is captured and forced into slavery as a cage fighter, more of a futuristic gladiator in a very hostile arena.

I'm very torn on this book. The story is good, and for that I would say it is a to read, but the lack of punctuations and horrible spelling I want to say not to read. Take it as you will!!