Content levels
Positive tags
Protagonist archetypes
Tropes
Themes
Synopsis
Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations. Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children. But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and sprawling parks spread across the planet. Darrow - and Reds like him - are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class. Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity's overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society's ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies...even if it means he has to become one of them to do so.
Tags
Is Red Rising appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 16 and up.
Red Rising contains intense violence including deaths in brutal competition, strong language, and dark themes of slavery and class oppression. The protagonist infiltrates an elite academy where students compete lethally for power.
What to know going in
This book has strong violence, mild sexual content, and strong language. Content notes include torture, slavery, murder, death, and grief (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Teens will be gripped by Darrow's mission to infiltrate and destroy the elite Gold caste from within after discovering his people have been enslaved for generations.