Red Queen: Red Queen Series, Book 1 by Victoria Aveyard is my teen book pick of the month. I am obsessed with this series! One Goodreads reviewer described it as “Magical perfection” and I couldn’t agree more.
This is a story for fans of Hunger Games, Divergent, The Darkest Minds, The Selection, and Throne of Glass. The Red Queen is about a dystopian society that is divided by blood. Those with red blood live in poverty as commoners and servants, while those with silver blood are among the elite ruling class and have terrifying and magical powers.
The story’s protagonist 17-year old Mare Barrow, has red blood and steals to help support her family. One day Mare steals from the wrong person, who offers her the opportunity to work at the silver palace, to pay for her crimes.
On her first day at the silver palace Mare discovers she has powers unlike any silver blood out there. Unfortunately for Mare, she discovers this in front of the entire silver palace and society’s most influential silver bloods. The silvers try to cover it up by giving her a new identity as a long-lost silver girl.
However, Mare soon finds herself in a war between silver and red bloods. She must ultimately decide whether to fight with the reds and risk everything, or pretend to be a silver in order to protect her family.
– Contributed by Dominique, Youth Services Librarian