Red and silver. They may seem like pretty colors, but in the young adult book Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, these two colors do not mix well. In the story, the Reds are the underclass, some struggling to provide for their family, and some being shipped off to war, and the lucky ones becoming apprentices to a Silver. Meanwhile, Silvers are the elite who rule, whether it be over a building or a kingdom. Silvers are granted special powers because of the silver blood that runs through their veins. The Reds do not have these powers since they are not what is classified as “special.”

But one girl changes all this. Mare Barrow is a Red…and a thief.  Mare steals and pickpockets people in order to provide for her family, and no matter how much they dislike it, they know that she needs to do so for them to survive. Her two brothers were shipped off to war when they turned 18, just like she will be on her birthday. Gisa, her little sister, is lucky and won’t be sent off since she is an apprentice.  Mare has a friend named Kilorn who is also an apprentice to a Silver fishermen. But when Kilorn finds himself being sent off to war, Mare is determined to prevent that. I won’t ruin what happens next, but let’s just say that it really shakes up the kingdom.

This might seem like other typical science fiction or dystopian book, but it’s not. Writer Victoria Aveyard, who graduated from the University of Southern California with a BFA in screenwriting, puts a unique twist on this story and leaves you on the edge of your seat, waiting to see what happens next.

In addition, Aveyard’s vivid descriptions really allow the reader to picture the settings and relate to the characters’ feelings. This book is a page-turner, too: I read this book in two days, reading it whenever I had a chance. It hooks you in on the first page and doesn’t let you go, not even on the last page, so you’ll appreciate that the sequel, Glass Sword, will be released at some point in 2016. Many people (including myself) are checking every week to see if the release date has been made official because we cannot wait for the thrilling story to continue.

Red Queen is filled with characters who are very much like people in our world– particularly in regards to dealing with cliques and how we tend to look down on others. This book reminds readers that we shouldn’t do that, and that not everyone is what they seem to be. Overall, I give this a 5 out of 5 crowns.