Rebel Heart (Dust Lands #2)

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Author(s)

Moira Young

Publisher

Margaret K McElderry

Genre(s)

Dystopian

Age Range

14+

Release Date

October 30, 2012

ISBN

9781442430006

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Nothing is certain and no one is safe in the second book in the highly praised Dust Lands trilogy, which MTV’s Hollywood Crush blog called “better than The Hunger Games.”It seemed so simple: Defeat the Tonton, rescue her kidnapped brother, Lugh, and then order would be restored to Saba’s world. Simplicity, however, has proved to be elusive. Now, Saba and her family travel west, headed for a better life and a longed-for reunion with Jack. But the fight for Lugh’s freedom has unleashed a new power in the dust lands, and a formidable new enemy is on the rise. What is the truth about Jack? And how far will Saba go to get what she wants? In this much-anticipated follow-up to the riveting Blood Red Road, a fierce heroine finds herself at the crossroads of danger and destiny, betrayal and passion.

Editor reviews

2 reviews

Fantastic Sequel!

October 29, 2012

Overall rating

5.0

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"We don't choose the time we're born in, he says. The only choice we got is what we do while we're here. To make it mean somethin'."

I could not WAIT to read the next installment in the Dust Lands Trilogy and believe me when I tell you, it does NOT disappoint! This is an intense, thrilling sequel that will have you on the edge of your seat with your heart in your throat.

Rebel Heart picks up where Blood Red Road leaves off; with Jack making his way back to the "Lost Cause" and Saba, Lugh, Emmi and Tommo heading west with plans to reunite soon. Saba and Jack have both admitted feelings for each other and it's those feelings they focus on while separated. However, like any good sequel with a budding romance, things will get worse before they get better. With a new enemy on her heels and others who would seek to claim her heart, Saba will be in for a fight not just for her freedom but for her sanity as well.

All that Saba's been through in the past months, losing her Pa, her time in Hopetown, the bizarre connection with DeMalo and the battle to rescue Lugh begins to catch up with her and takes an overwhelming toll. She can't seem to escape her personal demons but she's convinced everything will be OK once she and Jack are together again. But when an old acquaintance shows up with devastating news of Jack's whereabouts, Saba 's world threatens to crumble completely leaving her devastated and questioning all she believed to be true.

Hurt, betrayed and deceived is how Saba and several others feel with an intensity so strong it begins to cloud judgements as they make their way through The Waste. It's feelings like these that can lead us to make choices we may later regret. My heart broke for these characters as I sat helpless in my red reading chair while Lugh tried desperately to regain some kind of normalcy within his family. Poor Emmi is right on the cusp of adolescence but is still treated like a child despite her courage and fierce love. Tommo is no longer a boy yet still needs a man around to guide him and Saba...Oh, Saba...I went from wanting to hug her to shaking some sense into her. I wanted to yell, "WHAT.ARE.YOU.THINKING?!" *clutches chest*

I fell in love with Jack in Blood Red Road and I think I love him even MORE now. While I wanted him to ride in and save the day, that doesn't always make for a good story. We find out more about Jack and what kind of man he is and let's just say, he's full of surprises. One of my favorite quotes from the book is when he's describing Saba,

"But ohmygawd Molly, she shines so bright, he says. The fire of life burns so strong in her. I never realized till I met her...I bin cold my whole life, Moll." ~ Jack

I thoroughly enjoyed the world building in both Blood Red Road and Rebel Heart. Moira Young paints such a vivid picture, you feel as if you're walking through the dusty Waste right along with Saba; blood and grime collecting under your fingernails and you swear you smell just as bad. The language of her world is all it's own too and she uses words like, "sarcastical" which made me feel right at home.

You know, none of us have any control over when we're born but we DO have control over the choices we make while we're here. We can choose to do our best, knowing we're going to make mistakes or we can choose to be angry about what life's dealt us and live a life of bitterness and regret.

This was such a FANTASTIC sequel and I'm really looking forward to what the future holds for Saba, Jack and Lugh!

Good Points

I LOVE this cover!

Jen Top 10 Reviewer 415 reviews

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Rebel Heart (Dust Lands, #2) by Moira Young

January 12, 2013 (Updated: January 12, 2013)

Overall rating

5.0

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5 out of 5 stars.

Realistic. Amazing. Romantic. Action-packed. Emotional. Gorgeous. I can’t seem to stop showering this scrumptious book with compliments. Rebel Heart is the sequel to Blood Red Road by Moira Young. It basically picks up where the previous book left off, which is where Saba & Jack, the protagonists, separated temporarily.

In summary, the story starts from Jack’s point of view, where he met some trouble while delivering bad news to a close friend. The rest of the book is back to Saba being the narrator and about how her actions in the last book is affecting her. Namely, they people that had to die in order for her to save her brother and defeat Vicar Pinch. The first quarter of the book had a lot to do with overcoming guilt & the action comes in after that. Saba did a lot of assuming in this book which isn’t really smart because they mostly lead to bad decisions and trust me when I say she made some horrendous decisions.

Unfortunately, Rebel Heart did not have a lot of Jack scenes it but in a way, the book does revolve around him. Because practically every decision Saba made had to do with him in some way. Although I mentioned Saba made a lot of mistakes in this book, I actually like her better that way because it shows that she’s human and, as a young adult, would definitely make stupid choices. Anyway, perfect protagonists who don’t make mistakes are just boring.

As for Jack, I’m head over heels for this charming, brave & endearingly flawed fictional male. Even though he only sort of appeared at the start & end, every scene with him in it was so life-like & realistic. It’s hard to say why, but Ms. Young is definitely working some magic with Jack. From the many YA books I’ve read, he’s probably one of the best male protagonists.

Now, on to Jack & Saba’s relationship. I loved how real Ms. Young kept it with their long-distance relationship. Saba’s doubts about Jack was exactly what any girl in love with a boy far away would experience. With doubts comes fear and with fear comes irrational decisions. Every event that added to Saba’s doubts killed me a little on the inside. However, lets just say the ending is worth going through any emotional rollercoaster.

In a nutshell, I love every single bit of this book, yes, every single bit. I just feel that it’s everything I love (great plot, awesome sub characters, even better protagonists, lots of action, emotional oh-crap-I’m-tearing-up moments) in one mindblowingly good book! I’m obviously looking forward to the next book but unfortunately, I’m going to have to wait about year. Someone stab me now. Ms. Young sure know how to torture us fans with the wait!

Anyway, this review is also available on my book reviews blog, apageofheaven.tumblr.com .

-Adel

Adelena von Waldorf Top 1000 Reviewer

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Mind. Blown.

January 05, 2013

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5.0

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Mind. Blown.
I just summed up my reaction in two words.
There's just so much going on, so much new drama and mystery that I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
One minute, Moira has me dancing with glee and then before I know it, something completely unexpected happens and I end up gaping at the pages. It. Was. Unbelievable.
Shocking.
Unpremeditated.
And even if there was some (very little really) tension in Blood Red Road that sort of prepared me for Rebel Heart, it wasn't enough. I was still stunned in the end. Besides, Rebel Heart has taken a whole new atmosphere. Before, Blood Red Road had an adventurous tone. This one is darker, far more eerie, and its starting to take a supernatural aura.
Saba is being haunted, and the only person she wants (and really needs) isn't there for her at the moment. So who does she turn to instead? Ooh, that one left me stupefied.
The characters started changing drastically. In the beginning, Saba was hardly the kick-butt character anymore. It was harder to adapt to her sudden change in personality, but not impossible. Yeah, she does change back into her kick-butt don't-mess-with-me mode at some point, but if you ever plan to read this one, don't expect Saba to be like she was in Blood Red Road. She hasn't lost her fire, it just dimmed a little. She's more depressed and troubled.
Jack, on the other hand, only shows up a couple of times. He's hotter than ever (of course) and full of surprises. He's a sly one. He popped out at the most unexpected times.
The romance in this book is... well let's just say that there's something of a love square going on. Without Jack to keep Saba together, she goes wild and breaks a couple of hearts. It's not like she suddenly turned into a guy-magnet... okay, so she sort of did, but I didn't find it unbearable or anything. With all the conflict going on, I don't blame her.
Jack shouldn't have left her.
Plot-wise, it was pretty impressive. The amount of twists in this book left me shell-shocked and hungry for more. Besides, Moira Young has an amazing writing style. A unique voice that I barely ever see these days. She can make everything seem so much more realistic than it really is. Like in Blood Red Road when the Hellwurms attacked *shivers* it was very cinematic. I freaked out. Rebel Heart was just as good (maybe even better). It made me feel like I was watching a movie (I even made some popcorn so I wouldn't bite my nails. True story :D)
Overall, this. Is. A. Must. Read. If you haven't read Blood Red Road yet, then I highly recommend you read that one first. Rebel Heart won't be as impressive if you don't. It probably won't make as much sense either.
And if you did read the first one, I can guarantee (like 100%) that the second book is even better.

daniela Top 500 Reviewer

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Saba's story continues

September 21, 2012

Overall rating

4.0

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I couldn't wait for Rebel Heart. The moment I read the first page of Blood Red Road, I was trapped in its amazing writing. Rebel Heart had that same quality, and I managed to finish the book in less than 24 hours. Moira Young has a brilliant writing style that will leave all who read her work entranced.

I think that this book was clever to introduce the prologue with Jack's story, a few months before Saba comes in. This allows us to understand some of Jack's motives, and even see his love is true. In the middle of the book, this short prologue lets us (as in the reader) know partly what happened with Jack and why he is with the Tontons. I reckon that this small section at the start of the book allows us a head start for main section of the book.

In Rebel Heart, Saba's actions from Blood Red Road is now starting to take hold on her future. DeMalo (I think thats right...) is now a leader, and has put a price on Saba's head. The plot thickens as Saba takes life changing paths that will to outcomes, for the better or the worse.

I didn't really like Saba as much as before. In Rebel Heart, Saba's strong willed character stays, but it is slightly warped from what it was in Blood Red Road. She has gone a bit crazy with guilt, and sees ghosts walking behind her. And how Lugh's devotion is also helping to crack her. Saba has become reckless in a bad way. She does not think before acting, and it effects those around her, but she still thinks she is right. I know that this would happen to everyone. but this 'new' Saba is not as appealing for me.

I think that Rebel Heart is an amazing sequel to Blood Red Road. It is totally worth reading and will blow your mind away as it did to mine. If enough people are able to find and read this fantastic book, then it would give the Hunger Games a run for its money.

Good Points

-The spelling and grammar is done in a way that it actually seems that Saba is telling the story, an uneducated eighteen year old.
-Plot thickens.

Casog Top 50 Reviewer 260 reviews

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A sequel even more thrilling than its first!!!

September 07, 2012 (Updated: September 07, 2012)

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5.0

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Review also posted on Goodreads:http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/261641698 and my blog: http://perrytheplatypus1102-3daydreamer3.blogspot.com/2012/09/book-review-rebel-heart-by-moira-young.html

A million thanks to Scholastic U.K and Charlotte Copping for the review copy.You have no idea how excited I was for this book.

Rebel Heart,with its absolutely gorgeous cover,was an even more exciting read than I thought it would be.It surpasses the first book,Blood Red Road,with absolute ease and consists of more action,adventure,suspense,and though it kills me to say so,drama.Now,it's not every day you see a sequel which surpasses the first.Personally,I think that it's quite a bit of a challenge for authors to make the sequels more enjoyable for readers than the firsts.And not everyone is capable of doing that.But if you liked Blood Red Road,then you're bound to love Rebel Heart.I mean,how could you not?It's so full of surprises!And trust me when I say that in no way can the storyline be predicted in this book unless you're re-reading it,which does not count.There are so many things I can't mention in this review just because they would count as spoilers.And if you've been reluctant on buying this then don't hold out any longer,as it is a MUST-HAVE-IN-HARDBACK. It's got an awesome cover which will look really good on your shelf and behind that cover lurks pages filled with a story that promises a lot of action,suspense,adventures and just the right amount of drama.And along with the old characters from Blood Red Road a few new ones also join in.

To U.K residents,I'd ask you to run to your nearest bookstore to grab a copy of this book before they run out.To North American residents,I'm extremely sorry to say that you won't be finding Rebel Heart in stores before October 30th.You might want to consider temporarily migrating to the U.K.Or there's always the other option which I'm used to doing though it's not very healthy.That is sulking in your room till it comes out.

P.S I'm extremely sorry if I've mentioned anything twice.