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    Rebel Heart
    Rebel Heart
    Rebel Heart
    Audiobook11 hours

    Rebel Heart

    Written by Moira Young

    Narrated by Heather Lind

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    Nothing is certain and no one is safe in the scorching sequel to Blood Red Road, which MTV’s Hollywood Crush blog called “better than The Hunger Games.”

    There is a price on Saba’s head. She brought down a ruthless tyrant and saved her kidnapped brother. But winning has come at a terrible cost. Saba is haunted by her past—and a new enemy is on the rise, an enemy who searches for her across the Dust Lands.

    Saba needs Jack: his moonlit eyes, his reckless courage, his wild heart. But Jack has left. And her brother is haunted by ghosts of his own. Then news comes that tells her Jack can never be trusted again. Deceived and betrayed, haunted and hunted, Saba will need all of her warrior’s strength just to survive. For the enemy has cunning plans of his own…
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Audio
    Release dateOct 30, 2012
    ISBN9781442348851
    Author

    Moira Young

    Moira Young is the author of the Dust Lands series. The first book, Blood Red Road, won the Costa Children’s Book Award, was a Cybils Award Winner for fantasy and science fiction, and was a Best Fiction for Young Adults selection. The Dust Lands continues with Rebel Heart, which received a starred review in Publishers Weekly, and Raging Star. A native Canadian, Moira lives with her husband in the UK. Learn more at MoiraYoung.com.

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    Reviews for Rebel Heart

    3.5/5

    187 ratings27 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Great book. Can't wait for the next one!
    • 3/5
      SPOILERS* SPOILERS*SPOILERS*SPOILERS*SPOILERS*SPOILERS*SPOILERS* The book was good but umm.


      first part of the story Saba is going through some serous post traumatic stress as is her rescued brother Lugh. Lugh displays his PTSD as anger. Saba is seeing dead people, not sleeping, sleepwalking, and blacking out. So they come upon a settlement on their journey out to the big water. Emmi convinces them to stop to get help for Saba. a medicine woman/shaman/star reader girl is there who helps Saba. Saba leaves to find Jack when Maev comes to the camp with awful news. Saba leaves before she is finished being healed. so i am like okay wait. you are seeing dead people and all out of sorts but you are gonna go tearing off to help Jack before you are completely recovered. really??? smh. you are going to try and leave your family and friends behind, yeah really. so i am not liking Saba so far but i excuse it cuz of the PTSD.



      she is set (obsessed) on finding Jack just like she was set on finding Lugh in the first book. Saba is almost back to her bad ass self but not quite. She is not as strong; she's still broken, confused. then she doubts Jack. so you go all this way not doubting and you are smart enough to figure out Jack's message BUT you can't figure out that Jack needed to shut Emmi up before she talked and revealed that he was not really Tonton and that the rest of you guys might be nearby??? REALLY???!! ok. her brain is not working right, PTSD. i get that but then you sleep with DEMALO?? ok. you and Demalo have some weird Pyschic connection; mad at Jack =want to hurt him, and a little drunk. i get it but your first time?? REALLY???!!!

      then you go back and help the rebels and have a chance to kill Demalo and you don't. umm i might excuse it cuz of the heartstone. then you lie to Tommo. then just like that you are not mad at jack and believe and lay with him as well. SIGH. I. AM. DONE. i feel like Tommo at the end of the book. oh Saba. Oh Moria.
    • 5/5
      Characters: The main character is still Saba, but she is still surrounded by family and her group of rebel friends. Lugh, her twin brother is a little upset with her and her desire to find Jack instead of moving forward with their lives. Saba and Lugh will butt heads several times throughout the novel. Originality: This series is absolutely one of the most unique reads you will find in Young Adult books today. Mostly due to the dialect of the characters and the minimal writing style the author has chosen to use. The combination leads to a very unique read. Plot: Saba gets a coded message from Jack and decides to go and find him against the advice of Jack. The whole group follows Saba knowing that they must stick together and they want to help her. Through their travels they come across several people and different encounters with trouble. But when they reach their destination we find that maybe Saba has a destiny, something she never would have considered before and never expected. Writing: “Not jest wagons, lone travelers too. We found the leftover bits of one fella. Well, Nero did. Dead eaters had bin at him, jackals an vultures, so you couldn't tell much. Jest his hair color an boot size. The boots was good an they fit Tommo. You never felt right, takin from the dead. But he wouldn't be doin no more walkin an Tommo would. We piled rocks over what was left of him and Lugh said a few respeckful words.”Krista's Rating:One thing that stood out more to me in this book than the first was the dialect. It was harder for me to get back into the story. But I found that listening to the audiobook was a lot easier to picture the story instead of reading the words as written. The books have a similar feel to them. Something happens in the beginning to get them on their travels. They come across several different characters and trials along the way and the books end with a bang and several revelations. I can see a pattern here with this series, but with the events in the end of this book, I cannot wait to see where the next book takes us. I have really high hopes for what Saba can become. She's strong, smart and has heroine written all over her.
    • 3/5
      Very fast paced, Mad Max like adventure, with a little mystical weirdness thrown in. hard to put down.
    • 4/5
      I'm totally amazed at how easy and quick these books are to read. Rebel Heart is engrossing and unputdownable. It'd been a while since I'd read Blood Red Road and Moira Young gives no recap but eventually everything came back to me. I love these characters. I love Young's writing style. It's effortless and smooth. Saba's pain and fears were my pain and fears. My first act upon finishing this book was to look up the publication date of the final book (just a few weeks away). I recommend picking up this series and checking it out.
    • 3/5
      **Spoilers ahead, you’ve been warned**First, it’s recommended you read Blood Red Road before you jump into this one. It starts off a little later in the storyline but it’s best to get your background information so you can better understand the second one of the series.I notice with the second book of almost every series I’ve read, they hit a bump in the plotline and it either goes very well, or sometimes it goes not so good, or terribly bad. In this case, it went a little lackluster. However it wasn’t the best, but it wasn’t the worst either. I suppose sometimes it’s hard to live up to the how high the bar is set when the first novel was written and released. As readers, we expect the same kind of emotional excitement.So what I notice is a trend in the second book of the series as well, the main character always, (almost always) have their emo moments. This brings the plot down and establishes a lull and you’re left with this mopey character who’s on a complete pity trip while things are hitting the fan everyone around them. For crying out loud Saba. Seriously? I did not expect this from you. Sure, we’re all entitled our own moments but what ever happened to the pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off and carry on motto? We need more of that instead of ‘woe is me the world is against me, I can’t take this anymore’ sort of thinking. So I’d have to say this aspect of the novel, I didn’t like so much.I wasn’t expecting Saba to meet DeMalo so soon in the series. But oh my goodness he’s bloody insane. His way of thinking of his purpose makes you want to slug him one but you understand given the circumstances and the living conditions of the setting, yeah. It’s enough to make you go completely batshit crazy and think of these things as a way of survival or a way of life in order to make things ‘better’. What baffles me is….she ends up sleeping with him and just wow….seriously? Sleeping with the enemy doesn’t give you any bonus points here Saba darling. So...why? Just why? Don’t give me this emotional fragility crap. That’s getting old and useless. The pace of the plot is noticeably slower given that perhaps this second book is going to be geared towards character development. Lugh’s still a twit and he wasn’t that likable in the first place - plus you feel like asking what the heck his problem is because he’s just so filled with resentment and anger. Jack is hardly anywhere in the book. He disappears and doesn’t interact with Saba. Still a mystery character with no answers. Sort of made me wonder, then why was he mentioned so much in the first one, to have no place in this one? Frustrating considering he played a big part and his character was one of the most likable in the story.So overall, it’s okay. Second books in series always go through ruts and patches. I’m reading through this series because I really did like the first one and I’ll finish this one hoping the ending will go with an awesome bang so I can forget Rebel Heart.
    • 4/5
      Rebel Heart by Moira Young is the second book in her Dust Lands trilogy. Set in the far distant post-apocalyptic world, this book carries on right where the last one left off. The main character, Saba is with her twin brother and younger sister, heading for sanctuary while the love of her life, Jack has gone to inform his friend of the death of her loved one. Of course, something happens that cause Saba and her friends to go back, while Jack appears to have turned traitor and joined with the enemy.I really liked the first book in this series but I believe this book suffered a little story wise. It felt very much as if the drama was forced simply to justify the length of the trilogy. Certain situations have been set up and I assume will be resolved in the third book. Still, I enjoyed the writing and the world building and certainly plan to continue on with the third book at some time.
    • 4/5
      Scorching Hot!!- 4.5 stars...

      And I'm not referring to just the dust lands! : ) DeMalo, DeMalo, DeMalo -he is one delicious bad boy! He's a little twisted in the mind though. : ( He's also in love with Saba, well his version of love. Then we have Jack- Jack's one of the good guys. He brings out the best in everyone & he's the love of Saba's life. He's also in love with her too. Then we have Tommo who actually makes the 4th wheel on this ride. He's in love with Saba too though, or thinks he is, and wants her to see him as a man. He's only fifteen so I don't necessarily count him, but love is a powerful emotion and possible weapon so we can't underestimate him or rule him out just yet.

      If I'm going to endure a love triangle though then this is how I like them to be- edgy, strong chemistry, hot characters and we have the good vs. bad boy thing going. Plus the triangle actually plays into the plot but it doesn't overshadow it. It's not just some sappy, back & forth brooding, irrelevant side show-like the last triangle I endured in the Taken trilogy. Ughh!

      This second book was a very strong follow-up to the first. If I had to choose which one I liked the best, it would be a really hard choice to make. This one ended with a bang too so make sure you already have the third book on hand because you'll definitely want more when you finish this one. I'm so glad I did! I'm reading the final book now and I'm still thinking back to that final scene and wondering when it's going to pop-up. I know it's going to come back to bite somehow, it's just a matter of when.

    • 4/5
      Diese und weitere Rezensionen findet ihr auf meinem Blog Anima Libri - Buchseele

      Den ersten Teil dieser Serie, „Dustlands: Die Entführung“, habe ich vor so ewigen Zeiten gelesen, dass ich ernsthafte Probleme hatte, mich an alles zu erinnern, das im ersten Band geschehen ist. Dazu kommt noch, dass die Geschehnisse des ersten Kapitel ihren Sinn und Zweck für die Handlung erst im späteren Verlauf der Geschichte offenbaren, sodass ich anfangs doch etwas ahnungslos durch die Geschichte gewatet bin, was nicht unbedingt für einen gelungenen Einstieg in „Dustlands: Der Herzstein“ gesorgt hat.

      Dazu kommt Moira Youngs Schreibstil. In meiner Rezension zum ersten Teil habe ich ihn so beschrieben:

      „Schon nach wenigen Sätzen wurde klar, dass Youngs Schreibstil und ich niemals Freunde werden würden, denn zu meinem Entsetzen hat die Autorin ihren Charakteren nicht nur eine nahezu grausame Art zu Reden verpasst, simpelste Sätze vermischt mit einem äußerst nervigen Dialekt, sondern sie hat tatsächlich gänzlich auf die Verwendung irgendwelcher Anführungszeichen verzichtet, wodurch es unmöglich wird wörtliche Rede und Erzählung auf den ersten Blick auseinander zu halten.
      Nachdem ich einen Blick in den amerikanischen Originaltext geworfen habe und feststellen musste, dass der fast noch schlimmer zu lesen ist, habe ich mir einige amerikanische Rezensionen zum Buch durchgelesen, und dabei herausgefunden, dass Young mit ihrem Schreibstil wohl den Dialekt aus dem Süd-Westen des USA nachahmt und das wohl sogar sehr treffend. Leider lässt sich dieser Dialekt in der Übersetzung (und für mich als Nicht-Amerikaner auch im Original) natürlich nicht mehr identifizieren, was ihn einfach nur nervtötend macht.
      Dadurch, dass der Roman aus der Ich-Perspektive erzählt wird, hat die seltsame Art zu Reden auch Auswirkungen auf den restlichen Stil außerhalb der wörtlichen Rede, wodurch alles zu einem einzigen Brei verschwimmt, aus dem man die wörtliche Rede erst mühsam herausfiltern muss, um überhaupt etwas Struktur in das Gelesene zu bringen.“

      Ich muss allerdings sagen, in diesem zweiten Band hatte ich doch etwas weniger Probleme mit Frau Youngs Schreibstil. Ja, er besteht immer noch aus wahnsinnig kurzen Sätzen, die teilweise nicht einmal vollständige Sätze sind, aber entweder ist er wirklich „weicher“ geworden oder ich bin einfach toleranter gewesen (ich tendiere zu ersterem, habe aber leider den ersten Band derzeit nicht griffbereit, sodass ich diese Theorie nicht überprüfen kann).

      Die Handlung in diesem Buch ist sehr… geradlinig. Es gibt kaum abschweifungen von der Haupthandlung, die Ereignisse reihen sich brav an einander und die Spannung steigt von Seite zu Seite. Und spannend ist es durchaus, denn während die Handlung in Band 1 anfangs noch recht schleppend verlief, wird es hier – zumindest sobald man einmal wieder in die Geschichte hinein gefunden hat – direkt sehr spannend und diese Spannung hält auch bis zum Ende an. Leider.

      Denn während die Autorin einen Haufen Fragen, Konflikte und Handlungsansätze ansammelt, wird kaum etwas davon gelöst, alles häuft sich an, vermutlich um dann im dritten Band mit großem Tamtam in einem gewaltungen Showdown aufgelöst zu werden oder so. Zwar erscheint Band 3 im Original bereits im Mai, wenn die deutsche Übersetzung jedoch wieder anderthalb Jahre auf sich warten lässt… Naja, das nimmt dem ganzen dann doch ziemlich viel Spannung.

      Trotzdem, alles in allem hat mich „Dustlands: Der Herzstein“ von Moira Young tatsächlich positiv überrascht. Die Geschichte ist spannend und fesselnd, auch wenn der Schreibstil sehr ungewöhnlich und sicherlich nicht jedermanns Geschmack ist. Für Fans des ersten Teils jedoch eine eindeutige Empfehlung.
    • 2/5
      2.5 stars. maybe even 2. I was liking it ok until the last third and then it was suddenly a soap opera and too many love interests and a girl who couldn't decide anything or even help herself. Got pretty lame. Aren't you supposed to like the heroine or at least see her improving herself and growing? Can't stand her now.
    • 4/5
      Note: There are necessarily spoilers for the first book in this series, but not for this book, Book Two of a trilogy.This is the second volume of a post-apocalyptic trilogy called "Dustlands," that takes elements of Hunger Games, Knife of Never Letting Go, The Scorch Trials, a little bit of Dune, and others, and combines them into a riveting story that gets off to an excellent start.In Book One, Blood Red Road, Saba and her twin brother Lugh have just turned eighteen. They live with nine-year-old sister Emmi and their sad, possibly demented father on a hardscrabble farm in a sand-dune covered landscape ravaged by the “Wreckers,” Earth’s former civilization (i.e., us).Right after a violent dust storm, a group of men on horseback show up, kill the father, and kidnap Lugh to serve as a human sacrifice to the “King.” Saba vows to get Lugh back, and she and Emmi take off after them, along with Nero, her intelligent and loyal pet crow. She picks up other followers on her way, including handsome and sensitive Jack, and a group of loyal women warriors. They have all met each other in depraved Hopetown, where drugged up citizens are purged of their aggression by watching caged people fight each other; after three losses, the loser is let lose in the crowd, which happily and eagerly tears them apart.Saba was captured and became one of these fighters, and was so successful she was known as The Angel of Death. But one of her opponents turned out to be a member of the resistance, and together they outwitted their captors and destroyed Hopetown.At the end of the first book, Saba, Lugh, Emmi and other survivors of the escape set out for the fabled “Big Water” at the West Coast. But Jack can’t go yet; he has an obligation to fulfill. He promises to meet Saba there eventually.In Rebel Heart, Saba, Lugh, Emmi and the others are making the long hard trek across the arid west to get to the ocean. As they wander through the desert to the promised land, Saba suffers a lapse in faith, and no longer knows what she believes or whom to trust. She is haunted by the deaths she has caused, and struggles to make sense of the changes in her brother Lugh. On route, she finds out that the power behind the throne of the now-dead mad king, a man known as DeMalo, has reorganized the king’s army - the "Tonton” - and is “cleansing” the country for a New Eden led by him, “The Pathfinder.” Saba had two previous encounters with the charismatic and mysterious DeMalo; his gaze seemed to penetrate her very core, and he inexplicably saved her life both times. Now, he has put a price on her head, but demands she be brought to him alive. Meanwhile, Jack has become one of the Tonton, and Saba isn’t sure what to think. When she unexpectedly runs into DeMalo, her emotions, already raw from an encounter with a “Sky Speaker,” get turned inside out. She feels a Jane-Eyre-Rochester-like invisible line between her and DeMalo, and Saba doesn’t know what it means. She has a choice to make, and a lot of lives depend on her decision either way.Discussion: This is a “middle child,” and as such there is more character development than world building. But the characters mostly take a turn for the worse. Saba is afraid she is losing her grip on reality like her Pa did, and for a while, it seems as if she might be right. And like Tris in the “Divergent” Trilogy following her own trauma, Saba can’t even shoot a weapon anymore. She has suddenly lost whatever had made her a warrior. Instead, she has become simpy, moony-eyed, and even cowardly. Saba is growing up, however, in some ways, gradually understanding that “Nobody’s like I thought they was. Nuthin’s like I figgered it. Nuthin’s like I thought it would be.” Little Emmi is mature in many ways, except for her childish (and infuriating) loss of control whenever a lot of people’s lives are at stake and dependent on her cooperation. Again and again people die not because of Saba (as Saba believes) but because of problems precipitated by Emmi. She’s lovable and loyal, but that doesn’t help when so many die because of her.Lugh, the “good” twin of the first book, is now definitely the bad one. There are a few allusions to some trauma he sustained while in the King’s prison, but could any trauma explain his total 180 in character? DeMalo, menacing and minatory in Book One, is now like a little lovesick puppy, albeit one slightly off his rocker. And then there is Tommo. In Book One, he is “near to [Emmi’s] own age.” Suddenly in Book Two, he’s closer to a man, and is clearly on the way to being a pyscho one at that.Only Jack has stayed consistent. And Jack is a great character, but he plays only a minor role in this book.Evaluation: Part of what made the first book in this series so good was the character of Saba, a loyal and fierce heroine who inspired admiration. In this book, Saba is wavering; her sister Emmi is annoying; and her brother Lugh is hateful. Still, it manages to be a good story. It’s not a standalone, however, and I’m hopeful for the third installment.
    • 3/5
      “What happens to you changes you. Fer good or ill, yer changed ferever. There ain’t no goin back. No matter how many tears you cry.” A few weeks have passed since Saba rescued Lugh from the Tonton. Jack has split off to go see Molly to tell her himself about Ike’s fate and afterwards plans to meet back up with the group at Big Water. Along the way, Saba’s journey is a constant struggle with the change in Lugh, the absence of Jack and the ghosts that seem to haunt her from her days of cage fighting and known to all as the Angel of Death.I read Blood Red Road in 2011 and it was one of my favorite books of the year. It was an intense thrill-ride and the world Moira Young created was pleasantly unique. I had been warned about the unfortunate case of Middle-Book-Syndrome that Rebel Heart suffered from (which is why I waited until Raging Star was released before even bothering) yet even with my lowered expectations I was still extremely disappointed with this installment. In Blood Red Road we had Saba and Emmi setting out on their journey to save their brother but there were so many fascinating aspects to the story as a whole that made it memorable. There were some seriously awesome fight scenes, cage fighting, an intense prison break, a battle against hellwurms and the list goes. If those are some of the things you enjoyed about Blood Red Road, unfortunately I think you’ll be disappointed in Rebel Heart as well.Rebel Heart served as more of a character advancement and while I understand the importance of that, the story definitely suffered from a lack of action. Rebel Heart, as the title indicates, is much more focused on matters of the heart. Or hearts, considering there’s something akin to a love square. It caused the story to become drudging and ponderous, especially when considered to the action-packed pages of Blood Red Road. Saba was introduced as a fierce character, yet in Rebel Heart she suffers from the horrors she faced and is tormented by post-traumatic stress disorder. Something like that could have been built into the story and developed Saba further as a strong character constantly overcoming obstacles but instead her PTSD is miraculously cured by a young shaman. As soon as she becomes ‘cured’ the storyline begins focusing ten-fold on her love life drama. It just felt unnecessarily dramatic and didn’t do this series any justice since the first book never treaded into the ‘romance’ territory. I wish it would have stayed that way. In addition, not only is their drama in her love life, she also has new drama in her relationship with her brother, Lugh. The verbal sparring was constant and Lugh was constantly grating on my nerves with his incessant complaining. Essentially, he replaced Emmi as most annoying character.The writing style is identical to the first book with the poor spelling, strange dialect and the Cormac McCarthy-like lack of quotation marks. I read Blood Red Road in print but went with the audiobook for Rebel Heart. I must say that even though I enjoyed the storyline less, my reading experience was easier as I wasn’t constantly getting caught up in interpreting the dialect and trying to figure out if someone was talking or thinking. The narrator, Heather Lind, did a fantastic job and I intend on listening to her narrate Raging Star as well.While Rebel Heart is clearly not my favorite installment of the series, I still remain hopeful that it will have a triumphant finale.
    • 2/5
      I really enjoyed "Blood Red Road", and was quite excited about the sequel. Uh, yeah... well, I am now carefully holding out hope that this book was just a build up or set up for the third book because...it was very disappointing.

      It reminded me in many ways of the ENDLESS camping of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. There was a LOT of angst that could have been avoided with a paragraph of "months passed much the same" or something like that.

      Also, the character does some really STUPID, inexplicable things that I won't mention specifically-- but if you've read the book you probably know what I mean. There is little explanation for why she acts as she does, other than "the author needs to stir up trouble and angst."

      So, it was an ok book. I liked the first one enough that I will read the third, but I really didn't enjoy the second one hardly at all. I spent nearly the entire time reading it cussing at the book and wondering why the protagonist was acting out of character...
    • 3/5
      I may re-try the audio of this when it is released. Will review this in a day or two.
    • 2/5
      2.5 stars
      This was a pretty disappointing 2nd book to what I thought was going to be a great post-apocalyptic trilogy. Blood Red Road was a great book, good enough to be a standalone. However in this one, there were too few gold moments sprinkled in among too many WTF moments.
    • 3/5
      Rebel Heart should be rewarding for fans of the Dust Lands series. It begins with action, ends with action and has a lot of action throughout. We gots lots of Lugh and lots of Saba – -and hey, all through Blood Red Road we wanted Lugh, right? I could not put down the first 40% of this book. It was surprising and just fun.

      Young develops the mythology and adds some interesting elements to Rebel Heart. The authority in control of the settlements and land are brutal; to demonstrate this brutalness are some heartbreaking and gruesome scenes. The loss that began in Blood Red Road continues in Rebel Heart, which I guess is realistic considering the setting. I did have some questions about the convenience of things happening, things they witnessed and people they ran into … similar to my thoughts on Blood Red Road. But hey, this is dystopia-lite -- to enjoy, you have to go with it.

      There is a plot line introduced in Rebel Heart that I was impressed with and wasn't dystopia-lite-like at all. Saba's value as a person doesn't go down because she has sex with someone that is not her love interest. People who think they have been betrayed sometimes make bad sexual choices. Jack's love for Saba has nothing to do with her "purity" or sexual choices. This is not necessarily dystopia-lite. I love when authors push this boundary that seems to appear in so many books that women and teenaged girls enjoy, i.e. virginity = value. So thank you Ms. Young. And it really rocks that Saba seems to be stronger than Lugh; she can take him on in a fight and outlast him out in the wilderness. Nice. Saba matches up with Jack, they complete (*snicker*) each other -- after all, wasn't it Saba that saved Jack in the first book?

      I listened to Blood Red Road and I read Rebel Heart. The narration for the first one was done really well and as I read Rebel Heart, I often missed the voice of Saba. I recommend to people who started this book in audio, to continue in audio.

      I didn’t love Blood Red Road, I enjoyed it. It wasn’t ground breaking for me. In the end it was a decent young adult dystopia novel with a splash of angsty romance. I would say the same about Rebel Heart. Rebel Heart continues down that path but turns that splash of angsty romance into more of a pouring in or mixing of angsty romance. There is a lot of longing, misunderstandings, and miscommunications. Several men/boys want Saba, but she only has eyes for Jack — but where is Jack? Jack is nowhere to be found and that was the frustrating part of this book. I wanted more Jack. Romance is not my favorite genre and I dislike tension created by absence, miscommunication and misunderstanding and that is how tension is created in Rebel Heart. But despite that I still enjoyed parts of Rebel Heart. It is a fun adventure book with a mature dose of romance scenes (pre-teens should stay away there is sex in this book — sorry as a mom of a 13 year old girl, I can’t stop being a mom.).

      I think fans of Blood Red Road will like Rebel Heart. Readers lukewarm about Blood Red Road, will probably not be that excited about Rebel Heart. Readers critical of the coinicdences in the first book, may have the same problems with this book. But … there are some really rewarding scenes and the tension that builds in the beginning of the book is done well.

    • 5/5
      I didn't enjoy this as much as Blood Red Road. I just felt that Moira Young dragged the story out because she didn't have a defined plot. It felt like she had struggled to write it so even though it wasn't as great as its predecessor I still enjoyed it and the new characters. I didn't like how the old characters have evolved, eg Lugh seems angry at the world, Saba has become unsure of herself and weak and Tommo isn't that sweet deaf kid anymore. But I'm sure all will become apparent in the next book but I can't imagine this to be a trilogy as there's too much to change in their world.
    • 4/5
      After rescuing her twin brother from the Tonton, Saba experiences disturbing telepathic visions while being hunted by a cunning enemy.
    • 4/5
      Loved it. Loved the laconic, post-apocalyptic cowboy language, the twists in the action, the way everything became murkier and more uncertain, and the way in which both the heroes and villains became more complicated.
    • 4/5
      Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: Dark, tragic and intense sequel to Blood Red Road.Opening Sentence: It’s late afternoon.The Review:Living in the Dust Lands can be cold, cruel and harsh and from the beginning Moira Young makes sure you don’t forget that. Rebel Heart opens up with Jack traveling to the Lost Cause to visit with the lovely Molly, personally telling her the bad news from Blood Red Road. The Tonton and their new ruler are terrorizing the lands and forcing people under their rule. They have truly come up with a nasty setup that ensures people will follow them from branding, forced labor and outright killing those who are old or disobey.Saba is traveling to the west with her brother, Lugh, and her sister, Emmi towards a happy, settled down future. Unfortunately, they are stuck in the desert on the way west. Saba is convinced that Jack should have met back up with them by now. He has been gone too long. While stranded, Saba begins to be haunted by her memories, so much so that it is hard to determine what is real and what isn’t.Rebel Heart continues with Saba receiving bad news about Jack that she just can’t believe. The news has Saba and her group traveling back into Tonton land where Saba is the number one most wanted criminal in search of Jack. Saba runs into friends, old and new, on her journey that is filled with heartbreak, tragedy and some bad decisions.Rebel Heart left me speechless and enthralled at times, especially the scenes with Saba and DeMalo. I couldn’t put the book down. For some reason, I really wanted to like DeMalo until I realized he’s a little *whoohoo* crazy. His ideas are sound but his methods are just plain cruel and wrong. Saba does have quite a few “whoa is me” pity party moments throughout the novel. I just want to shake her and tell her to get over it. But in the end, it is her determination to do what is right that has me liking her.Rebel Heart has the same dark, gritty tone that Blood Red Road had. The first “chapter” of the book is told through Jack’s first person point of view before returning to Saba for the rest of the journey. The insight into Jack answered some questions but still left him a mystery for the most part. The bizarre speech patterns were not as noticeable in this novel, either I was just used to it or it was toned down a bit.Overall, Rebel Heart was a dark, tragic novel. Saba’s journey reeled me in and I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. It seems that nothing can go right for her. The ending left me with many questions and theories. I absolutely cannot wait for the last and final book in the Dust Lands Trilogy.Notable Scene:Eli eases up on my windpipe. Jest enough fer me to croak, No, Nero! Go!Nero retreats. He circles overhead, callin out his alarm.You ain’t no quack’s woman, says Eli.He yanks my sheema back. His eyes widen as he sees my tattoo. He smiles.I’m facin the side of the Cosmic. There’s a movement at the air grille.Hey, RiverLee, says Eli, who d’you s’pose—The thud of a bolt shooter.Eli’s head jerks back. His arms fly out. He hits the ground.Eli! RiverLee starts screamin.I’m on my knees, gaspin for air. Lugh leaps from the back of the Cosmic, bolt shooter in hand.RiverLee fires wildly at him.He shoots her dead.FTC Advisory: Margaret K. McElderry/Simon & Schuster provided me with a copy of Rebel Heart. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
    • 4/5
      In this sequel to Blood Red Road we continue to follow Saba. She and her friends are traveling west through Wrecker wasteland to start a new life on the coast. Saba is supposed to meet up with Jack along the way, but she knows he is in trouble and she needs to find him right away. However, there is a new leader for the Tonton and the roads are treacherous. The Tonton are forcing people from their homes to make way for younger, stronger people willing to make a better world under Demalo’s rule. Finally, a cover with a guy and not a girl; I love the cover! The story continues in the same style with bad grammar, lack of punctuation, and lack of quotation. I really enjoy the world building in these books and feel like the writing style lets you feel how uneducated people are in this dystopian world. The Wrecker wasteland, windstorms, and struggling people all make for a well created world. Overall, I felt this story was a little weaker then Blood Red Road, as if it is suffering from middle book syndrome. I found the idea of fate putting Saba on a route she is meant to follow a little hard to believe. Yet, there were some interesting new events with Lugh, Tommo, Saba, and Demalo that are meant to build up to a big conclusion. I liked the new characters that were introduced as part of the resistance. It was a decent read and I will be picking up the last book when it comes out.
    • 2/5
      Ouch, it actually hurts me to write this review because it’s not a very positive one. As you may or may not remember, I absolutely loved Moira Young’s Blood Red Road. It was one of my favorites from last year and Rebel Heart, even with a cover redesign that I did not appreciate, was one of my most anticipated books of 2012. The first book packed a punch with its energy and fast pace and I had grown to love the characters so much; I was really looking forward to a reunion with Moira Young’s world. Unfortunately, Rebel Heart took on another direction and I wasn’t much of a fan.As mentioned above, Blood Red Road kept its momentum going with its fast pace and the adventures Saba set off on. With Rebel Heart, that wasn’t the case. To be fair, it started off on a great scene with Jack and it looked like Rebel Heart would take things up a notch. Instead, however, it dragged for me. It felt like Saba and co. were just traveling around aimlessly because I didn’t feel the same urgency that I did when she was trying to find Lugh in the first book. Considering how much I love Jack I feel that I should have been more invested in Saba’s possible reunion with him. Jack aside, though, I found myself feeling pretty bored with a good portion of the book. I didn’t get caught up in the danger or excitement. It was all just sort of MEH.Next, the characters didn’t quite grab my attention either. Maybe I needed to re-read Blood Red Road before diving into this one, but I found it difficult to keep track of who some of the side characters were. My feelings towards the core few (i.e. Saba, Lugh, Emmi, etc) ranged from annoyance to straight up “JUST STOP.” I feel like Saba lost a lot of the fire that I loved so much in the first book and that was the saddest part of this sequel for me.Rebel Heart took on a few unexpected directions and I’m not quite sure what to make of them. I was really thrown for a loop and I’m sure many of you will experience the same, “WHAT?!” reactions that I did. I’ll be interested to see how certain things will play out but, I won’t lie, I’m nervous about a few others storylines. While I’m sure many of you will enjoy what’s within the pages of Rebel Heart, I’ll have my fingers crossed that Moira Young will be able to turn this series around for me in the final book.
    • 5/5
      The story picks up right where Blood Red Road left off, so be sure to re-read the ending before diving in (unless you’re reading the books right after the other, or you’ve got an excellent memory). The first part of Rebel Heart might seem a bit slow, but thing pick up towards the middle. The story heads in unforeseeable directions, which speaks to Moira Young’s creativity. Nothing is ever simple with Young’s stories, and that’s the way I like it.
    • 4/5
      The Good Stuff Intriguing , realistic character development for Saba - nothing at all stereotypical Fast paced Fascinating new characters Enjoyed the little hints that pertain to what happened to the world Emphasizes the incredible willingness to survive that we humans have Liked knowing a lot more about Jack's back-story Ending has me dying to read the final book Portrayal of grief very dark, honest and real I know a lot of people dislike Saba, but I find her truly fascinating. She is damaged , flawed character, but I find that what is interesting about her. She never acts stereotypical, she makes mistakes, but she is trying and developing -- nice work Ms Young! Nice also to see Saba realizing what a jerk her brother is -- please oh please Ms Young, kill him off!!!The Not So Good Stuff A little repetitive at times Some highly questionable actions taken by certain characters (Trying to be spoiler free, so hope that makes sense) The writing style might be hard for most people, but I found it refreshing and worked for the characters Not lovin the cover, it's not bad, just sorta plain Still don't see the fascination for Lugh - he's a selfish jackass - plain and simpleFavorite Quotes/Passages"What happens changes you. Fer good or ill, yer changed ferever. There ain't no goin back. No matter how many tears you cry. It sounds simple, but it ain't.""There are some people, she says, not many, who have within them the power to change things. The courage to act in the service of somethin greater than themselves."To change things, I says.Through their actions, she says, they can turn the tide of human affairs."They, I says. You mean me.""If restless spirits ride the Wraithway, they ain't Wreckers. They're nature spirits. The spirits of earth an water. Of air an plants an creatures. With every right to ride vengeance on men.No, Wrecker soul's don't roam the road. This place, this hell, is their home. They're caught in their rivers of fire, always an ferever drownin. Never, ever to be free. Their voices gutter in the flames. Take pity, fergive me, have mercy on me. Prisoners of their own destruction. Trapped till the end of time."Who Should/Shouldn't Read Definitely only for those who have read the first book If you haven't read Blood Red Road, but enjoy what I liken to Road Warrior for teens, check out Blood Red Road4 Dewey'sI received this from Random House in exchange for an honest review
    • 4/5
      *This is an Advanced Readers Copy**This is a sequel*4 StarsSaba’s family is complete now and an evil has been defeated, but still there’s a price on her head and a weight on her heart. She is also haunted by those who gave their lives while standing besides her leaving her to find a way to overcome the shadows. So, when it’s discovered that the man she loves has betrayed her she goes on a dangerous journey to find him and answers even if it means putting everyone at risk once again.The characters in this series are one of the major reasons I find this an original and intense read. Their relationships are as believable as you can get in fiction. I love their tension and warmth. The plot also contributes to this being a unique series and I can’t wait to find out what it’s all coming to, so I am anxiously awaiting the next installment. The pacing seems to stay right on par with the plot, but my one complaint about this one is that it did feel a little cluttered for a bit. I am sure that will be worked out for me in the future. Overall, I really enjoyed it and have begun recommending it.
    • 4/5
      I was lucky enough to win this book in a giveaway and was instantly drawn back into their world!... I have not finished it yet so I will come back to say more but it was hard for me to put down and get some much needed sleep!... I'm especially looking fwd to this weekend i have most of it off and I plan on curling up to devour the rest of the book!!!
    • 3/5
      Another sequel I couldn't wait to read Rebel Heart!Once I started reading this book, I found it difficult to get into. I wasn't sure, whether it was just me or maybe I need to re-read Blood Red Road just so I can get the feel of the book. I stepped into the world pretty easily but found myself dismayed with the plot. For me, it felt slow and confusing. I had times where I had to back track and re-read parts.Other parts of the book failed me. I just wanted more. And since it wasn't quite what I wanted I just could not get into as I thought I would.With that said, I could not finish the book. I've decided to put it down and try again later. I think it will help me a lot more if I re-read the first book then flow into the second one.