Not every book is going to be ground breaking to last through the ages such as Frankenstein or The Catcher in the Rye.
Some are generic with basic plot lines and uninspired characters. That is just what Victoria Aveyard brought to the table by writing this lovely little tidbit, The Red Queen.
The characters are bland and do not reach out to the reader in a way that is different from other books. The Hunger Games and Divergent have beat to death the theme of dystopian survival games and a corrupt government. The one original thing about Red Queen is the incorporation of talents such as being able to control fire, water, earth, animals and humans, just to name a few.
Another unique aspect about the plot is the differentiation between Reds and Silvers.
The Reds have red blood and do not have any special powers, while the Silvers have silver blood and do have special abilities. The Reds have almost no rights and are not treated as people. Oh, and a war is going on in which the Silvers are fighting using the Reds bodies and blood to fight their war for them. Other than that, the rest of the plot is very predictable.
So we have this generic girl character, who is a Red with powers. Gasp. Who would have guessed. Not to mention that there is a love triangle going on. Yay… More love triangles, so original. The idea of a love triangle only works in a setting where love grows. With war and death, you should find solace in family, not the arms of an evil lover. Not only does it distract from the already muddled plot but it adds a useless element.
That is, however, what the general public expects from a young adult novel.
Other than the muddled plot and uninspired characters, Red Queen was a quick and easy read. If you have time to kill on a Saturday afternoon, this is the book for you. It was enjoyable to read and provided another take on the genre of fiction. But it is nothing new; this type of book has been done before. That being said, however, it is not a bad book, and might be worth the casual read.