Mare Barrow does what she must to survive. If that includes stealing and lying, then no one can really blame her- for a Red (a second class citizen in the lands of Norta), little is expected and little is provided. While Mare gets by on her wits and sheer determination, she knows life is different for the privileged and gifted (in more ways than one) Silvers, the elite of society. In one shocking moment, however, Mare finds out that she has more in common with the Silvers that she suspected and that realization leads her on a journey of power, deceit and political machinations that might be more than the clever little thief can handle. Who can she trust? What is the right path for herself and her people? Everything will change when fate unveils the Red Queen. 
 Red Queen has a very Hunger Games feel (battle as entertainment, communities at war, class system with a vast wasteland between levels, a girl who gets by through cunning and sticky fingers, dealing with the black market, hoping to avoid the war, desperate to protect friends and family that she doesn't fully connect with but still feels responsible for, etc). At first this made me cynical; I felt the story was entertaining enough, but still had way too much in common with Hunger Games (and thus also Divergent) to impress me. And yet I read on, getting involved in the story, into the character, sucked into the plot despite myself. By the time the Queenstrial began I was completely hooked and quite willing to give myself over to Aveyard's entrancing story. If Mare is the little sister of Katniss and Tris, she is a sibling that, despite having much in common with her sisters, still has the potential to mature and display characteristics and strengths that will set her apart from the rest of her family. I eagerly await the next segment of this anticipated trilogy to see if Mare lives up to her potential. 
 side note: 
 7th grade level recommended as a result of suspenseful action and political elements. Language and relationship issues not a factor, aside from one use of the "b" word.