The concept of Red Bloods and Silver bloods was intriguing. I wasn't prepared for the fact that this was practically synonymous with mutants and non mutants (and all the awesome powers). The world Victoria Aveyard creates is not an original one. The have and have nots are on the brink of war in a futuristic monarchy that is apparently blind to the rising oppressed. Mare, the protagonist and primary voice of the novel is arrogant, proud, whiny, repetitive, and generally unlikable, but Victoria creates a world around her lead that is both beautiful to visualize and terrifying to contemplate. Mare goes from rags to riches in an unusual way, and through her we see the social divide of this world. I found myself drawn to every life or death situation and struggle Mare endured and was captivated by the twists and turns the story takes. 
 I was very impressed with the pace of this book. About halfway through it, I knew that the author was presenting a world that would require much more than one book to explain, but I really liked that about this story. Most series seem to throw in a ton of new information your way in the last chapter to prepare you for the next one, but this one seems thought out, calculating. I have tried to avoid reading series, and have read a great many first books, but never follow through with reading anything past them. But this story demands following through and if the pace continues as it is I may well read past the second book. Definitely a teen read worth checking out.