Red Rising (Red Rising Saga, #1)

Action at the end, and this kept me reading, along with a strong recommendation from a friend.
Aside from that, I'm not sure what to say. Some of the ideas were cool, but I just can't love it.
I thought the writing was quite clumsy. Way too much telling over showing, and some rather shallow world building with sloppily-papered-over plot holes.
Oh, and the way the women were treated, even by other women, sickened me. So much rape, often taken in stride. And even when nobody was being raped, the girls were treated as chattel. Gah.

While I'm at it, the beginning left me completely flat, with Darrow's character veering all over the place.
As the book progressed, I found he became no more likeable, and his actions at any given time were only vaguely tied to his stated (not shown) attitudes and motivation. It's hard to say, but I think I like this guy less than I did Quentin Coldwater, even at the beginning of that series.

I'm told the next book is better, but amn't sure I want to risk it.