The Girl in Red Review

Hello, all!

I've been a big fan of Christina Henry's retellings ever since I read Lost Boy, which was her take on Peter Pan and Captain Hook, and you all know how I feel about Peter Pan. I pretty much read that book in one sitting because I just couldn't put it down, and was hooked (pun intended) ever since. She has such a great way of reimagining these stories and characters that's so dark and interesting. Since I'm such a sucker for her work, I immediately started counting down to her newest installment, The Girl in Red. Big thank you to Berkley for the copy!

Pub Date: 6-18-19
Fiction - Retelling - Fantasy
After losing her family to a devastating disease that wiped out most of the population, and forced the other into quarantine camps, Red took to the woods. She has one purpose: make it to Grandma's house without getting killed, or picked up by the government teams sweeping the lands looking for stragglers. Red's mission seems simple enough, but she doesn't account for all the evil she might come across in the woods, both animal and human alike.

Red, who lost her leg in a car accident when she was 8, doesn't have the luxury of complaining. She knows there are people who are far more worse off than she is. She continuously pushes herself and perseveres through every obstacle she faces. And obstacles there are many. From road blocks, to evil men who try to take advantage of a lonely girl in the woods, to the weather itself. Red doesn't think of herself as a killer, but that doesn't mean she's going to let the woods eat her alive.

The Girl in Red takes the story of Little Red Riding Hood and completely flips it on its head. Instead of a meek little girl, Red is a woman who knows her strengths and how to navigate this world that is so unlike the one she grew up in. She's just trying to survive to get to her Grandma, who she's convinced is still alive. That blind faith is what propels her and keeps her going. Along the way she crosses paths with some truly evil men, but others who are kind and willing to help, and it's those moments where Red sees there's still some humanity left in this world.

Like all of Henry's other work, I flew through this because I was gripped right from the start. There's a lot of post-apocalyptic stories out there, but I felt this was different in its approach. Rather than a disease creating zombies, this sickness starts off with a cough and then progresses into something more Alien-like. There were a few bits that I wish were explored a little more, such as the character of Lieutenant Sirois and more of the disease itself. I also found myself getting a little confused by the timeline at some points. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and if you're a fan of retellings, definitely check out this.

Rating: 4/5

Comments

  1. This sounds fantastic! I'm definitely a fan of retellings, especially when they're dark and intense. I'll have to check out her work!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Definitely! Lost Boy was my favorite, but The Mermaid was also really good, and she has two that are Alice in Wonderland inspired. Hope you like them!

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular Posts