A very peculiar red riding hood tale. The protagonist wears a red hoodie (duh), and she has to make a massive trek to her grandmother's house (who apparently lives some where soooo remote that she has been unscathed in this almost plague-like/post-apocalyptic world.) But the story itself once I let go of every notion I had before I started reading this was still great! This book has made me so curious about Henry's previous work, I've had them on my "want to read" list for a while but now I think I might go out and try them out.

This was my first time reading Christina Henry, and I will be back to read more.

Inclusive cast of characters - check
Dynamic female protagonist - check

The story is well written and interesting. It is reminiscent of other post apocalyptic style books without ripping them off or being cliche. I like that Red is up to date on popular culture's obsession with the end of the world as we know, and she knows what to do about it (even if no one else wants to listen to her).

If you've ever watched the walking dead, or read other books in this genre, nothing here is going to come as a surprise. This blends the fairy tale retelling type of literature which has been very popular lately with dystopia (also popular recently) to good effect.

My one complaint, and why the book is 4 rather than 5 stars is that it ends so abruptly. (view spoiler)I don't understand. I felt cheated by this.

In the end, I recommend the book despite the lackluster ending. I will also be reading more by this author, and hope that not all of her books have the same abrupt "skip to the ending" ending.

**I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.**

If you're a fan of horror movies or post-apocalyptic novels, you know the rules. Stay together. Keep your gear on you at all times. Never deviate from the plan. Follow the rules and you live. Don't and Something Bad Will Happen. But what happens when you aren't the hero of the horror movie, but just trying to get to grandma's?

Red is a twenty year old college student who is addicted to horror movies when the Cough starts. A virus that infects at random, within months the world has changed. Millions are dead, the electricity is out, communications are down. The military is sending people to quarantine camps for their own good. But Red doesn't believe that. A naturally suspicious and paranoid individual, she convinces her family they need to hike hundreds of miles through the woods to her grandmother's house, where they would be safe. But even though millions are dead, others are still alive. And what Red has forgotten about the movies is: it isn't the apocalypse that's the problem. It's what happens after.

The Girl in Red is one of Christina Henry's (Lost Boy) dark twists on a classic fairy tale, in this case Little Red Riding Hood. Red is a stubborn, often obnoxiously know-it-all type who isn't less annoying for being right most of the time. She's a loner, paranoid and suspicious, but when the world changes those are some of the best survival skills to have. She often seems younger than twenty (if I just get to Grandma's house everything will be ok), but also has the world weary wisdom of someone much older. She doesn't need to learn the hard way that just because someone is human they aren't also a predator, or that there are things even in the post-apocalyptic world that are worse than death. She knows, as we all do deep inside, that the darkness of humanity doesn't go out just because a Crisis Has Occurred. As emotional as the book is, Red can only function by mostly being in a state of shock or emotional numbness the wholes time. It is the reader who mourns for the ones who die, because Red can't (which made me feel a little guilty for not especially liking her. Who would be at their best in this situation?).

The reader also wonders more than Red about the Big Picture. What is the virus killing people and can a cure be found? How many people are dead and how are others surviving? What really happens at the quarantine camps? What are the monsters and what can be done to stop them? Will civilization be able to rebuild in any way? Red isn't (as she admits to herself) the Chosen One who can discover the answers and solve the world's problems. She (and the reader) learn more than others might about the monsters in the dark, but she accepts (as the reader must) that it isn't her place to find the answers. She is the Every Person just trying to stay alive based on knowledge gleaned from genre fiction and the childish belief that getting to grandma's will make everything ok again. And maybe, in this strange new world, that is the hope that counts the more than anything else.

I recieved an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

The Girl in Red by Christina Henry is a post apocalyptic Little Red Riding retelling. Take a minute and imagine Red as a totally kickass heroine who just happened to be a doomsday prepper and the end of the world as we know it had begun….

Red, even though technically an adult now was still living with her parents when the news first began sharing stories of a new viral threat that was beginning. Folks would come down with a cough and soon they were gone without a cure in sight. Red knew what this meant, even though they were in a small town her family wasn’t safe, if only she could get them to see it.

Red began training herself for a long walking journey knowing it would be tough with having a prosthetic leg from an accident as a child. She packed herself a huge backpack and knew just where her family should head, her grandmother’s house which was self sustaining and miles away from anyone. Red was determined to not be the victims she read about in all her fantasy novels, it would just be a matter of getting everyone to listen.

The Girl in Red was told from Red’s point of view in a now and before style picking up with Red on her journey and going back to before things got bad in America. Having read a lot of fictional world ending tales I just have to say what a breathe of fresh air it was to have a lead with intelligence and not doing exactly what they shouldn’t. A book like this usually will feel rather slow but this one actually never really felt that way with something always happening in both sides of the story so I flew right through it. Definitely would recommend checking out this creative retelling!

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

The Girl in Red is the latest warped fairy tale from the mind of Christina Henry. And man does it hold up to all of my expectations. As you can probably guess from the title, this is her own rendition of Little Red Riding Hood.
If you've ever wanted to see Little Red Riding Hood in a post-apocalyptic setting, then you're in luck! That's the core of this novel, though there are so many other layers to be found in this novel. It's rich and dark and so so delightfully disturbing. In short, it's perfection.
Red is just a teenage girl. One who has always been paranoid, prone to thinking ahead, and planning for the worst. Luckily all of those attributes made her more likely to be prepared to survive an apocalypse. Though maybe she wouldn't consider herself so lucky.

Warnings: The Girl in Red is an amazing novel, but it also covers some of the worst of humanity. There is a firm belief that the worst parts of human nature come out to play when shit hits the fans – and frankly I understand where that comes from. Also, this novel may not be best for anyone that has a phobia surrounding illness or disease. There are detailed accounts included, and it may be disturbing for some.
The Girl in Red was a whirlwind of a read. It's full of rich details and fascinating characters, all of whom support this amazing disturbing and detailed plot. I just couldn't get enough of it! To be honest, I was really quite sad when I hit the end of this book. Not because it felt incomplete, but because I just wasn't ready to say goodbye yet.
This novel is a blend of so many different things. It's a post-apocalyptic story, of course. But it's also a tale of survival. A tale of learning to trust. A tale of grief, loss, and coming to terms with the past. In a way, it's even a redemption story.
This had to be one of the most chilling plots I've read in some time. The creeping feeling that comes from reading some of the details...it was almost too much at times. It was fascinating to see Red try and uncover the truth behind what was happening, while also keeping herself alive along the way.
I love that Red was such a realistic character. Yes, she's missing part of her leg. No, that doesn't slow her down. She's survived against all of the odds, doesn't that say enough about her and her will to live? She's so impressive, but she's also very human, and thus flawed. She's not perfect, but she is compassionate, determined, and so much more.
Another element that I loved was the decision to flip back and forth between two points in time. It really helped balance out the pacing. Plus it kept the tension building, allowing for Christina Henry to stop before a major revelation and jump to something else for a bit. Sometimes it made me want to pull out my hair – but it certainly kept me reading!
Part of me is actually sad that this story is complete. I understand why this one couldn't become a series, but in a way I would have liked to see exactly that. There were just so many elements in this story that I loved so much. Regardless, I'm looking forward to seeing what Christina Henry comes up with next!

The Girl in Red follows the story of a girl named Delia otherwise known by her nickname “Red” who mirrors the style and characteristics of Little Red Riding Hood. The story follows Red as she tries to survive in a a post-apocalyptic world. Everyone has been infected with the disease or infection of some sort and it has spread throughout the entire country. It leaves its victims with a terrible cough that ends in death.

In Red’s world there are people that are many travelers and hunters on the road prepared to take on danger and they’re also government camps (quarantines) set up to protect people against this infectious disease. From the beginning of the story, the reader is thrown into the mist of action s where Red is currently on her solo journey trying to survive alone in the wild. She lives in a somewhat rural area that is surrounded by trees and far away from the city. The lush greenery is used to set the ominous atmosphere throughout Red’s journey. The short story shifts constantly from the past to the present and we see life at various points during the outbreak.

Red is traveling solo on her journey to find refuge at her grandma’s house and is trying to survive using all her hunting and camping skills that she’s well equipped with. She’s very smart, resourceful, and is constantly on her toes. She has a disability (she is an amputee) and she talks about how if has affected her and the way others view her. She wants to be strong on her own and not have to rely on others for help. Being mixed-race in the community that she grew up is difficult and it she discusses how it has affected her growing up. She not only touches on the prejudice of her race, but her disability and how people judge what she’s actually capable of being able to do.

Throughout the book there is an aura of having suspense as the readers trying to figure out the mystery behind the contagious virus and what is the monstrous parasite that is killing people. The reader doesn’t know what’s going to happen at any moment in the story. There is danger around every single corner and the overwhelming fear that radiates throughout the novel has the reader on the edge. The story also touches on a couple discussion points about Red’s survivalist skills and basically humanity as a whole. The novel asks the question: “What would you do?”

This is a very intense book and at times it’s a little little gory. Watching the world through Red’s is very intriguing. Will she made the right decision, will she get to her grandmothers house, will she solve the mystery behind the virus?

A thrilling re-imagining of Little Red Riding Hood. The ending left me wanting more! Would definitely recommend!

*Trigger Warning: Violence, Gore, Racism

It all started with a simple cough. Unfortunately, the cough didn’t go away, and people started dying. Red has seen enough horror movies to know how this will end and starts preparing. Red knows they need to head for Grandma’s house to be safe. But who will she survive the trek when she’s on her own?

Christina Henry has crafted a dark, post-apocalyptic world and infused hope in the midst of horror. The world building is phenomenal as Christina Henry portrays the eeriness of a world without the working trappings of modern civilization. There are some gruesome scenes, as not everyone remains decent once the veneer of civilization is gone. However, the gore isn’t gratuitous and is entirely appropriate considering the overall plot of the story line.

Red is a great heroine! I love that Christina Henry creates such a feisty and determined character who defies some social stigmas, such as being biracial and having a prosthetic leg. Red is definitely an intellectual over-thinker, trying to figure out all the angles. She’s knowledgeable in literature (her mom is a Shakespeare professor) but even more impressive is her extensive science knowledge. Red is the antithesis of the idiotic horror movie idiots who die quickly and it’s enjoyable watching her navigate such a dark world.
THE GIRL IN RED is a phenomenal re-telling of the Red Riding Hood fairy tale! Christina Henry puts a unique and intriguing spin on an old classic, making it fresh and exciting all over again. THE GIRL IN RED is a must read for all fans of post-apocalyptic stories!

*in the editing queue at Fresh Fiction*

I was sure this was the book for me - a dark YA retelling of Little Red Riding Hood.

The things I liked:

- It is dark! Henry pulls no punches about what it's like to survive post apocalypse. YA usually holds back a little or softens the edges and this does not. Survival is probably 20% the cure (or killing zombies or whatever) and 80% outwitting your fellow survivors. Red has a family and she cares about them but it's not all sunshine and roses - they fight, they disagree, they make tough choices.
- Red watches lots of movies and knows all the common traps people fall into and she IS NOT going to be one of them. I think we all have watched enough post apocalypse movies and tv shows that we yell at the TV for how stupid people act. Red vocalizes what we're all thinking. lol and it gives her a plausible reason for her survival skills.
- Red is an amputee with a prosthetic leg and I like how it was written int here as something that doesn't deter her in any way but isn't ignored either. I think a lot of survival stories tend to either completely ignore disabilities in these kind of stories thinking (wrongly) the people wouldn't be able to survive or add some magic ability - like a prosthetic leg or arm that can be turned into a weapon or something like that. I have limited knowledge in this area but it seemed well done.

The not so much:
- Red has a huge chip on her shoulder. HUGE. She thinks she knows everything about everything and isn't afraid to let you know that she thinks she's smarter than you. Red does not have to be nice, or even likable - the girl is trying survive - but she's put herself so far above everyone else that it's difficult to to make an emotional connection to her when she does show feelings of loss or grief. The impact just isn't as great.
- As I said Red knows everything! And this is more about the writing than Red as a character - but the author felt the need to explain, in great detail, how she knows these things:
Performs a defensive maneuver - learned that during that one self defense class she took.
Discusses the rules of succession with a soldier (and is sure to school him) - because she took a social studies class.
Doesn't want to eat candy - discussion ensues about the dangers of artificial sweeteners and chemicals and cancer and how the government once lied about arsenic in wallpaper.
Knowing the right antibiotics to choose at an abandoned store - she had read all the fact sheets that WHO posted on their website - long before the apocalypse.

Again. I'm not talking about Red being smart or wanting to learn things - I'm talking about how the author wrote that - making Red that smart - then needing to explain every bit of knowledge.

This really made the flow of the book slow waaaay down for me.

The premise is cool - I think the author was more than willing to take this to where it needed to go. There's no romance, there are severe consequences for dumb behavior and a heroine who is tough and smart. I loved that she was a loner - rather than the typical group dynamic in these kinds of books but the writing just felt bogged down in facts and opinions on everything from guns to artificial sweeteners. I think this could have all been incorporated more seamlessly to an otherwise cool story.

Even though it didn't really work for me, I would recommend this one to readers who like darker YA, no romance, tough heroines.

I have only read one other book by this author (Lost Boys) and I really loved it so I had high hopes for this one, but it just wasn't as good as I hoped.

Read at your own risk because I tried not to spoil but not sure if I pulled it off or not!!

Cordelia (Red) knows that the Crisis that is happening isn't going to get better, the Cough is killing off to many people. They are now rounding people up and taking them to quarantine facilities. Red refuses to go to one of those and thinks they should go to Grandma's house as it's back in the woods and well everything is always better at grannies. Red has been preparing herself for weeks because she has a prosthetic leg and knew she would need to build up her stamina for walking in the woods. Nobody else in her family seemed that worried.

It's told in two timelines of Before and After. In the After Red is on her own trying to make it to her  grandmother's house and in the Before we find out what happened and why she is all alone.  So I don't read a lot of post apocalyptic type books and maybe there is a reason for that as I was so bored. For most of the book it's just Red hiking in the woods and then something would trigger a memory and we would go to before which was a little bit better than  hiking forever in the woods.

So in one of the Before parts we find out that there might be something else out there to worry about besides the Cough. They were scavenging for food and come upon a dead guy with a huge hole in his chest. Adam thinks it's a monster like in Alien and Red thinks he is crazy because even if she loves those movies she doesn't think something like that could happen. While out they are caught by the military who are out trying to grab the few, still wondering around, for the quarantine camps. This is where Red finds out they are looking for something 'classified' so won't say but are interested in what they said about the guy with the gaping hole.

In the after we eventually find out what it is kind of and that is one of the things that makes me mad about this book. I don't like left open questions. To be honest I think the author could have left out the giant hole making things as it really doesn't do anything for the story and if you are not going to explain why they are there and what the heck is going on with the government during the crisis then I feel a bit cheated. I actually looked to see if there was going to be a book two because I thought the ending was too rushed and then it was like that is that. The end. I was left with so many questions and maybe the author wanted it that way and it probably works fine for others because it has a really good rating on Goodreads. It just didn't work for me.

I can't say that I even really cared that much for Red especially in the beginning as she thinks she knows everything. She starts to grow on me after awhile but it took about halfway through the book.  I liked a few that she meet along the way and don't know if mentioning them might spoil so I won't. One character I really couldn't stand was her brother in the Before segments as he was an idiot and well he isn't in the After so draw your own conclusion there like I did before I found out what really happened...lol.

It's really hard to talk about without feeling like I am throwing in spoilers but I hope I didn't ramble to much. :) I will probably try this author again but this book just wasn't for me. I would have gave it a higher star rating if it wasn't for the unanswered questions that bothered me. Give it a try you might enjoy it better than I did.

Christina Henry’s latest novel, The Girl in Red, is everything I didn’t know I needed in a fairytale retelling. The Girl in Red is not just a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood; it’s also a post-apocalyptic survival story that features a deadly virus that has wiped out thousands of people, and an ax-wielding, modern day Little Red Riding Hood character. The world doesn’t resemble the world Red grew up in. Survivors are desperate and the rule of law has pretty much been thrown out the window, but Red is determined to survive and make it to the safety of her grandmother’s house, no matter who or what stands in her way.

Red was of course my absolute favorite part of the story. I just truly loved everything about her. She’s smart, sassy, resourceful, and incredibly determined to survive no matter what. She also has an extensive knowledge of post-apocalyptic survival skills, much of which she has acquired from the many books and horror movies she has watched. Her family actually mocks her for her obsession with being ultra-prepared to survive an apocalypse, but I have to say after reading just a few pages, I was convinced Red was just the person I’d want in my corner if the unthinkable were to ever happen. I loved that she was so practical and that she managed to stay calm no matter what was going on around her.

I also loved the way that Henry unfolds this riveting tale. She uses a dual timeline format where we are presented with “Before” and “After” chapters. Each “After” chapter is presented first and illustrates that something major has happened, and then that chapter is followed by a “Before” chapter that shows the lead up to the event from the “After” chapter. When the story first opens, for example, we see that Red is traveling on her own but we learn soon afterwards that she and her brother were initially traveling together. We then follow along and learn what has happened to separate Red from her brother. I loved this technique because it creates so much tension and suspense. As soon as I realized Red’s brother had been with her but wasn’t anymore, I just had to know what had happened to him.

I don’t want to give away any major plot points so that’s all I’m going to say, but if you enjoy retellings, gripping post-apocalyptic survival tales, or just really want to read a truly unique story, I highly recommend Christina Henry’s The Girl in Red.

A post-apocalyptic Red Riding Hood sounded great! But it was a little.... Eh. For a girl with such survival skills and a need to stay hidden, she's pretty attached to the bright red hoodie she wears.
Engaging adventure but I make no promises of remembering much of it.

Via netgalley.

Warning: the book just ends without answering questions.

This is a retelling of Little Red Riding. The main character wears a red jacket and only answers to the name Red. After the world ends, she's going through the woods for 300 miles to get to grandma's house. The wolf is more the constant danger she's in from men then an actual creature,

I really liked Red. She had seen enough post apocalyptic media to not make stupid mistakes but she still makes mistakes because she doesn't know everything. She puts a lot of pressure on herself because she thinks she's the best prepared and when she fails she shoves her grief in a drawer. It's fascinating to be in her mind.

My big problem is that the writer's word choice would throw me out of the book every now and again. She kept on using American in front of kids or people. Just using 'kids' or 'people' is fine. This happened so many times that I had to look to see if the main character is originally from another country.

Another smaller problem I had was that the author described people as only grabbing water bottles and milk and not bread when the world was ending. Personally having lived through a hurricane, the bread section gets empty too. Not sure about the milk.

The Girl in Red is a book that immediately transports you to another world. It will cause you fear in the pit of your stomach, a list of things you want to buy to prepare for the end of the world as we know it, and ways you can be more like Red. You can read and peek at the bare bones of Red Riding Hood from the beginning - peeking out from below the surface, the promises of what lies under the skin. This post-apocalyptic Red Riding Hood re-telling features a biracial bisexual disabled main character, Cordelia - nicknamed Red - and you will fall in love with Red. She faces the expectations of herself as a woman, and alone in the disastrous wasteland. The dangers of rape, of being overpowered, and more. She's grown into someone who has adapted, who is incredibly intelligent, who has taken what she lost and continued moving while holding it inside her. She talks a lot about how people underestimate her because of her disability, how they talk over her, and don't believe her.

Over the past couple years, Christina Henry has slowly moved her way up to become one of my favorite authors. Everything I've read from her has been fantastic and The Girl in Red is no exception to that. The Girl in Red is a loose red riding hood-inspired post apocalyptic tale that is just a gritty as some classic fairy tales (meaning: full of grit and intense themes) and as smart and involved as I've come to expect from Henry's books.

This story takes a modern twist on the Red Riding Hood story, though our protagonist is still called Red, wears a red hooded jacket, and is indeed on her way to grandma's house and must avoid a variety of threats and predators on the way. The difference--other than a modern setting--lies in the fact that endless amounts of people are currently dying in the world from an unknown disease and Red is now entirely alone on her journey for survival.

The book alternates chapters between 'Before' and 'After' sections, referring to the time just before the world fully changed and the virus wreaked havoc and the time after everything happened when Red is now traveling alone. I found this setup a really compelling one that slowly brought everything together as the story progressed. Each Before or After section unveiled something crucial to the plot by carefully revealing more and more about Red, her family, and the state of the world as the disease went from mild outbreak to fully-fledged outbreak that caused mass death.

Red is a character that I don't think I'll be forgetting anytime soon. She is incredibly intelligent and plans to do nothing but survive. I've met some determined characters in my reading life, but Red really stands out as someone more prepared, resolute, and unwilling to die than almost anyone I've read about before. The way she reacts to the virus and how to avoid coming into contact or contracting any part of the disease made my heart sing because of how educated and firm she was. I am personally a bit of a germaphobe with some mild OCD and for some reason reading about Red and her rules for survival just made me feel so connected to her and understand her feelings towards the entire situation. I also admired her bravery and willingness to do pretty much anything she had in order to protect herself and her family.

Red comes across as a bit of a know-it-all who thinks she's smarter than everyone around her, but the thing is--for the most part, she often is. However, it's because she's done research and is also willing to admit when she's unsure of something. She didn't really come across as an arrogant character to me, but rather one that simply had a goal and the confidence to achieve it, though in fact a lot of her bravado seemed to be more of a cover up for her own fear than actual certainty in everything she did.

I've grown to really enjoy post-apocalyptic types of stories over the years and I thought this one had a particularly compelling premise and execution. I can't say much about the disease present in this because of spoilers, but suffice to say what I thought was a simple singular issue turned into something much more intense than I could have imagined--and much creepier. I love the directions Henry took this story and how she showcased various aspects of humanity in a crisis.

The Girl in Red has an ending that I both expected and found too abrupt at the same time. I love how it ended and think Henry did it in a great that leaves plenty for the reader to continue to wonder about, but that also wraps up the most essential components of the story and gives some good closure. Would I love if there was a sequel or more to this story? Absolutely, yes! Is it necessary and am I satisfied with what we do have? Also yes.

Overall, I've given The Girl in Red five stars! Every time I had to put this book down I found myself constantly yearning to pick it back up again. I was never bored and always hooked by Red's narrative. If you like strong characters and/or post-apocalyptic stories, this is definitely for you.

I really like Christina Henry’s novels and I must admit that I am always very curious to discover retellings. So I quickly let myself be tempted by A Girl in Red.

It is a dystopia that we find here with an epidemic that ravages the world in a few days. No one knows what’s going on, but Red is determined that her family will survive. Yet, despite all her hopes, things will not go as planned.

I had a really good time with that novel and I was always really looking forward to going back to the past to find out what her family had become, what Red had done to get there. We will therefore also discover her in the present, a suspicious young woman in the forest who is ready to do anything to achieve her goal.

I found that the author had made a very nice and interesting job about her story and I was eager to see what would happen, although I must admit that I would have liked a follow-up to learn more about the Sergeant or what would happen now for everyone.

It was a very good novel, very original and at the same time with a very close base. It’s easy to get attached to Red even if she sometimes seems cold. It’s not easy for her, but she’ll do anything to get out of it!

I'm really torn on this book. On one hand, it was an incredibly fast and fun read with an unusual premise. One the other hand, I was left unsatisfied with the ending and the heroine.

The good: The premise is incredibly interesting. Part modern fractured fairytale, part post-apocalyptic survival story, this book is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood in a world that has been decimated by a mysterious virus. Our heroine, Red, is smart and resourceful, and she's a diverse character (biracial, bisexual, and an amputee). She's going to her grandmother's house in the woods (duh) to keep safe from the virus and all the lawless virus survivors. It's a fast-paced read with lots of gore and creep factors.

The meh: Even though I devoured this book, there were several things that left me feeling a little disappointed. First, the heroine is a know-it-all who got her survival info from MOVIES. She's a little obnoxious and not very likable. I was also confused by the mysterious virus, the mysterious creature, and mysterious government connection. None of this stuff was explained sufficiently. And the ending was super rushed.

I hope there is a sequel. I want a sequel so I can figure out what all those mysteries were all about.

I truly ate up this book. It is not a traditional fairy-tale retelling in which a few plot points are different but the general storyline is the same. Instead, think of this as our main character, Red, sees a bit of kinship towards little red riding hood. Red is not her, though, but she knows the fairy-tale. I think that’s one of the things I loved about this was that it was wildly different and it took you on a new and exciting adventure. It was one of those books that I was lost in and I wasn’t sure what would happen next.

This book was also incredibly well written and it embodied the character incredibly well. While Red is lucky, she is also incredibly intelligent. She is not one to let the world walk over her and she will protect herself and those she cares. I think part of the reason I adored this is because I could see myself in her and I’m sure a lot of you will too.

Overall, this book has been fantastic and I absolutely adored it. I highly recommend it to you all.

With this book, it was definitely a case of it’s me not you. The book is good. It just wasn’t well suited to me. I don’t like post-apocalyptic stories, but I loved Christina Henry’s book Alice so much that I read it anyway.

I had two major issues. One is that it was really boring. Nothing surprising happened, and it felt like some information was repeated too often. Two is that I didn’t like the characters, mainly Red who had considerably more page time than any other character. Red was a self-righteous know-it-all. Yes, she was intelligent but was by no means a genius. It irked me that someone so knowledgeable based half of their decisions on horror and post-apocalyptic films.

The goal of getting to Grandma’s house didn’t seem like the most logical plan. It made perfect sense to want to be with her grandmother especially since her house was in a more isolated area, but that didn’t guarantee safety once there. The long journey there most definitely would not be safe.

The virus was integral to the plot, and yet not much was learned about it. What Red learned about the virus and other things going on was what you would realistically expect an average person to have learned. Since this was a story, I was hoping for a more detailed explanation. This type of story isn’t for me. However, others will love this unusual retelling of Little Red Riding Hood.

I am a fan of diving into Christina Henry novels without even reading the synopsis. I can always tel by the title which fairytale or folklore she's written a retelling of - that plus knowing it's written by Christina Henry is all I need. This is a retelling of Red Riding Hood and it is fabulous and crazy. We follow red through a post apocalyptic world, as she fights monsters and tries to get to her grandmothers house. It's a whirlwind, and flashes us back and forth from two time points - before and after. I'm a huge fan of these types of novels, but I know others aren't - it's splendidly done in my opinion though. This was the perfect "day before school starts" novel to dive into, and I loved following Red in this journey. I can't wait to see what Christina Henry writes for us next.

This was such a fantastic and fun read! I am incredibly keen on reading Henry's other books now (particularly Lost Boy). Red was an incredibly well developed character, with plenty of quirks and flaws, but with enough moral dignity to make her the most lovable and sweet character. I loved the dual timelines throughout the narrative, and learning about Red's past, leading up to her present. The mystery weaved throughout the plot had me at the edge of my seat for the entirety of my reading experience. I read this book so quickly, having to find out the resolution to this incredibly exciting story. I definitely recommend this one for those who want something fun and exciting, a bit dark and disturbing at times, and for people who like their fiction dipped in a little paranormal speculation.