Christina Henry has done it again another cracked version of a classis children's story. Little Red Riding Hood as a dystopian heroine, fighting the good fight and taking on all comers. A really fun, empowering read.

Book Review: The Girl in Red by Christina Henry
Contributed by Seven Jane
Release Date: June 18, 2019
Publisher: Berkley
Book Rating: 10/10

Review:

A post-apocalyptic fairy tale featuring a biracial, bisexual, axe-toting kickass handicapped woman who’s not about to be a victim to any big bad wolf? Sign. Me. Up.

It all began with the Cough, an infectious, air-borne disease that could kill even the healthiest person in twenty-four hours flat. Like any good world-ending virus, the Cough spread quickly, decimating the modern world and quickly pivoting humanity’s few survivors—mostly those immune or who’d somehow managed to hide, literally, from the virus—into a new world where resources are scarce and survival is contingent on one’s ability to find enough food and shelter to stay alive, all the while avoiding both infection and the worst of all monsters: other humans. It’s a post-apocalyptic fairy tale set in the new future, though for Red the dangers lurking around the corner are ones that have plagued mankind for centuries: intolerance, fear, hubris, power-seeking, and various other destructively antisocial behaviors. (There’s a monster, too, but its existence somewhat pales in comparison.)

Cordelia—or as she prefers to be called, Red—is a biracial, bisexual survivalist with a penchant for science fiction and horror, and a prosthetic leg. She’s also the sole survivor of her family—her white father, black mother, and older brother all having been…lost…to various consequences of the Cough that hit a little too close to home to be entirely fiction. Come hell, high water, or copious amounts of treacherous hiking, Red is determined to make it to her grandmother’s house—which waits three hundred short miles away—without being gobbled up by any wolves, literal or figurative, along the way. She’s determined and resilient, without being unapproachable or unrelatable. In fact, quite the opposite, Red persists as the embodiment of all the better parts of humanity that have disappeared in the wake of the Curse. She’s fierce, but fair. Strong, but compassionate. And she’s always, always prepared. In fact, if there’s another woman I’d want to be traipsing through the apocalypse with, you bet your picnic basket it’s Henry’s Red Riding Hood.

An author with a special knack for refitting classic fairytales into modern tales, Christina Henry’s retelling of Little Red Riding Hood in The Girl in Red reads as dreamily as the fairytale it was inspired by, but takes a poignant look at some of today’s most pressing social issues—racism, women’s rights, and even the power of government in a world where the balance between control and protection is as razor thin as the sharp edge of Red’s axe. It’s a fable fit for the current age, when the space between science fiction and reality is often blurry, and the monsters we fear most are the ones waiting within ourselves for a chance to pounce.

Synopsis (Goodreads):

It's not safe for anyone alone in the woods. There are predators that come out at night: critters and coyotes, snakes and wolves. But the woman in the red jacket has no choice. Not since the Crisis came, decimated the population, and sent those who survived fleeing into quarantine camps that serve as breeding grounds for death, destruction, and disease. She is just a woman trying not to get killed in a world that doesn't look anything like the one she grew up in, the one that was perfectly sane and normal and boring until three months ago.

There are worse threats in the woods than the things that stalk their prey at night. Sometimes, there are men. Men with dark desires, weak wills, and evil intents. Men in uniform with classified information, deadly secrets, and unforgiving orders. And sometimes, just sometimes, there's something worse than all of the horrible people and vicious beasts combined.

Red doesn't like to think of herself as a killer, but she isn't about to let herself get eaten up just because she is a woman alone in the woods....

I have read all of Henry’s book and have really enjoyed her forays into fairy tale retellings even more than her urban fantasy series. I really loved this post-apocalyptic horror retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. It was very well done and very engaging. My only complaint is that it wrapped up really abruptly.

Red exists in a world gone crazy where a coughing virus has taken out a vast portion of the population leaving the rest of humanity to struggle on its own. Red has always been paranoid and so she is better prepared than most when things come crashing down. As her family is taken away from her one by one, she is left with one ultimate goal...make it to her grandmother’s house in a secluded region. Hopefully there her grandmother and her can ride out this storm together and survive.

The book jumps back and forth between the present and the past. Because of things Red is doing in the present these glimpses into the past are all the more intriguing. The story is slowly unraveled leaving the reader to, not only wonder if Red will survive to see her grandmother, but also wonder what horrible things happened to Red on her journey to the present.

I loved how this is written, it was written beautifully and does a great job of capturing the feel of a world gone crazy. In general I have been pretty tired of post-apocalyptic speculative fiction but this book really revitalized the genre for me.

I did have some small points of frustration with the story. It is revealed that possibly the coughing virus is not the only issue here, but I never really figured out if the two problems were tied together or not (I know this is vague but I am trying to not spoil anything). I also thought the book ended very abruptly without much resolution and would love to see a follow up story about Red and what she finds in the end. The ending here is one of those slightly vague endings that leave readers feeling a bit unsatisfied.

Overall I really loved this book. It was a wonderful retelling of Little Red Riding Hood that stays true to the fairy tale while fully embracing a post-apocalyptic setting. It’s gritty and horrific at times but also thoughtful and beautiful. I would recommend to those who enjoy creative fairy tale retellings and/or post-apocalyptic adventures.

The Girl in Red by Christina Henry is a Sci-Fi/Horror story that is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood in a Dystopian world. Henry has written a number of novels of dark retellings of various fairy tales

Three months ago life was normal for Cordelia (Red), and her family, until a terrible Plague has decimated the world’s population. When her mother starts getting sick, Red’s parents tell her to take her brother Adam and leave for a long trek to her grandmother’s house. The storyline is in two POV’s; Before and After. Red has a prosthetic leg (she lost her leg at 8 years old when hit by a car), which makes the walking slow; but she is tough and a survivor, not to mention she carries an ax with her. She also has to put up with her brother’s constant nagging that they should not be walking so far, instead to go to the quarantine camps, which Red refuses, since more than likely they would die there.

What follows in a dark and intense story, where we follow Red during her adventure to reach her grandmother’s cabin. Along the way there are many evils that might represent wolves, but in this world even darker; such as the cough which is the start of the plague and death; the evil men who look for woman and children; and the unknown horror (creature?) that is out there threatening the lives of others. For Red its all about survival, and she has no qualms to use her ax or whatever to save herself.

The Before covers the beginning before she left, with her mother, father, as well as her trek with Adam. The After is when she no longer has Adam, and takes upon the responsibility to help two very young children to come with her to her grandmother’s cabin. The daily gruesome trek is filled with horrible dangers, besides the normal dangers of the woods, such as snakes, coyotes, wolves, etc.

Christina Henry wrote an interesting and dark story that was intense, but well written. I did not really like the open ended way the story left off. Is there a 2nd book, I do not know, but I suspect there will not be, therefore leaving us a bit open. If you like Dystopian Sci-Fi Horror retellings of fairy tales, you should be reading The Girl In Red.

I had never read Christina Henry before #TheGirlinRed and was blown away by this novel. It is an apocalyptic thriller that is a fast-paced unrelenting retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. The main character, Red, is a very intellectual character and at times hard to like because she foresees what is coming based on situations around her family. The rest of her family is not so harden to the idea of leaving the city and fails to understand how dire things will become down the line. I liked this book because for once we have a strong female character that doesn't need a "boy" to save her. It was refreshing to have a multi-racial lead character for a change. The book has a little bit of everything for readers.
Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review #TheGirlinRed by Christina Henry. I have given my opinion freely and without any incentive.

Little Red Riding Hood takes on a new dystopian flavor in this awesome re-telling! Cordelia -- who prefers to be called Red -- lives with her parents and brother. Her life is relatively happy and more than a bit nerdy because both of her parents are college professors. Then....The Cough comes. Many, many people start to get sick....people start to panic....society begins to fall apart. It happens slowly, so Red prepares the best she can. She learns. She studies. She trains. And then the time comes to leave the city....the whole family begins a trek to Grandmother's House, a remote cabin in the woods 300 miles away. Red believes they can make it...if they avoid roads, bad people and accidents along the way. It's not safe to stay put. And it's not safe to leave. There are more than Big, Bad Wolves waiting to waylay Red on her trip to Grandmother's House.

This story is fast-paced and suspenseful. Red is a strong, intelligent and incredibly resilient main character. I loved seeing the character develop over the course of the story. She sees what the future is going to bring and plans ahead for it, while everyone else just seems to discount her opinions. In the end, she learns to rely on her judgment and does the best she can in a very bad situation.

I'm hoping there will be another book. The ending worked but it was a bit abrupt, in my opinion. If it's a cliffhanger...I'm ok with that. If not....I'd really like to know what happens next! But even if there is never another book, I loved this story! Red Riding Hood got a great update.

I previously read The Mermaid by this author. I enjoyed this book just as much or maybe even more than that one. I'm definitely going to read more by this author, especially her stories about Alice and Captain Hook. I'm a sucker for re-tellings!

This book was a binge read for me...I stayed up half the night reading because I couldn't put it down. Any story that keeps me reading until 3 am deserves full stars from me. Loved the story! Great main character and interesting plot.

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Berkley Publishing via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

A great example of stellar feminist apocalyptic fiction. Heroine is badass, smart and empathetic. She would appeal to anyone who loved Arya Stark. I loved the intertwined fairytale elements and “Alien”-like sci-fi horror. Definitely recommend!

This book was like a mash-up of 5th Wave and Little Red Riding Hood. I enjoyed the fractured plot line and couldn't wait to figure out what the event was that was the "before" and "after." The family dynamic after the accident was accurate and realistic. The book was creepy and suspenseful. All in all, a good read!

Book: The Girl in Red
Author: Christina Henry
Rating; 5 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, Berkley, for sending me an ARC.

Christina Henry is a new author to me. I must say that I will be checking out more of her books. Her writing style is very engaging and the way the retelling is presented, it is great. I just found every bit about this book to be very engaging. The characters, the world, and everything.

The characters were really well developed. I found Red to be a very strong character. She is a go getter and can clearly take care of herself. This is what I really like in characters. I like those who don’t need anyone to help them in life. Red also has a prosthetic leg and is mixed race. I love this change. Admit it: most fairytale retelling are about white girls. I really like this change. I also like how Red doesn’t let the fact that she has a prosthetic leg hold her back from anything. She is also very smart, which is also uses. I feel like smart main characters are still lacking. I’m not saying that other main characters aren’t smart, but it is very clear that Red is bookish-which only makes her all that much more relatable.

Red’s family did drive me crazy. They were pretty much the opposite of Red. She had to tell them the most basic things and even then, they really didn’t listen. At times, Red could seem like a know it all, but she needed to be. Once you met her family, you will understand why.

I loved the idea of Little Red Riding Hood being set in the science fiction world. The world is being targeted by an illness known as the Cough. It is killing a lot of people and has been changing. Cities are no longer safe and everyone is on the move. Everyone is trying to get away from everyone. The military does have safe camps and most people do seem like they are going there. Red doesn’t think this is a safe option. So, she and her family are going to walk through the woods to Grandma’s house. This is really the core of the story. It is all about surviving in this world.

Now, I do love my survival stories and I also love stories in which the characters have to survive in a world with an unknown illness. I love the vibes it gives. We get to see both the good and bad in humanity, which really makes you question yourself. Think about: what are willing to give up to live? How far will you go to live? It just questions your morals.

The book was really fast paced. It’s only three hundred pages and it goes by super-fast. I do wish this was a little bit longer, because the ending really was kind of rushed. I don’t know how to really fix it, because we do actually need everything that’s in the book.

So, this book comes out on June 18, 2019. I know I will be checking out more of Christina’s books.

The review should read as 3 &1/2 stars. While the book was good, the ending fell short. Full opinion in the link given.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Apocalypse lovers will LOVE this book! It has everything; crazy disease, crazy monster made in lab, crazy conspiracies and hillbillies, government control, gore and of course the main character trying to make it to grandma's house. I'm not a huge apocalypse fan, so I didn't enjoy this one so much. However I know other people are going to love it. It'd brutally honest and brutally gory. The main character Red is one tough cookie and such a sarcastic and awesome character. The author built the perfect apocalyptic world and story that readers are going to love!

I truly enjoyed this new and different take on Red Riding Hood! Christina Henry is so great at going behind the fairy tale to tear it down from the ground up and present us with something totally unique! I was just the slightest bit annoyed at how often she felt she needed to remind us that hills were hard for Red to navigate (yes, you've mentioned that 5 times, we know, thank you). It felt like the reader wasn't smart enough to remember?

Author Christina Henry's The Girl is Red is a post-apocalyptic interpretation of Little Red Riding Hood. Red is a young woman of mixed-race ancestry with a prosthetic leg who is a fierce opponent for the fallen world's wolves. When the world is hit with a plague called the Cough, Red has designs on making it 300 miles to her Grandmothers house. In doing so, she will have to fight off not only other humans, but militias that kidnap women and children, and an army that carries classified information about really happened.

In the apocalypse, everyone should stay together no matter what. That is what Red learned over the years. But, Red hasn't even begun to witness the true horrors of what happens when nobody is around to witness the transgressions of those with agendas, and those who are just trying to survive at another persons life. With her distinct red sweatshirt, and her trusty axe, Red must travel through forests, over interstate highways that are breeding ground for rogue elements, while staying away from so called camps that everyone still alive is supposed to report to.

Red knows the camps are a bad place. It's a place that the so called Cough can easily spread from person to person. But, she isn't so cold that she will leave 2 innocent children behind to their own devices. Come hell or high water, Red is going to make it to her Grandmother's house even if it means killing every single bad wolf that crosses her path. This is a story that alternates between the present and the before as readers get a look at what happened to the country. Henry comes back to what she knows best; stories with twists on original stories like Alice and Lost Boy. But, there is a caveat. Once again, an author attempts to insert views on certain political agendas which just get in the way of the enjoyment of this well-plotted, swift-paced story of survival.

Thank you so much NetGalley for an early review copy of this!
This book absolutely blew me away and was even better than I expected it to be!! So much goodness in this book that kept me wondering what the heck was going to happen next and just how it would all end!
I definitely recommend this book to literally everyone!!

I absolutely loved this book. I thought it was fresh, fun and exciting. Christina Henry does an excellent job of never falling into a pattern with her writing and I greatly appreciate it. I loved that character of Red and this book kept a steady pace through the end. Such a pleasure! I read it during a very stormy couple of days and it felt perfect. So if you’ve got a couple days to snuggle up and read, this book would be a perfect choice!

Until three months ago, life was “normal,” but the Crisis changed all that and now Red has one goal, to survive in a world filled with the monsters the new world has turned loose.

THE GIRL IN RED by Christina Henry is a tale of survival, of violence and the true grit that the girl in the red hoodie has in spades as she traverses the post-apocalyptic world to reach the one place she considers a safe haven, Grandma’s house. But the forest hides more than wild beasts of prey, it now hides the ugliest side of humanity and no one is safe.

Little Red Riding Hood unbound, untamed and wildly magnetic! Follow Red and be amazed at the sheer force of will that keeps her going, gives her heart and a newfound passion for life, even if it means walking on the dark side to find the security she needs.

Tough, gritty and thoroughly engaging, Christina Henry brings a new heroine to life in a tale filled with unique twists, dark dangers and unforgettable characters!

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Berkley!

Publisher: Berkley (June 18, 2019)
Publication Date: June 18, 2019
Genre: Action /Adventure Post-apocalyptic Fantasy
Print Length: 304 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Girl in Red by Christina Henry is a unique twist on the tale of little red riding hood. The main character is nicknamed Red, and she is trying to get to her grandmothers house in the woods while avoiding militants, the government and a disease that seems to be mutating into something much more ominous.
I really enjoyed the main character Red. She is strong, smart and the fact that she has one leg does not stop her from heading out on her own through the wilderness. The story begins with a "cough" that is spreading rapidly throughout the country and Red being a fan of survivalist type books quickly prepares for the worst. Her family is not quite as prepared for what is coming.
The story definitely leaves room for a sequel which I'm hoping there will be because there is a really huge unanswered question, Overall though I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Definitely recommend to fans of any pandemic apocalyptic themed literature.

Christina Henry's slant on the children's story, Little Red Riding Hood, takes place in present day after an unknown virus has infected and killed a large number of the population. Survivors are rounded up and placed in government quarantine camps "for their protection" from the virus. Then there are those, like Red and her family, who refuse to go to the camps. Red calls the camps petri dishes because herding large groups together does not guarantee safety from exposure to germs.

Red is an unusual teenage girl. When she realizes her family may have to leave their home and hide, she prepares her backpack, filling it with dried foods and survival gear, refusing to take it off. She hikes the forest surrounding her house to better prepare herself physically for the long journey she knows her family will have to take to get to the safety of grandmother's house. And she packs a hatchet...

When the time comes to escape, they run and Red learns that there are more dangers than a virus. The country has collapsed. The things she once took for granted--electricity, grocery stores, shelter--no longer exist. Money is just useless paper. Anarchy rules with deadly militias roaming the roads and towns taking what they want and killing the rest. She calls them wolves.

The tricky part is this is a girl with zero survival skills save for what she learned in the books and pop culture movies she devoured before the Crisis. She has a litany of do's and don'ts: Don't split up. Don't walk into the dark room. Don't trust anyone. Ever. With references to movies such as "28 Days Later" and every teen-based horror film, Red is able to avoid the militias, the soldiers, and the virus. She learns that humans--wolves--are worse than the virus. Using movies as a primer for surviving the holocaust sounds like a stretch, but it works.

The story is well written with different chapters dedicated to "Before" and "After" so the reader will see what drives Red to in her mission to make it to grandmother's house no matter what the cost. Because most of the "After" chapters have Red traveling alone, there is little dialogue; they focus mostly on Red's actions and inner thoughts. While this form of story telling could kill a novel for some readers, the writer makes it work. We care about Red and we like being alone with her.

It does not end with a cliffhanger, more like a use your imagination about what comes next sort of ending so I think it's a standalone. Highly recommended.

Big thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC. The opinions are mine alone.

Like dystopian novels? Fairy Tale retellings? The Girl in Red combines both and exceptionally well.

First there was the Cough, which spread rapidly depopulating areas almost before the danger could be processed. Red, who has a fondness for science fiction and post-apocalyptic novels and films, considers the situation serious long before others do. She plans to be prepared and works to convince her parents and brother of the worst-case scenarios. In the months that pass, things get worse, and by the time Red is taken seriously, it is almost too late.

Eventually, Red convinces her parents and brother that they should go to her grandmother's house, but they need to walk, not drive, avoiding contact with the infected--staying away from populated areas and highways. A 300 mile trek through the woods and rough country is a daunting scenario, but using everything she has learned from watching films and reading books, Red has a mental idea of what would keep them safe.

The Girl in Red is divided into sections Before the Crisis occurred and After the Crisis changed everything about their former lives.

Of course, plans go awry from the beginning. No matter how many dystopian and post-apocalyptic novels you've read, circumstances bring new challenges, losses, predators, and unanticipated horrors. If the Cough was first, the new threat is worse--and man-made.

Oh, and to make things more difficult, Red has a prosthetic leg (because a post-apocalyptic world isn't dilemma enough).

"Over the river and through the woods,/To grandmother's house we go...."

Since I like both dystopian novels and fairy tale retellings, I was eager to read this The Girl in Red and found Red and her journey engrossing, satisfying my appetite for both genres. My only problem is that I genuinely want more of this world and of Red.

Read in May; blog review scheduled for June 3.

NetGalley/Berkely Publishing
Dystopian/Post-apocalyptic. June 18, 2019. Print length: 304 pages

This is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood set in a post-apocalyptic world. The Cough has wiped out a large chunk of humanity, there is chaos, some weird creatures, and oh yeah, Red still needs to get to Grandma's house. The premise is awesome, but the actually story didn't get as flushed out as it could have been. By the end of the book I was equally confused and apathetic about all of the weird stuff going on.