I am sucker for a good retelling, and this one featuring Robin Hood and Marian’s daughter Isabelle was a cute action packed adventure for the YA crowd. It told the story and the history of Robin Hood and Marian’s family without being tedious and I found myself enjoying the quick paced tale more than I imagined I would. It’s a fresh take on an original, would definitely recommend for a quick fun read!

"Hood" is a fantastic YA book based on Robin Hood and his family, specifically his daughter, Isabelle. This compelling story takes you along the journey as Isabelle must defend her parents' lives, learn how to be courageous, and perhaps fall in love along the way. Fans of Brigid Kemmerer's books will enjoy "Hood" as well. I highly recommend it!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

An incredibly engaging and entertaining book! Jenny Elder Moke has crafted a strong female protagonist that readers will root for. Her twist on the Robin Hood legend is fascinating and keeps readers deep in the story. Fast-paced with lots of action and phenomenal characters, this title will appeal to a wide range of young readers. Highly recommended!

Hood by Jenny Elder Moke is a Robin Hood retelling but through Robin's daughter, yep a daughter! Isabella's mother Marian has hidden her away in a convent for the last 16 years and it has worked until she shoots a soilder while defending the local villagers. Isabelle is captured and placed in a cellar where her mother free's her and sends her with an important message to Robin Hood, her father, whom she didn't even knew existed. She is shocked and tries to find her self through the adventure that leads her to meet her romantic interest (however, the romance is very lacking), becoming a Merry Men, meeting her father (who was my favorite character in the whole book) and trying to outsmart The Wolf. This book had high points and low points for me and for this reason I'm giving it a 3 star.

While there is a lot to like in Moke's take on Robin Hood, the utterly predictable plot and characters let me down.

I will admit that Hood is very readable. Isabelle's voice is easy to read and the pace of the story clips along from one adventure to the next, making it a quick read. Isabelle is a likable main character and serves as a good vehicle to introduce us to this world.

Unfortunately everything else let me down. I admit that perhaps young teens would have more tolerance for the writing than I would--I'm not quite the target audience--but I expect more from YA books. Isabelle, while likable, is so clichéd, I rolled my eyes a lot. Of course she's a perfect shot. Of course she's a strategist. To make it worse, the secondary characters are flat. Marian is perhaps the only character who gets more than a cardboard cutout of a personality. The rest fall into their respective tropes, which just isn't the style of story telling I like. And perhaps this would be forgivable if the plot were clever and I was so caught up in the action that I didn't care about the characters. Unfortunately, every beat of this story is so well-trodden there were zero surprises.

My last critique--and this is as nitpicky as nitpicks can get--but I never felt like I was in medieval England. I was in a Renaissance Faire version of it. And for note: Corsets. Were. Not. Outerwear. They weren't even a thing in this era. Stays. And stays were worn inside a dress.

Again. I am not really the audience for this book but I expect better from YA. I expect better from a middle grade book. I suppose someone less mature would enjoy it but there were too many flaws that ultimately let me down.

Isabelle's moth, Marien, hands her her cloak and tells her to find Thomas at the Blue Boar Inn with the urgent message that "the Wolf is back". After days of searching through the woods and hiding from soldiers, Isabelle comes upon the Blue Boar where Thomas helps her escape through a tunnel system into the Sherwood Forest.

In Sherwood, Isabelle is saved by two Merry Men before she discovers a whole group of them living in the trees of Sherwood, and is introduced to Little (Allan), Adam, Patrick, and Helena. Thomas finds her amongst them, telling her that Robin Hood is indeed still alive, and that he is her father. With the Merry Men about to leave to find him and deliver her message, Isabelle demands a place in the greens, forced to shoot against Helena, only second best to Robin.

Succeeding and keeping quiet about her relation to Robin Hood, Isabelle, Adam, Little, Patrick, and Helena set off to find him.

I'e only previously read one Robin Hood retelling, and what sets Hood apart from it and probably many others is that it's a legacy retelling. Set in the same world with no serious change to the settings or time of the story, Hood shows us what happened to Robin Hood late. It shows us his daughter, and what it means to be Robin Hood's daughter, and what it means to be a Merry Man (or woman!).

What sets Isabelle apart from many other female protagonists in this age is that she is timid and uncertain of just about everything she does. Though she grows into the role of being a Hood, there's something refreshing about being a part of her actually journey as a young woman without the sisters of her priory or her mother looking over her shoulder. I will say, sometimes the dialogue felt forced, and since a lot of it wasn't setting and time specific, it would have been nice to see some of it loosen up!

I honestly wasn't sure what to expect stepping into Hood, but I loved what came of it! I really wish we got more of this world, and I can only hope for a sequel in the future! It's set up so well to give us more, so I really hope she chooses to write a sequel or two!

What an amazing twist on such a classic tale. Isabella was incredible lovable and really was such a great heroine. I can’t to see this hit stands!

I'm unsure how I feel about this one. There were parts that were exciting and fun, and others that just drug on and on. The speech patterns were a little inconsistent as well. I'm just not sure how this is going to go over with the target audience.

“Hood” was better a retelling than I was originally expecting and despite some elements being changed around to draw in more of a YA audience with the focus of the story primarily on Robin Hood’s daughter Isabelle instead, this whirlwind adventure about the great legendary heroic outlaw left me wanting more.

If you haven’t already know, this novel based on the world renowned English Folklore that takes readers through a journey of epic proportions as we follow Isabelle, the newly discovered daughter of the notorious outlaw, find the father she's never known while dealing with wild thieves and mercenaries, handsome young outlaws (and possible romance), new enemies with old grudges, and a king who wants her entire family dead.

It has all the elements you would want in a story like this and would highly recommend it if you’re a fan of the childhood series or want to further explore what made Robin Hood so infamous.

This novel tells the story of the daughter of Robin Hood who at 16 years old finally realizes who her father is. When she has attacked by soldiers near the priory where she grew up with her mother she begins an adventure that she was surprisingly prepared for.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Isabelle is a strong female character who is willing to do things for herself but also depend on those around her. She has well-developed emotions I found this book dialogue-heavy, but as I read, I found it more enjoyable as the characters parried back and forth with witty banter (please excuse the pun)!

I really enjoyed this coming of age story of Robin Hood's daughter. There is good character development and the story is fast paced. There is action, adventure, a some romance. It doesn't leave you with a cliffhanger but it does leave room for possible sequel.

A book all about Robin Hood and his merry men plus Marion and their daughter! This was an ok read for me. The writing was ok, the world building was nice and loved the premise. I'm quite the fan of Robin Hood and was hoping this book would be deliver. In some ways, it was enjoyable, in other ways it was eye-rolling. The history and the tale of Robin and Marion and how things were how they were was wonderful, however that was a very few short pages. The rest of the book was a little lackluster and sometimes just a little boring. Did not care for the ending or how that came about. It also felt like the author wrote for a younger audience in the 12-14 age range, rather than just young adult. It was an ok read, but not a favorite.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

A thoroughly enjoyable jaunt through the forest with merry men, danger, sweet romance, and of course, arrows.

Isabelle has grown up in a convent, but after defending villagers from a soldier, she’s under arrest. Her mother, Marien, frees her and sends her on a journey of discovery about the world and who she really is.

Isabelle is a little naive, having grown up in a convent, but she’s also brave and smart. She’s surrounded by capable women and merry men. There is a lovely little romance, but friendship and family take center stage in this story.

This retelling feels fresh and new because it’s told by the next generation and the historical facts are actually accurate. Robin Hood explains that King Richard was a great soldier, but a terrible king. John Lackland (Prince/King John) DID succeed his brother. And the “rebel barons” forced him to sign the Magna Carta, one of the most important documents in history.

3.5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this story minus two elements that weighed heavily enough that I docked a star and a half. Isabelle was a compelling heroine, and I loved that the story had the campy feel of a Robin Hood movie. It didn't need to be totally believable in how the Merry Men were "that" good at fighting or how they always got out of the worst situations with nary a scratch. Yet Moke did a great job writing it where the story had stakes while also containing those nostalgic feels for the old shows. Isabelle had skills with a bow, and could shoot extraordinarily well, and, is it believable? Not entirely, but the fact that she regularly didn't have a bow or any type of weapon added credibility to her as she wasn't always pulling out arrows and God-moding her way through situations.

I loved Robin and Marian. The family dynamics in this are some of the best I've ever seen in YA. Isabelle starts off the story not knowing who her father is, and when she finally meets Robin, it's so sweet and his love for her is so completely selfless. Robin was quirky and goofy while yet retaining an air of mystery and seriousness. Marian was loving while being stern, and strong when most might consider her weak. She's not a BA character who kicks butts and defeats men, but she's subtle in her power, and a lot of her strength comes from her beliefs and devotion to helping anyone.

But, my complaints: I hated the romance, especially after the idiotic drama that occurred. You could tell exactly who Isabelle would fall for the minute they appeared on screen, and there was no development. They met, and instant attraction, then kisses and the end. It was rough, it was bad, and there was absolutely no chemistry.

The drama issue that plagued a good portion of the book was so beyond pointless that it made me despise every person in Isabelle's friend group.

SPOILERS

Isabelle doesn't know who her father is, and as such, when she finds out, she starts asking the Merry men and her friends a bunch of questions, because she wants to know more about her father. No one thinks anything of it because she has an important message to give Robin, from her mother. She never mentions to them that Robin is her dad, and when it's revealed, her friends turn their backs on her and go so far as to say that they're "angry, and it's justified." It's justified for her to fall in to a gang of people whom she has never met and just tell them that SHE just found out Robin Hood is her father? Also, the whole reason she never brought it up is because she was warned by another character that telling her friends could put them in mortal danger with the person chasing her. So by being silent and protecting her own personal secret that would also harm them if they were caught, she's ostracized and blamed for it, and the book fully believes Isabelle was in the wrong for not wanting to talk about this. The story goes so far as to talk about how guilty and horrible she feels and how she's basically having a full breakdown because none of her supposed friends feel any pity or understanding for her and instead all act like she has the plague.

Not. Cool.

This carried on for such a long amount of time, and literally only one of the four characters even apologizes to her, that I have them on my black list. They were awful, and I genuinely wish that whole drama fest was excluded from the story completely because other that and the stupid romance, they were minor characters the entire time, so there was no reason for this.

I was just minding my own business, wanting to read a nice Robin Hood tale. I did not expect to get pulled into such a captivating story that would make me feel everything right along with the main character. There were some formatting issues that interrupted the flow, but it wasn't enough to keep from absolutely devouring this book in a day.

The author took some liberties with the Robin Hood story to make it fit into a historical event that was happening at the time period that was taking place, so this is a completely new tale that introduces a new generation of characters. You can't go into the book thinking that you already know the background story. She does such a great job of blending history, old characters, and new characters. It was such an entertaining read.

This story is absolutely fantastic! I absolutely love the tellings of Robin Hood and this one is a fresh, interesting, and amazing perspective that hooked me from the beginning pages! Isabelle of Kirkless, daughter of Robin Hood (!) and Marien, finds herself at odds with the ruthless Right Hand of King John, known as The Wolf. Her adventures and navigation through a world filled with unique, terrifying and exciting people around every corner is a fascinating twist on a well known story. I love the character that Isabelle represents and she is fierce and memorable in so many ways! I cannot wait to get this book into the hands of many in my Library because I know it will be a massive hit! I recommend it to the fullest!

This was a fun story but I just couldn’t connect with the characters as much as I wanted to. But I do think it was cool that it was Robin Hood’s daughter!

I received a preview copy of this book from NetGalley. I've been reading as many of the Disney-published fairy tale/legend retellings as I can get my hands on these days, and I was excited to see this book pop up. I will definitely be purchasing a copy of this for my high school library, and I'll be recommending it to other middle and high school librarians in my circles. It's approachable, appropriate, and action-packed.

I like Moke's expansion on the Robin Hood stories - enough of the familiar to draw you in, but enough imagination to make it new and interesting. Isabelle's character could be more thoroughly developed, but this is a YA novel and the fast-moving plot is more critical for engaging a casual or even a reluctant reader. There are places where I wish I could step in and fill in some dialogue gaps to let Isabelle pt some of her friends in their places, but maybe that's just me and I should instead learn from Isabelle to keep my mouth shut and not feel a need to always defend myself. Overall, this is an entertaining re-imagining of an oft-told legend, and this debut has me interested in whatever else Jenny Moke publishes in the future!

Jenny Elder Moke’s debut novel, Hood, is absolutely fantastic. From the historic details, genuine and likeable female lead character, and action that keeps you breathlessly reading page after page I couldn’t put this book down and had to read it in one setting. I loved Isabelle’s path to discovering who she truly was and the relationships that she developed with her parents and the Merrie Men. She is a strong girl, but vulnerable at the same time, and this combination made her a very relatable heroine. The sweet romance in the book was written just right to leave anyone rooting for them.

Thank you, NetGalley for this excellent read. This novel far exceeded my expectations! Hood will appeal to fans of the Scarlet trilogy by A.C. Gaughen and the Selection series by Kiera Cass for its suspense, romance, and strong ensemble.

Isabelle of Kirklees is a relatable character you can't help but route for, but what makes her truly special is her discovery and decision to fight along side of her infamous father Robin Hood. Skilled with a bow and quick with banter like her father, Isabelle is the type of female main character I'd love to see more of for teenage readers because she doesn't easily accept her role and position in her father's charismatic troupe of Merry Men. Like a real teenager today, she is unsure of how she fits in with the political climate until she is forced to make decisions that affect not only her family by blood but her found family of Sherwood Forest.

Fans of historical fiction, adventure, and reluctant readers will love Hood for its page-turning pacing and excellent tribute to the story of Robin Hood and the Merry Men, thus inspiring a new generation of children to remember that they can do anything they put their minds and hearts to.