I found Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce during one of my bookstore browses — pleasantly surprised that I found it out in the wild before the actual pub date. I already knew that it was a retelling of “Little Red Riding Hood” — and after reading the prologue in the bookstore, I was hooked. Scary, suspenseful, and edgy — a great combination for a fabulous read.
The story centers around two sisters. Brooding Scarlett who saved her sister’s life when a murderous Fenris (aka werewolf) invaded their grandmother’s house. She was horribly disfigured and now has made it her mission to kill every Fenris she can. Loyal Rosie is grateful for her sister’s sacrifice and joins in the hunt to lure and kill the Fenris despite that she yearns for a normal life.
I love how Jackson Pearce portrays the sisters. Scarlett was my favorite — she knows her role and she is laser-focused on killing the Fenris because she knows first hand of their dangerous cruelty. Make no mistake about the Fenris — they are ruthless, deadly, and will feast on innocent lives if left unchecked. Younger sister Rosie is fiercely loyal but she is also falling in love with the woodsman’s son who’s returned from the West Coast. Rosie is also realizing that there could be more to life than hunting the Fenris.
I also really loved that the story is set in rural Georgia and later in midtown Atlanta. I recognized several of the locations, which are not far from my office. It was great seeing Atlanta being almost another character in this novel.
This book is filled with dramatic action scenes and suspense. As a writer, there is a lot to learn from the structure. I enjoyed this retelling a lot and I will probably never look at a red cape the same way again.
Sounds like a great book. And I will eventually read it esp. to learn more about structure and pacing. But right now, I’m a little burnt out on the fairy tale retellings.
I love the cover of this book - and it sounds like an intriguing read. I haven’t read too many fairy tail retells, so this sounds like fun
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Laura: Ha, I hear you. This fairy tale retelling is very unique though. I’m a little biased since the setting is Atlanta, but I love the way the author used the setting in the novel.
Jemi: I love the cover too. The menacing Fenris intertwined with the sisters makes a compelling graphic.
And thanks for the award love! I’ll have to go and check it out.