It was an intriguing read that held me up until the end but the overall story arc was predictable. The ending itself felt like the story spiraled a bit out of control and a bit too reactive for my taste. The actions and reactions seemed rash without background or really anchored in the careful base of the story. ( )

Adele thinks she has her future figured out. Get her mother's permission to marry Grainger, bake bread, and live happily ever after. Unfortunately, her fate is going to take her in a very different direction. Once her mother tells her what she truly is, and that her future can't include the boy she loves, everything changes. What follows is scary, tension-filled, involves violence and what, at first, seems like impossible choices, but the deeper Adele goes into what she must accept and do, the more she becomes a different person. Following that action packed and twisted journey makes for a dandy read. ( )

A fairytale retelling where Little Red Riding Hood is the wolf? Sign me up! I recently read an ARC of Red Wolf by Rachel Vincent, and if you enjoy retellings with a twist, this book is definitely for you!

Essentially, the book is about a girl named Adele, who lives in a small village surrounded by the dark wood, which is a dangerous and mystical forest. On her 16th birthday Adele’s mother sends her into the dark wood, presumably to visit her grandmother, but when she is attacked by a white wolf and she suddenly transforms into a red wolf, she is quickly thrust into a world she has been raised to fear. Now tasked with the immense pressure of hiding her family’s secret while also protecting her village, Adele feels as though there is no longer any room in her life for all her previous hopes and dreams, but is she really willing to give up the life she wanted?

Red Wolf is set to come out on July 27th of this year, and honestly I’m surprised that I haven’t heard more hype about it! Like, where are all the fantasy-lovers at? You’re missing out if you don’t read this wonderful book! There were so many aspects of the novel that I enjoyed. First off, the plot keeps the story moving and makes it extremely hard to stop reading. I stayed up late reading this book because I absolutely needed to know what would happen next.

Also, I have to admit that I have never read a retelling in which Red Riding Hood is also the wolf. That spin on the original fairytale gave the story more depth and made the characters more interesting. Since Adele is not only the innocent Little Red, but also the Big, Bad Wolf, she has the unique attributes of being both the monster and the victim. Rachel Vincent did an exceptional job of blurring the lines between monster and victim and between right and wrong. The morally grey characters and situations in this novel truly make it special.

The one thing I didn’t love about the book was the protagonist, Adele, but I will admit that this is likely due to her immaturity, which is typical for a 16-year-old girl. Adele was constantly trying to find a way to live out her dreams despite her responsibilities and sometimes refused to recognize the reality of her situation. While this was immensely frustrating and annoying as a reader, it certainly accurately reflects Adele’s age and life experiences.

I adored most of the other characters in the novel! Max was extremely likeable, despite the circumstances in which he is introduced in the book. Although the book mostly focused on Adele’s point of view, the other characters came alive through her experiences. While it would have been nice to have a little more depth to some of the characters, leaving the focus on Adele’s narrative made the story feel more realistic, as if it were truly a 16-year-old girl telling the narrative.

Finally, while there wasn’t necessarily any astounding world-building, Vincent made Oakvale and the surrounding dark wood 3-dimensional. The creatures that live in the dark wood sound terrifying, but also fascinating. Like Adele, I know I should be afraid of the dark wood as a reader, but I want to explore the unknown just as much as she did!

So mark July 27th on your calendar because you won’t want to miss out on this adventurous and whimsical book! ( )

This book seems so interesting and promising... I love the cover and oh my gosh, the title is amazing... I can't wait! ( )

Sixteen-year-old Adele, lives in the village of Oakvale and helps her mother in their bakery. Surrounding the village are dark woods where monsters roam at will. Villagers can only traverse the woods as long as they do so during the day and stay on the well-worn path – any deviance from the path means certain death. Adele’s grandmother lives in a clearing in the center of the woods. One day, Adele is told to take baked goods to her grandmother by herself for the first time. Her mother reminds her to stay on the path and everything will be fine. But nothing about the short trip to her grandmother’s house is fine – not on that day and not ever again.

This book is more than just a retelling of the children’s story, “Little Red Riding Hood.” It is very well written with fully developed and likable characters, an interesting and well-plotted storyline, and an unexpected inventive reimagining of the old fairy tale.

If you like books that scared you as a child retold in a very ingenious way, this book is for you. The skeleton of “Little Red Riding Hood” is here, but Vincent has added to much more in order to flesh out the tale. Even if you don’t usually read YA books, read this one this summer.

My thanks to Harper Teen and Edelweiss for an eARC. ( )