Product Description
Powerful and compelling, this high-stakes, feminist reimagining of Little Red Riding Hood is perfect for fans of Stephanie Garber and Meagan Spooner.
For as long as sixteen-year-old Adele can remember, the village of Oakvale has been surrounded by the dark wood—a forest filled with terrible monsters. A forest that light itself cannot penetrate.
Unlike her fellow villagers, Adele cannot avoid the dark wood.
Adele is one of a long line of guardians: women who secretly take on the form of a wolf, in order to protect their village.
But when accepting her fate means giving up the boy she loves, abandoning the future she imagined for herself, and breaking her own moral code, she must decide how far she is willing to go to keep her neighbors safe.
From School Library Journal
Gr 10 Up—Adele and her mother live in a village surrounded by a monster-filled wood; her werewolf-bitten father was burned alive before he could become a monster himself. Engaged to watchman Grainger, Adele cannot understand why her mother objects until learning that she, like all her female relatives, can shape-shift into a red wolf. Although "redwulf" are guardians who protect people from monsters, watchmen believe anyone sorcerous, and their families, must be burned alive to protect the village. Adele also learns she was betrothed at birth to another guardian's son, Max, and that his village's future depends on her bearing him daughters. However, Adele won't forsake Grainger and refuses to accept that, for the sake of her village, she must kill anyone—however innocent—who learns their secret. How can she accept that she must become a monster herself? This fast-paced dark fantasy features strong worldbuilding, distinctive characters, and evocative sensory details, but may be too disturbing for some readers. Adele is forced to make excruciating ethical choices, as she must decide—about people she's known forever—who to kill, who to betray, who to save, and who to marry. The results are often shocking, and bloody. Characters' ethnicities are not mentioned, though Adele has red hair and freckles. VERDICT Hand this Little Red Riding Hood–inspired tale to dark-fantasy fans who relish disturbing ethical decisions, and are unfazed by blood and gore.—Rebecca Moore, The Overlake Sch., Redmond, WA
Review
“A dark and intriguing fairy-tale adaptation.” --
Kirkus Reviews\
““[A] refreshing “Little Red Riding Hood” retelling... Blending fairy tale elements with the atmospheric horror of M. Night Shyamalan films, Vincent’s (
Strange New World) swift pacing builds palpable tension.” --
Publishers Weekly
About the Author
Rachel Vincent is the New York Times bestselling author of several pulse-pounding series for teens and adults. A former English teacher and a champion of the serial comma, Rachel has written more than twenty novels and remains convinced that writing about the things that scare her is the cheapest form of therapy. Rachel shares her home in Oklahoma with two cats, two teenagers, and her husband, who’s been her number one fan from the start. You can find her online at www.rachelvincent.com and on Twitter @rachelkvincent.

Categories:

• Teen & Young Adult
  
  
  • Romance
    • Paranormal