Red Riding Hood by Sarah Blakley-Cartwirght

Red Riding Hood by Sarah Blakley-Cartwirght
Buy Red Riding Hood by Sarah Blakley-Cartwirght at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Teens
Reviewer: Catherine Bakes
Summary: The legend is true. The Wolf's in town and it's coming for Valerie.
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 352	Date: February 2011
Publisher: Atom
External links: Author's website
ISBN: 978-1907410826
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Ok, the biggest let down of this book was the missing chapter at the end, which will be made available after the film is released – bad move. I understand that it's meant to keep people interested in it, and not spoil the film, but honestly, it's just frustrating, Now, my book will be forever incomplete – not good.

The next on my hit-list of reasons why I didn't like this book was it was a blatent rip off of Twilight – the Director of the Red Riding Hood film was even the Director of one of the Twilight films. The plot involves two men fighting over the affection of one girl, like the Twilight book, and her just letting them moon over her – it doesn't really give out a good message to young girls. Also, just the fact this book exists; to build hype around it, so the film is a success.

But, and it's a big but, I read this book in a single sitting. I was hooked. It was really hard not to get swept up into it, and I will have to read the final chapter on the net after the film is released (as irritating as it is) and I will probably go and watch the film if I bribe my boyfriend with enough sweets so I don't have to go on my own.

I'll get to the plot now. So it's a dark retelling of Red Riding Hood (shocking, I know). The plot follows Valerie – different from the other girls, Valerie takes care of herself, climbs trees, fights. Valerie's sister, Lucie, is everything a woman should be – beautiful, kind and well behaved. For as long as Valerie can remember their town has been terrorised by a Wolf. Every full moon an animal sacrifice is left to keep the Wolf happy.

But then the Wolf mauls Lucie to death. Henry, the handsome blacksmith, and now Valerie's betrothed, tries to comfort her. But, Valerie already loves someone else, Peter, the woodcutter who was her childhood best friend.

Now no one in the village is safe; the Wolf isn't an ordinary Wolf, but walks as a human during the day, only turning at night – a werewolf.

All right, I really enjoyed this book. It's a good retelling of the old story, and revamps it – gives it some life again. Go out, buy it and read it.

Further reading suggestion: If you like dark romance then try Need by Carrie Jones. As for werewolves then try reading Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin.

Thank you very much to the guys at Atom for sending me a copy of this book.

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Dannielle said:

I love the fact that it’s a different look on little red riding hood, a story we all know well from our childhood.

I agree fully with this review. The most disappointing thing is getting to the end of the book and there being a website to go to. I’m part of Gen Y, the technology generation, but you know what I enjoy most about a book, is that you can read in bed, peacefully, that when you finish a book you feel like you have achieved something by knowing the end and yet you feel a little bit sad because you know that it’s over. The fact that I have to now go onto the internet and read the ending is frustrating and I now have lost that accomplishment of reading, it’s now a choir.. I found the start of the books story line very jumpy, introducing new characters way to early and not explaining them until later in the book, however once past all the introductions forgot all about it, and nearly considered over looking it, if I had, had the ending in hand. Mum always told me not to read the end of the book first, I feel that this time it would have been worth having a peak just to avoid the mass of disappointment that rushed over me when I turned that final page.

Dannielle