Book Review: Red: the True Story of Red Riding Hood by Liesl Shurtiff

Red: the True Story of Red Riding Hood by Liesl Shurtiff is a new middle grade to young adult novel. Red is not afraid of the big bad wolf. She’s not afraid of anything, except magic. When Red’s granny falls ill it seems that only magic can save her and Red is forced to confront her one weakness. With the help of a blond, porridge-sampling nuisance called Goldie, Red goes on a quest to cure Granny. Her journey takes her through dwarves’ caverns to a haunted well and a beast’s castle. All the while, Red and Goldie are followed by a wolf and a huntsman, two mortal enemies who seek the girls’ help to defeat each other. And one of them just might have the magical solution Red is looking for.

Red: the True Story of Red Riding Hood is a delightful take on the world of fairy tales. red is an adventurous young lady that loves her grandmother deeply and only really fears her own disastrous attempts at magic. It is only when her grandmother is ill that Red considers attempting magic again, and so sets forth on an adventure to do whatever necessary to save her grandmother. I like that Red is a character that is very capable, but also has her own flaws and fallibilities. She is no cookie cutter characters, nor are any of the other characters that she runs across on her journey. Goldie is a unique character that would have tried mt patience as much as she did Red's. The high adventure and twists to well known stories kept my interest high, as did the unusual characters and knowledge that nothing was going to fit preconceived notions. The self sufficiency of the characters and the running theme that nothing is quite what it seems, or what you expect it to be, made the read exciting and fun.

Red: the True Story of Red Riding Hood is a wonderful middle grade novel that will also appeal to older readers. I now need to go back and read Rump (which was already on my to be read list) and keep my eyes peeled for more from this author.