Book Review
Author: Sarah Blakley-Carthwright
Based on a Screenplay: David Leslie Johnson
Genre: Young Adult, Dark Fantasy, Thriller, Romance
Price:
(Paperback) = $9.99
(Kindle Edition) = $8.99
Tagline: “Believe the legend. Beware the wolf.”
Summary:
The blacksmith would marry her. The woodcutter would run away with her. The werewolf would turn her into one of its own.
Valerie’s sister was beautiful, kind and sweet. Now she is dead. Henry, the handsome son of the blacksmith, tries to console Valerie, but her wild heart beats fast for another: the outcast woodcutter, Peter, who offers Valerie another life far from home.
After her sister’s violent death, Valerie’s world begins to spiral out of control. For generations, the Wolf has been kept at bay with a monthly sacrifice. But now no one is safe. When an expert Wolf hunter arrives, the villagers learn that the creature lives among them—it could be anyone in town.
It soon becomes clear that Valerie is the only one who can hear the voice of the creature. The Wolf says she must surrender herself before the blood moon wanes… or everyone she loves will die.
Rating:
✰✰✰
3 out of 5 stars
Review:
Red Riding Hood is a classic children’s tale transformed dramatically into a gothic romance love story of a girl who didn’t seem to fit in her small village and her childhood friend, Peter, who she described was the only person in the whole world that deeply knows her. First released as a movie and shown at the wide screen, Red Riding Hood was described by its Director Catherine Hardwicke as “a new, dark, layered version of the classic story.”
Although the whole retelling of the classic tale was interesting and took another venture, Red Riding Hood possessed the same attack of supernatural and dark romance I have read a lot of times. Unlike the others though, I could only feel a small connection to Valerie’s yearning to see the outside world, to be away from the village. And perhaps, she could only find her refuge to Peter, the dark, mysterious woodcutter, who I presumed that the writer intended to be suspected as a Wolf thorough the series though this was not clearly stated or shown in the movie.
One thing I could say about Peter though is his lack of characterization, yes, he loves Valerie, he seems enigmatic and that’s that. I wished he was introduced deeper aside from how his father was related to the death of Henry’s mother, causing Henry to abhor Peter from the first place. Henry, on the other hand, was well, nothing more than your pretty-boy next door who’s rich and was playing Prince Charming to Valerie. I hope he showed some feisty side too but I thought he lacked of it as well as Peter until the two formed a truce to save Valerie from the Wolf on the final chapters.
The one intriguing character thorough the whole story was Valerie’s grandmother who was described in the book as:
“She was a legendary being, outside of time. She was beautiful and young for her years, though she’d aged some today with grief. Her hair was wound into dreads by gray cord, her tear-stained cheeks showing no wrinkles. It was no wonder people accused her of witchcraft.”
– Chapter 11, pg. 127, Part Two
She was my favorite character I should say. And like in the original tale, Valerie had a nightmare here where she saw Grandmother being a wolf though the connection was clearly shown in the movie rather in the book.
In my opinion, if you want to thoroughly enjoy this classic-twist of a story then go with the movie first before reading the book. I rarely give that opinion but it will make you understand more the concept of the novel since many information and secrets was shown in the movie that was not revealed in the book.
Most Memorable Part: is perhaps the end when Valerie went to the woods to search for Peter after she escaped Father Solomon’s wrath and the Wolf persuading her to come with her. The last part was a perfect conclusion for me though it presents some enigmatic premeditation (in regards with Peter) to keep the reader wondering, I couldn’t expect a better ending for the novel:
“His face was glistening with cold. He was beautiful, the snow in his eyelashes like diamonds, the cool pink of his cheeks, the wet red of his lips. He was staggering toward her.
‘I have to leave you.” His breath came in uneven bursts. “You won’t be safe with me.”
Whatever he was, he could not be bad. An amazing and terrible thought entered Valerie’s mind, clearing away all others.
‘Peter…”
…She didn’t care if he was the Wolf or not. And if he was a Wolf, then she would be one, too.
She made her choice and brought her lips to his.”
- Chapter 29, pg. 329, Part Three
Most Memorable Line:
Peter: “If you’re the Wolf, though, I’ll chop off your head and piss down the hole.”
Henry: “And I’ll do the same for you. With pleasure.”
Peter: “Fair enough.”
- Chapter 22, pg. 270, Part Three
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