Review Sisters Red

336 pages
2010
By Jackson Pearce


"The wolf opened his wide, long jaws, rows of teeth and bloodstained tongue stretching for her. A thought locked in Scarlett's mind, and she repeated it over and over until it became a chant, a prayer: I am the only one left to fight, so now I must kill you"




SYNOPSIS:

Sisters Scarlett and Rosie dedicate their lives to fighting werewolves called the Fenris.  Both were scarred by a werewolf attack, forced to confront the harsh truth about the existence of monsters at a very young age.  Unlike her younger sister Rosie, Scarlett wears her scars on the outside but both sisters, along with their friend Silas, hunt to protect the rest of the world from the dark reality of the werewolves. 

This is a story about the sisters confronting and questioning their own desires and loyalties all while attempting to stop the next “Potential” from becoming a monstrous werewolf.
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REVIEW

This story is a grown up version of Little Red Riding Hood with a bit of a spin. I am a big fan of the retelling of fairy tales and Sisters Red did not disappoint. The flow of the book was almost lyrical. Each chapter is told from the view point of one of the sisters and flows together seamlessly.

The story kept me guessing for a little bit, the mystery was not terribly difficult to figure out, but on a good note knowing where the story was heading did not make me want to read it any less.

I loved how the author used Plato’s Allegory of the Cave as a way to explain both the sisters and why they felt like they did. Scarlett and Rosie’s grandmother used to tell the girls about two children who never stepped outside of their cave because of this they saw the shadows outside as monsters until they eventually were forced to confront the sun. Both Scarlett and Rosie are eventually forced out of their “cave” and must confront the truth about their own lives It is how each girl interprets the sun that defines their personalities and their futures.

I felt like I really got a sense of who the two main characters were. We were given not one but two strong female characters that are likeable. Ms. Pearce creates three dimensional characters that the reader wants to know. Scarlett was tough but she wasn’t without emotion and Rosie was sweet but she could still hold her own in a fight. For Rosie I wanted love and for Scarlett I wanted revenge even if it was bittersweet. I was bothered a bit by the fact that Scarlett's attack and scars defined who she was as a person but I admired the grittiness of the tale. In a roundabout way the story did find its happy ending, but not in a conventional manner. It was a fitting end for an unconventional tale.

Would I recommend this book?

Definately!  Jackson Pearce has become one of my favorite new authors.  I just wish we didn't have to wait so long for her next release Sweetly- the retelling of Hansel and Gretel- due out June 2011.

My rating is a well deserved ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥