Sisters Red (Fairytale Retellings, #1)

Dec 08, 2011 karen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: continuations-n-retellings, pretty-girls-make-graves, why-yes-i-ya

still one of the best movie posters ever.

still one of the best songs ever

so i understand why barnes and noble has this filed under "teen paranormal romance," but that is really a terrible designation. frankly,it is terrible that such a category even exists, or that there are such a substantial number of books in the section. to my way of thinking, it should really only be like half a shelf, like the agriculture section in our store. (because, really, in nyc, who needs that many books about how t...more

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Oct 11, 2011 Lucy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: wasn-t-for-me, young-adult, fantasy, disappearing-parent-syndrome

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 30, 2012 Emily May rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-na, weres-shifters, 2012, fairy-tales

"I am confident, I am capable, and I will not wait to be rescued by a woodsman or a hunter. I will escape."

3.5

Hmm, this is a very difficult book to rate. One one hand, it contains most of the elements I consider important in a good urban fantasy novel: tough heroines, nice love interest - but with the story focus being on bigger things than whether or not they'll get together, mean and nasty supernaturals, touch of grittiness... yet I still had a few problems. I thought Rosie was a very dull c...more

"I am confident, I am capable, and I will not wait to be rescued by a woodsman or a hunter. I will escape."

3.5

Hmm, this is a very difficult book to rate. One one hand, it contains most of the elements I consider important in a good urban fantasy novel: tough heroines, nice love interest - but with the story focus being on bigger things than whether or not they'll get together, mean and nasty supernaturals, touch of grittiness... yet I still had a few problems. I thought Rosie was a very dull character for 95% of the novel, but the worst part was that the whole big "mystery" would be obvious to anyone with half a brain cell from page 50 onwards (especially if you read the blurb which gives everything away).

I find it actually quite odd that Jackson Pearce built it up as such a huge mystery, I was sure that there had to be some twist coming because, honestly, I am one of the densest readers out there and I saw it coming a mile off.

However, the story is very fast-paced and easy to read. The first 100 pages are just your standard fairytale retelling stuff, bit of background information that draws parallels between this story and the tale of Red Riding Hood, two sisters become hunters to avenge their grandmother's death and also to protect other girls from falling prey to the fenris. Things really start to get interesting after the 100 page marker when the girls move to the city and start hunting the bigger predators. There's a lot to be enjoyed in this book.

Perhaps the story's strongest aspect, for me, was the relationship between the two sisters. It was a strong, convincing bond that people only develop through sharing unspeakable and horrific experiences. But I found Scarlett - the older sister - to be the far better and interesting and just well-rounded character. After losing an eye and being left deformed in the attack that killed her grandma, Scarlett has become the scarred warrior. She is obsessed with hunting and revenge, she loves her sister and would go to extreme lengths to protect her, yet at the same time she holds a secret envy of her sister's beauty and her ability to have a normal life and boyfriend. She is the far more complex sister. Whereas Rosie is supposed to be the opposite, a romantic dreamer secretly longing for a normal life outside of hunting... I found her boring. That is, until she decided to turn out the best quote of the book (see top of review).

I was pleased to discover that the description's emphasis on the romance in the novel is not particularly reflective of the story itself. The romance is only a very small part of the plot with a male character who is kind and respectful, surprising seeing as Becca Fitzpatrick is quoted on the back of my copy.

So... this was a good book, not a great book, but I may read some more by this author in the future to see what else she cooks up. This is good if you're looking for some light - if slightly gory - entertainment.(less)

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Jul 25, 2010 Kristi (The Story Siren) rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own-arc, books-i-own

I loved Pearce's debut novel, As You Wish.... and while I loved the idea of Sisters Red.... I just enjoy it quite as much as I did As You Wish.

I loved how Pearce portrayed Rosie and Scarlett's world... it was almost like they lived in this fairy tale realm that was on the outer edge of a world much like our own, there was something very notable about that. And I loved the relationship between the sisters. Having two sisters of my own, I understand how strong of a bond sisterhood can be. Not to m...more

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Dec 24, 2012 Book Chick City rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, book-list-2010

This isn't a run-of-the-mill werewolf book, but a very intelligently written story loosely based on the Red Riding Hood fairy tale. This is quite a special little book, from the depth of emotion felt by the characters to the attention to detail of their lives and surroundings.

I really enjoyed the relationships between the characters, Scarlett, Rosie and Silas. The relationships are quite complex and yet simple at the same time. Simple because they all love each other and would do anything to pro...more This isn't a run-of-the-mill werewolf book, but a very intelligently written story loosely based on the Red Riding Hood fairy tale. This is quite a special little book, from the depth of emotion felt by the characters to the attention to detail of their lives and surroundings.

I really enjoyed the relationships between the characters, Scarlett, Rosie and Silas. The relationships are quite complex and yet simple at the same time. Simple because they all love each other and would do anything to protect each other, but complex because they love each other in different ways for different reasons and this causes all sorts of complications.

It's not just the relationships between the characters that are complex, but the characters themselves. My favourite is Scarlett who protected her sister from a wolf at the price of disfigurement. Her face and body are full of scars and she wears an eyepatch to hide the fact she has no eye. Her inner pain and anguish over this is palpable and I felt for her so much.

The werewolves in Sisters Red are not pretty or romantic, once turned the soul is ripped from the body to reveal an evil creature with no emotion and no remorse for killing. These are truly sinister werewolves.

There is a wonderful twist during the second half of the book, but unfortunately for me I had my suspicions quite early on, but the realisation of these suspicions was exciting all the same.

The first and last hundred pages were just magic, but sadly the middle lagged a little. The two sisters and their friend Silas move to the big city to hunt and it felt as though that's all they did and it became a bit tedious. However, this didn't deter me from reading the rest of the book and I was soon rewarded with an ending full of emotion combined with life-like fighting scenes that had me completely enthralled and my eyes brimming with tears.

VERDICT:

Sisters Red is a fantastic read, with interesting characters and a great plot. This is now one of my favourite young adult books. And of course I have to mention the amazing cover - gorg! ;)
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Aug 10, 2010 Janina rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, covers-i-love, read-in-2010, fairy-tale, paranormal, alternating-pov, given-away

Before I started to read this book, I had kind of mixed feelings about it. Whereas I have only heard good things about Jackson Pearce's debut, As You Wish, Sisters Red has received mixed reviews.

A cruel attack of a Fenris, a soulless wolf-man craving young women's blood, has destroyed the lives of the two March sisters Scarlett and Rosie. Now Scarlett, heavily scarred and thinking of herself as an outcast, is committed to hunt the monsters and revenge her grandmother's death. Her younger sister...more Before I started to read this book, I had kind of mixed feelings about it. Whereas I have only heard good things about Jackson Pearce's debut, As You Wish, Sisters Red has received mixed reviews.

A cruel attack of a Fenris, a soulless wolf-man craving young women's blood, has destroyed the lives of the two March sisters Scarlett and Rosie. Now Scarlett, heavily scarred and thinking of herself as an outcast, is committed to hunt the monsters and revenge her grandmother's death. Her younger sister Rosie is accompanying her on almost every hunt, but secretly she longs for a normal life.
Now that attacks on young girls are increasing again, the two sisters decide to move to Atlanta to try to stop the violence together with their childhood friend and hunting partner Silas. They find out that the wolves are searching for a Potential, a young man who can be made one of their own only during this month's moon phase ...

First of all, I really liked the characters in this book. Scarlett and Rosie are both fierce and strong in their own way, accepting their fate and trying to make the best of their situation. I found it rather depressing to read about their everyday life (they have no family left and had to drop out of school to be able to hunt the nights and are now slowly running out of money).
I sometimes had difficulties relating to Scarlett because of her obsession to hunt; I could understand where it came from though and why she had to do it.
Rosie was my favourite character, and Pearce really did an amazing job in showing her love for her sister on the one side, but also her longing for a different life and the guilt she felt because of this wish she couldn't share with Scarlett.

The romance between Rosie and Silas was very sweet, but not particularly thrilling in my opinion. But Silas's charater was a great addition to the two sisters. However, I have to say that the information we get about him from the summary is misleading: I found him in no way "brooding and mysterious", he simply is a great friend and someone the sisters can rely on. Of course he has his issues as well, but he is a fun guy and not focused on hunting too much.

What made this book only 3 stars for me was mostly the predictability of the plot (partly because the blurb on the back cover gives too much away; seriously, I hate that). I guessed how the whole story would turn out fairly early, and therefore it dragged on a little for me in between. There is a lot of hunting, the three run into Fenris in the most common situations, but otherwise the plot doesn't really move forward.

All in all, an interesting take on the classic fairytale Little Red Riding Hood with lovely characters. If you like darker urban fantasy and fairytale retellings, this could be a great read for you.

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Apr 28, 2013 Hersheys rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

“Knowledge does have a way of making you an outcast.”

This story isn't very similar to Little Red Riding Hood though the concept is. Wolves. Or in accurate words, Werewolves. And they are completely mean and nasty and gritty and... Oh, they are just your typical mean bad wolves.

If you want me to describe this book in one sentence then this is what I would have said:
This book is action - packed.

Each action filled event is described in so much detail that it doesn't get repetitive or boring to r...more

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Mar 20, 2011 Mara rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, paranormal, 2011, dropped-series

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I feel like I could just point to the review at Book Smugglers, and it would accurately reflect how I feel about Sisters Red. The premise is fabulous. This is Little Red Riding Hood modernized as two girls hunting down ravenous, girl-eating werewolves. What isn't to love about this? Besides the fact that I think it's incredibly ridiculous for people to wear cloaks in today's society (what is wrong with blood red hoodies? certainly those would have done the job and been less conspicuous?), I love...more I feel like I could just point to the review at Book Smugglers, and it would accurately reflect how I feel about Sisters Red. The premise is fabulous. This is Little Red Riding Hood modernized as two girls hunting down ravenous, girl-eating werewolves. What isn't to love about this? Besides the fact that I think it's incredibly ridiculous for people to wear cloaks in today's society (what is wrong with blood red hoodies? certainly those would have done the job and been less conspicuous?), I love modernized fairy tales and the first few chapters of the book don't disappoint. It's bloody and violent and the characters have some personality. Vim. Vigor. Whatever you want to call it.

Until they didn't.

Scarlett is the eighteen-year-old older sister, scarred from a werewolf attack that left her without an eye and a serious chip on her shoulder. Rosie is the sixteen-year-old sister, a hunter in training whom Scarlett loathes to let out of her sight, for good reason since Rosie seems to forget her weapons half the time or takes ill-timed walks in the woods. Silas, the 21-year-old love interest, has his moments, but really where this book starts to stumble all over itself is when Silas and Rosie start making eyes at each other while Scarlett is over there sharpening her weapons whilst looking down her nose at the girls (glittery "dragonflies," as she calls them) she's putting her life on hold in order to save.

I get Scarlett's anger, and her unrestrained jealousy toward girls who have the gumption to act however they want. Although, there are some scenes that do, in fact, read like she'd rather just slice a few girls up to teach them a lesson about where they can and can't go, or do, or be and this left such a sour taste in my mouth that I felt nothing for her. The scene in which she's "too late" to save a girl is particularly damning. Silas's eventual victim blaming takes the attitude the three have for those they're trying to save to a new level (those girls wouldn't dress the way they do if they knew werewolves were out to eat their hearts...surely! just why is it that people keep manufacturing short skirts, anyway? or make-up. or low cut blouses. or high heels. or perfume. or clothes.) It left me wondering...why the hell do they even care? Why are they so desperately putting their lives on hold to help people they seem to have such a low disregard of? Half the time, Silas and Rosie would rather be taking dance classes and Scarlett seems to literally hate everyone around her. What is the point? Why don't they just get jobs and hunt for sport?

Which brings me to the plot. Rosie and Scarlett drop out of school and are unemployed because hunting werewolves is apparently a full-time enterprise. I fail to see how this even works. Moreover, their quest to find the werewolf "potential" is convoluted, at best, and the whole concept of Silas being the potential doesn't seem to work. If the wolves can smell, or otherwise somehow figure out where he is, and he's basically one bowling alley down from them, shouldn't the wolves, who are specifically out looking for him have managed to kind of figure out he's eight feet from them? This little plot point is also tritely dealt with, and made me roll my eyes. How...convenient. That is exactly what I thought upon the end.

And the love story. Sixteen-year-old girl, with no resources to speak of other than a supposedly handy knife throwing technique, and a 21-year-old man. Very little time is spent on the age difference here, which disappointed me. Rosie could, at times, be a surprising character in that she manages to save herself instead of crumpling into a ball and waiting for the cavalry to save her, but otherwise her character seemed wasted on the love story. Scarlett, just in general, I disliked.

That all said, I thought the writing was far superior to many other recent young adult books I've come across recently. The bond between the sisters, while melodramatic, was touching. It should have been the component that helped ease the path of the love story, but ultimately Scarlett's demands were too much (seriously, who forces your sister into a lifetime debt because you saved her life when you were eight?) and Rosie's rebellion was a little too hilarious to take seriously (community dance lessons! OMG you can't learn how to tango, we need to hunt werewolves!).

And don't worry. In the end, kids, you'll learn that you actually can't have it both ways. It's either tango or kill monsters. Take your pick.(less)

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Oct 05, 2010 Stephanie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy, horror

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 07, 2010 oliviasbooks rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of dark, gritty urban fantasy or fantastic horror

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, urban-fantasy-paranormal, shapeshifters, retellings-continuations, horror, swapped-or-given-away, unfinished-2010

Jackson Pearce's dark retelling and continuation of Little Red Riding Hood is really good: Excellently written, cleverly adapted and highly original. So do not be put off by my rating. It's not the book, it's me: As I passed the first-third-mark I sensed that I was feeling more and more depressed and my sympathy for both sisters overshadowed my pleasure in reading the story. It must be a sign of Pearce's great writing that the tension, the guilt and the strange bond between the sisters, who have...more

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Oct 05, 2011 Kira rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Kira by: Borders

Shelves: ya, werewolves, awesome-heroine, could-have-been-worse, books-that-changed-my-life, i-hate-that-i-love-you, lost-the-will-to-live, made-me-want-to-choke-myself, go-choke-on-your-sexism, not-amazing-but-not-shit, papa-dont-preach, sentimental-value, so-action-packed-i-peed, lolwut

I am hereby going to amend my review.

I was bored the other day and decided to look back at all my old reviews. I think this was one of the first I ever wrote, and one of the first YA books I read. I read it before I read the T-word. Yeah. That was like, AGES ago. Practically the stone age.

Anyway, I've been on something of a YA journey of discovery since I read this. As a result, everything I felt toward it has been erased and changed completely. I liked this like I might have liked Fallen, when...more

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Dec 04, 2009 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sisters Scarlett and Ruby know a secret. Werewolves walk amongst us. And they're not the romantic and protective sort of werewolf, either. They are dangerous and deadly and devour girls who look too tempting. What do you do if you know about mythological beasts on a never-ending killing spree? If you're Scarlett and Ruby, you take action. You get revenge.

This is an action-packed story with a touch of romance. And one of the best parts? Our heroines. Totally human, but strong, and smart, and dete...more

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Apr 29, 2011 Nicola rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, still-reading-series, young-adult, werewolves

I thought this one was really well done. It started out somewhat slow but then I really got into it. I adored the fact that the wolves were actually the bad guys in this book, as opposed to all the girls falling all over them against all logic. I didn't really like Scarlett- I know she has reasons for being the way she is but I found her overbearing and controlling. Rosie was awesome, though. She was a really strong character and it was interesting watching her change throughout the book. I also...more

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Jan 31, 2010 Sophie Riggsby rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

First let me explain that a wonderful friend shared her ARC copy of Sisters Red, so I had the pleasure of reading prior to its release date on June 2, 2010.

I often think that re-told fairy tales can go only one of two ways: slightly dull or brilliantly twisted. Sisters Red is definitely in the latter category.

Take the tale of Little Red Riding Hood and turn it around into a story about sibling bonds and rivalry. Now, mix in the mythology of The Wolf only make it darker and more modern. Then you'...more

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Feb 20, 2013 Debora rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: copia-staffetta, fisicamente_posseduto, read_2011, preferiti

Quando eravamo piccole, Scarlett ed io eravamo convintissime di essere state una persona sola nella pancia della mamma. Credevamo che a un certo punto lei avesse voluto nascere e io rimanere. Così il nostro cuore aveva dovuto essere diviso in due in modo che lei potesse nascere prima. Solo qualche anno dopo io mi ero fatta abbastanza coraggio per arrivare al mondo. Nelle nostre testoline la cosa aveva perfettamente senso.

Cacciatrici (Sisters Red è il titolo orginale) è il primo romanzo autoconcl...more

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Feb 02, 2012 Sara Nia (Tea and Parchment) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, signed-by-author, ya-fiction, supernatural-paranormal

'Sisters Red' is about two bodies with one heart. Scarlett, and her younger sister Rosie have a mission, a purpose in life. Their purpose is to kill Fenris (really creepy men that turn into stinky, awful werewolves), and it's a job they take very seriously. After their grandmother is killed and Scarlett brutally mutilated in a Fenris attack when the girls are children, they are left to fend for themselves in the big world, and to protect others against the evil threat that the wolves pose to you...more 'Sisters Red' is about two bodies with one heart. Scarlett, and her younger sister Rosie have a mission, a purpose in life. Their purpose is to kill Fenris (really creepy men that turn into stinky, awful werewolves), and it's a job they take very seriously. After their grandmother is killed and Scarlett brutally mutilated in a Fenris attack when the girls are children, they are left to fend for themselves in the big world, and to protect others against the evil threat that the wolves pose to young girls everywhere. But when the sisters hear whispers of a Potential - a young man that is at just the right time to become a Fenris himself, they know they must go where-ever it takes, do whatever it takes to catch him before the wolves do. But how do you find a man when you know nothing about him? And for Rosey, how do you give up everything for the hunt, when there might just be other things (or people) that you want more?

I enjoyed this book a lot. My favorite part about it honestly was the writing. Jackson Pearce's style is so simple and elegant and flowing. It never seems awkward or forced, and her imagery does such amazing justice to the stories she tells. I liked the premise behind this modern adaptation of Little Red Riding Hood. Two 'little red riding hoods', for one, and I loved that Jackson flipped the story around to where the girls themselves were the danger to the Fenris - these chicks kick some serious ass!! I also was very partial to the story-line between Rosey and Silas (the woodsman). Honestly, the whole dynamic between the three characters was captivating, and kept me interested until the very last page (a feet in itself, as these three were pretty much the only characters in the entire book). I thought the passion and torment and love that both Scarlett and Rosie go through was portrayed perfectly. Unfortunately, my brain has a nasty little habit of predicting the endings/twists of story-lines before they happen, and I saw the twist in Sister's Red coming from the very beginning (just ask my husband - he now refuses to watch mysteries with me on TV, as I tell him what's going to happen within the first 15 minutes!). Despite this, I think Jackson Pearce did a great job, and I'm positive that anyone who loves a modern fairy-tale, an urban fantasy with lots of violence, some well placed romance, and a thoroughly gruesome and satisfying conclusion will love Sisters Red!(less)

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Jun 22, 2010 Daisy Chain Books rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sisters Red is loosely based on Little Red Riding Hood, and my take on it is that it's Little Red Riding Hood for a modern day audience who can handle a gritty storyline, a lot of bloodshed and some pretty gory violence. It's Little Red Riding Hood without a happily ever after, with battle wounds, deep scars and sisterly bonds. It's definitely got a sinister edge that Little Red Riding Hood never had. That said while it's got the wolves and the red capes of Little Red Riding Hood, this story ext...more Sisters Red is loosely based on Little Red Riding Hood, and my take on it is that it's Little Red Riding Hood for a modern day audience who can handle a gritty storyline, a lot of bloodshed and some pretty gory violence. It's Little Red Riding Hood without a happily ever after, with battle wounds, deep scars and sisterly bonds. It's definitely got a sinister edge that Little Red Riding Hood never had. That said while it's got the wolves and the red capes of Little Red Riding Hood, this story extends much further than the fairytale ever did. This is the story of Scarlett and Rosie March, the Sisters Red of the title, who have been hunting werewolves (Fenris, as they are known here) ever since they were attacked along with their grandmother as little girls. That story didn't have a happy ending, and it has led the sisters into a life of killing and revenge upon the wolves. Here, these wolves take the form of handsome men who prey on young girls, especially those who flirt, giggle, wear too much make-up and dress provocatively.

We first encounter Scarlett and Rosie as children where they live in a sort of fairytale land along with their grandmother Oma March. It's before the wolves attack, lets us gain an insight into their lives as children and gives us some background information. This fairytale setting and somewhat old fashioned lifestyle is at odds with the modern setting of the book, and is a little disconcerting, but is perhaps a deliberate ploy on the part of the author to show us innocence lost when the enemy attacks. From here and the initial wolf attack, we are taken to present day, and a dual narrative between the two sisters that will see us through the rest of the book. The dual narration, told in alternate chapters between Scarlett and Rosie is something that always takes me a while to get used to, and is not a writing device that I'm particularly enamoured with. Although this technique works here for the most part, I felt that the pace of the story suffered a little because of it.

When I start on a new book, I always hope that I'll connect with the characters, but I have to say that here I couldn't really relate to the character of Scarlett at all. Understandably, she has been hardened by her experiences, but it's to the point where all she ever thinks about is hunting. Make no mistake - this girl lives, eats and breathes hunting. She has no life at all outside the hunt, and no friends at all apart from her sister, and her hunting partner, Silas. I felt as though she was completely cut off from the world around her, and that was kind of sad. Also, she is sometimes pretty dismissive of the girls she is fighting to protect. At times I felt like Scarlett was thinking "well, these girls are just asking to be attacked - going out, wearing make-up, dressing up and having fun". It's like she was totally removed from people her own age and devoid of any social life, so she didn't get that these girls were behaving in a perfectly normal way. She was written in a way that made it hard to identify with her, while Rosie, on the other hand is easier to identify with. She realises she should hunt too, but largely this is out of obligation to Scarlett. She wants a life away from hunting, and a chance at romance with Silas. These added aspects to her character made her the more interesting character to read about, for me. While it's great that these girls are strong female protagonists, their ostracisation from society is just plain unhealthy. Also, because their lives revolved around the hunt, I found that parts of the story dragged a little towards the middle of the book, and that there was a lot of repetition at times.

I found this story pretty predictable too. There is a twist, but I think it's probably going to be obvious to anyone who reads this pretty early on in the story. That said, the obvious twist in this tale doesn't really detract from the storyline. Despite the faults that I pointed out here, I thought this was a pretty good read for the most part. I haven't read a modern retelling of a fairytale before, and I was interested to see how it was done. However, I'm not sure that I'll be picking up Sweetly (2011), which is a companion novel to this one, and a modernization of Hansel and Gretel. Overall, while I'm glad I tried this one out, and it did keep me entertained, I'm thinking that maybe one modern fairytale was enough for me at this point in time. That said, if you like the sound of this, and you like your heroines strong and feisty and your battles bloody, then maybe this one is for you!(less)

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Mar 17, 2010 Ellz Readz rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My thoughts...I have gotten in the habit lately of NOT reading the book summary for fear of spoilers. So I went into this knowing the cover is brilliant and the author is bubbling with personality, a bit risky I know. The prologue, which quickly reveals this is a sort of Little Red Riding Hood tale, instantly sets me on the edge of my seat, chewing on my lip. It is scary, edgy and intense-and that's just the prologue.

The actual story starts years later, when the March sisters, Scarlett and Rosi...more My thoughts...I have gotten in the habit lately of NOT reading the book summary for fear of spoilers. So I went into this knowing the cover is brilliant and the author is bubbling with personality, a bit risky I know. The prologue, which quickly reveals this is a sort of Little Red Riding Hood tale, instantly sets me on the edge of my seat, chewing on my lip. It is scary, edgy and intense-and that's just the prologue.

The actual story starts years later, when the March sisters, Scarlett and Rosie live in a small cottage where they live as hunters. They search for and destroy the creatures that destroyed their former lives and their innocence. We also meet Silas, the young woodsman who lives up the road. His fate has let him on a similar path, although it is clear early on he does not embrace his fate like Scarlett March does. I felt that all of the characters were brilliantly written. I could sympathize with each of the March sisters and their unique situations.

I have to admit once I discovered this was a fairy tale remake, I was a bit concerned. Fortunately, there was no reason for concern. Sisters Red takes some of the themes from Little Red and uses them to create a very exciting paranormal tale. The story is full of suspense, the kind where you want to warn the characters to "turn around" or "don't talk to them". Aside from the action, this blooms into a love story, a bittersweet one. I found myself torn between heart and head, wanting peace for all the characters involved. I did find the twist a bit predictable, but this just allowed me to enjoy the details of the story more. It actually built my anticipation, waiting to see how things would unfold.

Overall, this is a wonderful book for fans of YA of any age. I did not notice an abundance of foul language or sexual situations (just some mild kissing). The book is rated ages 15 and up, I imagine due to the violence. Some of the scenes are pretty grizzly. For my first fairy tale retelling, this one set the bar pretty high!

Cover LOVE? Just now, I realize the wolf's face in the picture. All I noticed before was the two sisters. Brilliant. This is one of my favorite covers. (less)

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Mar 27, 2010 Abby Johnson rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: blogged

3.5 stars - I didn't dislike it. I was more, as another Good Reads member said, a bit underwhelmed.

The Big Bad Wolf is real and it's up to Scarlett and Rosie March to stop him. Or, well, them. Ever since an attack by the Fenris (read: werewolves) cost Scarlett her grandmother and her right eye, she's been hunting them. She feels compelled to protect the innocent girls, including her sister. Rosie owes Scarlett her life, so she trains and hunts with her. But as the number of Fenris in their smal...more

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Jun 01, 2010 ~Tina~ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, young-adult, retold, fairy-tale, unique, read-2010

Sister Red is the modern day version of the timeless storybook; Little Red Riding Hood, only in this re-telling, it's much darker, deeper and desperate.

We begin our tale with two sisters, Scarlett and Rosie March.
Scarlett is devoted to the hunt, or more like obsessed, given that seven years before, a Fenris stole the lives of there grandmother and left her with countless battle scars, including an eye. Now, an eighteen year old Scarlett, with the help of partner-in-crime Silas, has made it her l...more Sister Red is the modern day version of the timeless storybook; Little Red Riding Hood, only in this re-telling, it's much darker, deeper and desperate.

We begin our tale with two sisters, Scarlett and Rosie March.
Scarlett is devoted to the hunt, or more like obsessed, given that seven years before, a Fenris stole the lives of there grandmother and left her with countless battle scars, including an eye. Now, an eighteen year old Scarlett, with the help of partner-in-crime Silas, has made it her life work to kill, fight and hunt ever wolf and keep other girls and her sister Rosie from the same fate.
Rosie will always be indebted to her sister for saving her life when they were just kids. She too is dedicated to the hunt, and deadly with a knife, but Scarlett is so overprotective she can barely do any hunting on her own. Sometimes she finds herself guiltily dreaming of what it would be like outside of the hunt, can there be more for her then the death and decay of monsters waiting in the shadows? Can there be time for both the hunt and maybe even...love?

This is the second book I've read from Pearce, the first one being As you Wish, which in my opinion was simply perfect.
Pearce has once again captured my hearts and soul through colorful characters, an ingenues plot and impeccable writing.
Sister Red is an incredibly imaginative masterpiece that really impressed me how a simply childhood story can twist with the right creativity. It's Amazing!

The sisters truly come from one heart, but I thought they were also very night and day. There bond is powerful, touching, and cherished. But Scarlett was written with the intent to show her as out-of-control-obsessed with her passion for the never ending hunt. At times it was a bit too stretched and while the responsibilities that she has to endure gains my utmost sympathy and respect, the intensity and insanity of her focus was frustrating me at times. She is written with extreme amount of control in a world that is very much out of control, even if she did wanted to change, she just...can't.
I really liked Rosie and had a easier time relating to her situation. Clouded by guilt and obligation towards her sister on one hand and then the dream of wanting something more on the other. It's tough, and yet Rosie is a hunter, a fighter and she will do what needs to get done.
I love Silas. Love, love, love him. He's such an awesome character. He holds so much weight in this book, keeping the girls levelheaded and calm but is also kick ass, kind hearted , open mined and basically very, very, yummy.

Sister Red has everything you need in a good fantasy story. It was action packed and fast paced, suspenseful, exciting and intriguing. But it also had tender romantic moments that makes you gush and sweet sisterly devotion that will pull at your heart strings.
A brilliant and sensational new series that will entertain you from start to finish!
This is the stuff that makes reading the wonderful escape that I live for!
A Fantastic, Fun and Remarkable Must Read!

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Mar 07, 2010 Steph Su rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of Diana Peterfreund, Dia Reeves, Maggie Stiefvater

Shelves: cover-lust

You thought you knew all there was to know about Little Red Riding Hood and her wolf…well, you were wrong. Told from the alternating viewpoints of sisters Scarlett and Rosie, Jackson Pearce’s second novel, SISTERS RED, is an incredibly entertaining and deliciously dark twist on an old, fairy tale-esque story.

This novel has got many things going for it: strong female characters with great voices, a fully realized and frightening antagonist, and a clever storyline. Scarlett and Rosie are fantastic...more You thought you knew all there was to know about Little Red Riding Hood and her wolf…well, you were wrong. Told from the alternating viewpoints of sisters Scarlett and Rosie, Jackson Pearce’s second novel, SISTERS RED, is an incredibly entertaining and deliciously dark twist on an old, fairy tale-esque story.

This novel has got many things going for it: strong female characters with great voices, a fully realized and frightening antagonist, and a clever storyline. Scarlett and Rosie are fantastic females who prove that you don’t have to be a tomboy to kick ass. The sister bond is powerful in a realistic way; both of them would do almost anything for each other, and yet there are also the usual tensions one would expect between sisters, of being the same person versus developing one’s own identity.

The Fenris are delectably creepy, a shiver-inducing combination of fantastical monster and your sadly usual male predator. Jackson Pearce develops their mythology well throughout the novel. These are the kind of werewolves that will haunt you long after you put the book down, and I appreciated that the villains of this novel were not cartoonish or overdramatized.

The story I mentioned is clever, albeit occasionally slow and predictable. It builds up to a tremendously satisfying finish, the kind that only the best paranormal authors can pull off without seeming either too expected or out-of-nowhere. A careful reader, however, will be able to pick up the clues as to what will happen way before Scarlett and Rosie do. This by no means detracts from the success of the story and its ending, though I do honestly prefer my books to be able to outsmart me.

Overall, SISTERS RED should not disappoint readers looking for a paranormal action story containing independent females, a sweet and believable romance, and well-developed villains. It’s a unique blend of the old-fashioned (their rural cottage, their cloaks, hatchets as weapons) and the modern (Atlanta, the dialogue, what they wear under their cloaks). I won’t be surprised if Jackson Pearce has a long and successful career writing a variety of YA. SISTERS RED is perfect for a delightful weekend or vacation read!(less)

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Jan 29, 2011 I ♥ Bookie Nookie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: those who love YA & a new twist on old favorites

Shelves: genre-pnr-uf, species-weres-and-shifters, z-ya, other-new-spin-on-old-classic, 2010-read-in, zz-reviewed

So, as a new twist on an old favorite, it was okay. I guess this is after Little Red Riding Hood meets up with the big bad wolf in the classic.

The sisters have a strange bond. Scarlett, the martyr & the oldest suffocates her younger sister, Rosie. "Lett" really lays the guilt on thick about saving her sister's life. However indirectly, the guilt trip is still there hanging thick in the air like a dense fog--as evident when we see into Scarlett's mind when told from her point of view. The st...more

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Dec 28, 2010 Lisa (Fic Talk) rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: a-let-down, idgaf

The beginning was good, then I got impatient and it just felt like Rosie was whining a little to me. And the age thing with her and Silas. Dude. No. She's basically still a kid, no matter how 'different' she looks physically. A lot of people look older than their age, does that mean that it's okay? She's underage. Not legal. He's an adult. Plain and simple. And I felt so bad for Scarlett. Didn't she deserve SOME sort of romantic interest? Jeez, just because she's scarred that makes it okay for g...more

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Oct 07, 2010 Anita Metodieva rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Amzing love story. IT was create so beautifully and natural. It made me laugh, it made me turning tha pages with expecations.
I loved the story and the sisters`s bound. Rosie and Silas - OMG.
I didn`t like Scarlett`s obssesion. It pissed me off. How could she not notice Rosie and Silas`s relationship? There are some other things than hunting. I don`t regret buying the book and I`m really interested to see were book #2 and book #3 are going to get me. The story has noting in common with The Little...more

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Mar 14, 2013 Lena rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Really enjoyed this. Awesome twist on Little Red Riding Hood. I am definitely going to read more from this author.

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Dec 23, 2009 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

2 sisters that share an unbreakable bond. One is driven to do it and the other is just starting the journey to fight.

2 POV of Scarlett and Rosie March.Scarlett reminded me of Selena from Underworld but with out the powers. I thought it was written

Loved the details, sisterly bonds, werewolves, and details. Liked the romance between two of the characters.

After reading this book I wanted to call all my sisters. I wanted to buy a red cape and be scarlett.

I have noticed a trend in YA of the retel...more

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Jan 28, 2013 Leah added it · review of another edition

Sisters Red is a modern day retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, only not. In this version Little Red isn't Little Red, but Little Reds. (If you didn't catch that, there are two girls who wear red cloaks.) The Little Reds are sisters, Scarlett and Rosie March. The March sisters find out about the Fenris (werewolves) after watching both Scarlett and Oma March (The sister's grandmother) get attacked. Oma March isn't as lucky as Scarlett, who only suffers severe scarring on the right side of her fa...more

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Jul 11, 2012 A. Rose added it · review of another edition

I feel like all I'm doing is bashing terrible books lately, but I can't help myself. When I see a book with such great reviews that I could barely get through, it annoys me, so here it goes. The cover is stunning, absolutely perfect, sold me the book. The prologue was wonderful, very promising but written in a different tense than the rest of the book. What a shame. Stick to third person, please. And *sigh* please stay away from split narratives. Only very, very talented authors can pull them of...more I feel like all I'm doing is bashing terrible books lately, but I can't help myself. When I see a book with such great reviews that I could barely get through, it annoys me, so here it goes. The cover is stunning, absolutely perfect, sold me the book. The prologue was wonderful, very promising but written in a different tense than the rest of the book. What a shame. Stick to third person, please. And *sigh* please stay away from split narratives. Only very, very talented authors can pull them off with work. Unfortunately, this book wasn't able to do it. I hated Rosie and Silas with the white hot intensity of a thousand suns (Fairly Odd Parents reference). The love story was so lame. It felt like Silas (besides being way too old for Rosie) was trying to push her into believing what he did. "Oh golly gee, Rosie, you don't need to be a wolf slayer, here's a stupid, lame community center class card thingy. Go do something else BECAUSE I SAID SO!" Okay, so of course I'm exaggerating, but come on. I never really got the author's intention that Rosie hated being a wolf slayer. She's also an ungrateful person, selfish and shallow. Silas. Wow. He was only with her because Scarlett didn't want him. Which was also lame. I agree wholeheartedly with the other one star reviews. Where did Ms. Pearce get the idea that we want to see the scarred sister (who sacrificed her looks for her sister) go off and be alone while Rosie and Silas ride off into the sunset together? I also had severe, severe issues with several action scenes. How can you have a werewolf showdown in front of a bowling alley in Atlanta, Georgia and have nobody see you? What? Makes no sense. And since final impression are lasting impressions, I just want to say that I detested the last paragraph. The switching between the characters is just plain weird. For awesome fairy tale retellings try Ella Enchanted or Spindle's End. For great young adult stuff, go for Melissa Marr, Kelley Armstrong, C.M. Stunich and Holly Black. I will tout those authors to the end of the world so that people can actually get a taste of what young adult novels should be like.

On a side note, I was super excited for Sweetly by Ms. Pearce but after this book, I will never be able to read her books again. (less)

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Mar 08, 2013 Sam rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

To start things off I'm just going to say that when I first heard about this book I was not really interested. I checked out the first chapter and did not bother picking it up. After it received a lot of attention I figured that I just missed something and that maybe I should read it. I'm not saying that I loved it because I didn't but I'm not upset with myself for buying it. The reason why it was just an okay read for me was probably because it did not pick up until the end. I know that this is...more

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Feb 15, 2013 Maythavee rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

First off, I have to say that I knew nothing about the book except the summary and the fact that it’s a retold of Red Riding Hood so I wasn’t sure what to expect. By the second chapter, I was completely hooked to Sisters Red! All my doubts about it being too similar to the original story were gone. Jackson Pearce did a wonderful job adding her ideas to make it much more interesting.

The main characters of the book are sisters: Scarlett and Rosie March. I have to say that I really liked the both...more First off, I have to say that I knew nothing about the book except the summary and the fact that it’s a retold of Red Riding Hood so I wasn’t sure what to expect. By the second chapter, I was completely hooked to Sisters Red! All my doubts about it being too similar to the original story were gone. Jackson Pearce did a wonderful job adding her ideas to make it much more interesting.

The main characters of the book are sisters: Scarlett and Rosie March. I have to say that I really liked the both of them. Scarlett’s determination and passion to hunt down the Fenris makes her one kick ass character. As for Rosie, her devotion to her sister and her struggle to do normal activities other than hunting were very easy to identify with. I love reading the relationship between both sisters. Their protectiveness of each other makes their relationship strong. If I really had to choose between them, I’d choose Scarlett. Her fierce and passionate personality just wins me over. I really admire her for giving up a normal life to hunt down the Fenris so that other young women would be safe from them. As for Silas, our young woodsmen, he is one awesome guy. A loyal and steady hunting partner, a reliable friend and an amazing boyfriend. That is how I would describe Silas :P The romance between him and Rosie was very sweet. My favourite scene was when Rosie went to Natural Drawing class and she had to draw a guy who looked like Silas, naked. When she got home, the real Silas was shirtless so her imagination went wild. It was very funny to me. :P

As for the plot, it was very addicting. I really liked how Jackson Pearce wrote about the Fenris and how she used the idea of the red cloaks to lure them in to kill. Her action scenes were very well written. I could imagine them clearly in my mind. I also like the fact that Sisters Red was told from both Rosie and Scarlett’s point of view. We can clearly see how similar and different they are. The last few chapters were very intense and full of tension so I was holding my breath throughout those parts.

Overall, Jackson Pearce did a brilliant job retelling Red Riding Hood in her own version. With strong likable characters, a very addicting plot with wonderful action scenes, Sisters Red is one book that you don’t want to miss.

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Does anyone think Fathomless will be as good?	8	38	Mar 30, 2013 04:29pm
Fairy Tales, Kind...: Sisters Red	1	8	Sep 21, 2012 01:41pm
The Month of May-Book Challenge	3	44	May 06, 2012 10:56am
Does anyone think Fathomless will be as good?	1	5	Mar 10, 2012 07:35am

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Sisters Red (Fairytale Retellings #1)

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