The Girl in Red
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4.0 • 47 Ratings
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
From the national bestselling author of Alice comes a postapocalyptic take on the perennial classic "Little Red Riding Hood"...about a woman who isn't as defenseless as she seems.
It's not safe for anyone alone in the woods. There are predators that come out at night: critters and coyotes, snakes and wolves. But the woman in the red jacket has no choice. Not since the Crisis came, decimated the population, and sent those who survived fleeing into quarantine camps that serve as breeding grounds for death, destruction, and disease. She is just a woman trying not to get killed in a world that doesn't look anything like the one she grew up in, the one that was perfectly sane and normal and boring until three months ago.
There are worse threats in the woods than the things that stalk their prey at night. Sometimes, there are men. Men with dark desires, weak wills, and evil intents. Men in uniform with classified information, deadly secrets, and unforgiving orders. And sometimes, just sometimes, there's something worse than all of the horrible people and vicious beasts combined.
Red doesn't like to think of herself as a killer, but she isn't about to let herself get eaten up just because she is a woman alone in the woods....
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Henry's sharp, unsettling rendition of "Little Red Riding Hood" explores whether a healthy sense of paranoia and extensive knowledge of horror fiction rules will increase Red's chances of post-pandemic survival, especially given her increased vulnerability due to her gender and prosthetic leg. Three months after the start of the Crisis an illness that has killed most of the populace and is somehow creating creepy, monstrous creatures Red is determined to reach her grandmother's rural home, despite the obstacles of patrols (government and otherwise), devastated infrastructure, her determination not to use a gun, and the deprivations and hardships of the lengthy trek. Red (nee Cordelia) is a prickly but sympathetic protagonist, imbued with a fierce and admirable determination to protect herself and her loved ones, but even armed with resolution and a hand ax, she may not reach her destination. Henry (Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook) satisfyingly upends the familiar tale of a clever girl, a dangerous wolf, and a brave savior, and folklore fans will enjoy this bloody near-future variation on a familiar theme.
Customer Reviews
Wish there was more to the ending
It just ended.
One word: Wow!
I haven’t read book like this in a long time. Easy to read, very well written, and captivating story to boot! I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to step away from the typical romance, or predictable mystery. It was thrilling and tense but ended on a great note that wrapped things up nicely. There were questions left unanswered, but I can live with that.
If Christina Henry’s books are all written like this, I’ll be purchasing all of them soon! 10/10 for The Girl in Red!
Disappointing
I still finished the book, though. So two stars felt appropriate. Too many annoying characters and clichés taken from movies.