Red Hood by Elana K Arnold

Red Hood

by Elana K Arnold

A dark, engrossing, blood-drenched tale of the familiar threats to female power—and one girl’s journey to regain it. Five starred reviews greeted this powerful story from Elana K. Arnold, author of the Printz Honor winner Damsel.

You are alone in the woods, seen only by the unblinking yellow moon. Your hands are empty. You are nearly naked. And the wolf is angry.

Since her grandmother became her caretaker when she was four years old, Bisou Martel has lived a quiet life in a little house in Seattle. She’s kept mostly to herself. She’s been good.

But then comes the night of homecoming, when she finds herself running for her life over roots and between trees, a fury of claws and teeth behind her.

A wolf attacks. Bisou fights back. A new moon rises. And with it, questions.

About the blood in Bisou’s past, and on her hands as she stumbles home.

About broken boys and vicious wolves.

About girls lost in the woods—frightened, but not alone.

Reviewed by layawaydragon on

4 of 5 stars

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I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Red Hood is a feminist retelling that is right on time. I haven't read any other Little Red Riding Hood retellings, and even if you have, it's nothing like Red Hood.

About Red Hood:



IMHO: Red Hood


I do admit the second person narrative with Bisou threw me at first. I haven't been 16 for a long time. Teens will probably be more open and roll with this style better than all the adults talking about it.

Then the bloody face scene happened, where I was not sure what kind of blood it was at first and I thought, this just might not be for me. However, she fought the wolf right after, which was badass.

But what really got me, once I got into the "you" flow", was Maggie and Keisha. Two radically different young women in different situations. Their unfolding relationship is what makes this amazing.

» Took a little bit to get into.

» Itched to get to the point while Bisou was reeling from killing the boy/wolf by herself.

» YAAAAS Keisha and Maggie

» LOVE MEME.

» Sex positive

» Real period talk

» Blunt and non sensationalized. 

» There are good guys. But that’s not the point.

» It is easy to just go with the sexist flow, harder to stand up against to make a difference

» Nice to have a world set up with protectors and justice
 



Highly recommend giving this one a chance, even if the narrative style isn't appealing off the bat. No brainer for the justice cravers that liked Foul is Fair and The Kill Club. Or if you want more witchy coven girl support like The Babysitter's Coven and The Nowhere Girls but with more kick.

 

Favorite Quotes from red hood:


 


“Darling,” she said, and her hazel eyes were electric, her mouth a straight flat line, “it is not your job to make boys happy.”


 


“Making one mistake does not oblige you to make another in the same direction,” she had said, which made no sense to you at all.


 


Before she gets in, she says, “You know, Bisou, there’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.”


 


It’s the sound you made once, years ago, for your mother.


 


Your knees are soft; your grip hard.


 


“It’s not that we need more wolf hunters,” you say. “It’s that we need men to stop becoming wolves.”


 

 

About the Author:



Giveaway of red hood:


Prize: Win a copy of RED HOOD by Elana K. Arnold (US Only)
Starts: 18th February 2020
Ends: 3rd March 2020

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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This review was originally posted on The Layaway Dragon

Last modified on

Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 1 February, 2020: Finished reading
  • 1 February, 2020: Reviewed