Red by Alyxandra Harvey Pages: 198
Published by Entangled Teen on March 10, 2015
Genres: Love & Romance, Paranormal, Young Adult
Source: eARC from Publisher
Bad girls burn hot…
Red is the color of Kia Alcott's hair.
It's her temper, which blazes hot and always gets Kia into way too much trouble.
And it's the color of fire. Fires that Kia can start…just by thinking about them.When her latest “episode” gets her kicked out of school, Kia is shipped off to her grandmother, who works for the wealthy Blackwoods. It's an estate shrouded in secrets, surrounded by rules, and presided over by a family that is far from normal…including the gorgeous and insolent Ethan Blackwood.
Ethan knows far more about the dangers of the forest surrounding the estate than Kia can ever imagine. For this forest has teeth, and Ethan is charged with protecting the outside world from its vicious mysteries.
But inside, even the most vibrant shade of red doesn't stand a chance against the dark secrets of the Blackwood family…
Red is a standalone young adult paranormal. I found it very refreshing to see a standalone paranormal. And I thought it ended in a great place and the story actually felt complete to me, so kudos to Alyxandra Harvey for that. It is no easy feat. Red is a re-imagining of Little Red Riding Hood. When I first started reading Red, I was calling it a “re-telling” in my head, but the further and further I journeyed inside the story, the less it felt like a re-telling of the same old tale and much more like a complete re-imagining. Yes there are wolves and a grandmother and all those classic ingredients, but after that just about everything is totally different and fresh. Kia’s red “hood” so to speak is actually her ability to start fire. And the wolf if more like a whole menagerie of crazy and mythical creatures. Those woods around the Blackwood’s estate felt so much scarier to me than the woods in Little Red Riding Hood.
Kia is a spitfire. I found her gift to make fire both curious and terrifying. For one thing, yes she can make fire, but she didn’t seem to be immune to it. Every time she would conjure it, she would get blisters. And while she was trying to summon it, she said it felt like her insides were boiling and burning alive. That was so totally different than any other book I had read with someone that had abilities. I wish we learned more about her background and how her abilities came to be, but that aspect of the story was very mysterious. It was the one facet of Red that I wanted more detail on. Every other part was so vivid that every last claw and scale of the creatures came to life before my eyes.
I would give anything to take a (very well protected mind you) stroll through the castle’s “zoo”. I think that would be so unbelievably cool. I haven’t mentioned it much yet, but there is also a great romance in Red. I loved the dynamic between Ethan and Kia. I also enjoyed that Kia was drawn to the mystery surrounding the castle and not the persona that Ethan put on as a front. That earned her brownie points in my book. And in Ethan’s too I think. The romance was built up nicely and didn’t feel rushed. It didn’t even come to fruition until well into the second half of the book.
Alyxandra Harvey has a real talent for the paranormal genre. The writing and description were spot on, and I loved the creepy world she built. The creatures fascinated me and terrified me in equal parts. I figured out the main twist in this book, but just when I thought things were too easy, I was blindsided by another twist that I didn’t even know was a thing until it was staring me in the face. I really enjoyed being surprised like that. Red is a really good read.
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kindlemom1
This was such a fun read, I am glad you liked it even if you didn’t love it!
Michelle @ Book Briefs
It was a really fun read. Kia intrigued me so much, I just wanted to know more about her. But the creatures are what sold me on the story.
Thanks for stopping by, I always love your comments 🙂
Melissa (My World...in words and pages)
Now that is great to hear, that the book is a stand alone. I need more standalones to read than series. 🙂 I struggle keeping up with them. Thank you for sharing about this one!
Michelle @ Book Briefs
I totally agree, sometimes standalones are what you need when you are drowning in a sea of series.
Thanks for stopping by Melissa 🙂
Amanda Brown
I can’t help but have Little Red Riding hood in my head and now I’m curious to see if this will be a twist on that. Looks great.
Michelle @ Book Briefs
I hope you give this one a try Amanda. I think you will be surprised and excited to see what Alyxandra has done with it.
Maryam Dinzly
ACK I’ve been excited about this book since the word of it came out!
Michelle @ Book Briefs
I can’t wait for you to read it Maryam. I hope you love it! Thanks for stopping by. Come back and let me know what you think after you have read Red 🙂
Morgana DeLarge
I love the cover and the book seems interesting!!
Michelle @ Book Briefs
I love the cover too. It was what first draw me to the story and then the summary seemed to interesting to pass up 🙂
Elizabeth Holme
Great review. You have me curious about Kia and her abilities… I mean you are so right about her situation being unique. I can’t even imagine having an ability and yet it works against me as well. I’m even more curious about this read now than I was before 🙂 The cover pulled me in but really it’s reviews like this that make me positive I should read it!
Michelle @ Book Briefs
Yea Kia is a mystery. A cool one at that. I loved all of the unique aspects of the story actually. I hope you get a chance to check this one out Elizabeth 🙂
erinf1
congrats to Alyxandra on the new release! This looks and sounds very intriguing 🙂 thanks for sharing!
Michelle @ Book Briefs
Thanks for stopping by Erin 😉
Stephanie @ Bookfever
Great review! I loved this book. I’m so glad Alyxandra Harvey came with a new standalone. I always enjoy them. 😀
Dragana
I don’t know how Red slipped my radar until now. I adore fairy tale retellings especially when they re-imagine the whole story. Heroines who can start fires are one of my favorite one, they usually are feisty and make fun dynamics.
DanaSquare
I love paranormal books! This book sounds so good. I can’t wait to read it. Love your review!
Olivia
I was pretty much sold the minute I saw this to be a Red Riding Hood retelling. I love books like that, and I have been looking out for a read like this one for a while. It sounds like it’s well written!
Cynthia C
It sounds like a good read for paranormal fans. That’s not a genre I am usually interested in. I’m a mystery and suspense fan.
PuffyButters
Judging by the excerpt, the author has a vivid imagination and a way with prose. Thanks for the giveaway!
jothebookhowler
Great review! The book looks good! Hope to check it out soon 🙂
maleficent m
I can’t wait to red this. I’m a huge fan of Alyxandra. Her breath of frost books are some of my favorites, the relationships between the cousins are perfect for anyone who loves to read about strong females/family
Jaime Lester
In my world, Alyxandra Harvey can do no wrong, and Red was yet another example of that! I adored it. I love that it is a stand-alone, I loved the characters. I loved it all! Enjoyed reading your review!
amy deeter
the book looks amazing.great review ,and i can’t wait to read this !!
Susan Smith
I love paranormal books. The cover looks so mysterious, really makes me want to read the book.
Sarah L
Sounds like a book I’d enjoy. Good review.
Thanks for the contest.
Richard Hicks
Sounds like a wonderful and fun read. The cover is nice too and inviting