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seymadrz's review
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
katemac89's review
Ah, my tenth book! How did we get to this point?
So, I'm not going to rate it, instead giving a bit of self-critique.
Every time I retell a story, I try to do two things: look at what needs to stay vs what needs to change, and try to do something different from my previous stories.
In the first case, I knew there had to be a girl in a red cloak, a grandmother, a basket, a wolf, and a hunter. I knew certain lines had to make it in. I knew that the Big Bad Wolf needed to be scary, but at the same time, I couldn't deny the appeal of having the heroine fall in LOVE with the wolf... thus the pack idea was born.
In Charles' Perrault's original tale, Red is eaten and the moral of the story is don't talk to strangers. In modern society, this is such a victim-blaming standpoint, I knew it had to go. Feminism is always a "subtle" theme in my stories (the girls are all empowered and save themselves, although the word is never mentioned) but this is the first one that actively fights against the expectation of women. I didn't intend for it to be so overt, by the village clearly represents society, the wolf pack toxic masculinity, the grandma ultimate female independence, and Forrest, the secondary love interest, as the "nice guy enabler". He himself is lovely, but he frequently makes excuses for his less-than-lovely friends and thinks it's fine so long as he himself never emulated their actions. I leant on a lot of experiences of others in how Andie feels about his protection, and how she doesn't want to be saved, but safe.
Agatha De Winter, the previously frail old grandmother, is reimagined as a strong, capable woman. Although she's far from perfect, she's distinctly happy in her solitude, but recognises that the choices she has made may not be the right ones for her granddaughter. All the women in this story (with a few minor setbacks) are very supportive of one another, in a way I think most women are in real life but are rarely shown to be so in literature.
In terms of what I tried to do differently than in my previous stories, I tried to make it steamier, and to depict a healthy relationship built on respect and consent where, for the most part, the characters are very upfront and honest about their feelings from the start. Slow-burn may be my go-to, but it would get boring after a while! None of my early readers saw a problem with the speed of their relationship, so hopefully this won't be a problem for you, either. If it is... well, my Beauty and the Beast tale is right over there!
I hope you enjoy this slightly steamy, slightly gothic, definitely romantic tale.
I'm almost certain you'll enjoy Agatha!
So, I'm not going to rate it, instead giving a bit of self-critique.
Every time I retell a story, I try to do two things: look at what needs to stay vs what needs to change, and try to do something different from my previous stories.
In the first case, I knew there had to be a girl in a red cloak, a grandmother, a basket, a wolf, and a hunter. I knew certain lines had to make it in. I knew that the Big Bad Wolf needed to be scary, but at the same time, I couldn't deny the appeal of having the heroine fall in LOVE with the wolf... thus the pack idea was born.
In Charles' Perrault's original tale, Red is eaten and the moral of the story is don't talk to strangers. In modern society, this is such a victim-blaming standpoint, I knew it had to go. Feminism is always a "subtle" theme in my stories (the girls are all empowered and save themselves, although the word is never mentioned) but this is the first one that actively fights against the expectation of women. I didn't intend for it to be so overt, by the village clearly represents society, the wolf pack toxic masculinity, the grandma ultimate female independence, and Forrest, the secondary love interest, as the "nice guy enabler". He himself is lovely, but he frequently makes excuses for his less-than-lovely friends and thinks it's fine so long as he himself never emulated their actions. I leant on a lot of experiences of others in how Andie feels about his protection, and how she doesn't want to be saved, but safe.
Agatha De Winter, the previously frail old grandmother, is reimagined as a strong, capable woman. Although she's far from perfect, she's distinctly happy in her solitude, but recognises that the choices she has made may not be the right ones for her granddaughter. All the women in this story (with a few minor setbacks) are very supportive of one another, in a way I think most women are in real life but are rarely shown to be so in literature.
In terms of what I tried to do differently than in my previous stories, I tried to make it steamier, and to depict a healthy relationship built on respect and consent where, for the most part, the characters are very upfront and honest about their feelings from the start. Slow-burn may be my go-to, but it would get boring after a while! None of my early readers saw a problem with the speed of their relationship, so hopefully this won't be a problem for you, either. If it is... well, my Beauty and the Beast tale is right over there!
I hope you enjoy this slightly steamy, slightly gothic, definitely romantic tale.
I'm almost certain you'll enjoy Agatha!
mimiathereader's review
4.0
3.5 stars
So, did you know I really like fairytale retellings (I'm not sure I have mentioned that enough... lol)? This one was a Little Red Ridding Hood one and, since that is my favourite fairytale, I was very excited to get a copy of it into my hands.
What can you expect from it?
1. Wanting to read just one more chapter until you suddenly reach the epilogue.
2. Brilliant descriptions of snow, and blood, capes and other scarlet things (What can I say? They were really vivid descriptions and I really want to tell everyone about them because they were simply very good (but short -leaving this last part as a heads up for those users that will read this to mean the book was boring and mainly descriptive which was not the case)).
3. Very inteligent ways of inserting original aspects of the story into the plot and characters that are just so much fun to notice.
4. Wolf shifters and pack dynamics that complicate the plot and had a lot of depth and backstory to the characters.
5. Strong family bonds, terrible family members, family secrets and all the other things family that make good stories better.
6. A red cape that is somewhat important to the plot.
And lots of other things that make this book a very good and intense read.
The only thing that didn't work that well for me was the relationship between the main characters. It was too fast to work for this reader - who is known in the real world for always thinking people should know each other better before starting a romantic relationship... That removed a little of my enjoyment of this book and a half-start from the rating.
All in all, this book was a pleasant surprise from an almost new-to-me author (I'd read her short story in [b:Villainous: An Anthology of Fairytale Retellings|57347667|Villainous An Anthology of Fairytale Retellings|K.A. Miltimore|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1615222544l/57347667._SY75_.jpg|89756493] but wasn't much convinced then) that I now will be looking for when I'm in need of my fairytale fix.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
So, did you know I really like fairytale retellings (I'm not sure I have mentioned that enough... lol)? This one was a Little Red Ridding Hood one and, since that is my favourite fairytale, I was very excited to get a copy of it into my hands.
What can you expect from it?
1. Wanting to read just one more chapter until you suddenly reach the epilogue.
2. Brilliant descriptions of snow, and blood, capes and other scarlet things (What can I say? They were really vivid descriptions and I really want to tell everyone about them because they were simply very good (but short -leaving this last part as a heads up for those users that will read this to mean the book was boring and mainly descriptive which was not the case)).
3. Very inteligent ways of inserting original aspects of the story into the plot and characters that are just so much fun to notice.
4. Wolf shifters and pack dynamics that complicate the plot and had a lot of depth and backstory to the characters.
5. Strong family bonds, terrible family members, family secrets and all the other things family that make good stories better.
6. A red cape that is somewhat important to the plot.
And lots of other things that make this book a very good and intense read.
The only thing that didn't work that well for me was the relationship between the main characters. It was too fast to work for this reader - who is known in the real world for always thinking people should know each other better before starting a romantic relationship... That removed a little of my enjoyment of this book and a half-start from the rating.
All in all, this book was a pleasant surprise from an almost new-to-me author (I'd read her short story in [b:Villainous: An Anthology of Fairytale Retellings|57347667|Villainous An Anthology of Fairytale Retellings|K.A. Miltimore|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1615222544l/57347667._SY75_.jpg|89756493] but wasn't much convinced then) that I now will be looking for when I'm in need of my fairytale fix.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
dwinprincess's review
5.0
I love fairy tale retellings. To see an author take a story as old as time and put their own twist on it, nothing better.
This story is about Finn and Angie, her red cloak, love/loss, and coming to realize being different is not a bad thing. One plot twist I didn’t quite see coming, but oh when it did, holy wow!!!!
This book is for anyone that loves fairy tales, young adult or 46 year old gal like me. This story has heart, it’s well written, and you’ll find you can’t put it down.
This story is about Finn and Angie, her red cloak, love/loss, and coming to realize being different is not a bad thing. One plot twist I didn’t quite see coming, but oh when it did, holy wow!!!!
This book is for anyone that loves fairy tales, young adult or 46 year old gal like me. This story has heart, it’s well written, and you’ll find you can’t put it down.
lrn_af62693's review
5.0
Wow, I loved this book. This book caught my eye right away, as Red Riding Hood is my favorite fairytale. I was enraptured with Finn and Andie as they moved through the story. Rowan, also caught my heart. I love this book, I was shocked with how much I could just picture in my head. Where is the movie for this? Katherine Macdonald has done more than just retell this classic fairytale, she has created a story that brought life and a new spin.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
shcleveland's review
5.0
As with many of Macdonald’s books, this one is a fairytale retelling. It reimagines the story of Little Red Riding Hood. I’m a little bit picky about fairytale retellings. On one hand, I love them in general, but it can also be difficult for the premise to really stand out. In this case, Macdonald builds on a common theme with Red Riding Hood retellings, which is the introduction of shapeshifters and/or werewolves to the tale. What makes it interesting, however, is in this case we’re dealing with a whole pack of wolves, not one Big Bad Wolf.
If there is one thing Macdonald does well, it is suck you in with her gorgeous prose. It’s enough that I don’t even care that the book flops between first person for most of the story and third person for Finn’s history chapters. If you find POV swapping like that jarring (which I usually do) that might bug you. However, if you can get past it, it’s so worth it. I could almost feel the winter’s bite while reading this book.
Macdonald once again invited me into a world of magic and romance. I was once swept away into a story I struggled to put down and devoured quickly. I (thankfully) didn’t need a whole box of tissues this time.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
If there is one thing Macdonald does well, it is suck you in with her gorgeous prose. It’s enough that I don’t even care that the book flops between first person for most of the story and third person for Finn’s history chapters. If you find POV swapping like that jarring (which I usually do) that might bug you. However, if you can get past it, it’s so worth it. I could almost feel the winter’s bite while reading this book.
Macdonald once again invited me into a world of magic and romance. I was once swept away into a story I struggled to put down and devoured quickly. I (thankfully) didn’t need a whole box of tissues this time.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
fool_ofabook's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book was absolutely stunning.
The chapters between the two main characters were so insightful and beautifully written. The backstory of Finn, throughout the book broke my heart, but also painted him to be such a beautifully complex and feeling character.
Love, love, love.
This author writes with more passion and truth with each book she creates and I am a huge fan. This book was a wonderful, heartwarming, read.
The chapters between the two main characters were so insightful and beautifully written. The backstory of Finn, throughout the book broke my heart, but also painted him to be such a beautifully complex and feeling character.
Love, love, love.
This author writes with more passion and truth with each book she creates and I am a huge fan. This book was a wonderful, heartwarming, read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexism, and Violence
Minor: Sexual content
cheseliz's review
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book had me at the first page and swept me away. I ended up reading it within a day because I couldn’t put it down. The characters, the romance, the banter—all brilliant! I highly recommend reading this gem.
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