Reviews

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

missbookiverse's review against another edition

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4.0

Kurz und knapp
Ein tolles Buch, das sich bekannter Rotkäppchenmotive bedient, aber seine ganz eigene Geschichte erzählt. Wer Action mag, wird in Sisters Red von vorne bis hinten bedient. Auch Romantikfans bekommen einen zuckersüß glasierten Keks serviert.
Neben der Werwolfjagd bietet der Roman eine intensive Geschichte über die Verantwortung gegenüber sich selbst, dem Rest der Welt und allem voran seiner eigenen Schwester.

Lang und breit
Um gleich mal alle falschen Annahmen aus dem Weg zu räumen: Ich würde Sisters Red nicht als Märchenneuerzählung bezeichnen. Das Buch bedient sich zwar vieler Elemente, die aus Rotkäppchen bekannt sind, ist aber keine Neuerfindung der Geschichte. Mit Großmutter, Jägern, bösen Wölfen und roten Umhängen erzählt Sisters Red seine ganz eigene Geschichte und orientiert sich höchstens im Prolog am Verlauf des Märchens.

Apropos Prolog. Der hat es in sich. Zusammen mit dem fantastischen Cover hat er mir eine schaurige Gänsehaut über den Körper gejagt. Wölfe können so verdammt gruselig sein.

Danach geht das Buch ein bisschen zäh weiter. Es ist zwar alles interessant, aber ich hatte das Gefühl, dass hier und da zwei Sätze zu viel waren und die Handlung nicht richtig voranging. Im Nachhinein glaube ich, dass es von Vorteil war sich so viel Zeit zu nehmen. Ansonsten wären mir die Figuren nicht so nahe gekommen. Meine Bindung zu ihnen hatte Zeit sich aufzubauen und zu vertiefen, was auch für die wirklich süße Romanze gilt.

Der Roman lebt größtenteils von seinen Charakteren. Die beiden unzertrennlichen Schwestern Scarlett und Rosie könnten unterschiedlicher nicht sein. Vielleicht gerade, weil sie beide in vielen Situationen so intensive Gegensätze widerspiegeln, fand ich es unheimlich leicht jede von ihnen voll und ganz verstehen zu können. Scarletts Gedankenwelt kommt auf den ersten Blick sehr drastisch daher, da sie ihr Leben dem Jagen verschrieben hat und sich dem unschuldigen Rest der Welt gegenüber verantwortlich fühlt. Mit dem Wissen über ihre Vergangenheit fand ich das komplett nachvollziehbar. Genauso gut konnte ich Rosie verstehen. Für sie bedeutet Jagen einfach nicht das Gleiche. Einerseits sehnt sie sich nach etwas anderem, andererseits hat sie Angst ihre Schwester zu enttäuschen.
Die wechselnden Kapitel und damit auch Erzähler (Scarlett und Rosie) haben mich ständig von einem Extrem ins andere gezerrt. Am Ende hatte ich die Schwestern und Silas so sehr ins Herz geschlossen, dass ich voller Aufregung dem Finale entgegengefiebert habe. Mir wäre sogar Unlogik egal gewesen, solange es nur für alle gut ausgeht.

Während mir Jackson Pearces Schreibstil in Drei Wünschte hast du frei (OT As You Wish) noch ziemlich holprig vorkam, hab ich ihn hier als meisterhaft empfunden. Damit schiebe ich das bei DWHDF jetzt offiziell auf die mittelmäßige deutsche Übersetzung und empfehle jedem die Autorin im Original zu lesen. Sie schreibt qualitativ hochwertig, ohne Kitsch und ausgelutschte Metaphern.

Toll fand ich die ganzen Kleinigkeiten. Zum Beispiel die Namen der Schwestern, die beide einem Rotton entsprechen oder dass ihre Großmutter Deutsche ist und im Englischen liebevoll „Oma March“ genannt wird (außerdem sagt sie sogar ein paar deutsche Sätze) – was doch wohl hoffentlich ein Wink in Richtung Gebrüder Grimm sein soll.

Alle, die es ruhig mögen, könnten von dem Roman einen kleinen Herzanfall zurückbehalten. Es herrscht konstant Action, da Rosie und Scarlett ständig Werwölfe mit Messern und Beilen bekämpfen müssen. Einerseits ganz gut gemacht und abwechslungsreich im Vergleich zu vor sich hin plätschernden Urban Fantasy YA Büchern, andererseits mag ich es lieber ruhig und fand die Jagd- und Kampfszenen nach dem zweiten Mal recht identisch.

Die unerwartete Wendung am Ende hatte ich beinahe von vorneherein im Kopf. Ich hatte gar nicht erwartet, dass das wirklich passieren würde, es mir aber ziemlich cool vorgestellt und gehofft, dass es so kommen würde. Und dann kam es tatsächlich so. Damit war die Überraschung für mich zwar hin, aber glücklich war ich trotzdem.

Die Liebesszenen sind wie schon in Drei Wünsche hast du frei (OT As You Wish) sehr sanft und zaghaft beschrieben, aber mit viel Gefühl und zuckersüß.

Die Unbeantworteten
Was machen die Fenris mit ihren Opfern? Essen sie sie, um zu überleben? Oder töten sie aus Spaß?

Die Kameraden
Jackson Pearces erstes Buch Drei Wünsche hast du frei (OT As You Wish) habe ich bereits gelesen. Im Vergleich zu Sisters Red ist es harmloser und erzählt eine viel leisere Geschichte.

Im Stil von Sisters Red (das heißt als „companion novel“) wird im August 2011 eine weiterer Roman mit Märchenelementen der Autorin erscheinen. Sweetly wird Hänsel und Gretel wieder aufleben lassen und hat ein genauso eindrucksvolles Cover wie sein Vorgänger. Nach Sweetly soll ein weiterer „companion novel“ namens Fathomless folgen.

As You Wish Sweetly (Sisters Red, #2)

Die Optik
Das Sisters Red Cover ist so ziemlich perfekt. Ich finde die Typographie zwar nicht so toll, aber das haut das Motiv alles wieder heraus. Diese Farben und diese Zweideutigkeit und die Schnörkel und ach, es ist einfach ein Traum. Meine Ausgabe glänzt zudem noch ganz toll.

Der Doppelgänger
Hier empfehle ich einen meiner Top-Favoriten: The Book Of Lost Things von John Connolly. Es verbreitet die gleiche schaurige Stimmung wie der Prolog von Sisters Red, handelt in gewisser Weise auch von Geschwistern und hat vor allem seine ganz eigene verquere Neuinterpretation von Rotkäppchen.

The Book of Lost Things

el_viral's review against another edition

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1.0

I didn't read much last year because life threw some stuff in the way, so I picked this back up because I thought it would be easy, fun reading - it isn't. It's just a bad book - the story is barely there and the supposed twist practically smacks you round the face from the start, it's that obvious. Needless to say, not a recommendation, but at least I'm reading again - small victories!

dame_samara's review against another edition

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DNF 30%
Was I excited about a book about the werewolf fighting sisters? Yes. Along with the search for where you really belong and the effects of childhood trauma? Quite a Bit

But honestly, as I listened to it I continued to find myself uninterested in the lives of these people.

kaitbabs's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced

3.5

shesgeminii's review against another edition

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4.0

It completely drew me in. I loved the twits and turns. it was a complete twist from red riding hood. So good.

gracec143's review against another edition

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5.0

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce is a riveting, page-turning novel that will have you on the end of your seat. I was not able to put this book down. With the turn of every page I was thrust into excitement and adventure. It took me into the world in which the story takes place.

bookwormneedsbooks's review against another edition

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It started off OK but then when the 21 year-old said that her sister who is 15 there’s something different about her I already saw the direction that the book was going not interested

janina_reads's review against another edition

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3.0

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, [b:As You Wish|6750586|As You Wish|Jackson Pearce|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1285322010s/6750586.jpg|6217232], 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.

tinynavajo's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5/5 Stars

An interesting take on the tale of Little Red Riding Hood. I like the idea of it, and for the most part I liked the execution of it, but there were times when I really just wanted to smack two of the characters.

Rosie and Scarlett grow up with their grandmother in a little town in Georgia. One day, they are attacked by a Fenris, a type of werewolf who loves to feed on young girls. Their grandmother dies, trying to protect them and Scarlett loses her eye to protect her sister. Years later, the sisters are still hunting, but now they have their woodsman friend to continue to help them, Silas. But as more and more werewolves start to show up, looking more prey along with the one they call, the "Potential."

When all three move to Atlanta, things seem to get worse as there are more wolves, stronger wolves than anticipated. And there are more feelings than are anticipated between Rosie and Silas that grow the more they live together.

Now, I understand that there usually has to be a book with a certain flair for the dramatic as well as the romantic, but there are better ways to handle it. Rosie and Silas decide that hunting isn't for them the way it is for Scarlett. They decide to hide their growing relationship from her as more and more girls are killed and the time to find the "Potential" grows nearer.

kyleechris's review against another edition

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4.0

You can read this review and others on my blog http://babblingofabookaholic.blogspot.com

I finally got to finish Sisters Red and I'm so excited to review it! I really, really liked this book. It was a bit different than I expected it to be but I really like how Jackson took the story and made it her own but still included the fun parts of Little Red Riding Hood.

Scarlett and Rosie March are sisters who have had this undeniable bond all of their lives but it changes after the attack when Scarlett lost her eye and really any ounce of normal while defending her sister Rosie from a fenris. Fenris are very similar to werewolves, they don't have souls though and they just mainly target younger teenage girls that Scarlett refers to as dragonflies. Scarlett's heart and soul are dedicated to protecting others from the fenris and trying to rid the earth of them. Rosie feels as if she owes her life to Scarlett for saving her so she hunts with her sister even though she longs for something else, something more. Now before I go any farther I'd like to address and issue, Scarlett comes off as very 'possessive' in this book and many people find it creepy or overbearing. From a personal stand point I don't see her as possessive, I see her as a girl scared of losing the two people she has left. I think all along Scarlett knew deep down that Rosie wanted more and she was afraid of losing her. I really liked Scarlett as a character, I feel like she was so wrapped up in her world she didn't really see what was going on with Rosie or realize what she was doing unintentionally to those around her so I really liked seeing her grow throughout the book. Rosie is such an innocent soul, I felt sort of bad for her throughout the book. She struggled so much to get out from under the pressure and feeling of owing her life to Scarlett. Silas was definitely swoon worthy in this book, who doesn't love a tall handsome guy who can swing an ax and kick some fenris butt? I really liked him as a character too, I kind of wish we could have gotten to know him as a person and about his past a bit more. I loved watching Silas and Scarlett fall in love, it was like that cute new love.

The plot of this book was actually really enjoyable and paced perfectly. I've read a few reviews on this book and so many people said they saw the 'big thing' coming but I honestly didn't. I guess I was either way too wrapped up in the story or clueless! This book definitely had a lot of action, if it didn't it would be the worst fenris/werewolf book ever. I loved reading about all of the kick ass ninja skills Rosie, Scarlett, and Silas had. It was really detailed and I could picture it all in my head. I honestly could see this book being made into a movie. I really enjoyed it and I'm eager to get the other two books Sweetly and Fathomless. (: