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ambeesbookishpages's review against another edition
4.0
Though this book was no perfect and I do have my issues, I am again impressed by Arnold using fairytale retellings in such a feminist way. There will never be enough words to describe my love for this book and the attachment to the main characters.
Full review to come!
Full review to come!
_blair_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
ruinedbyreading's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
jeyn's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I don't think I can ever recover from reading this book. I cannot put the book down from the moments I started reading it; This was the fastest book I have read so far.
N’oublie Pas D‘oublier
shaunareads's review against another edition
4.0
I'm going to settle at 4 stars for now. I need to process this book.
There were a lot of things I liked and didn't like at the same time, but I'm not exactly the target audience for this book. However, it is a very high end YA. There are graphic sex scenes and it's very gory, particularly about menstruation.
Things I liked/didn't like:
- gory talk about period blood, literally described a gelatinous glob on a tampon. Now why would I like this? Because as a teen coming into my first cycle this is something I would be embarrassed to ask about, and having a book discuss it when there is not enough taught about it, is a good thing.
- Feminist themes. I'm all about the "Yes, girl!" when I see women standing up on issues where we've been told it's not our place to speak up. Particularly rape. As a victim of sexual assault, I kept that in for a long time. However, this book almost took it too far. It glorifies the killing of the "wolves." Now I do see the side that it's trying to portray, the system is broken, we watched the police brush aside sexual harassment and these men were disgusting. They did horrible things. But idk, it felt like killing was glorified and the only way that we'll see justice and that didn't sit right with me.
Something I liked was the explicit sex scene (not in that way. Get your head out of the gutter!) At first, I will admit, I looked it up to see if this book was actually YA. But I think it's important for young adults to see healthy sexual relationships and this book did that.
One other thing I should note, is it is written in 2nd person, so if you don't like that, probably don't read it. It didn't bother me though.
There were a lot of things I liked and didn't like at the same time, but I'm not exactly the target audience for this book. However, it is a very high end YA. There are graphic sex scenes and it's very gory, particularly about menstruation.
Things I liked/didn't like:
- gory talk about period blood, literally described a gelatinous glob on a tampon. Now why would I like this? Because as a teen coming into my first cycle this is something I would be embarrassed to ask about, and having a book discuss it when there is not enough taught about it, is a good thing.
- Feminist themes. I'm all about the "Yes, girl!" when I see women standing up on issues where we've been told it's not our place to speak up. Particularly rape. As a victim of sexual assault, I kept that in for a long time. However, this book almost took it too far. It glorifies the killing of the "wolves." Now I do see the side that it's trying to portray, the system is broken, we watched the police brush aside sexual harassment and these men were disgusting. They did horrible things. But idk, it felt like killing was glorified and the only way that we'll see justice and that didn't sit right with me.
Something I liked was the explicit sex scene (not in that way. Get your head out of the gutter!) At first, I will admit, I looked it up to see if this book was actually YA. But I think it's important for young adults to see healthy sexual relationships and this book did that.
One other thing I should note, is it is written in 2nd person, so if you don't like that, probably don't read it. It didn't bother me though.
kaydawn's review against another edition
Hate 2nd person POV in most instances so then went to read reviews and just wasn’t impressed.
kaysbookgallery's review against another edition
1.0
This book just wasn't for me. It's a little odd and kind of slow, in my opinion.
lindsayjohnna's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
nicolemhewitt's review against another edition
5.0
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
This book is a dark, brutal retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, an unflinching exploration of the victimization of women. It is not for the faint of heart, and I’m honestly a little unsure if I’d recommend it to the average YA reader. If you’re going to read this book, you need to know what you’re getting into. Not only are there many triggers in it, but Arnold pulls no punches when she depicts sex and violence (and menstruation, which is a big part of the story and is often described in vivid detail). That being said, it’s also incredibly powerful and will most certainly leave an impression. And the storytelling itself is masterful—I found myself flying through the book, eager to find out how the events would unfold. I was also surprisingly fond of the second-person narration (meaning that the story is told with “you” as the pronoun, as if Bisou is telling herself the story—and putting you right in the main character’s shoes).
I loved the way that friendships were highlighted in this book, showing that girls are so much stronger when they support each other. I also really appreciated that, in the midst of a lot of horrible situations involving men, Arnold also depicts Bisou’s thriving relationship with a wonderful guy who loves and supports her unconditionally (along with including a few other upstanding male characters). This was a breath of fresh air in a book that could have felt like it was saying all men are evil. I’ll confess that some of the themes and messages in this book left me unsettled—I’m still not exactly sure how I feel about all of it (I can’t go into detail without major spoilers). But the book opens up room for important dialogue, and it certainly got me thinking. That right there is enough to feed my fiction addiction.
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via Edelweiss and FFBC blog tours in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
This book is a dark, brutal retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, an unflinching exploration of the victimization of women. It is not for the faint of heart, and I’m honestly a little unsure if I’d recommend it to the average YA reader. If you’re going to read this book, you need to know what you’re getting into. Not only are there many triggers in it, but Arnold pulls no punches when she depicts sex and violence (and menstruation, which is a big part of the story and is often described in vivid detail). That being said, it’s also incredibly powerful and will most certainly leave an impression. And the storytelling itself is masterful—I found myself flying through the book, eager to find out how the events would unfold. I was also surprisingly fond of the second-person narration (meaning that the story is told with “you” as the pronoun, as if Bisou is telling herself the story—and putting you right in the main character’s shoes).
I loved the way that friendships were highlighted in this book, showing that girls are so much stronger when they support each other. I also really appreciated that, in the midst of a lot of horrible situations involving men, Arnold also depicts Bisou’s thriving relationship with a wonderful guy who loves and supports her unconditionally (along with including a few other upstanding male characters). This was a breath of fresh air in a book that could have felt like it was saying all men are evil. I’ll confess that some of the themes and messages in this book left me unsettled—I’m still not exactly sure how I feel about all of it (I can’t go into detail without major spoilers). But the book opens up room for important dialogue, and it certainly got me thinking. That right there is enough to feed my fiction addiction.
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via Edelweiss and FFBC blog tours in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
themaggiemch's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I think "Red Hood" had some interesting themes, but failed to completely make good on them. For instance, the main part of the book was focused on feminism, which I enjoyed but wished had been done better. The whole "men as wolves" thing was kinda quirky but could've worked if the message of the book didn't turn out to be "violence against women should be met with violence against men".
Honestly, what would've made it better was if it hadn't pretended to be a YA book and just fully gone for the adult realm. I mean, with the violence and certain scenes between James and Bisou, it was almost there- the characters just needed to be aged up.
Honestly, what would've made it better was if it hadn't pretended to be a YA book and just fully gone for the adult realm. I mean, with the violence and certain scenes between James and Bisou, it was almost there- the characters just needed to be aged up.