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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
I'm not quite sure what I was expecting when I read this book, but I certainly wasn't expecting this mess of a love triangle between Scarlet, John Little and Robin Hood. I was hoping for a female who kicked ass and defended herself valiantly. I was expecting something that was... not this.
We follow a girl named Will Scarlet (but, oh- she's hiding her identity and masquerading as a guy, so technically Will Scarlet isn't her real name at all) who ends up being in a group of thieves with John Little, Robin Hood and Much (surely I'm not the only one confused with that guy's name. At first, I didn't even think it was referring to someone, to be honest...). They steal to help the poor, which... you know, since the group has someone named Robin, it's not much of a surprise. Scarlet remains hidden to keep away from her past which is slowly catching up to her, which involves a man called Lord Gisbourne. He has shown many times that he would do anything to find her, including killing many people in his wake, and it's ultimately her decision to decide whether her running away is worth all the bloodshed she's leaving behind to save herself.
That's the thing, though: I can't understand why she'd willingly watch all these people die knowing what the Lord really wanted in the end. Even so, all those deaths weighing on anyone's mind would be enough to push me to wonder if all of this was really worth it if innocent lives were on stake for freedom for myself.
But I think the worse offense of this whole thing is the love triangle. The horrid love triangle. There was so much of it I barely kept up with it all. Scarlet indicated that she had a hint of a crush on Robin but never really went for it cause he'd never hinted that he liked her too. In fact, I saw him more as her older brother or something and I was hoping it would stay that way. John took a little bit longer to admit his admiration for Scar, but at least he did, but she pushed him away. It was after that when Robin suddenly became jealous and got irritated at her for even thinking about liking John to the point that he threatened her to leave the group because, you know, it's better to leave her off alone than to admit he liked her too. It's like watching a ping pong tournament that never ends and all you wish is that you could get your wasted time back.
Still, I can't say I didn't like this book. If you can bypass the love triangle, it's a fairly good book. In the end, it's still about Scarlet who wants to help others even if she does become a little bit too selfless to where she could have gotten herself killed many of times. On top of that, she really doesn't do much to hide her identity as a female. There were a couple of times where I read the book and wonder how the hell does anyone NOT know that she's a female? Honestly. She certainly didn't try hard enough to keep it a secret in my opinion.
If you're looking for adventure and don't mind a side of romance *coughlovetrianglecough*, then you'd love this book.
We follow a girl named Will Scarlet (but, oh- she's hiding her identity and masquerading as a guy, so technically Will Scarlet isn't her real name at all) who ends up being in a group of thieves with John Little, Robin Hood and Much (surely I'm not the only one confused with that guy's name. At first, I didn't even think it was referring to someone, to be honest...). They steal to help the poor, which... you know, since the group has someone named Robin, it's not much of a surprise. Scarlet remains hidden to keep away from her past which is slowly catching up to her, which involves a man called Lord Gisbourne. He has shown many times that he would do anything to find her, including killing many people in his wake, and it's ultimately her decision to decide whether her running away is worth all the bloodshed she's leaving behind to save herself.
That's the thing, though: I can't understand why she'd willingly watch all these people die knowing what the Lord really wanted in the end. Even so, all those deaths weighing on anyone's mind would be enough to push me to wonder if all of this was really worth it if innocent lives were on stake for freedom for myself.
But I think the worse offense of this whole thing is the love triangle. The horrid love triangle. There was so much of it I barely kept up with it all. Scarlet indicated that she had a hint of a crush on Robin but never really went for it cause he'd never hinted that he liked her too. In fact, I saw him more as her older brother or something and I was hoping it would stay that way. John took a little bit longer to admit his admiration for Scar, but at least he did, but she pushed him away. It was after that when Robin suddenly became jealous and got irritated at her for even thinking about liking John to the point that he threatened her to leave the group because, you know, it's better to leave her off alone than to admit he liked her too. It's like watching a ping pong tournament that never ends and all you wish is that you could get your wasted time back.
Spoiler
Out of all of this, once Scarlet finally came face to face with Lord Gisbourne (and I mean had a small conversation with him), I ended up liking him much more than any other character in the story. All he wanted was to pursue her and marry her, just like in the contract her father made for the both of them. There even hinted that he was never a bad guy, only that she made him this way, and... a little part of me shipped them together, okay? I mean, the ship is much more logical than John Little and Robin fighting over Scar and hnnnnngh come on.Still, I can't say I didn't like this book. If you can bypass the love triangle, it's a fairly good book. In the end, it's still about Scarlet who wants to help others even if she does become a little bit too selfless to where she could have gotten herself killed many of times. On top of that, she really doesn't do much to hide her identity as a female. There were a couple of times where I read the book and wonder how the hell does anyone NOT know that she's a female? Honestly. She certainly didn't try hard enough to keep it a secret in my opinion.
If you're looking for adventure and don't mind a side of romance *coughlovetrianglecough*, then you'd love this book.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Retelling of Robin Hood with Scarlett telling the story from a female point of view. I don't think fairytales or retelling are for me. I read to meet a challenge requirement and get me to expand my reading genres.
I wasn't sure if I was going to like this book when I first started it- the voice really threw me off. It is first person written in an English dialect that is charming to listen to but somewhat grating to read. Example: instead of saying "I was going here", Scarlet would say "I were going here." Ugh. Thankfully the story itself was so engrossing that I ceased to notice the unusual way the book was written, and came to appreciate the charm which it added. I liked the choice of descriptive words too.
My favorite thing about Scarlet: the characters. They were fantastic, three-dimensional and interesting. I cared about them. Scarlet was strong and prickly to a fault but it was easy to sympathize with her; the author did a good job of showing us her compassion and her struggles with guilt. I also enjoyed the dynamic between each of them: the band together with their easy manner, each member separately and how they teased one another, and their relationship with the townspeople. It added a lot of color and upped the stakes dramatically. I am normally against most love triangles because they turn out trite and unnecessary. In Scarlet's case, her flirtations and emotions between her and John, and her and Robin, felt subtle and natural. It was a competition of equals and it's hard to see where her emotions will swing. I enjoyed that a lot. There was also so much chemistry between her and Rob! It was incredible.
I also enjoyed the air of mystery surrounding Scarlet herself; I thought I had an inkling of what was going on but I was a little off the mark, and gladly so. I loved the twists thrown in and the way that A.C. Gaughen melded the legends of Robin Hood around her characters. It was so well done.
The pacing was fantastic, almost all action from the get go juxtaposed with scenes of humor and violence and heart. I became so engrossed that I basically read the book in a day. I also appreciate the way that Gaughen wrapped up the story. It was originally meant to be a standalone, which would have worked. I was satisfied with the ending, but I'm also glad to know there will be a sequel. It's left open enough without teasing the reader, so that a sequel becomes a natural possibility.
My favorite thing about Scarlet: the characters. They were fantastic, three-dimensional and interesting. I cared about them. Scarlet was strong and prickly to a fault but it was easy to sympathize with her; the author did a good job of showing us her compassion and her struggles with guilt. I also enjoyed the dynamic between each of them: the band together with their easy manner, each member separately and how they teased one another, and their relationship with the townspeople. It added a lot of color and upped the stakes dramatically. I am normally against most love triangles because they turn out trite and unnecessary. In Scarlet's case, her flirtations and emotions between her and John, and her and Robin, felt subtle and natural. It was a competition of equals and it's hard to see where her emotions will swing. I enjoyed that a lot. There was also so much chemistry between her and Rob! It was incredible.
I also enjoyed the air of mystery surrounding Scarlet herself; I thought I had an inkling of what was going on but I was a little off the mark, and gladly so. I loved the twists thrown in and the way that A.C. Gaughen melded the legends of Robin Hood around her characters. It was so well done.
The pacing was fantastic, almost all action from the get go juxtaposed with scenes of humor and violence and heart. I became so engrossed that I basically read the book in a day. I also appreciate the way that Gaughen wrapped up the story. It was originally meant to be a standalone, which would have worked. I was satisfied with the ending, but I'm also glad to know there will be a sequel. It's left open enough without teasing the reader, so that a sequel becomes a natural possibility.
Like many people, I've long had an interest in Robin Hood, mostly fueled by the classic Disney film and this BBC series (mmm...Richard Armitage). I loved the idea of a female masquerading as male to be part of the band of thieves so I was excited to dive in. I had trouble reading it though. I could only read a few chapters at a time before needing to do something else. It wasn't that I didn't want to know what happened next; the writing style just was a bit hard for me.
I also had trouble writing my review for some reason. There was a lot that I liked, including a spoiler although I don't think it is much of a surprise if you're familiar with the Robin Hood myths. But there was one significant plot element that made me distinctly uncomfortable. So let's start with the good, then the unpleasant, and end with the spoiler, okay?
While I felt slightly naughty, I enjoyed picturing hottie Richard Armitage as Guy of Gisbourne, no matter how despicable his actions were (and he's pretty awful). Guy is the villain called in by the Sheriff of Nottingham to track down Robin Hood and his band of merry men. He is ruthless but not in the book too much, leaving his presence to hang over the fear and desperation of the people.
As befits a story about a famous archer, there is plenty of action although not much archery in my opinion. I would enjoy getting to hear a little bit more about the archery but those who crave action should be pretty satisfied throughout this story. Also apropos for the time period are some gruesome deaths and dungeons.
Robin is noble (literally and as a characteristic) but he has some flaws as will be discussed below. The other members of their gang are Little John and Much, a sweet character-definitely one of my favorites! There is also a decent-sized village of people starving and struggling to stay afloat. We meet a lot of people but it was pretty easy to keep them straight.
For the most part, I liked Scarlet. She's very wounded with lots of secrets and hard-earned talents at stealing that aid the people in the area. Scarlet is wracked with guilt from several events in her past and they make her determined to prove herself. This is her second-chance and she has to do everything in her abilities to aid people.
What I didn't like was Robin and John's romantic posturing toward Scarlet. I was especially irked by Robin scolding Scarlet for giving mixed signals to John while Robin is the master of mixed signals toward Scarlet herself. She is basically already in love with him but she doesn't feel that he could ever care for her in the same way. John is a total player and it makes it hard for Scarlet to take him seriously. Robin gets so jealous without having declared himself and it made me disgusted with both boys; there is definitely some growing up needed!
Now for the spoiler:
As we read, we learn more about Scarlet's background, such as the fact that she seems to come from nobility and was once Guy's fiance. Whoever could she be? Well there was one important character from the Robin Hood myth: his lovely lady Maid Marian which conveniently is the birth name of Scarlet. I'm inordinately proud of myself for figuring this out far in advance of the reveal in the book.
END SPOILER
Overall: A mostly fun debut that left me wanting more of Scarlet's fierce passion and determination to protect the people.
I also had trouble writing my review for some reason. There was a lot that I liked, including a spoiler although I don't think it is much of a surprise if you're familiar with the Robin Hood myths. But there was one significant plot element that made me distinctly uncomfortable. So let's start with the good, then the unpleasant, and end with the spoiler, okay?
While I felt slightly naughty, I enjoyed picturing hottie Richard Armitage as Guy of Gisbourne, no matter how despicable his actions were (and he's pretty awful). Guy is the villain called in by the Sheriff of Nottingham to track down Robin Hood and his band of merry men. He is ruthless but not in the book too much, leaving his presence to hang over the fear and desperation of the people.
As befits a story about a famous archer, there is plenty of action although not much archery in my opinion. I would enjoy getting to hear a little bit more about the archery but those who crave action should be pretty satisfied throughout this story. Also apropos for the time period are some gruesome deaths and dungeons.
Robin is noble (literally and as a characteristic) but he has some flaws as will be discussed below. The other members of their gang are Little John and Much, a sweet character-definitely one of my favorites! There is also a decent-sized village of people starving and struggling to stay afloat. We meet a lot of people but it was pretty easy to keep them straight.
For the most part, I liked Scarlet. She's very wounded with lots of secrets and hard-earned talents at stealing that aid the people in the area. Scarlet is wracked with guilt from several events in her past and they make her determined to prove herself. This is her second-chance and she has to do everything in her abilities to aid people.
What I didn't like was Robin and John's romantic posturing toward Scarlet. I was especially irked by Robin scolding Scarlet for giving mixed signals to John while Robin is the master of mixed signals toward Scarlet herself. She is basically already in love with him but she doesn't feel that he could ever care for her in the same way. John is a total player and it makes it hard for Scarlet to take him seriously. Robin gets so jealous without having declared himself and it made me disgusted with both boys; there is definitely some growing up needed!
Now for the spoiler:
As we read, we learn more about Scarlet's background, such as the fact that she seems to come from nobility and was once Guy's fiance. Whoever could she be? Well there was one important character from the Robin Hood myth: his lovely lady Maid Marian which conveniently is the birth name of Scarlet. I'm inordinately proud of myself for figuring this out far in advance of the reveal in the book.
END SPOILER
Overall: A mostly fun debut that left me wanting more of Scarlet's fierce passion and determination to protect the people.
Scarlet is a fabulous story. I don't know why I put off reading it for but I'm so glad that I finally decided to give it a shot. Full review to come.
I didn't feel well on Monday and spent a lot of tying laying down and reading to keep my stomach settled. I must have picked up whatever Drew had the day before. I didn't like being sick but it was nice to spent part of the day reading.
This book was surprisingly good. At first I wasn't into the story but that quickly changed. It is a retelling of the Robin Hood story where Will Scarlet is a girl. It was very clever and a quick read. It was a lot more gory than I expected for a young adult book. It certainly wasn't a soft book. The bad guy was really bad! I admit that one of the cleverest parts of the story and connection to other versions of Robin Hood didn't even occur to me until 45 minutes after I finished the book. I won't give it away. I'm sure there will be a sequel so be prepared if you read it.
This book was surprisingly good. At first I wasn't into the story but that quickly changed. It is a retelling of the Robin Hood story where Will Scarlet is a girl. It was very clever and a quick read. It was a lot more gory than I expected for a young adult book. It certainly wasn't a soft book. The bad guy was really bad! I admit that one of the cleverest parts of the story and connection to other versions of Robin Hood didn't even occur to me until 45 minutes after I finished the book. I won't give it away. I'm sure there will be a sequel so be prepared if you read it.
Reread May 2015
This was just as good as I remembered. I absolutely love the story of Robin Hood. It has always resonated with me. I love both the BBC Show and the Disney movie, for me they both showcase the story in different ways. While Scarlet is a Robin Hood retelling, A. C. Gaughen puts her own flair on the story. The cast of characters is roughly the same, however he have Will Scarlet who is actually a girl. When this book begins it is only Robin and his lads that know Scarlet is actually a girl.
First, I want to talk about the writing style. When you first start this book, it can be extremely off-putting because it sounds and looks wrong, but after a bit you get used to it and it is less noticeable. But I applaud A. C. Gaughen's ability to write so flawlessly and consistently in this Old English style. The writing is definitely authentic to the time period of the Crusades. While the writing is a small aspect overall, I loved the detail that went into making it authentic for the time period.
As for the characters, I have a lot of thoughts. For Scarlet, she is definitely an extremely flawed character, there is a lot from her past that she is hiding from everyone. She is ashamed and blames herself for a lot of the outcomes. This hatred causes her to shut down and hide herself from everyone around her, even the ones who love her. While I respected Scarlet's desire to help save and protect the townspeople, her hatred and reasoning for it made her a weaker character in my mind. I also appreciated that she did not let the other guys tell her what to do and constantly protect her.
Robin. Robin is one of those characters that you cannot help but love. He does everything for the people and takes any and all risks to keep them safe. While it was clear he loved Scarlet, I disliked the way he went about it. Calling her a whore and constantly ragging on her about John was really annoying.
John. He was definitely my least favorite character. He was overly flirtatious and totally obnoxious to Scarlet. Luckily the romance (and ridiculous love triangle) were such as small aspect of the book and my dislike of his character did not affect my overall enjoyment of the book.
Much. For me Much and Allan a Dale have always been my favorite outlaws. While we do not get to see Allan a Dale in this book, we do get Much. Much was one of the best "main" characters in this book. He does not have a big role but he is the voice of reason a lot and does give Scarlet someone to talk to and practice with.
Overall, this book was really enjoyable for me. There may be some flaws with the plot overall, but I love the adventure and the story. This book definitely leaves a lot of unanswered questions and I cannot wait to pick up Lady Thief.
First read April 2012
This was just as good as I remembered. I absolutely love the story of Robin Hood. It has always resonated with me. I love both the BBC Show and the Disney movie, for me they both showcase the story in different ways. While Scarlet is a Robin Hood retelling, A. C. Gaughen puts her own flair on the story. The cast of characters is roughly the same, however he have Will Scarlet who is actually a girl. When this book begins it is only Robin and his lads that know Scarlet is actually a girl.
First, I want to talk about the writing style. When you first start this book, it can be extremely off-putting because it sounds and looks wrong, but after a bit you get used to it and it is less noticeable. But I applaud A. C. Gaughen's ability to write so flawlessly and consistently in this Old English style. The writing is definitely authentic to the time period of the Crusades. While the writing is a small aspect overall, I loved the detail that went into making it authentic for the time period.
As for the characters, I have a lot of thoughts. For Scarlet, she is definitely an extremely flawed character, there is a lot from her past that she is hiding from everyone. She is ashamed and blames herself for a lot of the outcomes. This hatred causes her to shut down and hide herself from everyone around her, even the ones who love her. While I respected Scarlet's desire to help save and protect the townspeople, her hatred and reasoning for it made her a weaker character in my mind. I also appreciated that she did not let the other guys tell her what to do and constantly protect her.
Robin. Robin is one of those characters that you cannot help but love. He does everything for the people and takes any and all risks to keep them safe. While it was clear he loved Scarlet, I disliked the way he went about it. Calling her a whore and constantly ragging on her about John was really annoying.
John. He was definitely my least favorite character. He was overly flirtatious and totally obnoxious to Scarlet. Luckily the romance (and ridiculous love triangle) were such as small aspect of the book and my dislike of his character did not affect my overall enjoyment of the book.
Much. For me Much and Allan a Dale have always been my favorite outlaws. While we do not get to see Allan a Dale in this book, we do get Much. Much was one of the best "main" characters in this book. He does not have a big role but he is the voice of reason a lot and does give Scarlet someone to talk to and practice with.
Overall, this book was really enjoyable for me. There may be some flaws with the plot overall, but I love the adventure and the story. This book definitely leaves a lot of unanswered questions and I cannot wait to pick up Lady Thief.
First read April 2012
A step out of the normal read for me with a story about Robin Hood and Will Scarlet, who is actually a girl (Will Scarlet I mean, not Robin Hood).
The old English language took some getting used to and then when you finally got used to it, it stopped?
Unfortunately the plot was a little predictable and I guessed the plot twist before it happened (does that mean it's a plot twist if you knew about the plot twist)?
While I did know about the plot twist it still was a really good book I did enjoy the characters as well as the story line and I can't wait to read the next book!
The old English language took some getting used to and then when you finally got used to it, it stopped?
Unfortunately the plot was a little predictable and I guessed the plot twist before it happened (does that mean it's a plot twist if you knew about the plot twist)?
While I did know about the plot twist it still was a really good book I did enjoy the characters as well as the story line and I can't wait to read the next book!
So the premise here is that Will Scarlet is secretly (or not so secretly) a girl, and secretly in love with Robin Hood. You'll find many familiar scenes, stories and characters in here, but all is told through fresh eyes. The language took a little getting used to - it's told in first person, and Scarlet uses what is supposed to be peasant language (she always says IT WERE instead of IT WAS). This was annoying at first, but I got used to it, and in fact they sort of addressed it in the story at one point.
I love the story of Robin Hood, and I enjoyed this twist on it. Can't wait to see how everything plays out.