Scarlet by A. C. Gaughen

http://www.acgaughen.com/scarlet/

Scarlet has escaped her past in London, but it continues to haunt her.  Her scar is a constant reminder of what she left behind.  As tensions with the Sheriff of Nottingham and Guy of Gisbourne increase, the villagers are finding it more and more difficult just to survive.  In disguise as Will Scarlet, she helps Robin Hood steal from the rich to give to the poor.

I am a sucker for a good Robin Hood tale.  Always have been.  From the singing rooster in the Disney cartoon, to Kevin Costner and his thieves...I love them all.  Even wrote my Gr. 13 English ISU on Robin Hood as a hero.

So, when I saw that Scarlet was one of the Teens' Top Ten nominees, I was pretty excited.  Also a little skeptical - how could you retell the story of Robin Hood yet again?

Quite well, as it turns out!!  In fact, I'd give it 5/5 on the Rez Recommends list.  There's action, adventure, plot twists...enough to keep readers of either gender engaged.

Sisters Red ~ by Jackson Pearce

I love a good retelling of a story; a fairy tale reimagined, a familiar story with a new twist. The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia Wrede remain some of my all-time favourite books. Wicked by Gregory Maguire had me completely under its spell...and then it was made into an amazing musical - does it get any better than that? :)

Unfortunately, not all retellings are good ones. Instead they feel a bit gimicky. So, I started reading Sisters Red with a bit of hesitation.

Thankfully, my fear was unnecessary. Sisters Red puts a new spin on the Little Red Riding Hood story (which seems to be popular these days, with at least two recent movies doing the same!). Scarlett (Lett) and her sister Rosie managed to survive the wolf's attack (with Lett severely scarred as a result) and now dedicate their life to hunting down wolves, called Fenris (werewolves). The packs are getting bigger and stronger, and with the help of their woodsman friend Silas, they set out to try and prevent the Fenris from turning another Potential.

I'd say this retelling gets a 4 out of 5 on the Rez Reads chart. It wasn't "life-altering" but it was quite a good read...and the last few chapters had me holding my breath. The author, Jackson Pearce, has one other novel "As You Wish" that apparently is even better than this one...and a re-telling of Hansel and Gretel called Sweetly, that's due out this summer.