ARC Review: “The Girl in Red” by Christina Henry

“The Girl in Red” by Christina Henry

Publishing Date: June 18, 2019

Genre: Fantasy, Retelling, Horror

Page Length: 304 (electronic review edition)

Synopsis:

It’s not safe for anyone  alone in the woods. There are predators that come out at night: critters and coyotes, snakes and wolves. But the woman in the red jacket has no choice. Not since the Crisis came, decimated the population, and sent those who survived fleeing into quarantine camps that serve as breeding grounds for death, destruction, and disease. She is just a woman trying not to get killed in a world that doesn’t look anything like the one she grew up in, the one that was perfectly sane and normal and boring until three months ago.

There are worse threats in the woods than the things that stalk their prey at night. Sometimes, there are men. Men with dark desires, weak wills, and evil intents. Men in uniform with classified information, deadly secrets, and unforgiving orders. And sometimes, just sometimes, there’s something worse than all of the horrible people and vicious beasts combined. 

Red doesn’t like to think of herself as a killer, but she isn’t about to let herself get eaten up just because she is a woman alone in the woods…. (description from Goodreads)

Review:

The Girl in Red follows the story of a girl named Delia otherwise known by her nickname “Red” who mirrors the style and characteristics of Little Red Riding Hood. The story follows Red as she tries to survive in a a post-apocalyptic world. Everyone has been infected with the disease or infection of some sort and it has spread throughout the entire country. It leaves its victims with a terrible cough that ends in death.

In Red’s world there are people that are many travelers and hunters on the road prepared to take on danger and they’re also government camps (quarantines) set up to protect people against this infectious disease. From the beginning of the story, the reader is thrown into the mist of action s where Red is currently on her solo journey trying to survive alone in the wild. She lives in a somewhat rural area that is surrounded by trees and far away from the city. The lush greenery is used to set the ominous atmosphere throughout Red’s journey. The short story shifts constantly from the past to the present and we see life at various points during the outbreak.

Red is traveling solo on her journey to find refuge at her grandma’s house and is trying to survive using all her hunting and camping skills that she’s well equipped with. She’s very smart, resourceful, and is constantly on her toes. She has a disability (she is an amputee) and she talks about how if has affected her and the way others view her. She wants to be strong on her own and not have to rely on others for help. Being mixed-race in the community that she grew up is difficult and it she discusses how it has affected her growing up. She not only touches on the prejudice of her race, but her disability and how people judge what she’s actually capable of being able to do.

Throughout the book there is an aura of having suspense as the readers trying to figure out the mystery behind the contagious virus and what is the monstrous parasite that is killing people. The reader doesn’t know what’s going to happen at any moment in the story. There is danger around every single corner and the overwhelming fear that radiates throughout the novel has the reader on the edge. The story also touches on a couple discussion points about Red’s survivalist skills and basically humanity as a whole. The novel asks the question: “What would you do?”

This is a very intense book and at times it’s a little little gory. Watching the world through Red’s is very intriguing. Will she made the right decision, will she get to her grandmothers house, will she solve the mystery behind the virus?

A thrilling re-imagining of Little Red Riding Hood. The ending left me wanting more! Would definitely recommend!

*Trigger Warning: Violence, Gore, Racism

Final Verdict:

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.