Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
Fairytale Retellings #1
Release Date: June 7, 2010 (US)
Publisher: Little Brown
Rating: Enjoyable

Scarlett March lives to hunt the Fenris--the werewolves that took her eye when she was defending her sister Rosie from a brutal attack. Armed with a razor-sharp hatchet and blood-red cloak, Scarlett is an expert at luring and slaying the wolves. She's determined to protect other young girls from a grisly death, and her raging heart will not rest until every single wolf is dead.

Rosie March once felt her bond with her sister was unbreakable. Owing Scarlett her life, Rosie hunts ferociously alongside her. But even as more girls' bodies pile up in the city and the Fenris seem to be gaining power, Rosie dreams of a life beyond the wolves. She finds herself drawn to Silas, a young woodsman who is deadly with an ax and Scarlett's only friend--but does loving him mean betraying her sister and all that they've worked for? - Goodreads

For those of you who don’t already know – I bet there aren’t many of you – Sisters Red is a retelling of the Little Red Riding Hood fairytale. You know, the one with the wolf? Yeah, you know the one. And right from the start I expected the storyline to be fantastic because I just love fairytales. I was completely right, this book is great.

The plot is fast paced and full of action. There are plenty of fight scenes that Jackson did an excellent job of describing, and I felt like I was one of the sisters while they were battling the Fenris. This book is told in alternating points of view, and it was excellent because both sisters had their own distinct voice. Even the settings were beautiful, from the village where the sisters lived to the city where they go to hunt the Fenris. One thing that did disappoint me, however, was how easy it was to figure out where the plot was going. I figured out the ‘twist’ or the outcome within 100 pages. I like to be surprised when I read, and unfortunately this did not happen with Sisters Red.

Scarlet, the older sister, had a lot of flaws. She got on my nerves at times due to her controlling personality, and the way she treated her sister throughout the book. However, the flaws made her a more well-rounded character, and while she didn't overcome them at the end, she definitely accepted them.

Rosie was a strong female lead, and I loved her personality and her ‘spunk’, if you will. Again, Rosie had flaws that led to a lot of character development later on down the line, and this was excellent. She really battled with herself, and her hopes for the future and she found ways to overcome it. She’s a great character to read about.

Silas was also an awesome character. He’s the sisters’ best friend slash fellow hunter slash love interest. He was strong, handsome, intelligent, and he had a good idea of what Rosie was feeling when she was questioning herself. He really understood both sisters and I loved that. I wasn’t too keen on the age difference between him and Rosie, however. He was a lovely guy, but I just wish Rosie had been older than sixteen.

The original take on the Fenris was fascinating; I’ve never read anything like it before. This was probably my favourite aspect of the novel. No lovey-dovey stuff here, the Fenris are all creepy wolves that eat pretty young girls.

I love Jackson Pearce’s writing! I did start reading As You Wish earlier this year, but I stopped for some reason. That’s why I was hesitant to pick this up. I shouldn’t have been hesitant at all though, because Jackson is a truly amazing author and the way she writes just captures you and draws you in.

I recommend this book for lovers of the paranormal genre, and people who are looking for something creepy to read on Halloween. It’s a great read, and I can’t wait to get my hands on Sweetly!