Scarlett and Rosie March Are Officially One of My Favorite Fictional Families

Sisters Red


Jackson Pearce

4.5 Stars

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? (quoted from goodreads)

First Sentence:

"Strangers never walk down this road, the sisters thought in unison as the man trudged toward them."

Sisters Red is (loosely) based on the story of Little Red Riding Hood, but it is so unique and fascinating that I consider it a tale completely its own. It puts its own spin on the fairy tale and turns it into a compelling, sweet, terrifying, action-packed, gritty, and realistic read. The three main characters, Scarlett, Rosie, and Silas, are all extremely believable, as are their conflicts and relationships. I can understand what each of them is going through and sympathize with them. I root for them no matter what - which can be a problem when their conflicts sometimes include going against each other. The entire book, I was just so torn about the characters' futures, about family loyalties, and about doing what you want. I was emotionally invested in the characters and the issues they faced, so much so that I was devouring the book, totally on the edge of my seat with suspense, as desperate for a solution as the characters themselves (and I loved the ending when it came - perfect for the story).

There are two main relationships in the novel - that of Silas and Rosie, and of Rosie and Scarlett. Silas and Rosie's romance was sweet and I felt like it developed naturally (and there were definitely some sizzling scenes that were totally swoon-worthy!). However, my favorite relationship was Scarlett and Rosie's. They're obviously bound together, by family devotion and by their childhood. Rosie feels obligated to help Scarlett in her mission to hunt down Fenris because Scarlett saved her from them when they were little (and lost an eye in the process). However, she is beginning to realize that there is a different path, one where she can do normal things like take art classes and be with Silas. Scarlett simply cannot understand how or why Rosie would leave the Fenris-hunting lifestyle; for Scarlett, it's her entire life. She would feel utterly betrayed if Rosie quit hunting Fenris, and Rosie doesn't want to hurt Scarlett but cannot deny that she wants something more. Clearly, there is a lot of conflict here, and I love how it all plays out so beautifully and realistically. I found myself crying during one of the confrontations between Scarlett and Rosie - I don't want to give anything away, but their relationship really is fascinating. Having two sisters myself, I can feel what it would be like, from the point of view of both sisters, and that's what makes the conflict so compelling - either way, the sisters are hurt and their bond is never the same. There's this beautiful metaphor used throughout the book, about shadows and light and coming out of caves (I believe it's based on Plato's allegory). I adore this metaphor so much - it's powerful and symbolic and sums up the book's conflict very well.

The quality of Jackson Pearce's writing is simply gripping: fluid, well-paced, and realistic. I read the entire novel in one sitting because once you start, you just get sucked into it and there's no way to put it down - and why would you want to? Scarlett and Rosie narrate alternate chapters, and I thought that each of their voices was really unique and easily distinguishable. Another great point about this book for me was the action, and the fact that the girls are the ones doing most of the a**-kicking. There's plenty of fighting and hunting down Fenris, and both Scarlett and Rosie are strong, fierce, smart, and determined. There is also a considerable amount of suspense involved, which kept me turning pages. However, the mystery is what caused me to knock half a star off of what would otherwise have been a perfect 5 stars. The idea of the mystery is intriguing, but I felt like I figured it out long before the characters did, and I saw the twist at the end coming. It always annoys me when characters are being ridiculously blind and not seeing what is right in front of them, and in this case, I think that they were quite smart enough to figure it out (SPOILER: for those who have read the book, I am referring to the thing about Silas being a ________). I suppose part of it could be due to emotional reasons - not wanting to believe bad things about people they love - but it was just obvious and it kept bothering me.

All in all, Sisters Red is an awesome read. I can't wait to read Sweetly, the next fairy tale remix by Jackson Pearce!

A Beautiful Story of Ugly Things

The Replacement

Brenna Yovanoff

4.5 Stars

Mackie Doyle is not one of us. Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, he comes from a world of tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. He is a Replacement, left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now, because of fatal allergies to iron, blood, and consecrated ground, Mackie is fighting to survive in the human world. Mackie would give anything to live among us, to practice on his bass or spend time with his crush, Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably into the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem. He must face the dark creatures of the slag heaps and find his rightful place, in our world, or theirs. (quoted from goodreads)

First Sentence:
"I don't remember any of the true, important parts, but there's this dream I have."

Okay, first of all, before I even talk about the actual book, let me just gush about how absolutely gorgeous the cover is! It's so dark and mysterious and foreboding - a bunch of dangerous objects hanging over, of all things, a baby's crib. This alone was enough to make me very intrigued by this book. But, moving on to the content of the book, the story inside is very unique. I've never seen anything like it before, especially since the others, the ones who live near Gentry and kidnap its babies, enchant it, etc. are not named. They are not called faeries or fey or sirens or demons or zombies or any other sort of paranormal creature. They are simply a dark, unnamed group, although being unnamed makes them no less real or powerful or feared. There is this eerie feeling about them doesn't fade even as we get to know them better. Then there's the characters. Mackie, the protagonist, is completely believable. He's just another frustrated guy, trying to fit in and be happy and pursue the girl he likes. But of course, he's not ordinary, and I really loved how his character grows throughout the story and eventually comes to terms with himself. However, as great as Mackie was, my favorite characters would have to be the supporting cast. Roswell, Mackie's best friend, is so loyal and kind and dependable and solid - even when Mackie blows him off or won't tell the truth or needs his help with something despicable, Roswell never even hesitates. Tate, the girl Mackie falls in love with, is just so very stubborn and determined and independent, you can't help but admire her and root for her. Mackie's parents - or rather, adopted parents - are lovely also. Although the 'others', the haunting, strange ones that don't belong in Gentry, are supposedly dark, I can't help loving them too, because there's this sense that they are just as vulnerable and fragile and real as the humans. But the character that really won me over was Mackie's sister, Emma. I can't even describe how amazing she is: her sweet nature and her love of Mackie, her willingness to do whatever it takes to protect him, and her steadfast belief in him. Emma is one of those characters that I would feel blessed to have in my life, because she sticks by you and loves you completely unconditionally. As for the plot, it's definitely unique and draws you in; you don't want to stop reading because you get so attached to the characters. It's difficult not to care about them, and there's this strong need to know how their stories unfold, what happens with these ugly things and blind people and hard choices. I also adored the family values and love presented in the book - Mackie's family and friends are just so supportive, so loyal and accepting. Not that it's a cheery, rainbows-and-unicorns kind of book, but it manages to subtly include these themes of family and love and courage and acceptance. The only reason that it didn't get a full 5 stars is that for about the first 100 pages or so, the writing felt a bit choppy and disconnected to me, not as fluid and well-written as the rest of the book. Also, Mackie's relationship with Tate ticked me off a bit, because I felt like I never got to see the process of Mackie's falling for Tate; I didn't understand how Mackie went from being irritated with her to loving her. But other than that, it was great. Absolutely recommend it if you're in the mood for something eerie and dark!

Deathly Hallows Pt. 1 (AKA strange impromptu Harry/Hermione dances, degrading speeches for Dobby, important info cut, and the best Harry Potter movie yet)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1

4.5 Stars

(SPOILERS)

No, I did not just see the movie. However, I did just create my blog. And so I shall review it now, six days after I saw it. So, first off: I am a huge, huge, HUGE Harry Potter fan. Read the books when I was 8 and never looked at a Magic Tree House book again. In my mind, any book I read now can only achieve 2nd place in my mental hierarchy - Harry will always be #1. However, as much as I love the books, I am not always that satisfied with the movies. I think the first and second were actually really good, but from the third movie onwards, important things were cut, stupid things were said, and the whole movie franchise thing seemed like a big joke. That's not to say they weren't good movies; if you hadn't read the books, or if you had read them and didn't care about changes being made, they were quite enjoyable to watch. But for me, watching Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince was torturous. I felt that there was no real character development, Voldemort seemed like a tacky villain, and the whole enterprise had taken away the lovely magic of the books. Needless to say, I was thrilled when I heard Deathly Hallows would be split into two parts; I was hoping beyond hope that this magnificent story would be replete with small details and fully-formed characters and plot. And - this is what shocked me - it was! It was almost everything I could have hoped for! It was a thing of beauty to see the plot staying (mostly) the same as the book, and it actually made me cry a bit. I thought all of the actors were truly putting all their emotion and energy into their performances, doing their best to make the characters come to life on the screen. This was especially evident in the camping scenes, when the trio had to hold their own, without any supporting actors. I thought they did a spectacular job, especially Emma Watson, who beautifully displayed all of Hermione's conflicting emotions and worried but strong attitude. Rupert Grint was also fantastic, and Daniel Radcliffe was better than ever before. Helena Bonham Carter was, as always, delightfully insane, Ralph Fiennes terrifying, Alan Rickman menacing, Imelda Staunton horribly malicious, all the Weasleys lovely, and the 'Ministry trio' very convincing. The quality of everybody's acting was such that I sometimes found myself with tears in my eyes, like when Harry and Ron fought, when Harry and Hermione visited his parents' grave, and when Dobby said his last words. However, as great as the film was, there were still a few, inevitable, idiotic additions. But, amazingly, there were only three notable ones!
1. Harry and Hermione's impromptu dance in the tent after Ron left. This was absolutely ridiculous. It was a sweet gesture. But it only heightened the suspicions of Harry and Hermione's secretly being in love, which is incredibly stupid, especially as Harry later tells Ron that he has only brotherly feelings for Hermione. It seems to me that the movie was trying to create a nonexistent love triangle.
2. Dobby's stupid words. Like when he drags Mundungus to the trio, or when he rescues them from the Malfoys' manor. They did not fit his character at all, and degraded him as silly and overenthusiastic, which was especially tasteless as he was about to die.
3. The stuff that was cut. Too many things to mention, but I'll just give one example: Kreacher's tale, in which he describes his relationship with Regulus Black and the tale of the locket. For me, this was a rather emotional part of the book, hearing of Kreacher's heartbreak and anguish, not to mention that it was necessary to flesh out Kreacher's character instead of just making him a crazy old house-elf.

So I might have some scruples about the movie, but overall, I loved, loved, loved it. It was a great adaptation, and in my opinion, the best Harry Potter film yet. But, hey, maybe you disagree with me! Go on over to the poll on the left and vote, or feel free to give me more specific thoughts on the movie in the comments! I shall respond ;)