Review: Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

Title: Sisters Red
Author: Jackson Pearce
Genre: Young Adult
Release Date: 06/07/10
Summary:

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 fiercely alongside her. Now Rosie dreams of a life beyond the wolves and finds herself drawn to Silas, a young woodsman who is deadly with an ax -- but loving him means betraying her sister and has the potential to destroy all they've worked for.

Plot: 4 Stars
I didn't know that this novel was a modernization of Little Red Riding Hood until after I read this novel. I'm not sure if knowing it beforehand would've changed my mind in the bookstore, but I'm glad I picked it up. In reality, if it wasn't for Rosie and Scarlett wearing the red cloaks when hunting, I may not have made the connection on my own. It's been a while since I read a YA paranormal novel in which the supernatural creature was just plain evil and scary, and that's exactly what the fenris were. These werewolves were gross and evil. Period. No redemption, no good guy hiding in the bunch, just pure evil. Plus, the ending blew me away. Never in a million years, when I first picked up the novel, did I expect it to end like that.

Pace: 3 Stars
What started off as a strong, compelling novel of two sisters fighting against nasty wolves, slowed down about halfway through. It seemed like once Rosie, Scarlett, and Silas reached Atlanta, all they did was hunt. I know that was the point of the whole trip, but it felt really repetitive. I was contemplating putting the novel down for a day or two when Scarlett went out hunting for what felt like the tenth time, but around page 250, the author stirred the pot again and sucked me right back in until the end.

Characters: 4 Stars
I really enjoyed the sisters' past and how it was woven into the story. I wish we could've seen a bit more of their grandmother though. From the bits and pieces we got throughout the novel, she seemed like a very interesting character. Scarlett's intense drive to slaughter fenris and Rosie's devotion to her sister were such a great dynamic. I couldn't imagine the sisters working so well together if it was any other way. My favorite character was Silas though. He just had this blaise attitude at just the right moments, mainly when Scarlett was getting a touch too obsessed with hunting. He was there to bring the sisters back to reality.

Cover: 3 Stars
This cover was both hit and miss. It was a very striking piece of art. I really enjoyed the bold colors, and how you didn't necessarily see both girls and the wolf right off the bat. But Silas played such a big part in the book, he should've been included also. I'm probably biased because he was my favorite character, but the cover leads you to believe the focus will be just Scarlett, Rosie, and the fenris, but Silas plays a big part too.

Overall: 3.5 Stars

Disclosure: I bought this book for my own enjoyment.