Genre(s): Fantasy, Fairy Tales
Published Mar 2013
Pages: 317
Published Mar 2013
Pages: 317
Publisher:Curiosity Quills Press
Summary:
"The secret of having an
adventure is getting lost. Who ever visited an enchanted kingdom or
fell into a fairy tale without wandering into the woods first?
Well, Mary is lost. Mary is lost in the story of Little Red Riding Hood, and that is a cruel and murderous story. She's put on the red hood and met the Wolf. When she gives in to her Wolf's temptations, she will die. That's how the story goes, after all.
Unfortunately for the story and unfortunately for the Wolf, this Little Red Riding Hood is Mary Stuart, and she is the most stubborn and contrary twelve year old the world has ever known.
Forget the Wolf's temptations, forget the advice of the talking rat trying to save her - she will kick her way through every myth and fairy tale ever told until she finds a way to get out of this alive. Her own way, and no one else's"
Well, Mary is lost. Mary is lost in the story of Little Red Riding Hood, and that is a cruel and murderous story. She's put on the red hood and met the Wolf. When she gives in to her Wolf's temptations, she will die. That's how the story goes, after all.
Unfortunately for the story and unfortunately for the Wolf, this Little Red Riding Hood is Mary Stuart, and she is the most stubborn and contrary twelve year old the world has ever known.
Forget the Wolf's temptations, forget the advice of the talking rat trying to save her - she will kick her way through every myth and fairy tale ever told until she finds a way to get out of this alive. Her own way, and no one else's"
Review:
This book has left me with very different opinions on various parts and
aspects. One thing I will say up front. THIS IS NOT A KIDS BOOK. Older
teen-adult is appropriate.
First off, The combination of the name Mary, alon with the title brought an amused smirk to
my lips. She goes off to a party and tries to spite the host by going
into the tunneled crawl space of the spooky mansion it is hosted at.
She finds herself locked in ans so she ventures around, making various
turns through the tunnels. She comes across a talking rat
(Rat-In-Boots) who helps her begin her journey.
When she puts on the white and red outfit, her fate is sealed to the story of Red Riding Hood. She journey's through various fairy-tales and lands of legends.
One thing that really bothered me in this story is that she never questions why. Why her, How did the rat get her, etc. She just accepts everything. While her character gained depth throughout the book (she started of bratty, then we learn she has a chip on her shoulder to learning she actually cares for others), I never once felt she was 12. More like 16-19. And the language, sexual references, etc (going to a brothel, virginity references etc) did not seem right.
Yet, to contrast her character I liked Rat-in-boots, even though he doesn't have his boots. The perfect little hero. Cunning, swift, caring and stubborn. I also really liked some of the places we see. One of them is the Viking Lands and the Norse. She meets a boy named Eric who is the son of Thor. This amused me because in the 'Thor' and 'Thunderstrike' comic books, Eric is the name of the man who becomes the New Thor.
Another place I enjoyed reading was purgatory, which was set up as a huge ship (and I mean HUGE) that can take years to escape (if you can at all). This part reminded me of the Goonies a bit (children working together, following a code) and Silent Hill with the creatures in the dark and the way things lock and checking various rooms for items.
Through all these stories and more, the Wolf is after her. Apparently Red Riding Hood is the strongest story ever. Rat-in-Boots tells her that no one knows of a world outside their story yet everyone knows hers and keeps telling her to take off the hood. The only way to escape the Wolf is to go home. Which is the one place she doesn't want to be.
So while there were enjoyable parts, I just could not get into the book itself. Too much unanswered. And her characters personality did not fit any middle schooler I have ever met. Also the ending was a let down. The last 50 pages were rushed, worlds not explained, etc. And the last chapter was a recap of the book. Pfft. Not needed. So while it was kind of interesting to read and started out with some creative thought, it didn't hold the same appeal that I had before I started.
I would like to thank the Publishers at Curiosity Quills Press for giving me the chance to read and review this adventure
When she puts on the white and red outfit, her fate is sealed to the story of Red Riding Hood. She journey's through various fairy-tales and lands of legends.
One thing that really bothered me in this story is that she never questions why. Why her, How did the rat get her, etc. She just accepts everything. While her character gained depth throughout the book (she started of bratty, then we learn she has a chip on her shoulder to learning she actually cares for others), I never once felt she was 12. More like 16-19. And the language, sexual references, etc (going to a brothel, virginity references etc) did not seem right.
Yet, to contrast her character I liked Rat-in-boots, even though he doesn't have his boots. The perfect little hero. Cunning, swift, caring and stubborn. I also really liked some of the places we see. One of them is the Viking Lands and the Norse. She meets a boy named Eric who is the son of Thor. This amused me because in the 'Thor' and 'Thunderstrike' comic books, Eric is the name of the man who becomes the New Thor.
Another place I enjoyed reading was purgatory, which was set up as a huge ship (and I mean HUGE) that can take years to escape (if you can at all). This part reminded me of the Goonies a bit (children working together, following a code) and Silent Hill with the creatures in the dark and the way things lock and checking various rooms for items.
Through all these stories and more, the Wolf is after her. Apparently Red Riding Hood is the strongest story ever. Rat-in-Boots tells her that no one knows of a world outside their story yet everyone knows hers and keeps telling her to take off the hood. The only way to escape the Wolf is to go home. Which is the one place she doesn't want to be.
So while there were enjoyable parts, I just could not get into the book itself. Too much unanswered. And her characters personality did not fit any middle schooler I have ever met. Also the ending was a let down. The last 50 pages were rushed, worlds not explained, etc. And the last chapter was a recap of the book. Pfft. Not needed. So while it was kind of interesting to read and started out with some creative thought, it didn't hold the same appeal that I had before I started.
I would like to thank the Publishers at Curiosity Quills Press for giving me the chance to read and review this adventure
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