Sisters Red

June 28, 2010
The psychosexual implications of "Little Red Riding Hood" have been explored since the days of Bruno Bettelheim, and Pearce (As You Wish) tackles them with enthusiasm in this grisly contemporary reimagining. Scarlett March, 18, scarred and missing an eye after killing the "Fenris" who slaughtered her grandmother, now lives to hunt the werewolflike creatures that relentlessly stalk and murder girls far and wide. Her 16-year-old sister, Rosie, has also been trained to hunt, but feels the tug of a different life and kills Fenris only out of loyalty to her beloved sister. The neighboring woodman's son, Silas, has been a reliable ally, but he, too, has begun to think about other things—including Rosie. Still, all three move from their rural town to Atlanta when the opportunity comes to strike a major blow against the Fenris, the urban landscape becoming the vehicle of discovery for them all. Although it remains fuzzy why the trio shoulders the burden of combating the Fenris alone, rather than exposing the creatures to the rest of the populace, it's a well-told tale that does not suffer from the fairy tale predictability of its outcome. Ages 15–up.

In Scarlett and Rosie March's world, Fenris (werewolves in the guise of devilishly handsome men) seduce and devour innocent young girls. Scarlett and Rosie are hunters. Scarlett wears a red cloak that conceals her hatchets; Rosie's expertise is knives. Suzanne Toren's lush, husky tones set the mood as she tells a grim fairy tale about two sisters and their grandmother, who were attacked by a wolf-in-salesman's-clothing. As the narrative alternates between the sisters, the two additional actresses give stellar performances. Erin Moon portrays Scarlett with the snarky, feisty attitude of a girl who's been disfigured by a Fenris and is passionate about killing them. Michal Friedman's Rosie is innocent, eager for her first hunt, curious about the world, and ready for love. Terrific YA listening. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine