Elana K. ArnoldRed Hood

I highly recommend this book. I wasn’t expecting to like this book, but I was surprised to be pulled in quickly. This werewolf tale is different from any other I’ve ever heard before. Written in 2nd person this book was told in a way not many stories are told. I love the way the book uses werewolves to deal with issues like victim blaming.

This book is nothing like how it is advertised - I have never read a book where the inside cover description and contents were so different! As an avid reader I was extremely disappointed in the author and the publishing house. Not worth the money or your time.

Honestly one of the worst books I’ve read in a very long time. Not worth the time.

The first word I thought of to describe ‘Red Hood’ is outstanding. It holds a potent message of female empowerment and gives us a whole new image of ‘Little Red Hiding Rood,’ and it’s coated in so much blood it feels like a murder-mystery. If just that makes you uncomfortable or woozy, you probably won’t be able to handle all the intense themes and topics* that author Elana K. Arnold weaves into this hypnotic coming-of-age tale. But if you love a brave story where cruel realities meet bold fantasy and aren't afraid to enter the woods, you should definitely proceed.There are countless stories where women and girls are at the mercy of men, of predators, where they are abused and assaulted, and it takes a lot for retribution to happen. Sometimes it never does. They are stories that mirror reality and they are hard to read and hear because they are too familiar to many of us.'Red Hood' flips that story on its tail, with Bisou discovering her birthright when she gets her first period at the light of the full moon on Homecoming night; she suddenly has the otherworldly power to fight and kill the predators she can now sense in the dark Seattle woods. Bisou can sense when the wolves, these broken boys, are attacking their prey, and she is compelled by her own past, her bloodline, to protect and save these young women, these girls, and go on the hunt.With a story loaded with an emotional hot-button issue like sexual assault (and revenge-killing) in a social climate where the #MeToo movement is on everyone's radar, this book is sure to catch the attention of a lot of readers. And it will be the reason some have to stay away; that's fine, we know our limits.There will be discussion over whether 'killing the wolf' (and whether an 'eye for an eye') is justified. But I liken this kind of justice to that of other vigilantes out there in our fantasy worlds, our superheroes, Batman, Arrow, Hawkeye. I have to wonder if this kind of vengeance is called into question further because it's a woman carrying it out and because of the connection to sex. And no, I don't think we have to answer how the 'boy became the wolf' because that's a whole other story, and not for Bisou's tale. We don't always have to answer where the evil comes from to know that we have to get rid of it.I struggled to write this review, as I often have when a book really blows me away. I’d been lost for words since I read it, but thought about it a lot, and had somewhat pointlessly ‘written’ a review in my mind several times. I just want others to feel the way I did when I read it, clinging to every word.Last year, it was ‘The Grace Year’ by Kim Liggett that did the same thing for me. Both books portray women finding their place, their truth, and their power, albeit through very different stories and means, but both left me feeling that women can change their circumstances, they can be emboldened and empowered, and that they are ENOUGH. 'Red Hood' is magical and profound. It's also an intimate tale of one girl's discovery of her tragic past and her personal power. And as I said, it's outstanding.*Aside from sexual assault, murder, revenge-killing and rape, some themes and topics raised: sexual intercourse (including loss of virginity, and teen sex), drug and alcohol use, menstruation, abuse, bullying, suicide, self-harm, stalking, toxic masculinity, harassment.

I have mixed feelings about this book.First I will state what I liked: this book is dark, bloody, and dangerous. It is strikingly feminist and deftly deals with things like toxic masculinity, rape culture, and entitlement. The premise of this book, a teenaged girl who finds out she is a wolf hunter, is super solid and unique. The idea of connecting this power with the menstruel cycle was really neat to see. I appreciate the author's frankness about it, since this is something all women, young and old, deal with. The author writes in 2nd person narrative, and while unconventional, it was brilliant in this regard. Red Hood is raw and honest. I love the unapologetic feminism in this book, and it was certainly worth the read.Now my big issue with this book: this book should not be YA. The author describes sexual encounters between details in excruciating detail. It is very graphic. I don't usually mind sex scenes in novels, but I felt that the way sex is described was a bit much. I'm not sure I'd want my metaphorical daughter reading those scenes. What gets me was that they were wholly unnecessary. Red Hood would be a really good book without them. I know teenagers have sex, and that this is an issue in their lives we shouldn't gloss over, but these scenes were way too much and took away from the quality of the book for me. I'd be a lot more comfortable if this was marketed as a NA or New Adult book.

This was incredible. I love all Elana K. Arnold's book, of course. But I really enjoyed this one.The rage this book has.And the way it viscerally deals with menstruation!Incredible.I've seen reviews that argue this book is encouraging violence against men and/or rapists, and that it's transphobic.It's really, really not. Do some rapists and abusers die? Yeah. But they die while (and this is, I feel, the important part) hurting women, and they die because Bisou is trying to save herself, or others. It's not anywhere near as simple as these reviewers make it out to be, I would argue. And I'm saying that, as a CSA survivor, while I wouldn't want my abuser murdered by a wolf-hunter, personally, I wouldn't blame those who WOULD and DO want THEIR abusers dead. You know?Also, the transphobia thing...like, if you're a trans person, and you felt it was transphobic? I'm listening. But you cis reviewers...it feels like you're trying to gain points. Which is maybe unfair. But as a trans person who used to menstruate, I didn't think the connection between Bisou's powers and her period was transphobic for one reason. Never is it implied that women = periods = women. So maybe that's a thing that you personally have to get over. Within the context of the book, there's no reason to think that trans people couldn't have these powers.Do I wish this included trans people? Maybe. But also... I'd feel weird about a cis author writing something like this book about trans people. It feels like that sort of story should BE for trans people.But to get back to the actual book? I loved it. I loved the rage at what men get away with, I loved the female friendship, I loved the intergenerational love, just, man, everything about Red Hood was great.Is it my new favourite? I'm not sure. But that's really not a fair judgement to make, because I love all her books since Infandous equally, in so many different ways.

Allow me to give the author a standing ovation.I only ever read one other book written in the 2nd person narrative and I remember loving it, so I was happy to see Red Hood was written in the same way.It was amazing. I went in sort of blind to this author and her style - like it usually occurs with new-to-me authors - and I regret nothing. I don't really believe that words can do it justice. It's a bit of a 17+ YA - I remember reading about all kinds of paranormal beings doing naughty things, when I was in my teens, so I don't see why a teenager shouldn't be reading this book - along with some paranormal elements, written in a strong feminist voice. It might be a fairy-tale re-telling but it deals with the everyday ugly and frustrating truth. It was eye-opening, at the same time and definitely food for thought. It has a voice and we should all listen to it. Since a few parts were hard to read, I imagine they were harder to write, so I appreciate the author powering through them.I wish books like this were around, when I was in my teens. I wish more books like this would be around NOW.Hats off to Ms. Arnold, who may have become an auto-buy for me. 5 stars.

It was a strange read.The point of view is written strangely as in its all she did this and you decided to do...However out of everyone I loved James he's your perfect boyfriend:))

Super Story. Es ist das 1. Mal, dass ich eine Story aus der Du-Perspektive gelesen habe. Die Autorin hat das gut hingebracht.