Sisters Red by Jackson PearceMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
The concept for this book is one I typically love: to take a fairy tale and turn it modern. In Sisters Red, Jackson Pearce takes the story of "Little Red Riding Hood" and not only brings it into the modern era, but also makes it appealing to the likes of Twilight fans. The main characters--female sisters--are old enough to seem "exotic" the way older characters do to young readers (e.g. the Wakefield twins of Sweet Valley High seem incredibly exotic to suburban middle school girls), a "forbidden love" interest is included, and the Big Bad Wolf is converted into a whole clan of werewolves.
Unfortunately, the characters simply do not come off as genuine. Everything is overwrought--Scarlett's anguish and self-pity and thirst for revenge is unrelenting in an insincere way, and Rosie's unwavering loyalty comes off as overplayed. The plot follows suit very predictably, leaving little room for surprise and, therefore, reader motivation.
Pre-teen girls looking for an easy pop-fiction read will likely be an avid audience for this book . . . and its sequels. However, as a substantially interesting, well-written, thought-provoking fairytale-turned-novel, it falls short of the mark.
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