ARC Review: Red Wolf by Rachel Vincent

 This high stakes, pacey reimagining of Little Red Riding Hood is perfect for fans of Stephanie Garber and Megan Spooner.

For as long as sixteen-year-old Adele can remember the village of Oakvale has been surrounding by the dark woods—a forest filled with terrible monsters that light cannot penetrate. Like every person who grows up in Oakvale she has been told to steer clear of the woods unless absolutely necessary.

But unlike her neighbors in Oakvale, Adele has a very good reason for going into the woods. Adele is one of a long line of guardians, women who are able to change into wolves and who are tasked with the job of protecting their village while never letting any of the villagers know of their existence.

But when following her calling means abandoning the person she loves, the future she imagined for herself, and her values she must decide how far she is willing to go to keep her neighbors safe.

Expected Publication: June 20, 2021
Publisher: HarperTeen

Review:
I want to thank Net Galley and HarperTeen for providing me with a early review copy of this book. 

I've not read any Rachel Vincent before. But I have heard good things about her writing and I was looking forward to seeing how she spun this Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale.

I will say, I was not expecting the main character to be the hunter in this book, When I first started it, I thought for sure it would be her beau. But the twist made the book more interesting for sure!

I love that Vincent still kept major parts of the story intact: red cloak, grandma, the wolf theme.  But she adds many more elements, particularly the monsters that surround Adele's village of Oakdale and the threat they pose to the villagers.

What a fantastic twist to make a wolf a guardian of peace and safety.

Definitely a fast read with some twists you would not expect and a bit of a cliff hanger ending leaving you wanting the next intstallment yesterday. I'm definitely interested to see where the story turns in the future.

A resident of Oklahoma, Rachel Vincent has a BA in English and an overactive imagination, and consistently finds the latter to be more practical. She shares her workspace with two black cats (Kaci and Nyx) and her # 1 fan. Rachel is older than she looks-seriously-and younger than she feels, but remains convinced that for every day she spends writing, one more day will be added to her lifespan.