Book Review - The Girl in Red by Christina Henry

Title: The Girl in Red
Author: Christina Henry
Genre: Horror/ Fantasy
Published: 2019
 
Description: It’s not safe for anyone alone in the woods. There are predators that come out at night: critters and coyotes, snakes and wolves. But the woman in the red jacket has no choice. Not since the Crisis came, decimated the population, and sent those who survived fleeing into quarantine camps that serve as breeding grounds for death, destruction, and disease. She is just a woman trying not to get killed in a world that doesn’t look anything like the one she grew up in, the one that was perfectly sane and normal and boring until three months ago.
 
There are worse threats in the woods than the things that stalk their prey at night. Sometimes, there are men. Men with dark desires, weak wills and evil intents. Men in uniform with classified information, deadly secrets, and unforgiving orders. And sometimes, just sometimes, there’s something worse than all of the horrible people and vicious beasts combined.
 
Red doesn’t like to think of herself as a killed, but she isn’t about to let herself get eaten up just because she is a woman alone in the woods…
 
Review: “The Girl in Red” by Christina Henry is an intriguing, post-apocalyptic retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. Henry is known for her dark tales, but this was my first book I read by her. It is indeed dark and she creates a grim, atmospheric world that captivated me for the most part.
 
We follow Red, a young woman trying to survive after a deadly crisis has brought the world to a standstill. As civilization crumbles around her and the government sets up quarantine camps, Red flees through the woods in her signature red coat. Her destination is her recovering grandmother’s remote home. Armed with an axe, a knife, and her sharp survival instinct, she must brave not only the elements but, above all, the dangerous survivors who make the woods unsafe.  
 
What I found incredibly powerful about this book is the atmosphere. The story has a very dark theme and is downright gruesome at times. As a fan of dark books, I really appreciated this raw, bloody edge; Christina Herny certainly doesn’t shy away from danger or the ugly side of humanity.
 
Still, after finishing the book, I was left with mixed feelings. Based on the cover and the synopsis, I had expected wolves to play a prominent role in the story. Unfortunately, this turned out not to be the case, which I felt was a missed opportunity in this retelling. I also felt that the ending didn’t quite fit the rest of the story’s atmosphere.
 
*POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD*
 
After all the suspense, I had expected (and secretly hoped) a less happier ending. I don’t know what that says about me, but I felt that would have fit the rest of the story much better.
 
It’s an entertaining and suspenseful fantasy horror story, but because of my unmet expectations regarding the wolves and the ending it was just okay for me.
 
Rating: 3/ 5