Red Riding Hood by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright

The blacksmith would marry her.

The woodcutter would run away with her.

The werewolf would turn her into one of its own.

Valerie's sister was beautiful, kind, and sweet. Now she is dead. Henry, the handsome son of the blacksmith, tries to console Valerie, but her wild heart beats fast for another: the outcast woodcutter, Peter, who offers Valerie another life far from home. After her sister's violent death, Valerie's world begins to spiral out of control. For generations, the Wolf has been kept at bay with a monthly sacrifice. But now no one is safe. When an expert Wolf hunter arrives, the villagers learn that the creature lives among them--it could be anyone in town.

It soon becomes clear that Valerie is the only one who can hear the voice of the creature. The

Wolf says she must surrender herself before the blood moon wanes...or everyone she loves will die.

 How many times have you seen "based on the book..." as the opening credits run at the movies? Lately, it seems like a lot. And how many times have you been severely disappointed by the movie version after reading the amazing book version? Well, this book is a twist on that concept. Red Riding Hood is a book based on a movie. Any ideas how this little endeavor turned out??

My entire life I have just never been one to "mince words". Which may upset some of you when I make my next statement. This was the worst book I've read all year. Actually probably ever. It was so incredibly slow that I truly thought that it would take less time to watch grass grow than to finish this book. Then, when I did finally reach the end, it didn't end!! I had to literally get on the computer, go to a website, and read the final chapter to find out who the Wolf was. I'm telling you--ridiculous.

The story was so....flat. The characters were flat. The "love triangle" was non-existent. I think the term "love triangle"--correct me if I'm wrong-- implies conflicted feelings. She was nowhere near conflicted. You could tell who she really wanted to be with (and by "be with" I mean get in his pants). I'm angry that I wasted so much time reading this. I actually am even more upset that I bought this book and it doesn't have the stupid ending.

 The movie trailer looked so amazing, and I loved the whole fractured fairy tale thing they had going on. Who ever thought that the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood was really a werewolf?? Brilliant. However, I really think they should have just made the movie and left it at that. At this point, I really don't even have any desire to see the movie. So, thanks for that, Sarah Blakley-Cartwright. You ruined what could have potentially been a decent movie.

On another note, I wanted to apologize for seeming like I've fallen off the face of the earth. Along with reading this, I have also been reading two other incredibly slow books. I'm trying to get through them as fast as I can. So, sorry! Bear with me!

Happy Reading!