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Scarlette: A Gothic Folktale
Fans of Aaron Mahnke's "Lore" will be thrilled to read this historical-fantasy novel that blurs the line between folklore and reality.
Scarlette, a 19-year-old seamstress who is laboring to make ends meet, lives under this dark threat. Although fearful of the nightmarish monster lurking in the surrounding forest, she remains naive and skeptical of the supernatural gossip. Until her grandmother is attacked.
Scarlette learns her grandmother has been infected by the animal's bite. Desperate to save her, Scarlette begins to uncover the dark secrets of her village and finds there are those who wish to keep their pasts hidden. As time grows short, Scarlette is befriended by a local nobleman and a woodcutter who both share an eerie history with the wolf. Scarlette must unravel the men's connection and solve a long-forgotten crime before her grandmother's infection spreads.
Ninety years before the Brothers Grimm penned their version of "Little Red Riding Hood," an historic, gruesome series of events shocked all of Europe. Starting in 1764, an unidentified wolf-like animal ferociously mauled dozens of peasants in the Gévaudan region of France. Whispered rumors of unnatural creatures blended with age-old superstition to cause mass hysteria. Alarmed, King Louis XV sent his best huntsmen to rid the province of the beastly scourge, but this legendary massacre had only just begun.
Scarlette, a 19-year-old seamstress who is laboring to make ends meet, lives under this dark threat. Although fearful of the nightmarish monster lurking in the surrounding forest, she remains naive and skeptical of the supernatural gossip. Until her grandmother is attacked.
Scarlette learns her grandmother has been infected by the animal's bite. Desperate to save her, Scarlette begins to uncover the dark secrets of her village and finds there are those who wish to keep their pasts hidden. As time grows short, Scarlette is befriended by a local nobleman and a woodcutter who both share an eerie history with the wolf. Scarlette must unravel the men's connection and solve a long-forgotten crime before her grandmother's infection spreads.
Based on both the traditional Grimm fairy-tale and older known French versions of "Little Red Riding Hood", this Gothic novel is set against the historic 18th century Beast of Gévaudan attacks in a modern, accessible prose style. Unique to the genre, the novel revives the fable of the girl-in-the-red-cloak with a new historical angle.
326 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 12, 2012
60 people are currently reading
2460 people want to read
About the author
Davonna Juroe
3 books142 followersDavonna Juroe loves ghost stories…as long as they’re not too scary. She tends toward an overactive imagination and startles easily, making her wonder why she’s writing ghostly tales.
When she’s not playing her harp and writing spooky novels, she’s exploring old buildings or daydreaming about her next 80s-inspired Halloween costume.
Besides reading and writing full-time, she can also be found taking photos of all things whimsical and fantasy-inspired in parks throughout the Pacific Northwest. Davonna currently lives in Seattle, Washington, home of the famous and magical Troll Bridge.
Winterbay Abbey is Davonna’s third book. She is also the author of the Amazon-bestselling young adult novel Scarlette, a dark retelling of "Little Red Riding Hood" set in France. Davonna is currently working on Origin, a supernatural pop-science novel about the existence of mermaids.
When she’s not playing her harp and writing spooky novels, she’s exploring old buildings or daydreaming about her next 80s-inspired Halloween costume.
Besides reading and writing full-time, she can also be found taking photos of all things whimsical and fantasy-inspired in parks throughout the Pacific Northwest. Davonna currently lives in Seattle, Washington, home of the famous and magical Troll Bridge.
Winterbay Abbey is Davonna’s third book. She is also the author of the Amazon-bestselling young adult novel Scarlette, a dark retelling of "Little Red Riding Hood" set in France. Davonna is currently working on Origin, a supernatural pop-science novel about the existence of mermaids.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 166 reviews
February 12, 2015
It took me awhile to process how bad this book really was so that I could give an objective review. That being said, I want to be perfectly clear-- I am not a troll. I read the entire book. I tried really hard to find something nice to say. Sadly, I didn't find anything. For one thing, this book has hundreds of non-specific rave reviews, followed by quite a few bad reviews, most stating they were deceived by the good reviews into buying this book. THat is a big problem for me. It leads me to believe that the reviews were probably bought. The practice of buying reviews is a terrible plague upon the self publishing community. It may sell books, but it does nothing to help an author. How can an author understand their mistakes and become a better writer if they are paying someone to say their book is good, when in fact, it really is not? THe easy answer, they can't.
The author goes on and on in her overly long and confusing introduction and her again overly long acknowledgements about all the research she did, but somehow all of her alleged research is lost. She mentions something about a custom where all the girls in France of that time wait to get married until they are 27. What? The average life expectancy at that time was around 36. Girls were married off at puberty and could have been grandmothers by 27. She runs on and on about letters her mother possesses that give the power to have a random person imprisoned no questions asked. While such letters did exist, they were not transferrable and were issued in specific cases.
The story itself just makes no sense. The events do not have a logical timeline. For example, her friend is attacked and horribly disfigured, but she attends a ball 2 days later. The main character, despite being exhausted and hurt, learns ninja level fighting skills in an afternoon. The action sequences do not jive either. One minute she is standing, the next she is on a horse. It is disjointed and confusing all the way through.
The characters are not well developed and it appears that everyone is mentally ill in some way--sweet and innocent one minute, psychotic the next. She both loves and hates everyone except her grandmother, but even that character is vague and strange.
All of this is sad because I really think that if someone had had the courage to tell this young woman about the flaws in her story before it was published and falsely reviewed, it could have been crafted into a decent book. Now it is too late. And I wasted 3 days of my life reading poorly written, badly researched, over dramatic yet blandly presented drivel.
I'm sorry. This book was a train wreck. The cover is cool though.
The author goes on and on in her overly long and confusing introduction and her again overly long acknowledgements about all the research she did, but somehow all of her alleged research is lost. She mentions something about a custom where all the girls in France of that time wait to get married until they are 27. What? The average life expectancy at that time was around 36. Girls were married off at puberty and could have been grandmothers by 27. She runs on and on about letters her mother possesses that give the power to have a random person imprisoned no questions asked. While such letters did exist, they were not transferrable and were issued in specific cases.
The story itself just makes no sense. The events do not have a logical timeline. For example, her friend is attacked and horribly disfigured, but she attends a ball 2 days later. The main character, despite being exhausted and hurt, learns ninja level fighting skills in an afternoon. The action sequences do not jive either. One minute she is standing, the next she is on a horse. It is disjointed and confusing all the way through.
The characters are not well developed and it appears that everyone is mentally ill in some way--sweet and innocent one minute, psychotic the next. She both loves and hates everyone except her grandmother, but even that character is vague and strange.
All of this is sad because I really think that if someone had had the courage to tell this young woman about the flaws in her story before it was published and falsely reviewed, it could have been crafted into a decent book. Now it is too late. And I wasted 3 days of my life reading poorly written, badly researched, over dramatic yet blandly presented drivel.
I'm sorry. This book was a train wreck. The cover is cool though.
April 13, 2014
I picked this book up for its brevity, concept (Little Red and the Beast of Gevaudan legend), and the good reviews, but I have to say that I was somewhat disappointed in it. It has an interesting premise in a nice 1764 package, and the author seems knowledgeable about the period and has studied period literature and history, although I think she was a Medievalist, which isn't the period in which the book is set -- and sometimes it showed.
The writing is generally good and the plot reads very much like a thriller or horror story with plenty of gore. That's not generally my cup of tea, but when I understood that's what I was in for, I tried to give it a go anyway.
What threw me off mainly was the plotting, characterizations, and some of the dialogue and historical inaccuracies. I'll explain those in greater detail, hopefully without giving too much away.
The plotting at first was very interesting. The story is told in first person from the heroine's point of view. As a result, we are just as confused as she is for most of the book. I wouldn't mind this so much (it does read like a mystery), but as an avid mystery reader, I felt like the level of confusion the author keeps us in (through her character) is just too much for too long. It becomes tedious, especially when the reader figures out what's happening before the character does. That could create a nice dramatic irony, but it made me feel like there was no clear idea behind which of the character's connections or insights was supposed to be read by me as brilliantly clever or incredibly stupid. As a reader, I didn't have enough to go on to get the story the way I think the author wanted me to.
The characterization frustrated me the most. It wasn't bad in the sense that the characters were flat or uninteresting -- they certainly were not any of those things -- but the main problem was that I couldn't agree with any of them, and again I felt unsure of what the author was asking me to accept. For example, there is a love triangle of sorts (this becomes clear fairly early in the book). But neither of the men involved in it seemed like someone I would want the heroine to choose. No man in the novel (with one odd exception) was in any way respectful to women, and this was particularly true of one of the triangle suitors. I suppose I was meant to understand that he was unused to being around women, but the repeated physical violence he offered her and his consistently calling her "stupid" without bothering to explain anything to her was hard for me to stomach. I had no sympathy for him in the end and felt that the triangle was forced. In a novel that features the Marquis de Sade as a character, I guess you have to expect a certain level of disrespect and misogynistic thinking, but it's hard for the author to ask me to accept it in characters I'm meant to root for. Especially if this is classed as YA. The heroine's reasoning when it came to her suitors seemed completely backward and dangerous to me.
That gets me to the last point. Some might argue, and I think the author tries to make it clear in her foreword too, that she hasn't set out to write a completely historically accurate novel. I understand that, and I think it's a good idea to make the language and sensibilities more modern to reach a modern audience. But I felt that the heroine's sensibilities being a bit modern made it doubly hard to accept the misogyny of most of the characters, especially the "heroes," regardless of how accurate that misogyny is. I felt, in the end, very confused about how much of this story was period and how much wasn't supposed to be. The dialogue was generally standard and modern without destroying the sense of the period, but there were times when overly-modern phrases were used that really broke the illusion for me, such as when one character says, "I was told to keep tabs on you." At one point, one character teaches another to dance at a ball, and from what I can tell from the description, they are waltzing. The author has been so particular about the villagers' clothing and tools, that it's really jarring to imagine anyone waltzing in 1764. I don't think I was being pedantic about this point, but I found it a sort of haphazard approach to constructing the period world.
All of this to say, the book was not a terrible read, and if those things I've listed don't bother you, then you will probably really enjoy this book. I found it really tedious towards the end, especially how often the heroine would bemoan her situation, but I also thought the initial idea was interesting. I can't agree with the heroine's choices or the attitudes of the heroes, and I found the ending absolutely bizarre -- a sudden switch to a different first person view, and then to a weird first/third person with a rather important reveal just dumped on us -- but some will probably enjoy the last minutes twists and the clever inclusion of the conclusion of the legend of the Beast of Gevaudan.
The writing is generally good and the plot reads very much like a thriller or horror story with plenty of gore. That's not generally my cup of tea, but when I understood that's what I was in for, I tried to give it a go anyway.
What threw me off mainly was the plotting, characterizations, and some of the dialogue and historical inaccuracies. I'll explain those in greater detail, hopefully without giving too much away.
The plotting at first was very interesting. The story is told in first person from the heroine's point of view. As a result, we are just as confused as she is for most of the book. I wouldn't mind this so much (it does read like a mystery), but as an avid mystery reader, I felt like the level of confusion the author keeps us in (through her character) is just too much for too long. It becomes tedious, especially when the reader figures out what's happening before the character does. That could create a nice dramatic irony, but it made me feel like there was no clear idea behind which of the character's connections or insights was supposed to be read by me as brilliantly clever or incredibly stupid. As a reader, I didn't have enough to go on to get the story the way I think the author wanted me to.
The characterization frustrated me the most. It wasn't bad in the sense that the characters were flat or uninteresting -- they certainly were not any of those things -- but the main problem was that I couldn't agree with any of them, and again I felt unsure of what the author was asking me to accept. For example, there is a love triangle of sorts (this becomes clear fairly early in the book). But neither of the men involved in it seemed like someone I would want the heroine to choose. No man in the novel (with one odd exception) was in any way respectful to women, and this was particularly true of one of the triangle suitors. I suppose I was meant to understand that he was unused to being around women, but the repeated physical violence he offered her and his consistently calling her "stupid" without bothering to explain anything to her was hard for me to stomach. I had no sympathy for him in the end and felt that the triangle was forced. In a novel that features the Marquis de Sade as a character, I guess you have to expect a certain level of disrespect and misogynistic thinking, but it's hard for the author to ask me to accept it in characters I'm meant to root for. Especially if this is classed as YA. The heroine's reasoning when it came to her suitors seemed completely backward and dangerous to me.
That gets me to the last point. Some might argue, and I think the author tries to make it clear in her foreword too, that she hasn't set out to write a completely historically accurate novel. I understand that, and I think it's a good idea to make the language and sensibilities more modern to reach a modern audience. But I felt that the heroine's sensibilities being a bit modern made it doubly hard to accept the misogyny of most of the characters, especially the "heroes," regardless of how accurate that misogyny is. I felt, in the end, very confused about how much of this story was period and how much wasn't supposed to be. The dialogue was generally standard and modern without destroying the sense of the period, but there were times when overly-modern phrases were used that really broke the illusion for me, such as when one character says, "I was told to keep tabs on you." At one point, one character teaches another to dance at a ball, and from what I can tell from the description, they are waltzing. The author has been so particular about the villagers' clothing and tools, that it's really jarring to imagine anyone waltzing in 1764. I don't think I was being pedantic about this point, but I found it a sort of haphazard approach to constructing the period world.
All of this to say, the book was not a terrible read, and if those things I've listed don't bother you, then you will probably really enjoy this book. I found it really tedious towards the end, especially how often the heroine would bemoan her situation, but I also thought the initial idea was interesting. I can't agree with the heroine's choices or the attitudes of the heroes, and I found the ending absolutely bizarre -- a sudden switch to a different first person view, and then to a weird first/third person with a rather important reveal just dumped on us -- but some will probably enjoy the last minutes twists and the clever inclusion of the conclusion of the legend of the Beast of Gevaudan.
February 2, 2013
I generally love paranormal stories. Werewolves? Witches and warlocks? Ghosts? Vampires? Love 'em. This one seemed promising when I downloaded it and I was kind of excited to start reading it. However, a few chapters in, I wanted to smack our heroine, Scarlette and tell her to snap out of it and get a grip.
The story follows Scarlette, a young peasant woman living in an isolated village in 1767 France. For several years, the village has been terrorized by wolves and many of its people have been fatally mauled. Basically cut off from the rest of the country, the village is slowly dying. The Baron in charge of the lands has organized hunting parties to try to eradicate the killer wolf, with no success.
Living with her mother and beloved grandmother, Scarlette ekes out a small living working for a local tailor as a seamstress, while her mother tends to their flock of sheep. When the attacks hit close to home, Scarlette sets out to try to unravel the mystery, encountering a lecherous boss who is in cahoots with her mother to marry her, a mysterious woodcutter who is charged with watching after her and the Baron who sweeps her off her feet and is apparently instantly enamored with her after only meeting her a handful of times with minimal interaction. She discovers that things aren't as they appear and that witches, warlocks and werewolves really do exist and don't just reside in the minds of superstitious villagers.
As I said, the story had promise, and while I finished reading it, it was mostly because I felt it was a train wreck and had to see how the author managed to tie everything together. As another reader pointed out, there was a lot of confusion and not a whole lot of explanation. We spend 3/4 of the book suffering through the characters' mood swings - I really think everyone in this book was mentally off - one second everyone is the best of friends, then there's extreme suspicion and hate, then back to best of friends. There's really no good explanation for Scarlette's mother's hatred of Scarlette or Scarlette's grandmother. Characters are introduced and then randomly killed off. We spend a majority of the story focusing on werewolves and the woodcutter trying to convince Scarlette they really exist and then towards the end, what the hell, let us throw in the possibility that witches and warlocks are aiding in the attacks. In the meantime she falls in love with the Baron after meeting him maybe twice, inexplicably believes everything he tells her, while disbelieving everything the woodcutter tells her, while alternating between being grateful for the woodcutter's help and blaming him for every situation she has gotten herself into. And don't get me started on her relationship with her "dearest friend" Jeanne.
I just had a hard time feeling any sympathy for Scarlette's plight or really caring about what happened to any of the rest of the cast. I'm just glad this was a freebie e-book and now I know why.
The story follows Scarlette, a young peasant woman living in an isolated village in 1767 France. For several years, the village has been terrorized by wolves and many of its people have been fatally mauled. Basically cut off from the rest of the country, the village is slowly dying. The Baron in charge of the lands has organized hunting parties to try to eradicate the killer wolf, with no success.
Living with her mother and beloved grandmother, Scarlette ekes out a small living working for a local tailor as a seamstress, while her mother tends to their flock of sheep. When the attacks hit close to home, Scarlette sets out to try to unravel the mystery, encountering a lecherous boss who is in cahoots with her mother to marry her, a mysterious woodcutter who is charged with watching after her and the Baron who sweeps her off her feet and is apparently instantly enamored with her after only meeting her a handful of times with minimal interaction. She discovers that things aren't as they appear and that witches, warlocks and werewolves really do exist and don't just reside in the minds of superstitious villagers.
As I said, the story had promise, and while I finished reading it, it was mostly because I felt it was a train wreck and had to see how the author managed to tie everything together. As another reader pointed out, there was a lot of confusion and not a whole lot of explanation. We spend 3/4 of the book suffering through the characters' mood swings - I really think everyone in this book was mentally off - one second everyone is the best of friends, then there's extreme suspicion and hate, then back to best of friends. There's really no good explanation for Scarlette's mother's hatred of Scarlette or Scarlette's grandmother. Characters are introduced and then randomly killed off. We spend a majority of the story focusing on werewolves and the woodcutter trying to convince Scarlette they really exist and then towards the end, what the hell, let us throw in the possibility that witches and warlocks are aiding in the attacks. In the meantime she falls in love with the Baron after meeting him maybe twice, inexplicably believes everything he tells her, while disbelieving everything the woodcutter tells her, while alternating between being grateful for the woodcutter's help and blaming him for every situation she has gotten herself into. And don't get me started on her relationship with her "dearest friend" Jeanne.
I just had a hard time feeling any sympathy for Scarlette's plight or really caring about what happened to any of the rest of the cast. I'm just glad this was a freebie e-book and now I know why.
August 3, 2015
Really not sure about this one.
The premise is awesome but I think after the middle,the hype went down and I become a bit bored. It took forever and a half to conclude the story and instead of making this book well explained, it became too "wordy" for me.
The premise is awesome but I think after the middle,the hype went down and I become a bit bored. It took forever and a half to conclude the story and instead of making this book well explained, it became too "wordy" for me.
December 20, 2012
Check this review out at our blog!
It's been an extremely long time since a book has really grabbed my attention fully like Scarlette has. Despite the amount of books that I've been dying to read, I've found them all somewhat letdowns because they never really met my expectations. When I got into Scarlette, I of course had high expectations for this one because a horror retelling of Little Red Riding Hood (which in itself is already a horror story. Grandma eating, much?) had to be good, or else I was flunking it. Thank goodness that Scarlette defied my expectations and blew me away!
The book immediately starts off with Scarlette and her grandmother encountering the wolves in the forest. Instantaneously, the book sets its pace with a strong beginning that isn't slow nor uneventful. Scarlette's life is extremely difficult with an abusive mother, lecherous employer, her grandmother gone, and the whole town blaming her for the wolf attacks. One of the greatest strengths of this book is Scarlette herself. She is such a strong and fierce heroine, not one of those bratty, selfish ones, but a true heroine. Sure, she made many mistakes; however, she at least regrets her mistakes, and tries to make up for them.
The love triangle is formed between Scarlette, Francois, the woodcutter, and Louis, the nobleman, is a quirky one full of gives and takes. In some ways, I wish it was a bigger focus in the story line because I loved seeing Francois being awkward, but in other ways, I wished that it didn't exist because Scarlette never really has me truly rooting for her with either of the two. It's not like I disliked both guys of the love triangle, I just felt like none of them truly belonged with Scarlette at certain points. Thankfully, by the end, I was totally able to accept Scarlette and *beep* (his name is not a curse word, just saying), but for the first half of the book, I was a little puzzled by Scarlette's feelings toward the two guys.
As a dark retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, Scarlette took many liberties with the plot, completely changing many aspects of the story to make it even more gory, as I've already mentioned. The mystery and climatic build-up was fantastic! I could literally feel the tension rolling off the pages as the story uncovered the many intricacies that the original tale was unable to grasp. Secrets were extremely well kept to shock the reader as the truths were being unveiled. I was surprised by a number of the twists quite surprisingly, which is extremely rare when the YA genre is gradually decreasing in originality.
I'm telling you all right now, you need to give Scarlette a try. The plot is so well-paced, the characters are well-defined caricatures, and the writing hypnotizes the reader. My only true complaint is the ending, which is a little rushed. While reading this book, I found myself trying to refrain from reading it too quickly, but just couldn't. Fine, then my second complaint (I know, I lied) is that Scarlette is too short for its own good, (yes, I am greedy) but otherwise this is an amazing fairy tale retelling that intermixes historical fiction with the paranormal without cliches, spellbinding its readers.
Angie @YA Novelties
It's been an extremely long time since a book has really grabbed my attention fully like Scarlette has. Despite the amount of books that I've been dying to read, I've found them all somewhat letdowns because they never really met my expectations. When I got into Scarlette, I of course had high expectations for this one because a horror retelling of Little Red Riding Hood (which in itself is already a horror story. Grandma eating, much?) had to be good, or else I was flunking it. Thank goodness that Scarlette defied my expectations and blew me away!
The book immediately starts off with Scarlette and her grandmother encountering the wolves in the forest. Instantaneously, the book sets its pace with a strong beginning that isn't slow nor uneventful. Scarlette's life is extremely difficult with an abusive mother, lecherous employer, her grandmother gone, and the whole town blaming her for the wolf attacks. One of the greatest strengths of this book is Scarlette herself. She is such a strong and fierce heroine, not one of those bratty, selfish ones, but a true heroine. Sure, she made many mistakes; however, she at least regrets her mistakes, and tries to make up for them.
The love triangle is formed between Scarlette, Francois, the woodcutter, and Louis, the nobleman, is a quirky one full of gives and takes. In some ways, I wish it was a bigger focus in the story line because I loved seeing Francois being awkward, but in other ways, I wished that it didn't exist because Scarlette never really has me truly rooting for her with either of the two. It's not like I disliked both guys of the love triangle, I just felt like none of them truly belonged with Scarlette at certain points. Thankfully, by the end, I was totally able to accept Scarlette and *beep* (his name is not a curse word, just saying), but for the first half of the book, I was a little puzzled by Scarlette's feelings toward the two guys.
As a dark retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, Scarlette took many liberties with the plot, completely changing many aspects of the story to make it even more gory, as I've already mentioned. The mystery and climatic build-up was fantastic! I could literally feel the tension rolling off the pages as the story uncovered the many intricacies that the original tale was unable to grasp. Secrets were extremely well kept to shock the reader as the truths were being unveiled. I was surprised by a number of the twists quite surprisingly, which is extremely rare when the YA genre is gradually decreasing in originality.
I'm telling you all right now, you need to give Scarlette a try. The plot is so well-paced, the characters are well-defined caricatures, and the writing hypnotizes the reader. My only true complaint is the ending, which is a little rushed. While reading this book, I found myself trying to refrain from reading it too quickly, but just couldn't. Fine, then my second complaint (I know, I lied) is that Scarlette is too short for its own good, (yes, I am greedy) but otherwise this is an amazing fairy tale retelling that intermixes historical fiction with the paranormal without cliches, spellbinding its readers.
Angie @YA Novelties
January 26, 2013
Novels based in the fairy tale world that Little Red lives in have been a favorite of mine since I was a child. Growing up with movies like Hoodwinked, the tale always stayed in the comedic genre whenever I thought about it. There wasn't any of the blood, gore, and drama like Red Riding Hood was meant to have. Granted, I was only a child, but now that I am a young-adult I find these stories very entertaining as it appeals to the darker side of me.
What made Scarlette stand out so much to me was the fact it was not only Grimm's version, but Perrault's also. I am not as familiar with Perrault's as I am Grimm's which made this novel find a louder voice in the crowd of Little Red books. My only prior experience to the more morbid side of the fairy tale is the movie starring Amanda Seyfried and the book it was based off of, titled Red Riding Hood.
Scarlette started off very slow, stating what most of us already knew about Red Riding Hood as a character. The setting was the same as all the rest them. In my head, the village that Scarlette lives in looks exactly like Amanda Seyfried's movie. That wasn't a fact that could turn me away from this book though. Once I got a few more pages in, the mediocre sense that had surrounded this book fled. Soon this book took on a whole new aspect to the name Little Red and I couldn't even think straight after the events of this book unfolded. It was glorious, truly.
I really enjoyed Scarlette as a character. She was different and fresh, strong and weak all at the same time. She made stupid decisions that I totally understood. Placing myself in her position, I would have lain down and died. Scarlette was stubborn and trusted only a few people, but again I couldn't blame her. To me, Little Red is one of the strongest fairy-tale characters out there, and with Scarlette that fact became even truer.
The romance side of Scarlette was absolutely amazing. There is indeed a love triangle but it is the best one I've read to date. This book made me thankful for the three sided figure. One man, rich and powerful, but gentle. The other, strong, annoying, and arrogant. For Scarlette, choosing was a lot easier than it seemed.
The best thing about these stories is always finding out who the wolf is and Juroe pushed it off until the very end. Till literally the last few pages is when all hell breaks loose. Such a truly amazing plot and I loved how it unfolded. I wish there was going to be a follow-up novel, but I don't think there will be. I'd love to see the Little Red characters after the wolf’s fate had passed. If Juroe will write it, I'll read it
What made Scarlette stand out so much to me was the fact it was not only Grimm's version, but Perrault's also. I am not as familiar with Perrault's as I am Grimm's which made this novel find a louder voice in the crowd of Little Red books. My only prior experience to the more morbid side of the fairy tale is the movie starring Amanda Seyfried and the book it was based off of, titled Red Riding Hood.
Scarlette started off very slow, stating what most of us already knew about Red Riding Hood as a character. The setting was the same as all the rest them. In my head, the village that Scarlette lives in looks exactly like Amanda Seyfried's movie. That wasn't a fact that could turn me away from this book though. Once I got a few more pages in, the mediocre sense that had surrounded this book fled. Soon this book took on a whole new aspect to the name Little Red and I couldn't even think straight after the events of this book unfolded. It was glorious, truly.
I really enjoyed Scarlette as a character. She was different and fresh, strong and weak all at the same time. She made stupid decisions that I totally understood. Placing myself in her position, I would have lain down and died. Scarlette was stubborn and trusted only a few people, but again I couldn't blame her. To me, Little Red is one of the strongest fairy-tale characters out there, and with Scarlette that fact became even truer.
The romance side of Scarlette was absolutely amazing. There is indeed a love triangle but it is the best one I've read to date. This book made me thankful for the three sided figure. One man, rich and powerful, but gentle. The other, strong, annoying, and arrogant. For Scarlette, choosing was a lot easier than it seemed.
The best thing about these stories is always finding out who the wolf is and Juroe pushed it off until the very end. Till literally the last few pages is when all hell breaks loose. Such a truly amazing plot and I loved how it unfolded. I wish there was going to be a follow-up novel, but I don't think there will be. I'd love to see the Little Red characters after the wolf’s fate had passed. If Juroe will write it, I'll read it
April 10, 2013
I would probably actually rate this one 2.5, but I rounded down because I seriously considered not finishing the book.
First the good. It's a retelling of Red Riding Hood. I think it was an interesting take on it. I think the world itself was fairly well thought out. The main character was pretty likable.
Ok, my problems with the book were many. There were some serious editing problems, whether a function of being formatted for the Kindle, or just a basic lack of editing I don't know. Several problems with homophones, and sentences with words missing. Some sentences that were just so awkwardly worded that I had to read it a couple of times to get it.
There were parts of the story that were so overly detailed and drawn out, and then other places that just sped through the basics, leaving my head spinning. The end especially just speeds through. Where in so many places things were overly explained to just rush through the end, leaving the reader to puzzle out exactly what happened.
I think this was billed as a teen novel, if it is I would definitely leave it to an older teen, not a pre-teen there are some fairly blatant sexual scenes.
I probably would not recommend this book.
First the good. It's a retelling of Red Riding Hood. I think it was an interesting take on it. I think the world itself was fairly well thought out. The main character was pretty likable.
Ok, my problems with the book were many. There were some serious editing problems, whether a function of being formatted for the Kindle, or just a basic lack of editing I don't know. Several problems with homophones, and sentences with words missing. Some sentences that were just so awkwardly worded that I had to read it a couple of times to get it.
There were parts of the story that were so overly detailed and drawn out, and then other places that just sped through the basics, leaving my head spinning. The end especially just speeds through. Where in so many places things were overly explained to just rush through the end, leaving the reader to puzzle out exactly what happened.
I think this was billed as a teen novel, if it is I would definitely leave it to an older teen, not a pre-teen there are some fairly blatant sexual scenes.
I probably would not recommend this book.
February 2, 2013
Wow, after reading this book I have a sudden, deep appreciation for my modern-day lifestyle, because DAMN, Scarlette's world sucked! I felt awful for her and everything she went through. Poor girl just couldn't catch a break. I kept waiting for her to get in touch with her inner badass and start kicking bad guy butt, but that wasn't who Scarlette was. She was a young, naive girl trying her best to survive in an unkind world. Something I had to keep reminding myself of as I was reading.
The best part of the book was finding out the truth behind the werewolf legend. Juroe did a nice job directing and misdirecting, right to the end. Certain things I could see coming a mile away, and others I was way off base about. It kept me on my toes and I liked that. I also enjoyed Francois, the woodcutter. He was my favorite character.
If you like dark historical tales that blend gothic and paranormal elements, Scarlette will be right up your alley.
The best part of the book was finding out the truth behind the werewolf legend. Juroe did a nice job directing and misdirecting, right to the end. Certain things I could see coming a mile away, and others I was way off base about. It kept me on my toes and I liked that. I also enjoyed Francois, the woodcutter. He was my favorite character.
If you like dark historical tales that blend gothic and paranormal elements, Scarlette will be right up your alley.
December 24, 2012
"To make her happy, I slid out the oak chest that contained her belongings.
When I lifted the lid, I saw a red cloth folded into a neat square.
I touched the soft fabric, fine linen. I held it up.
A hood blossomed out into a cloak.
Around the hood was a thick edge of rose satin.
The looped and embellished stitching could only be Grandma's handy work.
I had never seen anything so fancy."
--Davonna Juroe, Scarlette
Alright. I am a Disney fanatic. I love fairy tales. Like obsessed. I believe every girl is a princess and every woman deserves her own personal Prince Charming. And because of this I adore reading fairy tale re-tellings or different spins on stories of old. Scarlette by Davonna Juroe was no exception. From the very beginning I was pulled in by this tale and did not want to stop reading. Not only is this another spin on Little Red Riding Hood, it also ties in the true story about the Beast of Gévaudan. If you haven't guessed by the title this story follows Scarlette, an 18 year old woman who lives in Gévauda, France. She is very close with her Grandmother whereas her mother is absolutely horrible to her. Not only is her homelife miserable, there have been people being attacked by wolves, whether they be of the were fashion or not has yet to be determined. The townsfolk are a superstitious breed and after Scarlette's grandmother is attacked the people turn their eyes to Scarlette as the reason for these attacks. Along the way we meet Jeanne (her best friend). Marie (Jeanne's mother), Francois (a huntsman), the Baron (the wealthy overseer of the province who takes an interest in Scarlette...rawr), and the owner of the tailor shop Monsieur Narbonne who also has an interest in Scarlette. OK, so I cannot give anything more away with the plot because if you are a Little Red Riding Hood fan or any fairy tale lover you will have to read this!
First of all the writing is excellent! It flows so well and I really felt transported to the 1767 town of Gévaudan. Maybe it is just me but I feel like there is definitely a difference between the writing of a novel versus storytelling. This is storytelling at its best. It reminded me of John Connolly's The Book of Lost Things. It was real life mixed with paranormal and a bunch of fairy tale-esque amazingness. I just loved how much the story moved and changed and always kept me interested. And the plot kept twisting and turning and I was questioning everybody in my head at one point or another. And it is not until the very end that all the pieces really come together.
I absolutely adored the characters! Scarlette is so well-developed and her actions are so true to what an 18 year old girl in her situation would do. The Baron was one of those characters you so want to believe in and he is definitely the Prince that wants to take our princess off into the castle and away from scrubbing floors. And Francois! *swoon alert* I mean both men in this story have their redeeming qualities but I think I'm a little biased because the second I read the word huntsman I immediately pictured Chris Hemsworth sooooo I was mentally a little distracted when I was reading about him...what?! It is so totally normal...isn't it?...Whatever.
Because I am such a huge fan of fairy tales I might be reading too much into this but I could not help but notice small situations where my other favorite fairy tales made an appearance. Such as the townsfolk referring to the wolf as bete...the beast...Beauty and the Beast is my favorite! Scarlette's mother at one point calls her Sleeping Beauty after sleeping for 4 days...A huntsman that saves her life is most definitely involved...enter Snow White. And while usually it is an evil stepmother that we loathe, in this case it was Scarlette's real mother that forces hard labor on her day after day...Cinderella has come calling too, ladies and gents. I LOVED this! It was so subtle but I noticed it each and every time and I always had a sly little smirk on my face when I came across something like that.
I really, really enjoyed this book. It was a fantastic version of Little Red Riding Hood that intertwined a real life event that occurred in this town. And you might be wondering if they all lived happily ever after...well, you'll just have to read and find out...
This e-book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
When I lifted the lid, I saw a red cloth folded into a neat square.
I touched the soft fabric, fine linen. I held it up.
A hood blossomed out into a cloak.
Around the hood was a thick edge of rose satin.
The looped and embellished stitching could only be Grandma's handy work.
I had never seen anything so fancy."
--Davonna Juroe, Scarlette
Alright. I am a Disney fanatic. I love fairy tales. Like obsessed. I believe every girl is a princess and every woman deserves her own personal Prince Charming. And because of this I adore reading fairy tale re-tellings or different spins on stories of old. Scarlette by Davonna Juroe was no exception. From the very beginning I was pulled in by this tale and did not want to stop reading. Not only is this another spin on Little Red Riding Hood, it also ties in the true story about the Beast of Gévaudan. If you haven't guessed by the title this story follows Scarlette, an 18 year old woman who lives in Gévauda, France. She is very close with her Grandmother whereas her mother is absolutely horrible to her. Not only is her homelife miserable, there have been people being attacked by wolves, whether they be of the were fashion or not has yet to be determined. The townsfolk are a superstitious breed and after Scarlette's grandmother is attacked the people turn their eyes to Scarlette as the reason for these attacks. Along the way we meet Jeanne (her best friend). Marie (Jeanne's mother), Francois (a huntsman), the Baron (the wealthy overseer of the province who takes an interest in Scarlette...rawr), and the owner of the tailor shop Monsieur Narbonne who also has an interest in Scarlette. OK, so I cannot give anything more away with the plot because if you are a Little Red Riding Hood fan or any fairy tale lover you will have to read this!
First of all the writing is excellent! It flows so well and I really felt transported to the 1767 town of Gévaudan. Maybe it is just me but I feel like there is definitely a difference between the writing of a novel versus storytelling. This is storytelling at its best. It reminded me of John Connolly's The Book of Lost Things. It was real life mixed with paranormal and a bunch of fairy tale-esque amazingness. I just loved how much the story moved and changed and always kept me interested. And the plot kept twisting and turning and I was questioning everybody in my head at one point or another. And it is not until the very end that all the pieces really come together.
I absolutely adored the characters! Scarlette is so well-developed and her actions are so true to what an 18 year old girl in her situation would do. The Baron was one of those characters you so want to believe in and he is definitely the Prince that wants to take our princess off into the castle and away from scrubbing floors. And Francois! *swoon alert* I mean both men in this story have their redeeming qualities but I think I'm a little biased because the second I read the word huntsman I immediately pictured Chris Hemsworth sooooo I was mentally a little distracted when I was reading about him...what?! It is so totally normal...isn't it?...Whatever.
Because I am such a huge fan of fairy tales I might be reading too much into this but I could not help but notice small situations where my other favorite fairy tales made an appearance. Such as the townsfolk referring to the wolf as bete...the beast...Beauty and the Beast is my favorite! Scarlette's mother at one point calls her Sleeping Beauty after sleeping for 4 days...A huntsman that saves her life is most definitely involved...enter Snow White. And while usually it is an evil stepmother that we loathe, in this case it was Scarlette's real mother that forces hard labor on her day after day...Cinderella has come calling too, ladies and gents. I LOVED this! It was so subtle but I noticed it each and every time and I always had a sly little smirk on my face when I came across something like that.
I really, really enjoyed this book. It was a fantastic version of Little Red Riding Hood that intertwined a real life event that occurred in this town. And you might be wondering if they all lived happily ever after...well, you'll just have to read and find out...
This e-book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
December 20, 2012
Article first published as Book Review: Scarlette by Davonna Juroe on Blogcritics.
Review also appeared on my blog: Book Addict 24-7
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review
Davonna Juroe’s Scarlette is a young adult gothic romance novel that follows a naive protagonist in a dark and distressing world. Through a strikingly described setting, an eerie plot, and characters befitting the novel’s genre, Juroe creates a nail-biting adaptation of Charles Perrault's Little Red Riding Hood.
Scarlette, the protagonist, suffers at the hands of her abusive mother, yet she is still a character who does not shy away from the idea of love. She is immature at times, but gothic romance fiction features naive girls ready to faint at the sight of spooky shadows and mysterious noises.
There are various male characters vying for Scarlette's attention, which plays well with the double meaning of her name. Scarlette suggests fiery passion, lust, and power. Scarlette embodies all of these associations with her name by striving to find the truth, following her flawed heart, and disregarding her effect on others around her.
Scarlette is set apart from other werewolf novels, mainly thanks to the historical facts that Juroe includes in her novel. What makes Scarlette even more fascinating is that it is set in an era when witchcraft is abhorred, and the supernatural is thought to be more than just a myth.
The writing is beautiful. Description splashes the pages with color, and the slow budding romance between different characters adds a sigh-worthy zest to the story.
Scarlette's pace does slow down at times, but Juroe manages to capture her reader’s fading interest with the sublime. The paranoia of small villages, the grandeur of balls and ball gowns, and the dangers of love, all inhabit Juroe’s novel.
Juroe’s skill is evident in her writing, since the reader may often feel like s/he is reading a classic gothic romance novel, rather than something created for the modern teenaged audience.
Scarlette is a dark novel and is recommended for historical romance lovers, as well as readers interested in stories about werewolves. Also, fans of gothic romance fiction will most likely devour Juroe’s novel.
Scarlette will infect the reader with its dark plot and deadly mystery, making him/her eager and ready to follow Scarlette on her quest to discover the truth.
Review also appeared on my blog: Book Addict 24-7
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review
Davonna Juroe’s Scarlette is a young adult gothic romance novel that follows a naive protagonist in a dark and distressing world. Through a strikingly described setting, an eerie plot, and characters befitting the novel’s genre, Juroe creates a nail-biting adaptation of Charles Perrault's Little Red Riding Hood.
Scarlette, the protagonist, suffers at the hands of her abusive mother, yet she is still a character who does not shy away from the idea of love. She is immature at times, but gothic romance fiction features naive girls ready to faint at the sight of spooky shadows and mysterious noises.
There are various male characters vying for Scarlette's attention, which plays well with the double meaning of her name. Scarlette suggests fiery passion, lust, and power. Scarlette embodies all of these associations with her name by striving to find the truth, following her flawed heart, and disregarding her effect on others around her.
Scarlette is set apart from other werewolf novels, mainly thanks to the historical facts that Juroe includes in her novel. What makes Scarlette even more fascinating is that it is set in an era when witchcraft is abhorred, and the supernatural is thought to be more than just a myth.
The writing is beautiful. Description splashes the pages with color, and the slow budding romance between different characters adds a sigh-worthy zest to the story.
Scarlette's pace does slow down at times, but Juroe manages to capture her reader’s fading interest with the sublime. The paranoia of small villages, the grandeur of balls and ball gowns, and the dangers of love, all inhabit Juroe’s novel.
Juroe’s skill is evident in her writing, since the reader may often feel like s/he is reading a classic gothic romance novel, rather than something created for the modern teenaged audience.
Scarlette is a dark novel and is recommended for historical romance lovers, as well as readers interested in stories about werewolves. Also, fans of gothic romance fiction will most likely devour Juroe’s novel.
Scarlette will infect the reader with its dark plot and deadly mystery, making him/her eager and ready to follow Scarlette on her quest to discover the truth.
May 17, 2015
Hello. My name is Scarlette. The most important thing to know about me is this: I am an idiot.
When I finished this I wished that I could get my life back. Scarlette, the main character, is so stupid. I felt like her stupidity was contagious. I don't even know why I finished it. I guess it's because I was 2/3 in and it was the middle of the night so I wasn't thinking clearly.
The crappy part is, it had potential to be awesome. The author put together a pretty solid plot. You could tell she'd researched the time period and the setting was pretty fantastic. Scarlette was what blew it. She was seriously one of the dumbest characters I've ever encountered. The truth was literally slapping her in the face and she refused to acknowledge it. If she hadn't been such a dum-dum I probably would've given this book 2 stars.
I thought Francois was a pretty cool character until about 2/3 through. Then he turned all sappy. The characters were all so obvious. No depth at all. That's what ruined the story.
I spent 0.99 for this book and that was too much.
DO NOT recommend.
When I finished this I wished that I could get my life back. Scarlette, the main character, is so stupid. I felt like her stupidity was contagious. I don't even know why I finished it. I guess it's because I was 2/3 in and it was the middle of the night so I wasn't thinking clearly.
The crappy part is, it had potential to be awesome. The author put together a pretty solid plot. You could tell she'd researched the time period and the setting was pretty fantastic. Scarlette was what blew it. She was seriously one of the dumbest characters I've ever encountered. The truth was literally slapping her in the face and she refused to acknowledge it. If she hadn't been such a dum-dum I probably would've given this book 2 stars.
I thought Francois was a pretty cool character until about 2/3 through. Then he turned all sappy. The characters were all so obvious. No depth at all. That's what ruined the story.
I spent 0.99 for this book and that was too much.
DO NOT recommend.
Read
September 18, 2017This piece had some very interesting concepts, but they were poorly executed leaving the final story in a jumble where I didn't really like anyone, especially the heroine. This was sad because I went into the story wanting to like it, but the problems started early and kept going through the end including issues such as:
It seemed unable to tell whether it was truly historical or modern.
The heroine was the definition of to stupid to live.
The romance, such as it was, made no sense.
And most of the character interactions and inter relations made no sense.
Add this to very poor editing and I'm very disappointed over all and glad it was free.
It seemed unable to tell whether it was truly historical or modern.
The heroine was the definition of to stupid to live.
The romance, such as it was, made no sense.
And most of the character interactions and inter relations made no sense.
Add this to very poor editing and I'm very disappointed over all and glad it was free.
January 6, 2013
Davonna Juroe's Scarlette is a captivating retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. But it is much more than that.
Folk tale, historical fiction and gothic romance all blend harmoniously in this dark and suspenseful novel. The characters are compelling and complex. The plot will keep you guessing until the very end. The story is beautifully written.
With all this in mind, I suspect that Davonna Juroe could be a long-lost Brontë sister.
Folk tale, historical fiction and gothic romance all blend harmoniously in this dark and suspenseful novel. The characters are compelling and complex. The plot will keep you guessing until the very end. The story is beautifully written.
With all this in mind, I suspect that Davonna Juroe could be a long-lost Brontë sister.
December 31, 2012
**Originally on Read-A-holicZ, HERE!
"SCARLETTE is a dark, addicting, mysterious read full of action, likable characters, and an overall great retelling of a classic story that will leave you VERY ADDICTED!"
That line at the end of the summary is what interested me to read this book. Come on who hasn't wondered about some of these "fairy-tales" were real O_O RIGHT!? So I just had to read Scarlette. I was expecting dark, different, mysterious, and awesomeness from this book. And I certainly found it!
From the prologue we are intrigued, like seriously, it starts with "FEAR. PANIC. ANXIETY. MY MOTHER WAS LIKE A BLOODHOUND." I mean....O_O I was curious as to what the heck was going on! I liked that it was short & completely got me to read more ^_^
This story was WOAH, I was pulled one way then was like no those clues don't add up. Then slowly we get things pieced together as to who the "beast" is. Another thing about this book is that there's a certain depth to the characters and the plot. I wasn't there just wondering "oh this is a nice fantasy book" NO! I was completely immersed in the world, the time period, and it was believable. I was able to create a picture of it in my head (that's how i know it's good)
The Characters...OH LORD there were so many complex and great characters. I actually liked Scarlette; she was tough, yet showed emotions when needed, and she a pretty interesting character to get to know =D Her mother...hmmm, I loved to hate her, i think she was a great character to put in the book but AH! I so hated the way she treated Scarlette at the begging (but i guess it made Scar tougher). Also Francois and Louis....both tempting and AH! WHY THE ENDING, WHY!!! *torture*
I LOVED that it made me FEEL. I know that's pretty weird but i wanna FEEL some emotion when i read. There were many times I felt that while reading Scarlette; and OMG the TWISTS within the book kept my mind thinking and wondering. There were a lot of deaths too, which made me cry because you felt a connection to the characters. (tears=good)
THE ENDING.....I won't spoil it but...
u will not see it coming! @_@ ^_^ It was the most imperfectly perfect ending. I really enjoyed it. And maybe a few tears rolled out.
Overall, this was a SUPER AMAZING and SURPRISING read. I HIGHLY recommend you read this now! Plus I was on the edge and crying or shouting or gasping A LOT...so pretty AMAZING! 5/5 STARS!!
"SCARLETTE is a dark, addicting, mysterious read full of action, likable characters, and an overall great retelling of a classic story that will leave you VERY ADDICTED!"
That line at the end of the summary is what interested me to read this book. Come on who hasn't wondered about some of these "fairy-tales" were real O_O RIGHT!? So I just had to read Scarlette. I was expecting dark, different, mysterious, and awesomeness from this book. And I certainly found it!
From the prologue we are intrigued, like seriously, it starts with "FEAR. PANIC. ANXIETY. MY MOTHER WAS LIKE A BLOODHOUND." I mean....O_O I was curious as to what the heck was going on! I liked that it was short & completely got me to read more ^_^
This story was WOAH, I was pulled one way then was like no those clues don't add up. Then slowly we get things pieced together as to who the "beast" is. Another thing about this book is that there's a certain depth to the characters and the plot. I wasn't there just wondering "oh this is a nice fantasy book" NO! I was completely immersed in the world, the time period, and it was believable. I was able to create a picture of it in my head (that's how i know it's good)
The Characters...OH LORD there were so many complex and great characters. I actually liked Scarlette; she was tough, yet showed emotions when needed, and she a pretty interesting character to get to know =D Her mother...hmmm, I loved to hate her, i think she was a great character to put in the book but AH! I so hated the way she treated Scarlette at the begging (but i guess it made Scar tougher). Also Francois and Louis....both tempting and AH! WHY THE ENDING, WHY!!! *torture*
I LOVED that it made me FEEL. I know that's pretty weird but i wanna FEEL some emotion when i read. There were many times I felt that while reading Scarlette; and OMG the TWISTS within the book kept my mind thinking and wondering. There were a lot of deaths too, which made me cry because you felt a connection to the characters. (tears=good)
THE ENDING.....I won't spoil it but...
u will not see it coming! @_@ ^_^ It was the most imperfectly perfect ending. I really enjoyed it. And maybe a few tears rolled out.
Overall, this was a SUPER AMAZING and SURPRISING read. I HIGHLY recommend you read this now! Plus I was on the edge and crying or shouting or gasping A LOT...so pretty AMAZING! 5/5 STARS!!
September 10, 2016
EDIT!This was reviewed before this amazing, new and beautiful cover! Boy was I ever excited to see it since I lamented the old one so much (laughs).
Review from A Journey Through Pages
There are a lot of books out there that have gorgeous covers and are professionally published, but when you read them there just isn't much substance and enjoyment to them. Then there comes a book that has a cover that makes you want to pass over it because something seems off and less professional about it or you see an easily spotted photoshop filter.
I'm sorry to say that Scarlette by Davonna Juroe has one of those covers, and I'm sorry to say that because what's inside the cover is so well written.
Scarlette is an adaptation of Red Riding Hood based in the historical events of werewolf paranoia in France. When Juroe sent me an e-mail asking if I would review the book, this is what caught my attention first because I wondered if she could pull it off, because in my opinion if she could it would be amazing. So the verdict? She pulled it off indeed. There is a good balance in this book of historical, character development, intrigue and paranormal. In fact one thing I really enjoyed was the fact that Scarlette just outright rejects any paranormal explanations for most of the book (it's not like the supernatural occurances are smacking her in the face, especially in the beginning).
I also really enjoyed Scarlette's character. She is called naïve by many characters, but honestly as the reader, knowing what she knows, she reacted to everything in a very realistic and level headed way. She does do some dumb things, but compared to the popular characterization of eighteen year old heroines in books with paranormal elements, it's a lot less and it's nice that she's less dramatic about it.
Throughout the book, I found myself making a lot of guessing about who could be behind everything and how everyone connects and then found myself revising the guesses over and over again. The answers are not as obvious as they seem and I found myself surprised a lot by the twists.
The ending was a bit rushed as a warning. There was so much build-up that the final climax ended up being too much too fast and the wrap-up felt short. That was really my only thing in the writing that kept me from giving it a higher rating. Though I will say that I like the way the aftermath connected with the historical fact about the whole situation.
--
Scarlette is a book that combines historical events, paranormal (from a historical point of view) and a classic fairytale. If you like books that keep you guessing with mystery, I recommend this book. It is definitely one of my favourite retellings of the fairytale.
Review from A Journey Through Pages
There are a lot of books out there that have gorgeous covers and are professionally published, but when you read them there just isn't much substance and enjoyment to them. Then there comes a book that has a cover that makes you want to pass over it because something seems off and less professional about it or you see an easily spotted photoshop filter.
I'm sorry to say that Scarlette by Davonna Juroe has one of those covers, and I'm sorry to say that because what's inside the cover is so well written.
Scarlette is an adaptation of Red Riding Hood based in the historical events of werewolf paranoia in France. When Juroe sent me an e-mail asking if I would review the book, this is what caught my attention first because I wondered if she could pull it off, because in my opinion if she could it would be amazing. So the verdict? She pulled it off indeed. There is a good balance in this book of historical, character development, intrigue and paranormal. In fact one thing I really enjoyed was the fact that Scarlette just outright rejects any paranormal explanations for most of the book (it's not like the supernatural occurances are smacking her in the face, especially in the beginning).
I also really enjoyed Scarlette's character. She is called naïve by many characters, but honestly as the reader, knowing what she knows, she reacted to everything in a very realistic and level headed way. She does do some dumb things, but compared to the popular characterization of eighteen year old heroines in books with paranormal elements, it's a lot less and it's nice that she's less dramatic about it.
Throughout the book, I found myself making a lot of guessing about who could be behind everything and how everyone connects and then found myself revising the guesses over and over again. The answers are not as obvious as they seem and I found myself surprised a lot by the twists.
The ending was a bit rushed as a warning. There was so much build-up that the final climax ended up being too much too fast and the wrap-up felt short. That was really my only thing in the writing that kept me from giving it a higher rating. Though I will say that I like the way the aftermath connected with the historical fact about the whole situation.
--
Scarlette is a book that combines historical events, paranormal (from a historical point of view) and a classic fairytale. If you like books that keep you guessing with mystery, I recommend this book. It is definitely one of my favourite retellings of the fairytale.
January 2, 2013
ORIGINAL REVIEW AT: LITTLE BOOK STAR
Scarlette is such a great retelling of the Grimm and Perrault’s Little Red Riding Hood. It is a fun book to read especially during the time of winter. The story is set in France, and it starts out with a spooky and creepy (in a good way) scene with Scarlette and her grandmother in the woods. The summary basically says what you’re going to expect from the book, but between those are a bunch of twists, mysteries, and events you wouldn’t expect. The most unexpected of all is the ending. The idea of the ending might’ve crossed your mind, but you wouldn’t believe it would happen.
Like it says on the summary, Scarlette is 18 years old, though for me, she acts like someone who’s a 15 year old. She’s innocent, not really a kick-ass heroine, but how she is fits the story. I think it’s funny and ironic how she tells us that she does not trust the other characters in the book, but she ends up going with them 24/7. She often blames herself for the death of her loved ones and I feel sympathy for her because no matter how much she wants to prevent them from getting hurt, she couldn’t do anything about it. There is a sort of love triangle in this book, but it isn’t the main focus of the story which is good because it would throw off the whole idea of the book which is Scarlette looking for her grandmother. What I also liked about Davonna’s book is that Scarlette has an evil mother, but her evilness actually contributes something in the book. Her character wasn’t just thrown in there to make Scarlette’s life miserable.
Scarlette was beautifully written with lots of descriptions which I would like to give a 2 thumbs up to the author. But sometimes, the pacing of the story would go slow. Also, I feel like the ending was a sudden because there was a lot of stuff happening in the climax that all of a sudden the story ended. I like how there’s an epilogue though. I always love knowing what happens after the whole story. Since there’s that, the book is perfect either being a standalone or being a series. If it does become a series, wow, I’m excited to see what would happen next! Overall I recommend Scarlette to you guys especially those who are a big fan of re-tellings, werewolves, and paranormal stuff. (:
Scarlette is such a great retelling of the Grimm and Perrault’s Little Red Riding Hood. It is a fun book to read especially during the time of winter. The story is set in France, and it starts out with a spooky and creepy (in a good way) scene with Scarlette and her grandmother in the woods. The summary basically says what you’re going to expect from the book, but between those are a bunch of twists, mysteries, and events you wouldn’t expect. The most unexpected of all is the ending. The idea of the ending might’ve crossed your mind, but you wouldn’t believe it would happen.
Like it says on the summary, Scarlette is 18 years old, though for me, she acts like someone who’s a 15 year old. She’s innocent, not really a kick-ass heroine, but how she is fits the story. I think it’s funny and ironic how she tells us that she does not trust the other characters in the book, but she ends up going with them 24/7. She often blames herself for the death of her loved ones and I feel sympathy for her because no matter how much she wants to prevent them from getting hurt, she couldn’t do anything about it. There is a sort of love triangle in this book, but it isn’t the main focus of the story which is good because it would throw off the whole idea of the book which is Scarlette looking for her grandmother. What I also liked about Davonna’s book is that Scarlette has an evil mother, but her evilness actually contributes something in the book. Her character wasn’t just thrown in there to make Scarlette’s life miserable.
Scarlette was beautifully written with lots of descriptions which I would like to give a 2 thumbs up to the author. But sometimes, the pacing of the story would go slow. Also, I feel like the ending was a sudden because there was a lot of stuff happening in the climax that all of a sudden the story ended. I like how there’s an epilogue though. I always love knowing what happens after the whole story. Since there’s that, the book is perfect either being a standalone or being a series. If it does become a series, wow, I’m excited to see what would happen next! Overall I recommend Scarlette to you guys especially those who are a big fan of re-tellings, werewolves, and paranormal stuff. (:
November 25, 2012
As you probably know if you read the synopsis, Scarlette is a novel about a young woman who lived with her mother and her grandma. Scarlette can be seen as the new Red Riding Hood. This Red Riding Hood is fighting against the Beast of Gévaudan, in France. All of those items put together, plus Davonna Juroe’s writing, make a fantastic story.
From the beginning, you are in the story. I needed 4 days to read it entirely. I almost literally ate the book! Honestly, I didn’t know I would love this book that much. I am just feeling very sorry that it’s only an ebook and not a proper book! I like to feel the good old paper in my hands. But if I had to read it again, on my computer, it wouldn't be a problem; I’ll do it gladly!
The plot is really well put together. From the beginning to the end, the action was nonstop! There are a lot of sudden developments, you never get bored! In some novels, there are a lot of boring parts, but they are not relevant in this book. Here, it is not the case at all.
Everything’s very clear and straightforward but at the same time, there's a lot of guessing about the mystery of what's happening in the story, like what/who is this beast? Who really are the characters? None of their identities are really known. You don’t really who they are until the very end!
I really loved Scarlette, the Baron and François. This trio is amazing. They’re very different from each other, but they’re facing the same problems. Their personalities make them charming. Watching the characters grow is really interesting and enjoyable! Obviously, some others characters are really abhorrent such as Mr. Narbonne. We really have every type of personality represented!
Davonna Juroe did a really good job. If you can read her book, do it. You won’t regret it.
January 1, 2013
In a brilliant mix of historical fiction and a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, we are given a gruesome tale about a young woman named Scarlette. Scarlette has lived in Gévaudan all her life, and her home has been plagued with death. Some blame the deaths on superstitions, claiming their land is the home of werewolves. Scarlette refuses to believe this until her grandmother becomes a victim, and everything Scarlette has ever known is turned upside down. While I felt the pace at the beginning was a bit slow, by the end I was left breathless.
This is not a book I would recommend for the faint of heart. While Juroe isn’t too graphic in her descriptions of the violence that takes place, there is quite a lot of it and lack of description does not necessarily mean it won’t shock or disturb you. If you have no problem with heads missing their bodies and intestines being out of place, you’ll be fine. If not, you may want to skip reading this.
The characters Juroe presents are numerous and diverse. Through Scarlette’s perspective, we are continually left wondering if everyone is as they seem. We are taught early on that all is not as it appears and it serves to supply great suspense throughout the book as we lose trust in everything we know from Scarlette. We’re given enough information to create suspense, not too little to create frustrating confusion. I had no idea where the story was going. My thoughts were constantly proven to be false. I loved it.
I fear going into too much detail will spoil the story, so I won’t divulge more specifics. Scarlette provides mystery, suspense, horror and a chilling story of the paranormal haunts of a small village in France.
This review is also on my blog.
This is not a book I would recommend for the faint of heart. While Juroe isn’t too graphic in her descriptions of the violence that takes place, there is quite a lot of it and lack of description does not necessarily mean it won’t shock or disturb you. If you have no problem with heads missing their bodies and intestines being out of place, you’ll be fine. If not, you may want to skip reading this.
The characters Juroe presents are numerous and diverse. Through Scarlette’s perspective, we are continually left wondering if everyone is as they seem. We are taught early on that all is not as it appears and it serves to supply great suspense throughout the book as we lose trust in everything we know from Scarlette. We’re given enough information to create suspense, not too little to create frustrating confusion. I had no idea where the story was going. My thoughts were constantly proven to be false. I loved it.
I fear going into too much detail will spoil the story, so I won’t divulge more specifics. Scarlette provides mystery, suspense, horror and a chilling story of the paranormal haunts of a small village in France.
This review is also on my blog.
December 16, 2012
I absolutely love when authors take an old tale and add a new twist to it completely making it their own while still holding on to the essence and magic of the original tale. Juroe has managed to do just that with her debut novel Scarlette.
This isn't your average tale of Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bag Wolf. This is so much more. Mystery, lies, curses, death, disappearances, magic, love, deception and darkness all make this an unforgettable tale that you will want to re read just to experience it all again.
Juroe did a fabulous job on making this not only a completely new spin on an old beloved fairy tale but by making it dark and bleak and throwing in a little of the supernatural as well.
Set in a time when parts of France were in poverty and people worked the land to survive. When a monster lurked in the woods and terrorized the people in the village and all hopes for a bright future were gone.
Scarlette was a fabulous character and right away I connected with her. I felt bad for her, the life that she lived and the heartache that would follow her where ever she went. But no matter what life dealt her, she was a strong, determined girl and she didn't let anyone stand in her way or make decisions for her.
This really was a great action packed read and had me turning the pages. I loved all the paranormal elements along with the slightly dark historical feel it had. It was a great combination of all things I love to have in a good read. The ending did feel a little rushed as everything came together and fell into place but nothing was left unanswered or unsaid which I am thankful for.
I will be watching this author to see what else she comes out with in the future.
This isn't your average tale of Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bag Wolf. This is so much more. Mystery, lies, curses, death, disappearances, magic, love, deception and darkness all make this an unforgettable tale that you will want to re read just to experience it all again.
Juroe did a fabulous job on making this not only a completely new spin on an old beloved fairy tale but by making it dark and bleak and throwing in a little of the supernatural as well.
Set in a time when parts of France were in poverty and people worked the land to survive. When a monster lurked in the woods and terrorized the people in the village and all hopes for a bright future were gone.
Scarlette was a fabulous character and right away I connected with her. I felt bad for her, the life that she lived and the heartache that would follow her where ever she went. But no matter what life dealt her, she was a strong, determined girl and she didn't let anyone stand in her way or make decisions for her.
This really was a great action packed read and had me turning the pages. I loved all the paranormal elements along with the slightly dark historical feel it had. It was a great combination of all things I love to have in a good read. The ending did feel a little rushed as everything came together and fell into place but nothing was left unanswered or unsaid which I am thankful for.
I will be watching this author to see what else she comes out with in the future.
November 20, 2012
So, hats off to Davonna Juroe for getting this contemporary YA paranormal buff to read a historical, but I have to say I was hooked from page one. The richness of detail, the mythology and the lore that Davonna created truly kept the pages turning for me. I wasn't sure what this retelling of Little Red Riding Hood could introduce that was new; I thought I knew the whole story. You probably do, too. But the richness of the details, the vivid cast of character brought this story to life for me in an entirely new way. I'd recommend it to any paranormal buff, contemporary or historical, or anyone who just plain enjoys a good read with twists, turns, mystery, romance, betrayal and a fair amount of bloodletting now and again!!!!
November 2, 2012
Scarlette hooked me from the first sentence and kept me spellbound until La Fin. Promising new author Davonna Juroe has created a living, breathing world with characters so real they could walk off the page. Scarlette may be the damsel in distress, but she's determined to save not only herself, but her family and friends as well. I devoured this must-read book in under twenty-four hours and I will continue to suffer from symptoms of withdrawal until her next book is released. This vivid and imaginative retelling of the Little Red Riding is no bedtime story, though. Buyer beware: if you ever want to sleep again, don't read this while alone at night!
November 13, 2012
I was not really inclined to read this by what I read as a description. The reviews and the cover convinced me to give it a try and I am glad I did. It was a great story. There was so much mystery surrounding Scarlette in the beginning of the story. I had to read on to try to figure out what was going on and why her mother hated her. I can't say I figured out what was up with her mother, but the book kept me guessing till the very end. It was truly an amazing read!
January 12, 2013
Drat, I finished it! Can't wait for her to write more.
January 11, 2013
An unexpected gem...
Review to come
Review to come
January 22, 2013
This is an amazing story. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a suspense ~ filled read. This book kept me hooked to the very end. Scarlette is an old story with a new twist.
March 3, 2013
great paced book.makes you think,laugh,cry,get mad and happy..finally love wins out in the end.....
May 11, 2013
loved this book and looking forward to her next novel.
December 22, 2012
For more of my reviews visit http://losttobooks.blogspot.com
When I received a request to review this book I was interested by the dark, paranormal aspects. However I was slightly worried about the historical aspect of the book. I was unsure what to expect and was mostly concerned with how Juroe would use language, especially speech. All this was for nothing though and besides being based on old folklore and using a class system (peasants and nobels) I couldn't really say anything else was historical which was great.
I read this book in a few hours and although it took me a while to get into it, it did capture my interest and hold it all the way through the book. The plot was full of action, twists and turns that leave you guessing until the end and it was only a few chapters before the reveal when I figured out what was going on/who was behind what. I love a book that keeps you in suspense of who's good/bad, behind the events, or going to get together in a romance and this book definitely fulfilled that side of things. Juroe did a great job of revealing just the right amount of information to stop confusion but still create suspense. As well as this the romances (although not always pleasant) added extra interest and were intertwined in the story well so it flowed together without becoming disjointed.
There were a few things though that annoyed me slightly. The first was that although the book hooked you, for me it moved at a slow pace and some sections I found had a bit too much description which lead me to only skim read certain sections. For me there was quite a bit of unnecessary detail that did nothing to move the story along and left the me wondering why I needed to know it. As well as this I didn't really connect with the lead character Scarlette. I'm not sure why this is but I found her attitude at times irritating and she wasn't as strong as I would have liked. It got better towards the end but for me there was a connection missing. I'm also glad I didn't see the cover before I agreed to review this book as I didn't really like it and it would have probably put me off.
The biggest issue I had with this book was the originality. I have read a few books like this before and seen the dark retelling of Red Riding Hood (movie) and it seemed that there wasn't much variation. I know it was a retelling but for me there wasn't enough to differentiate it from others like it. But hey there are hundreds of vampire novels out there that all have the same theme so it shouldn't put you off if you like the genre.
Overall this book was and interesting read and had a few twists and turns that kept me hooked. It did however move at a slow pace with some scenes needing more development and editing for unnecessary details. I didn't connect with Scarlette but that maybe just me and even though the story isn't all that original it may be worth the read if you are interested in dark paranormal books or werewolves.
When I received a request to review this book I was interested by the dark, paranormal aspects. However I was slightly worried about the historical aspect of the book. I was unsure what to expect and was mostly concerned with how Juroe would use language, especially speech. All this was for nothing though and besides being based on old folklore and using a class system (peasants and nobels) I couldn't really say anything else was historical which was great.
I read this book in a few hours and although it took me a while to get into it, it did capture my interest and hold it all the way through the book. The plot was full of action, twists and turns that leave you guessing until the end and it was only a few chapters before the reveal when I figured out what was going on/who was behind what. I love a book that keeps you in suspense of who's good/bad, behind the events, or going to get together in a romance and this book definitely fulfilled that side of things. Juroe did a great job of revealing just the right amount of information to stop confusion but still create suspense. As well as this the romances (although not always pleasant) added extra interest and were intertwined in the story well so it flowed together without becoming disjointed.
There were a few things though that annoyed me slightly. The first was that although the book hooked you, for me it moved at a slow pace and some sections I found had a bit too much description which lead me to only skim read certain sections. For me there was quite a bit of unnecessary detail that did nothing to move the story along and left the me wondering why I needed to know it. As well as this I didn't really connect with the lead character Scarlette. I'm not sure why this is but I found her attitude at times irritating and she wasn't as strong as I would have liked. It got better towards the end but for me there was a connection missing. I'm also glad I didn't see the cover before I agreed to review this book as I didn't really like it and it would have probably put me off.
The biggest issue I had with this book was the originality. I have read a few books like this before and seen the dark retelling of Red Riding Hood (movie) and it seemed that there wasn't much variation. I know it was a retelling but for me there wasn't enough to differentiate it from others like it. But hey there are hundreds of vampire novels out there that all have the same theme so it shouldn't put you off if you like the genre.
Overall this book was and interesting read and had a few twists and turns that kept me hooked. It did however move at a slow pace with some scenes needing more development and editing for unnecessary details. I didn't connect with Scarlette but that maybe just me and even though the story isn't all that original it may be worth the read if you are interested in dark paranormal books or werewolves.
February 5, 2013
Scarlette is a haunting and captivating retelling of Little Red Riding Hood that takes place in France in the mid 1700s. This book not only features a suspenseful murder mystery but a plot that fans this way and that; with a great leading character and a building romance it is definitely a well rounded read. I also found Scarlette to be a sinister read; Davonna Juroe uses the horrors in history to spin Little Red's tale into something nightmarish. This book stems from the stories and legends we've all been told and the author creates a new heroine out of an ordinary character. A character with some charm and a large heart. She has her wits and smarts and while she may be too trusting, everyone needs a fault, she becomes this warrior and transforms her life into anything but plain.
Scarlette's life is stark but things are changing; beginning with a question her employer wants to ask her, one her verbally abusive mother wishes to decide for her. But, as the danger that lurks around her town comes close to home she learns the truth about those around her. Strong willed and determined, she refuses to give into the wants of others and chooses her own path. While her conscience sometimes catches up to her, and the prospects offered to her are hard to put down, Scarlette manages to strive in the darkness her life becomes.
Beasts live in the woods and while Scarlette knows not to venture into them, she does and it just may cost her grandmother her life, and that is just the beginning. As strange things continue to occur she is rescued by an unlikely ally, Francois, befriends a Baron, Louis, with promises to change her life, and loses her normalcy. The plot trudges on and grows into an unmanageable forest of pure darkness and evil. The lives of these characters will never be the same, if they survive.
My favorite character was Francois, even from the beginning I knew I was going to like him. His loyalty was unyielding and his character, while secretive, was comforting. The relationship between Francois and Scarlette is composed just right.
Davonna Juroe recreates the werewolf story while telling Scarlette's story of bravery and determination. As the secrets unfolded I was amazed by this talented author and completely trapped in the book. Scarlette is a bone chilling story about the horrors of man and the beasts that lurk in the night. I loved this book for Davonna's sheer ability to shock me and take me down one path only to throw me onto another. Everyone in this book is a suspect, even those we love, and nothing is as it seems. Thank you very much to the wonderful author for the opportunity to read and review this book!
Scarlette's life is stark but things are changing; beginning with a question her employer wants to ask her, one her verbally abusive mother wishes to decide for her. But, as the danger that lurks around her town comes close to home she learns the truth about those around her. Strong willed and determined, she refuses to give into the wants of others and chooses her own path. While her conscience sometimes catches up to her, and the prospects offered to her are hard to put down, Scarlette manages to strive in the darkness her life becomes.
Beasts live in the woods and while Scarlette knows not to venture into them, she does and it just may cost her grandmother her life, and that is just the beginning. As strange things continue to occur she is rescued by an unlikely ally, Francois, befriends a Baron, Louis, with promises to change her life, and loses her normalcy. The plot trudges on and grows into an unmanageable forest of pure darkness and evil. The lives of these characters will never be the same, if they survive.
My favorite character was Francois, even from the beginning I knew I was going to like him. His loyalty was unyielding and his character, while secretive, was comforting. The relationship between Francois and Scarlette is composed just right.
Davonna Juroe recreates the werewolf story while telling Scarlette's story of bravery and determination. As the secrets unfolded I was amazed by this talented author and completely trapped in the book. Scarlette is a bone chilling story about the horrors of man and the beasts that lurk in the night. I loved this book for Davonna's sheer ability to shock me and take me down one path only to throw me onto another. Everyone in this book is a suspect, even those we love, and nothing is as it seems. Thank you very much to the wonderful author for the opportunity to read and review this book!
October 17, 2013
WARNING SOME SPOILERS!
I really enjoyed this book a lot! I love how the author, Juroe, combines the Grimm Brothers version of "Little Red Riding Hood" with the actual historical events of an incident in Europe in 1764 that an unidentified wolf-like animal ferociously mauled dozens of peasants in the Gévaudan region of France. I thought it was a clever and unique twist for setting up the story. Juroe keeps the historical setting of time accurate (you can tell she's done her research well) ,but chose to make the language more modernized in order for the novel to be more mainstream and easier to understand (which I also appreciated). The new edition of the novel includes two short stories as well, and those were also fun to read!
We have our main character Scarlette, who's (I want to say) around her late teens or early twenties. She lives with her sweet ole grandma and her incredibly mean mother (who is even worse than Cinderella's step-mom, seriously she's that bad). Scarlette does her best to keep her mom happy, takes care of grandma, does the house chores, pays the bills, and works. (Sounds like Cinderella when I put it this way, doesn't it?) Anyways, there are a whole bunch of scary wolf attacks and so the government brings in these woodcutters to help save the day, except people keep getting killed. Scarlette's grandmother "dies" and she decides she needs to put an end and find out what is going on.
The story is very suspenseful and I personally felt the chapters ran a bit short (that could be because I read this book on my Kindle). Juroe's writing is detailed and paced perfectly. When reading the novel I was constantly kept on my toes, for what was going to come next. The ending was great and I felt happy with it. The only problem I had with this book is when Scarlette gets googly eyed for the royal baron, Louis, and falls in love with him immediately. (On no! The dreaded insta love!) Her woodcutter friend Francois, constantly tries to tell her that things won't work out. Of course falling under the spell of insta love, she doesn't listen until bad things happens and then it's too late. On the positive, Scarlette does get redeemed, in my eyes, when she acquires skills of bad-assery when learning how to fight the wolves and defend herself (which comes to her naturally).
I really enjoyed this book a lot! I love how the author, Juroe, combines the Grimm Brothers version of "Little Red Riding Hood" with the actual historical events of an incident in Europe in 1764 that an unidentified wolf-like animal ferociously mauled dozens of peasants in the Gévaudan region of France. I thought it was a clever and unique twist for setting up the story. Juroe keeps the historical setting of time accurate (you can tell she's done her research well) ,but chose to make the language more modernized in order for the novel to be more mainstream and easier to understand (which I also appreciated). The new edition of the novel includes two short stories as well, and those were also fun to read!
We have our main character Scarlette, who's (I want to say) around her late teens or early twenties. She lives with her sweet ole grandma and her incredibly mean mother (who is even worse than Cinderella's step-mom, seriously she's that bad). Scarlette does her best to keep her mom happy, takes care of grandma, does the house chores, pays the bills, and works. (Sounds like Cinderella when I put it this way, doesn't it?) Anyways, there are a whole bunch of scary wolf attacks and so the government brings in these woodcutters to help save the day, except people keep getting killed. Scarlette's grandmother "dies" and she decides she needs to put an end and find out what is going on.
The story is very suspenseful and I personally felt the chapters ran a bit short (that could be because I read this book on my Kindle). Juroe's writing is detailed and paced perfectly. When reading the novel I was constantly kept on my toes, for what was going to come next. The ending was great and I felt happy with it. The only problem I had with this book is when Scarlette gets googly eyed for the royal baron, Louis, and falls in love with him immediately. (On no! The dreaded insta love!) Her woodcutter friend Francois, constantly tries to tell her that things won't work out. Of course falling under the spell of insta love, she doesn't listen until bad things happens and then it's too late. On the positive, Scarlette does get redeemed, in my eyes, when she acquires skills of bad-assery when learning how to fight the wolves and defend herself (which comes to her naturally).
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