Red

by Alison Cherry

Contemporary teen fiction with a twist!

Felicity St. John has it loyal best friends, a hot guy, and artistic talent. And she’s right on track to win the Miss Scarlet pageant. Her perfect life is possible because of just one her long, wavy, coppery red hair.

Having red hair is all that matters in Scarletville. Redheads hold all the power—and everybody knows it. That’s why Felicity is scared down to her roots when she receives an anonymous
I know your secret.

Because Felicity is a big fake. Her hair color comes straight out of a bottle. And if anyone discovered the truth, she’d be a social outcast faster than she could say strawberry blond. Her mother would disown her, her friends would shun her, and her boyfriend would dump her. And forget about winning that pageant crown and the prize money that comes with it—money that would allow her to fulfill her dream of going to art school.

Felicity isn’t about to let someone blackmail her life away. But just how far is she willing to go to protect her red cred?

“As thought-provoking as it is enchanting.”—Rae Carson, author of the FIRE AND THORNS trilogy
 
 “Smart, funny, and full of Awesome Ladies Behaving Awesomely, Alison Cherry's RED is everything I look for in a book. It will make you laugh, it will make you think, and it will make you book an appointment with your colorist  immediately."
—Rachel Hawkins,  New York Times bestselling author of the Hex Hall series

“Clever, wickedly funny and with so much heart.”—Melina Marchetta, author of the Printz-award winning Jellicoe Road

 “Sparkles with wit.”— Publishers Weekly
 
“A really strong commentary on superficiality and social standing.”– School Library Journal
 
 
“This may challenge readers to reconsider how they define beauty—and perhaps give them the confidence to question a pecking order or two.”— Booklist



From the Hardcover edition.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Chick Lit, Mystery

320 pages, Library Binding

First published October 8, 2013

About the author

Alison grew up in Evanston, IL. She is a professional photographer and spent many years working as a lighting designer for theater, opera, and dance. Now she lives in Brooklyn and writes young adult novels full time. She is represented by the lovely and amazing Holly Root of Root Literary.

Reviews

[Giselle]

This book is a joke, right?

No.

DNF

[Ellis · Rating 1 out of 5]

Upon finishing:

Um.

But seriously, how did this book not end with Felicity being sent to The School of Basic Human Decency?


The review:

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.



Red might have been awesome if it had been told in the perspective of Gabby, the main antagonist, or Ivy, one of Felicity's best friends who - in her own way - is also opposed to the Scarletville ideology. Both characters possess enough scepticism to challenge the society they live in. This is crucial, because while Red is supposed to be a satire, it absolutely doesn't read like one. It is grotesque, but not grotesque enough to successfully work as satire. It is grotesque in its silliness. I never really could get over the ridiculous concept and that is because Red is written as if we're supposed to take this reality seriously. Even worse, we are supposed to sympathise with Felicity, one of the most TSTL and aggravating characters I've ever had the displeasure reading about.

The problem is that I couldn't even enjoy this book on a basic, literal level. The Miss Scarlet pageant supposedly is the life-defining event Felicity works up to. For such an important occasion, it is significantly absent for most of the novel. She gets nominated, she goes dress-shopping, she learns her tap dance routine and she participates in the pageant. The rest is high school, rumours, everyday drama and blackmail, but related in such a dull way that I repeatedly considering DNFing. Felicity could go on and on about her best friends, Ivy and Haylie, but these two character felt more like ideas than genuine characters. Haylie is the redhead who fully believes everything Scarletville stands for. Moreover, if she got the opportunity, she'd immediately accept being the town's official mascot. Ivy, on the other hand, couldn't care less about the pageant or Scarletville's ideals. While her disapproval is occasionally touched upon, her reluctance to comply remains very tentative. Neither read as an actual character to me.

Read the rest on The Random Transliterator.

[Wendy Darling]

DNF after one chapter. This premise is just a little too zany for me, and the story feels almost better suited for a middle grade book.

[Cora Tea Party Princess · Rating 2 out of 5]

5 Words: Clever, teen, drama, high school, blackmail.

I can't say that I 100% enjoyed this book. It was entertaining and I loved that it was a witty piece of social commentary and liked the way it was presented, but it just wasn't quite my cup of tea.

I'm not really such a fan of high-school dramas. Been there, done that, it's never like the books. Yeah, there was bitching and blackmail and bullying, but books always seem to make it so over-the-top dramatic.

This is quite a summery book - it's just got that kind of sunshine-and-blue-skies feeling that works best in summer. So maybe that's a reason I didn't mesh so well with it - it's winter and freezing outside.

I wasn't so keen on Felicity - she is in no way as innocent as she thinks she is and she doesn't even realise it.

I received a copy of this for free via NetGalley for review purposes.

[Krys · Rating 3 out of 5]

Red is a 2013 debut young adult novel by Alison Cherry; the first debut that I have read this year. It features a small town in Iowa called Scarletville, where the denizens are largely redheads and proud of it. In fact the Redhead populace are lauded for the genetic blessings in such a way that the townsfolk spurns all other appearances and ethnicities (of which there is a diversity of this - you're either white and redhead, or white and not a redhead). It's not good to live in Scarletville unless you have the goods.


Felicity has the goods, or so everybody thinks. She's a natural Strawbie, a pejorative term in the town for anyone that is a strawberry blonde, the lowest of the low on the "red cred" totem pole. Felicity's mother, Ginger, is a proud redhead and a former beauty queen in the town's annual pageant, Miss Scarlet. Felicity was a runner up for the junior pageant, Miss Ruby Red, and her mother has been grooming her to be in the pageant since she was two year's old, when she started dying her hair in secret at the town's clandestine beauty parlour Rouge-o-rama. Ginger would never settle for giving birth to a Strawbie, after all.

Felicity lives in terror of being discovered, of her social status being nil. The only thing worse than being a Strawbie (or a blonde, or a brunette) is being an Artie - a person who dies their hair to fake their social appeal. She has the perfect boyfriend (Brent, a football playing Auburn) and two best redhead friends, Ivy and Haylie, but the pageant turns Felicity's life on its head. Someone knows that she is an Artie and is blackmailing her and threatens to ruin everything Felicity has been working towards. She needs that money to escape Scarletville and study Art in college. Will she be able to survive such torment to achieve her goals?

For the record, Felicity has the worst first world problems I have ever read in YA. She expends a lot of time and energy focusing on her hair, on what this decision will do to her "Red cred" or that conversation with a non-redhead will do to her life. She pines for art school and a life away from Scarletville but she has no idea how to change things. Her life, at 16 years of age, seems grounded in Scarletville and nothing else can get her away from the dresses and the routines and the shine of being a pageant girl. It reminds me of people who grow up in abusive households; they do not realize how extensive the abuse is until they step outside of it and see it for a distance for some time. Then they realize just how insane their life is/was... that is Felicity, to a tee.

At times I found this novel absolutely brilliant... when I thought it might be satire. It reminds me of Heathers in a way that I adore. But, it could be sharper and the scenes could have more contrast to them. I never bought the conflict of the story. I never related to Felicity. Worrying about "fitting in" or "being popular" has never been a concern of mine, even in high school (when it should have been). It's hard to fall into someone's world when their vapidity burgeons into straight up bigotry. I understand that this is the point of the novel, a town so bigoted they cannot see past their own Titian red tresses. But, and this is a strong but, that doesn't make it an enjoyable book from a Humanist stand point. I fear I was reading far too much into it. But, if it's a parody of small town life, and small town bigotry (as I suspect it is) than it didn't go far enough. Plain and simple.

There were moments when I loved this book - Felicity's relationship with her friends, particularly tom boy iconoclast Ivy (who is one of the big reasons I kept reading). Her alliance with the art golden boy, Jonathan, was also a large driving force behind why I finished this novel. Having studied Fine Art as my major in college (painters for the win!) I fell in very naturally to the scenes set in the studio and galleries, where Jonathan and Felicity's personalities really shone. The build up of their romance made me very happy as well.

...But it missed the mark. So, for that, I am giving it 3 out of 5 stars. I wished it was better (for me), but when I enjoyed it, I enjoyed it very much. So there's that.

- Review courtesy of www.bibliopunkkreads.com

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know what I was expecting when I opened RED on my Kindle and started reading. Maybe I was expecting the wrong thing, or maybe I was just confused by how the subject was handled, but I went in expecting something akin to a deconstruction of race relations under the guise of hair color. Instead, I got a rather inane story - that I still liked, that I still thought was cute, that I still enjoyed - about a girl in a strange town where red hair is held high above all, who is hiding the fact that she's not a true redhead at all.

While RED isn't a ground breaking story that explores the depths of prejudice and racism, it is a cute, fun young adult title about what it means to be yourself in the face of adversity. Plus, it gave me flashbacks of Drop Dead Gorgeous, but maybe I just really like beauty pageant satire.

YOUNGER TEENS REJOICE

A few days ago I posted a discussion about the rise of extremely dark young adult fiction with graphic violence, sexy sex, and just plain darkness. Well, younger teens and readers of all ages who aren't into that kind of thing, rejoice - RED is the book for you. It's light, airy, and definitely a book for people who don't want violence and sex, just a heavy dose of backstabbing and good old teenage antics. RED follows Felicity, a girl groomed from birth to be Miss Scarlet, Scarletville Iowa's answer to Miss America for redheads only. Felicity has the reddest hair in school, but surprise - she's really a strawbie, the lowest of lows unless you're blond or brunette, in which case you automatically suck.

The story reads more middle grade than young adult at times, and Felicity's situations are more akin to what a tween might experience than a real adult. Then again, this story wasn't really deep in any way. It's about a girl who has a secret and doesn't like her airhead boyfriend, while she dreams of being an artist, while her mother insists that her sole purpose in life is to be a redhead (really, I didn't get her mother or like her, and while she has eyes for a non-redhead boy who would ruin her red cred (really, that term is used) if people found out they liked one another.

NO COMMENT

I think what I was expecting was a deep tale about a girl living in a dystopian world where redheads are the chosen class. Sadly, this was a contemporary novel about a town where being a redhead was akin to being the chosen race. It's not very plausible, and even the explanations to show why it should make sense don't make sense. These girls are raised from birth to have one real feature - beautiful red hair. They go to classes that include The History of Redheadedness. Like that'll really get you into college - except in Scarletville, it seems like your only choice in colleges is the community college in town. You never leave Scarletville, it seems.

Wait, was this really dystopian?

Well, one of the biggest parts of the novel that peeved me was the ending, where our heroine has the chance to make a stand, and doesn't. She basically burns every bridge in her life and makes no attempt at anything except to leave. I wish there had been something deeper to this novel, some kind of a moral, but it just felt like a silly story about a very implausible town, very implausible events, and a very implausible girl who needed a bigger wakeup call than being blackmailed by a non-redhead.

VERDICT: RED is ultimately a forgettable novel that doesn't make any real comment on anything, only serving as a pseudo-dystopian tale about a city too preoccupied by redheads to realize how silly they sound, and a girl too caught up in her own life to realize her own foolishness.

[Kobe · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 stars.

a strange concept paired with a predictable storyline and romance, but it did have a few heartwarming scenes.

[Gray Cox · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, this is too juvenile for YA (which is surprising, because most young adult books are still juvenile), but nothing in this book was subtle or original.

However, it would be a bit higher in quality if it was middle grade. Just take out the makeout scenes and put these characters in middle school and the plot would be greatly improved simply because in juvenile this would count as good, fluff, but still good.

In the end, this book is in YA, which I think was a bad idea. This book is childish and bland compared to books with similar plot lines in YA, the writing isn't bad, the characters although immature aren't bad, but it just doesn't work in young adult.

[Wealhtheow · Rating 1 out of 5]

Felicity is a popular pageant contestant, but she harbors a dark and terrible secret--she dyes her hair red. In Scarletville, redheads are the only people that matter. Felicity is on the cusp of achieving her mother's greatest dream: being crowned Miss Scarlet. But then a classmate discovers her secret and begins blackmailing her. The blackmail starts small and escalates, and Felicity feels increasingly trapped. She can't tell her friends what's going on, and her boyfriend is a lunkhead. Her only solace is in her new friend, the arty and sensitive Jonathan.

Hamhanded attempt at creating an analogy for prejudice that just didn't work for me. Very juvenile writing style, forgettable characters, and no plot to speak of. Luckily, it's so lightweight that I only wasted an hour getting through it.

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5

I did like this one. I like the odd town - that red heads are so loved and so glorified. It gave the idea that a trait, like hair or eye color or skin color, could make you a different person. I loved how silly it made it seem - because it's so true.

But I also love that the characters are people. You don't necessarily like Felicity but you can see her POV. You don't necessarily hate Gabby, Haylie, Ivy, Brent, Cassie or any other character in the story but they aren't perfect. They are selfish and self centered, they are whiny and scared - but sometimes they are also brave and amazing and sweet. It was a great mix and I enjoyed this story

but the end left me wanting more. I would have liked a few more conclusions but I guess it's closer to real life this way - with everything not working out or even concluding before the story was done.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know those books where you find the synopsis utterly ridiculous? But you have to read just to see if the book is actually joke or not? I seriously thought this book was a big joke when I first read the summery. Red hair gets you the golden pass in life? wHAT. it's so ridiculous I had to read it. I was SO ready to give a full blown rant about how this book was stupid. Welllll, I guess now I can't. Because it wasn't, and it took me by one hell of a surprise. I actually ended up enjoying this a lot, but had a few issues still.

(below is how I, ANGELA, comprehended this book. it might be off, it might be beside the point, heck, it might be even completely wrong but it's okay.)

To me, I think is book is still more or less a joke. The concept, at least. The meaning and message is NOT a joke, but it uses the red hair as a way to convey this message. At first you might think, WTF. Red hair? A town that loves red hair? If you got it, flaunt it. It gets you places, in this town. Front of the line and all sorts of other discriminatory luxury things. What even.

The red hair might just represent how beauty, or other skin deep attributes and how humans are twisting those attributes to be worth more than they are. I mean, red hair is great, but you don't just give the power to those who have red hair. Or beauty, for example. If you got the "ideal" traits (which is pretty much bullshit), humans automatically place them above others who do not. I'm not getting into a discussion about what is "beauty" and the meaning it. I'm not. And I won't.

In Scarletville, everyone who has red hair is respected. Felicity has gorgeous, coppery red hair so she is also popular, has great friends, a hot boyfriend and is on her way to win the pageant. When you just read what I wrote, is it not ridiculous? Now, let's compare it to something else like high school. Everyone has those popular girls in their school, am I right? And what do all those girls have in common? Their freaking looks. Most of them all are pretty. Beautiful. Gorgeous. I'm not saying that all pretty people are "popular", it all depends on the person. They've got lots of "friends", boyfriends, gets invited to all the parties, etc. This doesn't mean they are good people, it just means their looks make people "like" them more than their personality. Which is pretty much very goddamn screwed up.

We might have paid attention to this before, but perhaps we didn't think about how stupid it is. Your LOOKS, determine your social standing in life. Um, what? Okay maybe not life. I'm still young, I don't know what is life yet. Let's still stick to high school for now. I'm not saying that this is always the case, because it's not. It's not, so DONT GET THE WRONG IDEA. But it is, for a lot of cases and it's totally irrational. It's ridiculous. It is, isn't it? Now is it such a big joke that the people in Scarletville treasure red hair, and place them high on their undeserving pedestal? Maybe not.

It's stupid, and illogical and I think maybe the author is trying to get us to realize that through this book. We don't realize how idiotic it is, but this book does a wonderful job of shedding some light on this subject. WAIT. Maybe, I am wrong. Maybe the author and none of the crap I just wrote in mind while writing and it's just about a town who loves red hair. Maybe. Maybe not.

Besides all those opinions I shared above (I'm kinda cookoo sometimes), this book is addicting. It's surprisingly suspenseful, agonizing and made me realize how shallow I am. I REALLY NEED TO START WORKING ON THAT. It's interesting and kept me reading till I finished. The book includes a lot of stereotypes, some annoying characters who were so damn stupid but overall is enjoyable. The romance wasn't heavy, kind of a background thing going on. It was cute, but the story wasn't centred on it so it wasn't overwhelming.

*please do not get offended by my use of "beauty" above. don't try to talk to me about deep philosophical shit about what beauty means and I didn't consider it and how I used the example of it wrong because beauty comes from within blah blah blah don't. don't. I'm only speaking of it in the relative sense, so use your common sense and don't argue about what is beauty because I am not in the mood.*

Give this book a try. Let it enlighten you. :3

[Christina (A Reader of Fictions) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Alison Cherry’s Red was among my most-anticipated books of 2013. The concept sounded hilarious and Alison’s tweets and blog posts always made me laugh. How could this possibly go wrong? Clearly, I need to stop thinking this way, because while Red was certainly a quick read, but sadly not a good one.

Read the full review at A Reader of Fictions.

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Initial reaction: Extraordinarily cliche and cheese, but parts of it managed to be entertaining. I didn't love it or hate it, but I think it could've established the satire much better than what it did for the themes it wanted to touch on. And there was a part of me that thought Felicity could've stepped up to the plate far more than she did.

Full review:

Ooh, what to say about Alison Cherry's "Red"? I'll admit that I was actually curious to read the galley for this title for a long time. The cover I thought was awesome and I thought it'd be an interesting, constructive portrayal of a redheaded society with some new thoughts to share in the mix. But upon reading the book, I couldn't help but be thrown by exactly how...weird this whole book came across. It's a parody, goodness knows I knew it was a parody, but it seemed on the side of overdoing the thematic to the point where I wanted to facepalm several times. Mother's name is Ginger? Character's name is Felicity? The mayor's name is Redding? There's red flowers everywhere? This is supposed to be a town where redheads are supposed to flourish compared to the outside world, but end up running the show and kicking everyone else aside in the process?

In my head I kept repeating the song from "Alice in Wonderland" because it seemed so silly. A few snippets from that:

"Painting the roses red
We're painting the roses red
Oh, pardon me
But Mister Three
Why must you paint them red?

*talking*

Huh? Oh! Well, the fact is, Miss
We planted the white roses by mistake
And...

*singing*

The Queen she likes 'em red
If she saw white instead
She'd raise a fuss
And each of us
Would quickly lose his head
Since this is the part we dread
We're painting the roses red."

And then the queen finds the roses and is like "WHO'S BEEN PAINTING MY ROSES RED?" You expect the fallout to be swift from that point.

Similar situation here: Felicity St. John only pretends that she's a redhead as part of a lifelong ambition to follow in her mother's footsteps and become the town's Miss Scarlet in a beauty pageant, get the prize money, pay for all the years of training she's accumulated through dance classes and the like, when all she wants to do is be recognized for her art. But she's really a "strawbie," faking it until she makes it, has to color her hair a darker shade in secret in order to keep up the facade. The Mayor and others know there's someone coloring redheads, but they don't know who or where, and are none too happy about it.

If Felicity's discovered, as well as the salon she goes to, she'll lose her head standing in town. The environment is intentionally secluded and rampant with its biases over its redheaded population, with non-redheads being socially shunned, and "strawbies" not counted as real redheads. All of it seems quite silly to the eye of the beholder, coming across as a children's/MG-like dystopia, with a self-absorbed protagonist vying to be queen bee and being less than true to herself. I definitely figure at one point "Meh, I'm probably not going to identify with Felicity at all, so I'm just going to read onward because there's bound to be fallout somewhere in this."

And there is, because someone discovers her secret. Let the blackmail games begin.

Only the book doesn't really waste time revealing the blackmailer, because by nature of the conflict of interest and role alone, you can guess who it is. But you can't make head for tails of her motivations, and that's a problem. You'd think it's because she simply hates redheads and their power in this town, and it all feels like a petty power struggle, with Felicity in the middle getting shafted by friends, boyfriend, family (the mother is horrible), all in the name of keeping up the charade until Felicity decides she can't take it anymore.

This book feels like it's trying to be Pretty Little Liars meets Mean Girls, but isn't sharp enough, or even astute enough - to pull that combination off. And it's certainly no Libba Bray's "Beauty Queens" because the execution of humor isn't nearly as on point. I'm not saying it wasn't a good idea, even if this did end up being YA instead of something like a children's/MG story. But it was so darned predictable. It wasn't fun on a collective note as much as it was hand holding. Parts of the narrative I found had insinuations of fun in it, but for the most part - it was cheese with a heroine who was clueless in not even an alluring way. I think the appeal in this novel stands as to whether or not you can handle that cheese and follow it anyway. Sometimes I could, and yeah, I liked moments such as when the MC connected with art student Jonathan just for the sake of the character having the chance to be herself and break from the petty games. But when the moment of truth comes and Felicity's meant to step up to the plate to end all the petty games? She...takes the indulgent route, riding off with her lover into the sunset off towards her dreams.

And here comes the point where I have the same problem with this novel as I had with Jessi Kirby's "Golden" - things don't work that conveniently. It almost shortchanges the concept of dealing with the prejudices that are rampant in this town. Maybe Felicity couldn't have taken down the town in a day or even in a single moment, but she could've done more than that.

I know this is supposed to be some parallel in that Felicity's leaving this town and its petty prejudices behind, choosing her own happiness. She wants to go do her own thing and rise above the petty power games, she accepts that she's no longer lying to herself or anyone else. But I'll admit I was expecting more.

Granted, there's something of a "Scrooge awakening" moment when Felicity realizes the situation of her blackmailer and that person's family and ultimately what that person is trying to do. But instead of it coming across as a respectable "I'm passing the torch to you, letting you do your thing because the expose needs to be done, and the take down of this terrible town can be done once and for all" - it comes across like Felicity's saying "Okay, you can handle it, I'm just going to go...k'Bye!"

*hangs head* And that's what ruined the intention of the book. I saw what it was trying to do, but nope. Felicity may be more aware, but her actions still come across as self-indulgent.

What could've been done alternatively? If Felicity had taken some responsibility, teamed up with former blackmailer and did the expose together, that probably would've made it better. Probably. I'm not saying that it would've taken the cheese of the piece out, but it would've made it more fulfilling of a narrative.

In other news, I laughed so hard at some of the poetry in this book. At least it intended itself to be bad, something like a "Bring it On" moment, but I just want to cite Cassie's pageant poem to end this review on:

“Yeah, I’m a diva,
don’t try to pretend like I’m not.
You might not like my sassy attitude,
but you definitely think I’m hot.

Yeah, I know I look good,
my makeup takes me an hour.
But that doesn’t mean I’m not tough and badass;
I am totally about girl power

Yeah, I’ve got mad skills, too.
You’ll see what I mean.
When you see me strut my stuff,
with jealousy you will turn green

Yeah, I’m the greatest one here.
I won’t go off on a tangent,
but I’m gonna crush my competition
and win this pa-pa-pageant."

At least that performance was meant to be bad, with all the impact of crickets chirping, but...cheese! I guess it could be worse. It could be "Silent Echo: A Siren's Tale."

I got that this narrative didn't want to take itself too seriously in spaces. The unfortunate thing is that in the moments that mattered, it didn't take itself seriously enough. So I'm middle of the road on it. Didn't hate it for intention and some cheese moments, but didn't like it because of the nature of some of that cheese and that it could've been far more astute of a parody with its respective messaging.

Overall score: 2.5/5 stars

Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Random House BFYR.

[Jill · Rating 2 out of 5]

This follows a red-headed girl, Felicity, from Scarletville. In this town, red-heads are treated like royalty. They are the most popular kids in school, they get the best of everything, and they get all the praises. Felicity has a secret though - she isn't a natural red-head. She's an "artie" pretending to be a natural red-head. When she starts getting blackmailed, she does everything she could to keep her secret under wraps. How far will Felicity go to keep her secret?

I know this is supposed to be satire, but it was a little too ridiculous. The whole town's social status is based on hair color. LOL. So dramatic! This book ended up being completely predictable with unlikeable characters. The only person I liked in this book was Ivy, because she was the closest thing to a real person. Everyone else is way over the top and melodramatic. I respect the author for trying to shed light on how belittling people based on looks is unacceptable, which is why I gave 2 stars instead of 1, but it wasn't done very well. It came off as silly and childish. I do not recommend.

[Miss Bookiverse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ich gebe es ja zu: das Buch klingt unglaublich albern. Eine Stadt, in der Haare nur heimlich in einem Hochsicherheitsfrisörsalon gefärbt werden können, damit auf keinen Fall jemand herausfindet, dass man gar kein echter Rotschopf ist. Eine Schule, in der Brünette und Blonde an den schlechtesten Cafeteriatischen sitzen und keine Chance haben je Ballkönigin oder -könig zu werden. Alles nur wegen der falschen Haarfarbe. Bescheuert oder?
Schon, aber so wie Alison Cherry es beschreibt, funktioniert’s. Felicitys Welt und Probleme kommen realistisch rüber. Ihr Alltag läuft halt so. Sie kennt das nicht anders.
Außerdem kann man rote Haare ja auch ganz leicht als Sinnbild verstehen. Schließlich werden Menschen tagtäglich wegen “falscher” Hautfarben vorschnell verurteilt und schlechter behandelt. Sind “falsche” Haarfarben da wirklich so weit von entfernt?

Leider muss man sich dieses kritischen Ansatz wirklich selbst suchen. Alison Cherry bietet einem bis auf die Grundlage nicht viel Gesellschaftskritik. Sie erzählt eine typische Highschoolgeschichte mit obligatorischen Mädchenfreundschaften, Erpressung durch eine fiese Brünette, einer Miss-Wahl, dem falschen Jungen, dem richtigen Jungen und dem Schulball. Unterhaltsam, aber nicht mehr.

Heimliches Highlight des Buches ist der Pommesladen, den Felicity mit einem Freund besucht. Das ganze nennt sich Fry Me To The Moon und klingt einfach göttlich:

Felicity tried to focus on the menu, but it was overwhelming. There were at least twenty dipping sauces to choose from, and they all sounded equally delicious. She definitely needed some waffle fries, but was she in a jalapeño cheddar mood or a cinnamon barbecue mood? Maybe the spicy mayo was the way to go.

Also, ist nicht so albern wie es klingt, aber ist auch keinesfalls so kritisch wie es sein könnte. Nette Zwischendurchunterhaltung ohne viel Tiefgang.

[Alise · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was not entirely impressed with RED, even going in with relatively low expectations. I was expecting a fun, light novel but this one was a little too cliquey and middle grade for me. There is a great moral and life lesson attached though, which was RED’s redeeming quality.

RED takes place in the town of Scarletville, where, you guessed it-everyone who is anyone is redheaded. Felicity has the most coveted hair in the whole town, and is revered by her fellow redheads. The only problem is Felicity’s hair is absolutely fake, and someone knows her secret.


RED basically tells the story of one big clique. Our main character, Felicity, is the girl we love to hate from the usual YA novel. The gorgeous one who is smart and has everything. RED is unique in the aspect that we actually see the world out of the usual antagonist’s eyes: what is is like to be in a clique? To feel superior to others? To have the constant pressure of being perfect and not disappointing anyone? Unfortunately, it takes blackmail and a huge life lesson for Felicity to learn that all of these things are not what is truly important in life.


Felicity’s mother is not a good role model at all. Even for the purpose of this novel, I found myself absolutely hating her. She was not supportive of her daughter’s true dreams and encouraged negative values. Nothing like a real mother should be.

Because of the obvious moral lesson here, RED impressed me with its coming of age story. However, it was not the most entertaining journey. I can recommend this one to younger teens but would otherwise suggest skipping out on it.

[Michael Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scarletville, Iowa, bills itself as a National Redhead Sanctuary. Indeed, it’s a town where the vast majority of the populace are redheads. A town where gingers are worshipped, and the redder the better. Where strawberry blondes are disparagingly referred to as “strawbies” and looked down on as “not red enough.” Where those who dye their hair to fit in are dubbed “arties” and outright ostracized for their false redness. It’s the town’s dirty little secret, that blondes and brunettes are shunned, mocked, discriminated, kept out of positions of importance.

Felicity St. John is one of the reddest of the red, and a beauty queen in the making. Her mother, a former Miss Scarlet twenty-five years ago, has driven Felicity to compete all her life, with an eye towards making sure Felicity entered, and won, the Miss Scarlet pageant when she came of age. And now that time has come.

But Felicity’s not so sure she wants to be a beauty queen, to follow in her mother’s footsteps, to bring home the trophy her mother has craved for so long. She’d rather take art classes and follow her own dreams. But with the pageant fast approaching, it’s time to play dutiful daughter a little longer.

Only…there’s a problem. Someone has found out Felicity’s dark secret—that she’s dyed her hair ever since she was a toddler—and now they’re blackmailing her. If she gives in to their demands, it could ruin her social standing and her chances at Miss Scarlet. But if anyone finds out the truth, it could destroy her entire life. Caught between two impossible choices, can she find a way to break free?

At first, I looked at Red as a relatively run-of-the-mill YA drama. You know, slice-of-life, with teen angst, romance, a protagonist forced to make hard decisions and come of age, the usual. And one set against a comparatively lightweight premise. A town full of redheads? Where the heroine’s deepest, darkest secret is that she’s not a natural redhead? Yeah, good for some laughs, but hard to take seriously. It reminded me of Emma Pillsbury’s parents from Glee, on a larger scale.

Bu then I reconsidered.

This book is freaking brilliant. In creating her little town of redhead supremacy, Alison Cherry has taken an innocuous physical detail, and turned it into the perfect stand-in for a host of real issues. In discussing the way in which non-redheads are ostracized, bullied, and discriminated against, she’s bringing our attention to all forms of discrimination against the Other. Be it race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or what-have-you, it’s represented here. Felicity’s struggles to pass as a redhead, always worrying that she’ll be exposed for what she really is, terrified that even a little slip might drive away friends or destroy her social status, is representative of the worry and confusion many LGBTQ teens feel when trying to figure their lives out. (Admittedly, Felicity still doesn't have to worry about many of the problems and risks many queer teens experience, up to and including physical abuse or death... but even as I acknowledge those awful truths, I don't want to discount the message present here.)

Alison Cherry has taken all of the angst and emotional turmoil, all of the social upheaval and complexity, faced by minorities of every sort, and repackaged it with a cis white straight face. In the real world, a girl like Felicity, who’s beautiful, poised, confident, accomplished, in a steady relationship with a guy—in short, absolutely normal—would be accepted without reservation. Her hair color wouldn’t even be a factor. Only in this dysfunctional, intolerant, close-minded town of redhead supremacists would she be afraid of being destroyed by a single mistake.

As we see throughout the course of the book, there are distinct and real disadvantages of being anything but a redhead. They’re shoved out of line, informally barred from competing in the Miss Scarlet pageant, shut out of many high school clubs and student body positions, and so on. The rage and frustration brought on by this treatment leads to Felicity’s blackmail experience, and while I can’t exactly approve of the tactic, I can understand where the perpetrator comes from.

Alison Cherry’s tactic is brilliantly subversive. In crafting this tale of discrimination, hidden identities, self-determination, and prejudice against the Other, she’s quite possibly created a relatable, accessible allegory that doesn’t include anything dangerous. Yes, this story could very well be considered “Safe” since it doesn’t contain any major characters of color (there are a few minor ones running round, and as expected, they get the same treatment as all non-redheads) and hardly any queer ones. (Again, the one exception I could find, a flamboyant guy who wears a dress to prom, is accepted because his hair is the right color.)

I’m honestly torn by this. On the one hand, I’m all about YA that encourages and features diversity, and this book has very little of it. On the other hand, the author tackles some pretty complex subjects in such a sideways, unexpected manner, that I pretty much have to tip my hat to her. It’s an unconventional method that manages to be both subtle and a little silly, and it works.

Of course, all of these deep thoughts have distracted me from the other aspects of the story, so let me tackle them in brief. Felicity’s internal turmoil is relatable and believable, and watching her participate, however unwillingly, in the downward spiral of her own social standing, is painful and yet strangely refreshing. As she strips away the trappings she didn’t even want, you can see the real Felicity, the one her own domineering mother can’t recognize, come out at last. Couple that emotional journey and character growth with a sweet (if somewhat predictable) romance, and you have the makings of a story that would be perfectly enjoyable even without the deeper message.

Oh, and can I just say, I’m a huge fan of Felicity’s friend Ivy, the athletic tomboy who enters the Miss Scarlet pageant against her better will, doing it just to help out her friends, and who then does everything in her own indomitable style? For the bathing suit portion, she wears her swim team one-piece, cap, goggles, and flip-flops. WIN.

This is a surprisingly strong and satisfying debut for Alison Cherry, and I hope to see much more from her. She’s proven that she can deliver a sophisticated message in a deceptively innocuous wrapping, and I look forward to future offerings.
(Originally posted at Schrodinger's Bookshelf)

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read more reviews at What Danielle Did Next

3.5 Stars

RED was a fun, cute, quick read with an entertaining albeit slightly ludicrous plot and a strong moral message that I enjoyed.

Felicity has it all, living in Scarletville, the world's only Redhead Sanctuary, she is popular, well liked, dating the hottest guy in school and a shoo-in for the upcoming Miss Scarlet pageant. Life should be perfect but Felicity is hiding a scandalous secret...she may benefit from the privilege of being a redhead but gasp! she is living a lie and really her hair is a shade closer to reddish blonde, dark enough to be called "carrots" anywhere else in the world but in Scarletville is a one way ticket to the back of the line and a life as a second class citizen. When Felicity receives an ominous note revealing that someone knows her secret Felicity knows her world could come crashing down at any minute. Will she bend to peer pressure or will she stand and challenge the status quo?

I went into RED with a slight air of trepidation as reviews appeared to range widely however I have to say I found it fun, fresh and cute. I will say I think this book is more suited to be classed as MG and as such I read it with that in mind which I think helped me to enjoy it more as I was willing to overlook the fact that Scarletville was not set in some strange, dark and forbidding dystopia where redheads are an endangered species (which would have been tons of fun) but instead was simply a town in a contemporary novel that lauded those with a ruby hue.

Despite the “out there” premise, the main plot of the story was one that I connected with and I sympathised with Felicity and her dilemma. I liked Felicity as a character, continuously pushed by her mother to fit a certain mould and always show the face that pleases those who are considered important rather than being allowed to embrace her individualism and pursue her own dreams. One scene that really got to me was when Felicity was discussing her future and it was clear it never occurred to her that it could and should be possible for her to develop her skills in art, her passion, rather than simply settling for the local school. Constantly badgered to play a part rather than be herself meant that when the initial threat of exposure is revealed to her she cannot comprehend this being anything other than a disaster. Felicity’s mother Ginger infuriated me and I willed for Felicity to stand up to her and demand to be allowed to experience her own happiness rather than having to fulfil Ginger’s hopes and dreams and be her meal ticket.

Because of the slightly younger feel to the text it was unfortunate that the themes of prejudice were never fully developed however I adored the message to be true to yourself, that marching to the beat of your own drum is never easy but is worth it. Happiness is something that is hard earned when there are people in the shadows ready to try and steal it from you but it is something that when embraced from within rather than sought from outside sources can flourish in the most unlikely of ways.

I particularly loved the characters Ivy and Jonathan. Both have accepted their differences and won’t sacrifice their truth for anyone and it was heartening to see at times particularly when Felicity was struggling to keep everyone happy.

Overall I think RED is an assured debut with interesting characters, a cute storyline and a positive message to remain true to yourself in the face of adversity.

[Reading is my Escape · Rating 3 out of 5]

Red - Audiobook review  
Interesting premise: in the town of Scarletville, having red hair is all that matters. Felicity is popular and she has it all. She has gorgeous red hair, loyal best friends, a hot boyfriend, artistic talent, and it looks like she will win the Miss Scarlet pagent. But then she receives an anonymous note. Someone knows her secret: she dyes her hair, and has been doing it her whole life. It's her junior year in high school, and if anyone finds out she's a fake, she could lose everything.
 
So, it seems a bit silly that red hair could be that important, but there is always something, especially in high school. Money, looks, power, that "something extra" that the popular people have and the rest of us don't. 
 
The story is well-written and the narrator is good. I guessed the end (or most of it) long before it actually happened, but I still enjoyed listening. It was a bit of a stretch for Felicity to change so quickly at the end, but it wasn't terrible.
 
A funny thing, it doesn't occur to Felicity that in the outside world red hair isn't a big deal. She is also worried about how she will get out of Scarletville and go to college if she doesn't win the pageant. At one point, when someone points out she might be able to get a scholarship or other money for college, Felicity insists her mother won't let her take it, she would think it was charity. Her mother is clearly single-minded. Since Felicity was first born, her mother has been preparing her to win the Miss Scarlet pageant. Felicity doesn't care about the pageant nearly as much as her mother does. Talk about living through your child.
 
This is a young adult novel and maybe teens will get the hint that superficial things aren't as important as they sometimes seem.

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Quercus books and Netgalley.)
Felicity lives in Scarletville, a place where redheads are revered. Felicity has envious red hair, but would die if anyone knew that it was only red due to frequent trips to a top-secret salon.
When someone discovers Felicity’s secret, and begins to blackmail her, Felicity sees no choice other than to give in to her blackmailer, even if it means being made to look a fool.
Who is blackmailing Felicity? And how can she put an end to it?


This was an interesting story, but it wasn’t quite as good as I thought it would be.

Felicity was an okay character, but she didn’t have quite the backbone I expected. For one of the popular girls she was actually really quite lacking in self-esteem, and I was shocked at how she really believed that her life would be over if people knew she was a blonde rather than a red head.

The storyline in this was okay, but I expected more tension, and I expected the blackmail to be a little more suspenseful and well, bad. Instead the threats seemed fairly tame, the things that Felicity was expected to do, were again fairly tame, and the identity of the blackmailer took her all of 10 seconds to work out. If Felicity had actually had a bit more self-worth she wouldn’t have been falling all over herself in case her roots were showing, and would never have given in to such a lame attempt at blackmail.
The ending to this was okay, but was again pretty tame, and I didn’t feel that the events of the story really had all that much impact on anyone but Felicity, which wasn’t really all that exciting really.
Overall; an okay story, but I expected more.
6.75 out of 10.

[Thalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is yet another book I initially read about a year and a half ago, but since I remember enjoying it, I decided to reread it so I could review it better. To my relief, despite lower-rated reviews I read from friends, I found that I still enjoyed Red for all its goofiness and craziness.

The second I read the synopsis for this book, I knew I needed to have it. I’ve been dying my hair a coppery red since I was fifteen, and it’s actually astounding how many people feel slightly betrayed when they discover that I’m not actually a redhead. I’ve had “real” redheads poke fun at me, and while I don’t care if people know I dye my hair, I sometimes feel a little bit like a liar when someone (especially strangers) compliment my hair color. My reaction is always to say, “Thanks, I dye it,” like I want them to know I can’t take credit for it.

That could be why I enjoyed Red so much, despite its immaturity and its flaws. I usually don’t go for books that can’t convince me to believe in its world, but fortunately I found that Cherry convinced me quite easily that Scarletville is a real place, and the people there are really kind of messed up. Felicity is a perfect narrator for the novel because she changes the most, and she’s not intentionally cruel but just kind of clueless. Felicity learning that her hair color—and everyone else’s, too—doesn’t matter is a perfect metaphor for the insignificant differences we all have that we can get hung up on.

Read the rest of my review on my blog!
http://thaliasbooks.tumblr.com/post/1...

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 3.5 stars

Red is a smart, entertaining book about a teen girl living in a town where everyone (well, everyone that matters) is a redhead and social capital is based on how red your hair is. But Felicity has a secret: her beautiful red hair is actually dyed *gasp*. When someone finds out the truth and begins blackmailing her, everything is turned upside down and she must grapple with who she really is.

This was a quick, light read and the plot is somewhat predictable, but it was still fun and satisfying. Think teen high school drama that is occasionally cheesy, but is also funny, clever, and has a lot of heart. And the message about learning to be comfortable with who you really are is an apt one for young adults, and often enough those beyond as well. This would make a great movie!

[Christina Farley]

Here's my review: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUeZIg...

[Cortney - Bookworm & Vine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book. Wish I had more of a wrap-up at the end though... I need to know what happened next.

[Leigh Collazo · Rating 5 out of 5]

More reviews at Mrs. ReaderPants.

REVIEW: One part Stepford Wives and one part Mean Girls, Red is a fresh, funny, creative story that highlights society's prejudices. While much of the story takes place at the local high school, the prejudice and discrimination against non-reds heavily infiltrates the entire community. Hair dye is not permitted, and the local colorist has to hide her salon with a series of clandestine elevators, secret passcodes, and strategically-located broom closets. These people are serious about their hair!

When I first started reading, I thought this was going to be more allegory or satirical, written mainly to comment on our society's prejudices and obsession with beauty. On some levels, it is just that, but Red is so much more. Aside from the obvious moral statement, the story has real heart and depth. Readers will care about Felicity and empathize with her need to keep her secret safe. This is her life, and while it may seem inconsequential to us, exposing her secret really is a big deal to Felicity.

Red is so easy to get into that I read it in one sitting. Felicity is a dynamic character who starts out weak and scared and grows strong and self-assured as the story progresses. I loved Felicity's new romantic interest and was sorry Felicity didn't see the light earlier in the story--I looked forward to the scenes with that particular boy in them.

Felicity's two best friends are also clearly drawn and integral to the story. And Felicity's mother! What a piece of work she is!

If you like watching Toddlers & Tiaras or are just interested in the pageant lifestyle in general, you should definitely check this book out. I am not into watching pageants myself, but I don't think Red is offensive to pageants in any way. Felicity sees the pageant as a way to get out of her life, to leave Scarletville forever, and I think for many young women, pageants really help them carve out a new life for themselves. I was glad to see that the pageant contestants were mostly nice to each other, save for the one "strawbie" among them, who they mostly just ignored.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Short, fun, and surprisingly deep, Red is an engrossing read that many teen girls (and adult women) will enjoy.

STATUS IN MY LIBRARY: We don't have it, and I am on the fence about getting it. The only content I worry about is the two make-out scenes (see content notes below). Still thinking about this one.

THEMES: bullying, popularity, friendship, mothers/daughters, being yourself, standing up for yourself and others, obsession with appearance

READALIKES: Fat Hoochie Prom Queen (Medina), Smart Girls Get What They Want (Strohmeyer)

RATING BREAKDOWN:

Overall: 5/5
Creativity: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Engrossing: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Appeal to teens: 5/5
Appropriate length to tell the story: 5/5


CONTENT:

Language: mild; a few "bit**" and "ass"
Sexuality: high; two make-out scenes where boy sneaks into girl's room via window, kissing without shirts on, discussion of loss of virginity (does not happen)
Violence: mild; girls are mean to each other
Drugs/Alcohol: mild; one very minor character is stoned at the Prom, gossip about someone who sells pot
Social issues: blackmail, cross-dressing male classmate, bullying

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Red reminded me of Petronella Saves Nearly Everyone: The Entomological Tales of Augustus T. Percival. Not that the books are at all similar, but my reaction to them has been. They are both odd, slightly disturbing plots with extremely memorable premises that left me confused and with a feeling of disquiet. Except I came to appreciate Petronella Saves Nearly Everyone and I learned it was apparently an allegory or something like that. I don't think that will happen with Red.
Unless there is a more subtle, interesting sub-plot than the obvious one of discrimination, this book is basically what you see is what you get. And I am kind of disappointed with what I got.
The writing engaged me at first but remained fairly teenybopper throughout. The overall premise - a "sanctuary" for redheads - was extremely clever. As a redhead, there was no way I was not going to give this book a try.
Unfortunately, it never quite transcends the YA genre into something interesting or worth reading. Felicity St. John, our intrepid heroine, is extraordinarily shallow and uninteresting. I found it difficult to relate or like her. I don't think she ever shows much depth, even during her big climax. Her friends are equally uninteresting, except Ivy who was awesome and almost got this book an extra star just for being awesome. However, I would probably take that star away for Felicity's Mom, whose motivation was totally confusing.
Once into the story line, the plot was predictable. The romance was unbelievable and annoying. Plus, soap box here, I can't stand heroines who compromise their own values for popularity, or in this case, "red cred." Felicity dates a guy she "isn't it love with" because he is the guy everyone wants to date. And he really isn't that bad...or he is? The author can't seem to make up her mind. Sweet but dumb? Cruel and discriminatory? Jealous and...? I don't even know anymore. He had no real motivation. And...sigh. Abstinence, people. Please. Why do YA novels feel the need to throw in sex scenes, or almost sex scenes? Even if in this case "nothing happened", the author still had to go there. Just, urg.
Anyway.
What took this book from being merely a mediocre, 2 star teeny-bopper read (besides the weird, discriminatory, arbitrary world it is set in) to a 1 star failure is the treatment of its main topic: redheads. There is something unique about being "red". Redhead Days in Chicago was one of the most memorable experiences of my life - there were redheads, everywhere! My sister and I went up to total strangers and took pictures with everyone. It was so cool. There were shared stories and emotions and an overall sense of what it meant to have this odd, mutant, recessive gene. I think this book had the potential to capture that emotion. But it doesn't.
Substitute "Scarletville" with "Blondville" or "Brunetteville" and it really doesn't matter. Nothing about this story line makes it unique to redheads. Maybe that is because this book is supposed to be a commentary on discrimination or something but it is too over the top to work. It falls flat and awkward.
It wasn't that I expected my new favorite book (I did, after all, read the description), I just thought Red would offer something more. Something deeper or more relatable. Instead I got a mediocre at best novel with unlikely characters and a pretty typical YA romance. Girl Online has a challenger for biggest disappointment of 2016.

[Princess Bookie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Thoughts: Oh how I enjoyed this one. When I started it, I wasn't sure I would! We are introduced to Felicity who has red hair, or at least everyone thinks so. See, Felicity is from a town called Scarletville where everyone adores redheads. They get royalty treatment. There are so many redheads that they are in control. HEHE. Since everyone thinks Felicity is a redhead too she’s popular and everyone likes her.

Felicity’s mom has been grooming her whole life for the Miss Scarlet pageant. Not only is there prize money, but there is also popularity. To win this thing could be big for mother and daughter. And since Felicity’s mom was also a redhead and in pageants, nothing less can be settled for Felicity. Her mother has been taking Felicity to get her hair dyed since she was two years old at an underground hair salon. Nothing is worst than being a fake redhead! A strawbie! And if you have brown hair, nobody gives you a second glance.

Felicity’s life is perfect. She has friends, everyone likes her, and she has a smoking boyfriend named Brent who's also a redhead. He’s a football player and everyone thinks he’s cool. He’s not very deep though and Felicity accepts this. She figures he’s a good enough guy for her.

Until of course, she sees how much bigger the world can be, and what other guys are out there.

Felicity is excited about competing but she also enjoys art and its her real passion, but her mom doesn’t see it as an acceptable career choice for her. She thinks its a waste of time and money.

Felicity in content with things for now.. Until she starts getting blackmailed. Someone finds out she’s a strawbie. Things go downhill fast. She knows she must protect her reputation but really how important is this, she wonders.

Brent was ok. He wasn’t very deep and he was kind of superficial so when a new boy is introduced. YES PLEASE. His name was Jonathan, and he likes art. He’s a sweet guy who knows what he wants. I loved him! I loved getting to know him. I also liked Felicity’s friends. They were fun to read about.

Most of all, I loved all the Iowa references in this one. I know quite a bit about Iowa, so this was an interesting thing to read. To read about places I have been, or the way things are. Loved the mention of different places, cities, etc.

I liked the characters, the plot, and everything in between!

Overall: I thought this one was really cute but also very deep. It had a lot of hidden messages throughout the novel and would make a perfect read! I liked the romance, I liked the different things Felicity had to go through, even if she didn’t like them. I thought this was a really fantastic debut!

Cover: Its cute! Love how she is holding her finger, sshhh! Also like her friends in the background. Cute!

What I'd Give It: 5/5 Cupcakes
__________
Taken From Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com

[Charli - To Another World · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this review and many others at To Another World!

Author: Alison Cherry
Publisher: Quercus (UK)
Date of Publication: January 2nd
Pages: 320
Source: eARC via Netgalley
Goodreads | Amazon

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley via Quercus in exchange for a honest review. This does not affect my review/opinions in any way.

Ever since I heard about Red on Twitter, I was really excited about it, so when I was approved a copy, I read it immediately! Although it didn't really sound like my type of book, I liked the sound of the concept.

The concept, in short, is a modern version of racial issues, using hair colour as the basis. As a complete history nerd, myself, I found that this interested me to see what happened throughout the book. The way things were described, such as how other hair colours were treated, such as not being elected for things, really wanted to make me go on into the book.

I think my honest only gripe about this book was that it was very American and some of it was VERY cliche. But, it's obviously intended to be American, and the cliches worked. The tiny flaw of the book made it ever more perfect.

And as per usual, I loved the love interest of the book, Jonathan. Even if he was a brunette, I would go for any arty, smart boy who took me out for fries because my prom wasn't working out. One quote I absolutely adored from the book was

"Jonathan played with his cuff link, suddenly unable to
meet Felicity's eyes. 'Well... the girl I really wanted to ask
was-um-indisposed, I guess."

It's hard to explain what I felt for the protagonist, Felicity. I found it slightly annoying that she wouldn't just stand up to her mum and stay a strawbie, but then, I'm a bit of a feminist and it all works out in the end, not saying anything about that.

A little thing that interested me throughout the book were little recurring phrases, such as "red cred". It showed how Felicity was very focused on her social status, and afraid of being outed as a strawbie. Again, this goes back to the amazing concept of modern racism. Also, little bits of humour were added throughout, for example one of their history lectures was "Vikings in the History of Redheadedness".

Altogether, I really enjoyed this book as a refreshing, but thought-provoking, read, and I'd recommend it to anyone with a love of a good concept and contemporary US Young Adult.

[Farah Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Scarletville, Red is what matters. Redheads are considered as royals, and brunettes and blondes are frowned upon. Redheads have privileges, while others don't. Felicity St. John has the perfect life. She's pretty, has amazing friends, and a hot boyfriend who every girl is drooling over. Felicity's mother, who also happens to be the manager of the Miss Scarlet pageant, is obsessed into preparing her daughter to win the pageant. In truth, Felicity doesn't even want all that, because in truth, she's all fake. It's pretty shocking, but it's true. Felicity's mother has been dying Felicity's strawberry blonde hair bright red all her life. No one knows her secret, and if anyone does find out, she'll be known as a "strawbie" and will be at the lower class.
Reading this sounded a bit childish. Like, who would discriminate against hair color? It's just HAIR, but that's not the point. Looking at the bigger picture, this book shows how you aren't supposed to change who you are just to please others. Through this book, Felicity gets blackmailed into doing things because someone found out her secret. She sacrificed a lot, and I just thought that it wasn't worth all the hard work. Felicity was a great character to read about. Her mother, Ginger, was a really annoying character who just wanted to shape her daughter the way she wanted. I just felt like chocking Ginger, because how can she not see that this isn't what her daughter is passionate about? The plot of the story was great, and it was really interesting to see what Felicity would do every time she gets another note from her blackmailer.
Overall, this wasn't a fun contemporary, but it was definitely a great read. Gives a great message to all those teenagers out there. Do what you love, and don't let anyone decide anything for you. Not only that, but this book also shows that each and every person is equal. We shouldn't care weather that person is a "redhead" or a "blonde". In the end, I loved the book, and I was definitely rooting for Felicity throughout the whole time. Will definitely be looking out for Alison Cherry's future books!

[A Canadian Girl · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I first saw the summary of Red by Alison Cherry, I thought it sounded like a weirdly interesting read. Only after I read Red did I realize that it’s a satire. If you substitute being redheaded for different cultural ideals of beauty, you quickly see that it’s not just in the fictional town of Scarletville that some people have a higher status than others based on some absurd criteria.

In terms of the characters, I found it easy to empathize with Felicity because her mom is one of those parents that claim to want what’s best for their child but really just want their child to be a younger version of themselves. And because Felicity doesn’t want to disappoint her mom, she constantly worries about her ‘red cred’ – even going so far as to do whatever her blackmailer tells her to do – while trying to figure out how she can achieve her own goals without hurting her mother. My favourite character, however, was Ivy because she was so individualistic.

Although I did like Red, I had several issues with it. As a satire, I thought it required a lot of suspension of disbelief, yet turned out to only be an average read. I also didn’t like the idea of resorting to blackmail to change the status quo. Had the cause for change begun in a positive manner, I think I’d feel a bit more sympathy for Felicity’s blackmailer. Lastly, the novel wasn’t as mysterious as I expected; Felicity basically suspects one person to be her blackmailer, confronts her (pretty early in the book), and finds out that she’s right.