Red Riding Hood

  (I prefer the other cover but couldn't find one that would copy.)

By: Sarah Blakley-Cartwright; David Leslie Johnson; Catherine Hardwicke

I’m training to run in a relay for a marathon next month and most of my running is done inside on a treadmill.  As you can imagine, it’s really boring!!!  So, I decided to down load an audio book and since I was interested in seeing the movie (which I am next week!) I thought what the heck.  I knew enough about the book to know it would keep my attention.

And boy was I right.  I didn’t run the entire 6 miles but listening to the book distracted me enough.

Let’s skip the running and get to the book. 

I wasn’t aware but the screenplay came before the book, although the topic of Little Red Riding Hood has been around forever.  I think 700 years!  The audio version is read by Erin Moon and she did a wonderful job!  I felt like she was Valerie speaking to me and telling me about her village.  Her voice was enchanting and sucked me in from the start.  I lived in Daggerhorn, where houses were on stilts and we were held captive by The Wolf. 

Red Riding Hood is about a village that offers sacrifices to The Wolf in order to keep peace.  Yet, The Wolf breaks his treaty (I guess you’d call it that) and attacks.  But The Wolf is someone in the village and throughout the course of the book you’re left wondering who it could be.

Caught in the middle is Valerie who not only thinks she knows who The Wolf is but might be in love with him or her.  She’s torn in her duty to her village, her family and to herself.  Can she be happy with The Wolf or should she give her heart to another in order to keep the peace.

I don’t want to give too much away since most know the basis behind the story.  I will say the imagery was fantastic and the words ran pictures before my eyes.  Loved it!  Not sure who Erin Moon is (and I did try to find her) but loved her voice!

As I’m writing this, I did see a review for the movie and it wasn’t very good.  I’m not deterred; I’m still going to see it and can’t wait!  Heck, most movies I like aren’t reviewed very well.  I also think that maybe the movie and book have different endings.  My reasoning?  The movie reviewer said he felt the big reveal was a letdown and in the book, they don’t really reveal anything.  I also read a customer review of the audio book and it said the ending was missing from their copy and I downloaded from the same place.  If so, then I don’t know either.  I can speculate who’s The Wolf.   After Tuesday, I’ll know for sure. 

If you get a chance to read and enjoy YA supernatural, then I think you’ll like Red Riding Hood.