The Girl in Red

This book was...pretty bad. Mostly because the main character was a complete Mary Sue. We are told constantly how smart and insightful she is, how good her instincts are, and how inexplicably good she is with an axe despite zero training or prior knowledge. She quotes Shakespeare, has random scientific knowledge, is mixed race AND bisexual. She hates guns, cuz they’re so, like, cold and hateful. When a wise character (who’s Asian, natch) points out that guns are possibly useful in post-apocalyptic situations, Red actually says, disdainfully, that she doesn’t need a gun cuz she’s got BRAINS. Even when her brother or random soldiers “insult” her, it’s actually written to give her compliments: oh man, she’s so non-compliant, she’s so annoyingly forthright and brave (dramatic eye roll, gosh can you believe this girl?).The plot itself is okay, until suddenly a whole new element is introduced and then left unexplained and unresolved. Unfortunately it was also the most interesting part, but it also felt completely random, like the author realised people having a cough and dying wasn’t interesting enough.As a final hat-tip to authors everywhere, no one - and I mean, NO ONE - casually drops the phrase “deux ex machina” into conversation.

What a great book, great story, great characters - loved everything about it! This basically has every component that I love in books; end-of-the-world, a bit of horror, strong female character, diverse characters, likable characters - and a good story to tell. It was delivered on Sat morning and I had finished it by dinner time. The ending was too soon, left me wanting more, but could go either way. If she writes a sequel, I will definitely buy it - if not, then the story stands as is. Christina Henry has become my favorite author.

This was a compelling read and I really didn't form an opinion until a couple of hours after I finished it. I really liked the heroine to a point. I found her feisty and competent but rather unfeeling. Far more that pragmatic. She didn't have a problem leaving anyone behind. I felt like the author rushed the ending and that's what left me unsatisfied. I hate when authors do that. If there had been more character development, this book could have easily been turned into a trilogy. What a waste.

I really hate stories that do not answer the main question and this one definitely does not answer any of the question. It was descent writing and a descent plot but you can not leave the reader hanging like this! Sorry if it's a spoiler but I wish someone had warned me!

A retelling of a fairy story set after the apocalypse. Sounds weird but it did not surprise me as I had already read a book by this author called Alice. She excels at writing the gruesome and gory plus her book covers are brilliant!The Girl in Red was not quite as good as Alice but it was still an excellent read. Red was a very interesting character indeed and it was so nice to read about someone who did NOT open that door or go down into that basement when it is obvious to everyone that would be the wrong thing to do. She was sometimes a little over the top with her attitude and some of the axe sequences were a tad unbelievable, but it's a fairy story after all, if a very bloodthirsty one!So - a great book right up to the end when the author appeared to just stop writing. That was not an ending!!! Is there going to be a part 2?

Oh jeeze, where should I start? This was a super fun, updated Little Red Riding Hood, all done up in the glamour of a post apocalyptic setting. I love the POC female lead, whose resilience and prickly/stern/pragmatic outlook peppers the entire narrative. What an incredible journey, and a unique spin on a familiar tale: literally LRRH (little red riding hood) is going to her grandma’s house...only she’s not so little, is a biracial woman, and an amputee. The ‘wolves’ of the world better watch out.This story might take some people out of the suspension of disbelief because the mentions of a red hoodie, going to grandma’s house, and the direct (clunky) comparison of the dangerous people in a chaotic world to wolves...is pretty heavy handed. The fable within the story is not subtle, and it’s not at all hidden. For those of us who don’t care about being fancy, and will give anything written well an honest try (and TBH have read fan fiction before and aren’t snobs about rejecting story variants), this is a good read.

There will be arguments the ending is rushed, but the ending was never the point of this particular journey. Meanwhile the characters, even the peripheral ones, were well fleshed out and the plot gripping. I've finished the book equally satisfied and full or questions.

Having read all of Christina’s previous books — which i’ve extremely enjoyed — i had very high hopes for this book: alas, it was not to be.So “Red”, our protagonist and narator, is on a journey to her Grandma’s house across several hundred miles of the USA after a coughing plague has culled nearly all the people: basically it’s a post-apocalyptic survival story.And the whole book is taken up with the first half of this journey until there’s an endoparasitoid-bursting-out-the-chest-thing — WTF!!! Remember Alien and Sigourney Weaver? Yeah, that’s what an endoparasitoid-bursting-out-the-chest-thing is.The army turn up and the soldier guy who chases the endoparasitoid-bursting-out-the-chest-things admits to Red that the government made it in a lab. He lets Red carry on with her journey instead of taking her to the quarantine camp, and in a few pages Red arrives at her Grandma’s. It’s like the second half of Red’s journey didn’t happen, like she was just magically transported to her Grandma’s. And no explanation as to the endoparasitoid and why the government would make such a thing.And it’s this one single, silly, ridiculous idea of an endoparasitoid thrown into the story with no purpose whatsoever that completely ruins the book — and also the second half of Red’s journey being skipped over as though it didn’t really happen, or was in a completely different world to the first half.We don’t even get to know how Grandma has been surviving or anything.Basically, the ending is utter garbage and totally ruins the whole story. It’s just a total nonsensical ending.It just left me which such a disappointment. This is far below Christina’s usual standard.Ho hum: i suppose we all have to write something crap once in a while.

I read this in a single 7 hour sitting. It certainly is a page turner with a quirky main character who has her mind set on a single goal after an apocalyptic virus wipes out much of the population.Red, 20 years old, mixed race, bisexual, single below the knee amputee, must get through 300 miles of woodland with not much more than survival skills gleaned from what not to do in horror movies and some logic. She battles red neck militia, desperate strangers, the military, a whiny older brother, and a really screwed up monster thing to get to grandma's house.This is certainly a pretty interesting retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, but there were some things I found annoying. Red often points out certain actions are cliched in what seems to be the author's attempt to negate the cliche. Same thing for deus ex machina. Just because the character points out the devices to the reader, doesn't suddenly make them less trite or convenient. The book ended far too swiftly with a skip of '25 days later', to finally get Red to her destination.I did enjoy the read, I just found myself rolling my eyes in certain places.Read this in you like quirky characters with guts in horrendous circumstances.

Red has watched enough horror and post apocalyptic movies to know what to do and what not to do when the world is thrown in to crisis and a deadly cough starts to kill off the majority of the population. As an amputee with a prosthetic leg she makes sure her bag is packed with everything she will need to survive and walks for miles daily in preparation for what is to come.She has one goal now, make it to her Grandmother’s cabin in the woods in one piece, avoiding the military camps, the militia and whatever is making peoples chests explode from the inside out.A heart wrenching tale of loss, survival, companionship and the real life horrors we face everyday from the true nature of human beings. What happens when the rules of humanity is lost and the desires of men are left to roam free? Red doesn’t want to find out and uses all of her wit, energy and movie knowledge to ensure the wolves don’t get their prey.I already love Christina’s writing style and dry humor. This book in particular switches between past and present events each chapter which kept me engaged and keeps certain questions open for quite a long time, we know Red’s brother is no longer with her but what actually happened to him? What happened to her parents?As a fan of Christina Henry’s previous retelling novels, The Girl in Red is a fantastic and important addition that I would recommend to anyone looking for a good post apocalyptic tale involving a badass female.

I simply love the way Christina Henry turns the 'fairy' tale into something really dark and disturbing, it is right up my street.Red is a one legged young lady relentless determination to destroy the wolf, who the wolf is, is a different matter altogether.Her journey across country to her Grandma's house leads her into all manner of situations, and she picks up friends and enemies along the way.I can not wait to read the next Christina Henry, I have just had Lost Boy and Mermaid delivered this morning.Excellent story line, Red Riding Hood crossed with survival, betrayal and of course murder

I bought this due to a good review in a magazine. Red is an interesting character but everything seems like a skeleton waiting for meat to be put on the bones.The story has appeal - I read it in one sitting. Ultimately I felt let down by the lack of detail. The end is abrupt and either there is a sequel coming or the idea is to leave it to the reader's imagination.It's an enjoyable book but don't expect a meaty read. The plot is too skinny.