Review: Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

Author: Jackson Pearce

Genre: Fairytale, Paranormal

Pages: 324

Published: June 7th, 2010

Publisher: Little Brown

Rating: 3/5 Stars

"Scarlett March lives to hunt the Fenris--the werewolves that took her eye when she was defending her sister Rosie from a brutal attack. Armed with a razor-sharp hatchet and blood-red cloak, Scarlett is an expert at luring and slaying the wolves. She's determined to protect other young girls from a grisly death, and her raging heart will not rest until every single wolf is dead.Rosie March once felt her bond with her sister was unbreakable. Owing Scarlett her life, Rosie hunts ferociously alongside her. But even as more girls' bodies pile up in the city and the Fenris seem to be gaining power, Rosie dreams of a life beyond the wolves. She finds herself drawn to Silas, a young woodsman who is deadly with an ax and Scarlett's only friend--but does loving him mean betraying her sister and all that they've worked for?"~Goodreads

Although Sisters Red  is, on the surface, a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood,  it is, at it's heart, much more than that.  While the original tale was meant as a cautionary fable about listening to your parents and not talking to strangers,  Sisters Red is a story about loyalty, duty, and above all, family.

The March sisters have spent the better part of their young lives hunting Fenris with Silas, the woodsman's son.  While the sisters are as close as they can possibly be they have differing outlooks on their lifestyle and chosen profession.  Scarlett is older.  She is scarred and mutilated from the attack that left her grandmother dead and she and her sister alone in the world.  Scarlett is hard, determined and deadly with a hatchet.  She believes that it is her duty to kill the wolves and avenge the death of her grandmother and the destruction of her own life and beauty.  The only things she cares about more than killing fenris is her partner, Silas, and her little sister, Rosie. Rosie, meanwhile, hunts because she knows that this is what Scarlett expects from her.  She values her sister's love and trust above all else.  However, Rosie longs for a normal life and she is terrified that this will drive a wedge between herself and Scarlett.  Then there's Silas.  Silas and the girls have grown up together and he and Scarlett have been partners for years, but there may be something blossoming between Silas and Rosie that could destroy everything.  When the three of them pack up and head to Atlanta to try and stop the coming of a powerful new fenris they are all forced to look at their lives in a new way.

This story is unique and well-written.  It has a lot of heart and, even as someone who doesn't particularly care for werewolves, I thought it was pretty creepy.  I loved the way that Pearce told the story and the bond between the sisters was palpable.  However, I didn't really feel like I connected as much as I would like to with the three main characters.  Scarlett, in particular, was a difficult one for me.  She was so angry and hard that I couldn't really love her character.  Maybe this is a sign that she was well written and believable but I would have liked to have felt something more for the character.  What saved the story for me was the action and the exploration of the group dynamic.  The fight scenes were amazingly well-thought out and executed (particularly the final one - I was literally cheering).  I feel like I wouldn't want to meet up with Jackson Pearce in a dark alley.  Along with this the relationships were really well done and while I may not have connected with each character individually, I did connect with the way they felt about each other.  So I'm giving this one three stars, but a good three stars and I can't wait to read Sweetly.

For more on my feelings, feel free to watch the video below: