Sisters Red

The lives of Scarlett and Rosie March haven't been normal since a Fenris (werewolf) attacked them as young children. It killed their grandmother and left Scarlett permanently scarred and missing an eye. Now the sisters are in their late teens, and, along with their woodsman friend, Silas, they hunt werewolves. Donning red capes and strong perfume to lure the Fenris, Scarlett wields a hatchet while Rosie throws knives in their fights against the vicious creatures that attack unsuspecting females. For Scarlett, killing Fenris is her whole life, and her obsession takes the three hunters from their small town to Atlanta where numerous clans of werewolves congregate in search of the novel's central mystery element: a Potential Fenris ("a man—or boy—able to lose his soul and become a monster" from a single werewolf bite). But Rosie is torn between her devotion to Scarlett and her desire for a life outside of hunting—one that will hopefully include a romantic relationship with Silas. Although some references to "Little Red Riding Hood" are more effective than others, this modern, urban interpretation reinvents the story for older audiences; plenty of violence, action, and plot twists keep it flowing and, for the most part, plausible and innovative. Telling the tale from the two sisters' perspectives in alternating chapters, Pearce skillfully develops the unique voices of two strong heroines at a crossroads in their lives. CYNTHIA K. RITTER