Like dystopian novels? Fairy Tale retellings? The Girl in Red combines both and exceptionally well.

First there was the Cough, which spread rapidly depopulating areas almost before the danger could be processed. Red, who has a fondness for science fiction and post-apocalyptic novels and films, considers the situation serious long before others do. She plans to be prepared and works to convince her parents and brother of the worst-case scenarios. In the months that pass, things get worse, and by the time Red is taken seriously, it is almost too late.

Eventually, Red convinces her parents and brother that they should go to her grandmother's house, but they need to walk, not drive, avoiding contact with the infected--staying away from populated areas and highways. A 300 mile trek through the woods and rough country is a daunting scenario, but using everything she has learned from watching films and reading books, Red has a mental idea of what would keep them safe.

The Girl in Red is divided into sections Before the Crisis occurred and After the Crisis changed everything about their former lives.

Of course, plans go awry from the beginning. No matter how many dystopian and post-apocalyptic novels you've read, circumstances bring new challenges, losses, predators, and unanticipated horrors. If the Cough was first, the new threat is worse--and man-made.

Oh, and to make things more difficult, Red has a prosthetic leg (because a post-apocalyptic world isn't dilemma enough).

"Over the river and through the woods,/To grandmother's house we go...."

Since I like both dystopian novels and fairy tale retellings, I was eager to read this The Girl in Red and found Red and her journey engrossing, satisfying my appetite for both genres. My only problem is that I genuinely want more of this world and of Red.

Read in May; blog review scheduled for June 3.

NetGalley/Berkely Publishing
Dystopian/Post-apocalyptic. June 18, 2019. Print length: 304 pages

This is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood set in a post-apocalyptic world. The Cough has wiped out a large chunk of humanity, there is chaos, some weird creatures, and oh yeah, Red still needs to get to Grandma's house. The premise is awesome, but the actually story didn't get as flushed out as it could have been. By the end of the book I was equally confused and apathetic about all of the weird stuff going on.

A place where big bad wolves aren't wolves, the axeman isn't the axeman, but Red Riding Hood is still Red Riding Hood. Where the world is dark, people are dying, and grandma's house is both more AND less than the traditional fairy tale.

I LOVED Henry's re-imagined take of Alice in Wonderland, struggled with Lost Boy, and haven't read Mermaid yet. But I was absolutely excited to read this one, and when given the opportunity to read an arc, I snagged it. I started it yesterday, and just finished it, and it was EXCELLENT. Henry is quite good at taking old stories and turning them inside out AND upside down, all at the same time - keeping the base elements, but in such a way that the story is simultaneously recognizable and not.

The Girl in Red will join the Alice Chronicles as top reads, and I highly recommend it for anyone into dystopian, remakes, or light horror.

The latest trend in teen fiction seems to be the retelling of our beloved fairy tales with a modern day twist. The Girl in Red is a story that focuses on the retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. This version is a story of “Red” in a post apocalyptic world, which proves to be an interesting spin on the traditional Little Red Riding Hood. Personally, I would have liked it better if it was first person narration as it would have given a more emotional connection to the main character “Red”. The Girl in Red will appeal to teens and adults and definitely a book worth picking up! #TheGirlInRed#Netgalley#FairyTaleRetold#PostApocalypse

I enjoy dystopian novels and found this interesting without the usual sensationalized gore and crashing of civilization. The young heroine is believable and likable. She has been essentially preparing for this her whole life. Her personality is resilient but cautious but willing to make bold moves for her survival.
Although little is learned about the events leading up to the collapse, it is realistic to believe that people living through this would remain unaware of the causes. These are hinted at the ending though satisfactory, felt as if the next book n the series was already written and the ending is chosen to maximize the readers return to this world.

The enjoyable dystopia that is not over the top but grime at times with some hope for the future and other characters that can be brought into the storyline again in the future.

Very decent post-apocalyptic tale. Red was superbly logical and realistic, which is a pet peeve for many readers of the genre. We like to read stories about smart people making smart choices, not dummies stumbling around in horror movies. The whole red riding hood theme was a good

Enjoyable modern take of the Little Red Riding Hood tale. The book pulls in science and dystopian fiction genres and includes a smart, capable young woman to be the hero of her story.

My introduction to Christina Henry was Lost Boy : the True Story of Captain Hook... I loved it (having also thought Peter Pan was a nasty little sociopath), and set out to read more by the author. I love retelling of traditional fairy tales, so was especially pleased to see The Girl in Red announced on GoodReads. I certainly wasn't disappointed! Cordelia, aka Red, is traveling by foot to her grandmother's house in the wilderness in the wake of a devastating epidemic which has killed off the majority of the population. Those who remain can't be trusted to be friendly, as many militia-type groups have sprung up, and the army is rounding people up and removing them to quarantine camps. Red is not a typical heroine...she's mixed race, and she has a prosthetic leg, which limits the speed of her journey, as well as causing issues on uneven wilderness ground. She's a tough cookie, doesn't feel sorry for herself, and perseveres. I particularly liked that Red's frame of reference for survival of an apocalyptic event was horror movies. Even though her predicament was quite serious, I laughed to myself quite frequently as she reviewed Very Bad Things that happen to movie characters who deviate from the prescribed path. What a great book!
(I received a digital copy of The Girl in Red courtesy of NetGalley and Berkley, in return for my honest opinion.)

Red, a one-legged, snarky, tough-as-nails antiheroine, is the main protagonist of this story, which is like reading Night of the Living Dead meets 28 days meets Hunger Games. It's full of suspense and dark twists and turns, as Red tries to make it to her grandma's house...in the middle of a pandemic outbreak.Without giving anything away, this is a great book and I am interested in reading more by this author. I enjoyed it!

What just happened??? Ohmygosh. This was the book I needed after reading too many boring dramas lately! Red is an awesome character. Strong, smart young woman who puts males to shame with her survival instinct and knowledge. The twists in this story make it one that you will not put down until finished. Is there a sequel? I sure hope so!

OMG, what just happened. I loved this book. This was really taking the classic red riding hood and morphing it into something so dark and amazing that I couldn't put it down. The characters were so colorful and unique. Red and her brother, both her parents, they all had a part to play and it was sad when we had to let some of them go. If you need a nice change in the usual, pick up this book, you won't regret it.

An interesting new take on an old story. Starts off faced paced and doesn't let up. An apocalyptic fairytale to be sure!

Henry's take on Little Red Riding Hood keeps the readers guessing a what is around the corner. If I were in a Crisis like Red experiences, I can only hope I have have her wits to keep me alive.

I still don't think that I fully understand what I just read. This book was nothing like how I thought it was going to be and I'm not one hundred percent sure how to feel about that. Was it good? Yes. Was it strange? Yes. Did it make me feel for us as humans who live in a period where something like this could happen and probably more than half of us wouldn't take it seriously until it's too late? Hell Yes.

The Girl In Red is a story that mainly focuses on what it means to be a survivor. I'm talking, end of the world, humans showing their true nature, and a sprinkle of monsters kind of survival. Red has what it takes to survive. She's smart, she wants to live desperately, and she's filled with enough paranoia and influences by plenty of sci-fi books and movies to help her. This book really does start off as one things and completely becomes something else the further in the reader gets.

I literally finished this book in the span of a couple hours, simply because I was so intrigued by it. I do have to say all these characters frustrated me until the very end which is actually a good thing. I'm pretty sure its what kept me glued to this book, was my connection to Red and everyone around her and just my need to know more.

I'm still very flabbergasted about this book and I don't even know how to properly review it because its really nothing, absolutely nothing how the description makes it out to be and I don't want to spoil anything.

So I just couldn’t get into this one like I have with Henry’s other books. I did like the character Red, but something about this story just didn’t grab at me. Maybe I’ll try again later.

"Red was going to be the final girl, the sole survivor of a massacre, just like in horror movies."


In this new post-apocalyptic world, there are three evils. The Cough who's wiping up millions, the unknown monster and the evil Humans. Or more specifically the evil male humans who would do anything to get a hold of women and children.

Our protagonist goes by the name of Red. Her real name is Cordelia and her mom calls her Delia. Yet, she only responds to Red. As you can guess, she wears a red hoodie. When Red was eight, a car hit her and she lost her leg. She wears a prosthetic leg but she doesn't have time to wallow in self-pity. The accident made her stronger. She becomes a survivor. Her love for horror movies and biology help with her self-preservation.

A new plague has come over the world. It started with a simple cough. Whoever gets infected, won't survive the virus. Red's plan is to move from their home to the safety of her grandmother's house. She's packed and ready to go. She just needs to convince her parents and her brother Adam to hurry. She knows they are running out of time.

The road to her grandmother's house is full of dangers. Evil men are lurking everywhere. Red won't trust anyone. She's ready to defend herself at any cost. Yet, a greater danger is out there. She can feel it.

The Girl is Red is the retelling of Red Riding Hood. We all know there is a wolf somewhere out there. Red is desperate to seek the comfort of her grandmother's home. Red was not your typical heroine. She knows all the dumb mistakes characters make in the horror movies she has watched and she won't make any of them. Stay together, be patient, avoid the highways, pack the right survival kit, defend yourself ask questions later, don't trust anyone, trust your instincts, all things Red follows are what differentiates her from the rest. Yes, she has weaknesses but not the dumb ones.

As secondary characters go, Sirois is an intriguing one. I wish I had seen more of him. I hope there is a second book to learn more about him. There are so many things that were not explained in The Girl in Red that a sequel is worth it. Even the end felt anticlimactic. Anyway, I hope there is more.

"Good luck to you then, Red Riding Hood."


Cliffhanger: No

3/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Berkley books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.