A really good book!!!!! I was surprised by this as I went into it with little to no expectations. The characters were good, story was good. Highly recommend

The daughter of Robin Hood and Maid Marien, Isabelle has spent her entire life in the relative safety of the convent, raised by her mother and unaware of who her father is. When her identity is discovered her mother sends her into the woods in search of help from the Merry Men, where she discovers her heritage and fights to keep herself and her new-found friends alive.

While not my favorite version of this tale, it was a fun, fresh take on the story. It was great to see someone other than Robin or Marien as the focus of the story.

I must have this book! The romance is my favorite part. The characters sizzle and the word choice really brings it home. Perfect for those who want romance and atmosphere thrown into the mix. I can’t wait to have this beauty on my shelf.

I almost forgot this was in the YA genre because the events of the story begin abruptly with the first sentence. I always enjoy a good Robin Hood story, especially when the actual Robin Hood is one of the characters. This is a wonderful addition to the Robin Hood community of stories. There’s people, action, archery, love, and intrigue. This is worth the read for any kid who ever watched Disney’s Robin Hood and grew up with that story of Robin Hood.

I have always been a Robin Hood Fan. This one is an interesting take on the story as the focus is more on the next generation with Isabelle, daughter of Robin & Marien being the central character. As Isabelle journey's to take a message to her father it is also a coming of age journey as she goes from an innocent and naive 16 year old who knows little about the world outside the priory into a young woman who sees the world in a different way. An enjoyable story for all ages and deffinatly worth adding to the collection of Robin Hood fans.
This book was given to me and all opinions are my own.

I am currently only 25% through the book, but I wanted to send the feedback ASAP because this book releases TOMORROW! I am in love with Isabelle but the story is not exactly what I was expecting. I was picturing a contemporary female Robin Hood story (even if she was Robin Hood's daughter), but at this point in the story that is not the case. After re-reading the book's description I can see where my wires were crossed with my own hopes. However, the story is really really good and fascinating. I am looking forward to finishing the adventure in Sherwood Forest.

UPDATE: I have finished reading Hood and wanted to update my review. Really enjoyed reading Hood, but, as I mentioned before, I was hoping for a female vigilante rather than the daughter of one. However, it was still a good read. The main characters were great and the pacing (especially in the middle) was fantastic. I would be incredibly interested in a sequel to see where Hood goes!

**3.5-stars**

What happened after Robin Hood and Maid Marian rode off into the sunset together?

They had a daughter, Isabelle. This is her story.

Finding herself on the wrong side of the law, Isabelle is forced to flee the village of Kirklees and the priory where her mother, Marian, is Prioress.

With her mother's aide, she sets out with a destination in mind, where dwells one of her mother's old friends who can help her hide from the King's men.

After a fearful journey, over many days, she reaches the Inn her mother advised her to go to.

It's there she joins up with the Merry Men, learns the truth of her parentage and grows ever closer to meeting the infamous, Robin Hood.

This was an action-packed, super fun story, full of adventure and close calls.

I enjoyed where Moke took this, finding out how Robin and Marian's 'happily ever after' went.

While I had fun reading this, it was quick and light, I wasn't necessarily blown away by anything here.

Don't get me wrong, this is a good story, and if you are a fan of the Disney animated version, you should definitely check it out, but I can't help but wish it would have been built out further.

Moke has a very pleasing writing style and all the bones were here, but I just wanted more.

I believe this is a standalone, but I sort of wish it was going to be a duology. I started to feel very connected with Isabelle towards the end, and the rest of the Merry Men. Personally, I would really enjoy following them on further adventures.

While I wasn't crazy about some of the content of the conclusion to this tale, I do believe there is a lot more story to tell and Moke is the perfect person to tell it.

Give me more Isabelle. She is just starting to come into her own!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Disney Book Group, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I appreciate the opportunity and look forward to reading more from Jenny Elder Moke!

I LOVE a good re-telling, especially one where a female character is elevated to eclipse a previously centered male (Circe is a great example of this, and many of the YA books I enjoyed as a kid). This book met the exact amount of escapism I was hoping for in my current reading - it's fast-paced, fun, and hits the same nostalgia spot that watching a childhood Disney movie does. I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, and the ARC gave me to opportunity to give it a change; I'm so happy I was able to.

Isabelle is Maid Marion (of the original tale)'s daughter, and is trying to find her father (who else?). You get plenty of time with the characters you know, and plenty of time to get to know the characters you don't. I think being clear about what you're getting in to is key in enjoying this book - it isn't literature with a capital L, but it is so much fun and such a great way to immerse yourself in the classic story. I would absolutely recommend it when you need a little break from the heaviness of life.

This was unexpected. When I first read the synopsis I wasn't convinced I would love this book. I was wrong. I really enjoyed the fact that this had all of the original characters re-imagined. Marien is a bada**, Robin is there, and the merry men have a new look. While it took me a bit to really connect with Isabelle she does grow on you. For a historical fantasy this is very well done. While the romance is a small side part the family dynamics were top notch. It really gave you a family unit and a great re-connection story worth reading. Especially if you have any love for Robin Hood.

~3 THOUGHTS WHILE I READ HOOD~

~Fast paced and doesn't slow down till the end~

Hood is a really fast read; the kind of book where you start reading and then realize you're already 50% in. I read the book in one sitting and the action starts from page one. We are introduced to the protagonist, Isabelle when she's been captured by the soldiers and the story just takes off. I did think that while it was fast paced, it glossed over a lot of things and times didn't give me enough time to know the characters or understand the surroundings. Nevertheless, the speed at which the plot moved, kept me hooked and turning the pages quickly.

~Found family love~

If there's only one trope I could ever read, I'd pick found family. Robin and his merry men are obviously the best characters for a lovely found family. Although we don't get acquainted with all the merry men, I did like the ones who were the secondary characters. Helena and Patrick were my favourites. Helena with her sharp tongue, quick temper and immense skill in archery was fun to read about and learning how despite her rough attitude, she also cares about her friends with a fierce loyalty.

Patrick is a kind soul and the best at making Isabelle feel at home among the merry men. i liked that he takes the time to teach Isabelle something. Even though it wasn't much, he made her feel welcome by teaching her how to use a knife.

I wanted to like Adam, but he felt too two dimensional for my taste. The moment we meet this boy with piercing eyes, smelling of pine, I knew he was to be the love interest and I wasn't impressed. i hoped he's impress me later on but alas. But the other secondary characters definitely make up for the lack of Adam's originality.

~Action filled plotline~

Like I mentioned, the action moves really fast and there are multiple fighting scenes that were done quite well. The plot keeps moving and while nothing in it shocked me, I didn't think a certain incident towards the end would happen. It was a bittersweet and considering the fun adventurous tone, I wasn't expecting that and was surprised!

My only issue is that as far as plot twists go, I found most of them predictable. I wish the story had made me jump up in my seat a lot more than it did. That being said, the way the story ended, I think a sequel would be great. This book wraps up as a standalone really well but there's a lot of scope for sequels or other books set in this world. I would like to have a closer look at some of the political schemes that were kind of the the far background in this book.

Hood is a unique take on the robin Hood tale as it revolve's around his daughter. I enjoyed the premise and fast writing but would have loved to see more depth in the main character.

I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What a wild ride this one was. It took me a few days to finish this ARC, which is longer than normal but was honestly worth the read.

The novel puts you in the action from the very beginning. Isabelle, who has always lived in the priory of Kirklees with her mother the prioress, is arrested at the start of the novel for making a very poor choice against a soldier. Her mother breaks her out of prison and sets her off to find Robin Hood to warn him of some malicious news. Each scene moves the story forward and you don’t find yourself wanting to move faster or slower. The narrative is well-paced, and every interaction lends itself to character growth and plot development.

You’ll notice plenty of familiar faces in the “cast” of the novel, as well as the next generation of rebels in the form of their children (and new members of the Merry Men as well). You’ll also feel the heavy pulls of historical moments and ideas throughout the novel, making it a great piece of work to create a curriculum and provide to students to read. This novel would definitely make a good classroom book. Although I would caution that there are curse words, mild violence, some sexual innuendoes, etc. Older middle-grade students would be the appropriate readers for this.

There were moments where I didn’t love Isabelle, but the rest of the characters and the plot kept pulling me along. Isabelle periodically came off much younger than she actually was, and a tad bit whiny. I understand it is a coming of age story and bit young overall but sometimes the way she was portrayed just wasn’t my taste. Isabelle could have been written stronger, more willful, etc. She did put her foot down and stand up for herself with her father and mother, which was great, but other times seemed to just lie down and accept defeat in social scenarios with the Merry Men who were her peers.

There’s also a small romance with Isabelle and Adam in the novel, and it is completely obvious from the first moment you meet him. The set up is pretty clear and it isn’t shocking at all since Isabelle experiences the “tingles” that all female MC’s get when they meet “The Man”. I didn’t hate the relationship but the super obvious ones can also feel a little meh.

Robin was such a great aspect of this read. His personality is exactly like I expected it to be and his interactions with Isabelle and Marien were sincere and heartwarming. You could see how proud he was of Isabelle when she stood up to him and began planning right alongside him. He’s your traditional Robin, taking from the rich to give to the poor and working to keep everyone as safe as possible. Isabelle took a few character traits from Robin and I would love to have seen more of that growth into a powerhouse of a young woman.

The ending is upsetting and shocking, which is kind of nice. It didn’t end as a happily ever after, which can feel false and disappointing. It DEFINITELY made me cry though, which is always an indicator of a well-written character. I am even more so surprised by the conclusion of the novel, as we are left with a little bit of a cliffhanger. I know this is supposed to be standalone… but maybe not? There’s definitely room for more story with Isabelle and I’d be happy to see what would be in store for her next.

I wish I’d had this book when I was in high school.

This book has everything you could want from a Robin Hood story. The Merry Men have their network of rope bridges and their Lincoln green tunics. More than one disguise is used to pull off some daring escape at the last second. Pockets of gold are pilfered from burning towers and redistributed to the villages they frequent. And of course, it wouldn’t be a Hood story without an archery competition or two.

Isabelle’s story is paced beautifully. From page one, she’s thrown into action when Marien breaks her out of prison and sends her to find Robin. No time was wasted explaining how she ended up in jail, or how she spent three days walking through trees after she was freed. Every scene flows into the next, and that flow is paused just when you’re craving a little bit of extra suspense.

As far as characters go, familiar faces feel perfectly in line with their previous selves, but never like direct copies. And the newest generation of Merry Men seem like they’ve been there since the tale’s first iteration. The Wolf was a great villain, and I appreciated the shift away from the usual Sheriff of Nottingham. He’s the perfect spark of internal conflict in Isabelle when she has to start wrestling with whether to stick to her past or adjust to a different future. She goes through so much change in a week or so, and it’s great that she was allowed to struggle through all those emotions by herself without others trying to solve her problems and decisions for her.

Moke’s Hood was a quick read, and a great addition to the Robin Hood canon! I could go into depth about the historical context woven into so easily into the story, but suffice it to say that 15-year-old me would have preferred to learn about the Magna Carta by reading this book than any textbook I was assigned.

I really enjoyed this!! The twist of telling things from Robin and Marion’s daughter’s POV was great! My heart broke when Robin died but I think the story was very well written! Definitely going to grab this one for my collection! And I can’t believe this is a DEBUT!! Loved it!

This book was received from the Author, and Publisher, in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my

"Be braver than you feel."

Hood is a brilliant coming of age story, of a young sixteen year old girl, Isabelle of Kirklees. Having lived most of her very secluded life, behind the walls of the Priory of Kirklees along with her mother Marien, who is the residing as Prioress.

Things come to a halt when Isabelle is arrested and thrown into a cell, while defending an innocent villager. Her mother covertly releases her, and tells her life is a risk.
She sends Isabelle on a quest, cloaked, and alone. She must travel three days south, to find a man named Thomas, at the Blue Boar Inn and deliver an urgent message....
“ The Wolf Is Back “

Three days running for her life, half starved, living off berries and living in terror.
She arrives the Blue Boar Inn and with the help of Thomas she escapes into Sherwood Forest. But not before she is saved by two younger Merry men, who know Thomas very well. Right before she sent with the offspring of some of members of the Merry Men, Thomas reveals a truly incredible truth about her parentage. Traveling with the small group she develops a friendship with, all the while keeping her secret guarded. Once they meet there destination She discovers an extensive and elaborate camp within Sherwood Forest. There the band of the Merry Men and their families reside.

This was a superb reimagined tale of the folk story. The author Jenny Elder Moke, cleverly has changed the original story and gave it her own creative twist. While leaving some of the details of the well known histories of the renowned Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men. John Lackland is serving as the regent of England, while his brother Richard the Lionhearted is off fighting the crusades. John’s excessive taxation is crippling the common folk into starvation. Robin Hood and band of vigilante outlaws have taken it upon themselves to rob from the rich and giving to the needy.

The author seamlessly narration flows perfectly making it a solid young adult historical adventure. Her ability to create a stunning adventurous storyline with beautiful atmospheric imagery. I was connected with her characters and I loved Isabelle, and was invested in her story and struggles. The romance is tension building perfection, wonderfully done for YA and adult readers alike. A wonderful faced paced adventure story that you won’t forget.

I loved this book so much. The ending tore at my heart. This was a really good story about an underdog and the continuation of the legend of Robin Hood. Just because it’s a Disney book, don’t think this is all rainbows and butterflies. This sets a good pace for an introduction to a new generation of Merry men(people)

I’m very disappointed that this book is standalone. This book definitely deserves to be a book one of the series! I had a high expectation when I started reading this book and this book gave me everything I needed.

Hood is a retelling of the legend of Robin Hood. It’s about Isabelle, the daughter of Marien, a prioress of Kirklees and Robin Hood, a leader of Merry Men. Isabel is living her quiet life on the side of her mom, not knowing her father. After she offended the royal soldiers she is forced to run. However, it turns out that it’s not because of what she did. It’s because she is a target of the Wolf, a long-time enemy of Robin Hood. I wouldn’t even say that they are enemies because Robin doesn’t even care much about him as long as his family is safe. On the other side, Wolf dedicates his whole life to find Robin and hung him. I don’t want to spoil too much, but I was impressed by how obsessed he was with him and his family. He waited 16 years for any sign of him or his family. I felt so bad for Robin and Marien that because of him they had to go separate ways to keep Isabelle safe.

Isabelle finds a safe place to hide from the Wolf with Merry Men, a community of outlaws who as you probably know were stealing from the nobility and serve the poor. I honestly like all the presented members, especially Adam. He is adorable and from the beginning keeps Isabelle safe. I love the chemistry between these two. I wish this book would have a sequel to show some more of their story because we didn’t get enough in this book. I know this book wasn’t based on a love plot, but they are so adorable. I need more.

My favorite part of the book is when Isabelle meets her father for the first time. All the moments when they get to know each other, and bond is making me smile. Robin was described in the book just as I always imagine him, a free, caring soul who’s going through a life full of adventures with a smile on his face. He’s finding a way out of every situation and no one can stop him from doing what he wants to do. I admire how he treats Isabelle, even if he didn’t see her for many years. Moreover, even if he couldn’t be in her life, he still found his ways to be a small part of it. He’s a remarkable person for his family, but also the poor. He doesn’t want anything for himself, he’s doing everything for others.

Isabelle inherits a lot of his features. She’s very clever and caring as her father. She makes a few mistakes throughout the book, but it happened just because she wanted to save her beloved mother. She was ready to lie to keep her safe and I understand it. Most people would do the same. She never plays the victim and even if she is very talented in bringing troubles on herself, and she cannot defend herself. She’s a fighter and she’s working hard to change it.

When I look back at this story, I see it as a tragedy. I wasn’t expecting what will happen at the end and it crushed me. I was in shock and couldn’t believe it happened. I’ve mixed feelings about it. On one side, I’m crushed and want to think it never happened. On the other side, I think it’s just the way it was supposed to end and it’s a tragic but beautiful ending. After ending like this I need a powerful sequel.

I would like to thank NetGalley, FFBC, Disney-Hyperion and Jenny Elder Moke for including me on this tour and for providing me with a copy of this amazing book!

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Hood

Author: Jenny Elder Moke

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 3.5/5

Recommended For...: Robin Hood retellings

Publication Date: June 9, 2020

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Pages: 320

Recommended Age: 15+ (violence, slight gore)

Synopsis: Isabelle of Kirklees has only ever known a quiet life inside the sheltered walls of the convent, where she lives with her mother, Marien. But after she is arrested by royal soldiers for defending innocent villagers, Isabelle becomes the target of the Wolf, King John's ruthless right hand. Desperate to keep her daughter safe, Marien helps Isabelle escape and sends her on a mission to find the one person who can help: Isabelle's father, Robin Hood.

As Isabelle races to stay out of the Wolf's clutches and find the father she's never known, she is thrust into a world of thieves and mercenaries, handsome young outlaws, new enemies with old grudges, and a king who wants her entire family dead. As she joins forces with Robin and his Merry Men in a final battle against the Wolf, will Isabelle find the strength to defy the crown and save the lives of everyone she holds dear?

Review: For the most part this was a good book. I liked the world building and the plot was very interesting to me. I loved this take on Robin Hood and it was a fairly good read.

However, I feel like the pacing was too fast paced and sometimes it was hard to keep up with what was going on in the book. Also the character development wasn't there in my opinion.

Verdict: It was a good read.

This Robin Hood young adult novel was a lot of fun and kept me engaged the entire way through. I liked how the reader didn’t need previous knowledge of Robin Hood in order to enjoy the story, plus it was fast paced without being rushed. There were some moments of cheesiness when it comes to the romance and camaraderie, but I did love the found family and friend group dynamic. I felt the last confrontation dragged on a little, but it did hit an emotional punch at the end. The story read on the younger side of young adult, and I would recommend it to those who fall under that age group.

I love the story of Robin Hood. The princess falls in love with the philanthropist bad boy. What more could you want? How about the story of their daughter?

Isabelle grew up in a priory but when soldier’s invade one night and her mother sends her away to find her father, who she never knew existed, she doesn’t hesitate. She trusts her mother wholeheartedly but also wonders why she never told her about him. She always thought Robin Hood was just a story, not a real person, but when she finds herself among his Merry Men it finally sinks in. She has a father. She has to keep her identity a secret for everyone’s safety but you can tell as time goes by, and she gets to know each of the individuals she’s travelling with, that not telling them is getting more and more difficult.

I really liked Isabelle’s character. I enjoyed getting to know her through her experience navigating having been thrown into some intense situations. I loved the banter between her and Adam, one of the cute Merry Men, and the competition she feels with Helena when it comes to knowing her way around a bow and arrow. Despite being thrown into a world she never knew existed she’s able to handle it well.

I enjoyed the adventures they came across throughout the book and seeing small connections to the original story. Overall I felt this was a great retelling and now I think I’ll go put on some Disney + !

I loved this book so much! I am so used to reading retellings of a tale and it is so refreshing to read a continuation mixed with a retelling of the story. I loved reading the main character. Her unique upbringing honestly was such an interesting perspective to read paired with the new and interesting atmosphere she was thrown into.

While I felt the romance was a little unnecessary, I honestly loved reading it, especially with the parallels between Maid Marien and Robin Hood. The romance was definitely well written, well developed, and swoon-worthy.

The world-building was really interesting and loved the new layers added to the beloved tale of Robin Hood. It was so fun to read this world and how Isabelle explores it along with the Merry Men as she looks for her father and runs away from the people who are after her.

I do wish the relationship between her and Robin was a little better developed. Robin shows up halfway through the book and then Isabelle and Robin were immediately bonded which didn't make sense because the author had spent a good amount of time developing the relationships between the other characters and Isabelle.

I think that this book has the potential to become a series and I would really like to see what the author decides to do in the future.

This is perfect for people getting into YA and are fans of retellings.

Thank you, NetGalley for a copy of an ARC for my honest opinion in return.

-- 4.5 stars --