This story is absolutely fantastic! I absolutely love the tellings of Robin Hood and this one is a fresh, interesting, and amazing perspective that hooked me from the beginning pages! Isabelle of Kirkless, daughter of Robin Hood (!) and Marien, finds herself at odds with the ruthless Right Hand of King John, known as The Wolf. Her adventures and navigation through a world filled with unique, terrifying and exciting people around every corner is a fascinating twist on a well known story. I love the character that Isabelle represents and she is fierce and memorable in so many ways! I cannot wait to get this book into the hands of many in my Library because I know it will be a massive hit! I recommend it to the fullest!

This was a fun story but I just couldn’t connect with the characters as much as I wanted to. But I do think it was cool that it was Robin Hood’s daughter!

Honestly, the story was a bit underwhelming. It didn't feel like there was anything particularly special about this retelling. The writing was solid, but the dialogue felt very stiff at times. There were not a lot of descriptive sections in the text and it seemed very straightforward. I think that one of the biggest downfalls of this novel was the lack of development between any of the characters. Keeping secrets from the friends caused them all to be angry but they forgave quickly and moved on as if it never happened. There wasn't any real development between Isabelle and her father, so his death had less of an impact; they'd just met and had traveled together - yes it was sad that her father died, but because there wasn't an established relationship I didn't feel like the impact was as much as it could have been. Overall, I think the plot was strong and it was clear where the inspiration for this story was from - it followed the Robin Hood archetypes well; I think that what this novel needed more of for me was character development, particularly the relationships between the characters. 

One other thing to note is that I've seen this book tagged as fantasy in a few different places - there isn't any magical elements in this book, so I don't know that that tag fits the story well. Seeing the fantasy tag left me wanting those magical elements and I wish I hadn't been expecting those. This seems more like a historical fiction adventure or a straight fairytale retelling.

I received a preview copy of this book from NetGalley. I've been reading as many of the Disney-published fairy tale/legend retellings as I can get my hands on these days, and I was excited to see this book pop up. I will definitely be purchasing a copy of this for my high school library, and I'll be recommending it to other middle and high school librarians in my circles. It's approachable, appropriate, and action-packed.

I like Moke's expansion on the Robin Hood stories - enough of the familiar to draw you in, but enough imagination to make it new and interesting. Isabelle's character could be more thoroughly developed, but this is a YA novel and the fast-moving plot is more critical for engaging a casual or even a reluctant reader. There are places where I wish I could step in and fill in some dialogue gaps to let Isabelle pt some of her friends in their places, but maybe that's just me and I should instead learn from Isabelle to keep my mouth shut and not feel a need to always defend myself. Overall, this is an entertaining re-imagining of an oft-told legend, and this debut has me interested in whatever else Jenny Moke publishes in the future!

Jenny Elder Moke’s debut novel, Hood, is absolutely fantastic. From the historic details, genuine and likeable female lead character, and action that keeps you breathlessly reading page after page I couldn’t put this book down and had to read it in one setting. I loved Isabelle’s path to discovering who she truly was and the relationships that she developed with her parents and the Merrie Men. She is a strong girl, but vulnerable at the same time, and this combination made her a very relatable heroine. The sweet romance in the book was written just right to leave anyone rooting for them.

Thank you, NetGalley for this excellent read. This novel far exceeded my expectations! Hood will appeal to fans of the Scarlet trilogy by A.C. Gaughen and the Selection series by Kiera Cass for its suspense, romance, and strong ensemble.

Isabelle of Kirklees is a relatable character you can't help but route for, but what makes her truly special is her discovery and decision to fight along side of her infamous father Robin Hood. Skilled with a bow and quick with banter like her father, Isabelle is the type of female main character I'd love to see more of for teenage readers because she doesn't easily accept her role and position in her father's charismatic troupe of Merry Men. Like a real teenager today, she is unsure of how she fits in with the political climate until she is forced to make decisions that affect not only her family by blood but her found family of Sherwood Forest.

Fans of historical fiction, adventure, and reluctant readers will love Hood for its page-turning pacing and excellent tribute to the story of Robin Hood and the Merry Men, thus inspiring a new generation of children to remember that they can do anything they put their minds and hearts to.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a wonderful retelling of Robin Hood where Robin and Mareins daughter, Isabelle, is the main character. I enjoyed everything about this novel from the characters, setting, dialogue, and plot. I only wish there would have been more romantic interaction between Adam and Isabelle. I am very hopeful to have a sequel that continues the exploits of the Merry Men and stories of the other characters. A fantastic read! 5 brilliant stars!!!!

Before you run out to get this one because it is a Robin Hood tale, be prepared that it is about his daughter. The book centers around Isabelle and her growing up faced with danger, adventure, and love. It is not really a "Robin Hood" story as much as a spin on his daughter learning to become a fighter for justice. It is well-written and fast paced. Children will like the page turning adventure and swooning love interest.
Thank you to NetGalley and Disney for the opportunity to read and review the e-arc copy of this novel.
#Hood
#NetGalley
#Edelweiss

A re-imagining of the tale of Robin Hood. Isabelle of Kirklees grew up safe in the confines of a convent with her mother Marien. When Isabelle gets in trouble with royal soliders and is arrested, her life is turned upside down. She escapes to Sherwood Forest and joins the Merry Men only to find out that Robin Hood is her father, and The Wolf is working on behalf of the king to kill her whole family. A fun cast of characters old and new, Isabelle finds the strength and courage to not only try and save her family and friends, but maybe herself as well. .

This book was received as an ARC from Disney Book Group - Disney-Hyperion in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I could not stop reading this book. One of my favorites is when writers take an old classic and put a new modern spin on them. This case Jenny Elder Moke did that for Hood on the classic tale of Robin Hood who would steal from the Rich and give to the poor battling Prince John. This time, Robin and Marien have a daughter Isabelle, that are captured by the "Wolf" and Marien helps Isabelle escape and their only hope is that they find her father Robin Hood and his men and defeat the enemy and take back whats theirs once and for all. First off, I loved that the heroine is a female with a normal woman's name Isabelle. I also loved the tenacity and intelligence she had which made me cheer her on more. While reading the book, you can't help but to feel like you are transported throughout Isabelle's journey and especially through the battle scenes. I know our teen book club will love this and a lot of conversation will spark as well.

We will consider adding this title to our YA collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

I enjoyed the majority of this book. It was light, but fast paced, and more entertaining than most novels in the ever growing field of Robin Hood adaptations. But my interest began to flag as the novel increasingly focused on the the MC's growing attraction to Adam, a handsome young member of the Merry Men (and, yes, true to form for these kids of YA romances, both parties immediately fall for one another at first sight). I was willing to put aside these momentary lapses into overwrought teenage interest and approve of the book on the whole until a final shocking death near the end of the book. It quickly became apparent that the author was trying to establish a female teenage Robin Hood series which left one wondering why Robin Hood needed to be involved at all. Tying a story to the bones of old legend is unnecessary, particularly when much of that legend is going to be jettisoned anyway.

What a debut from Jenny Elder Moke! I am a huge fan of retellings, and this one did not disappoint. This Robin Hood story follows his daughter, Isabelle, as she is on a quest to find him to warn of impending danger. On her adventure, she encounters friends and foes. She also joins the Merry Men. This book is full of twists, turns, and treachery. I am hoping the ending means that there might be more to the story. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Jenny Elder Moke for this ARC.

Give me all the retellings! A Robin Hood spin filled with action, romance, and some tears. There were a few character inconsistencies, but overall a quick, easy read and will be a great addition to a high school collection.

This was an excellent YA book. I love Robin Hood retellings and I thought Moke did a great job creating the atmosphere and the story. This book revolves around Isabelle, who is Marian (I don't care for the spelling of Marien in this book, though) and Robin's daughter and a band of younger Merry Men, with all the favorites still very much present. I would have read this in one sitting had real life not interrupted me. Isabelle was brave and adventurous, but not a special snowflake like a lot of YA protagonists and all the side characters were well developed and interesting. And I also like that the ending was not your typical one and was quite surprised with the author's choice. It worked well in this book. Highly recommend for anyone who loves Robin Hood stories or just a good YA adventure book. 5 stars

*I received this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

What a wonderful ride! The characters in this book were amazing! Strong powerful women accompanied by men who did not take them lightly. I so enjoyed the fun setting and the comedic language and story mixed with the adventure and crazy antics that could only come from a retelling of Robin Hood. Any time there is a classic story or myth retelling, I hope it will turn out like this one. Robin and Marian had the daughter I knew they should. A wise, caring, and cunning one. I hope anyone who is looking for an adventure picks this one up. It had everything going for it.

I love fairy tale retelling books and this book was really good. I love how the author twisted it into something new. I flew through this book and I will be purchasing this book when it comes out. I know the teens at my library will love this book!