Review: Red by Alyxandra Harvey

Red by Alyxandra Harvey

Publisher- Entangled Teen

Released- March 10th 2015

Purchase- Amazon / B & N

Bad girls burn hot…Red is the color of Kia Alcott's hair.It's her temper, which blazes hot and always gets Kia into way too much trouble.And it's the color of fire. Fires that Kia can start…just by thinking about them.When her latest “episode” gets her kicked out of school, Kia is shipped off to her grandmother, who works for the wealthy Blackwoods. It's an estate shrouded in secrets, surrounded by rules, and presided over by a family that is far from normal…including the gorgeous and insolent Ethan Blackwood.Ethan knows far more about the dangers of the forest surrounding the estate than Kia can ever imagine. For this forest has teeth, and Ethan is charged with protecting the outside world from its vicious mysteries.But inside, even the most vibrant shade of red doesn't stand a chance against the dark secrets of the Blackwood family…

My Thoughts:

I've been a huge fan of Alyxandra Harvey since her debut novel, Hearts at Stake and have been an avid reader of her work since then, so it's no surprise that I jumped at the chance to read her latest release, Red as soon as I could, and wow am I ever glad I did! This book was such a fun-filled fantasy that is sort of a Little Red Riding Hood retelling but with a supernatural and magical twist that had me completely fascinated and consumed.

Harvey has written about vampires, ghost, fey-folks and witches, but this book felt entirely different from her other books, but in the best way possible. It's a great mixture of fairytale and fantasy but with supernatural and magical abilities thrown in. It's an intriguing and mysterious story that has just about everything I could want in an escape. Magic, medieval gothic lore, fantastical and mythical creatures all set in a remote looming castle with dangerous wild secrets and characters. Harvey really went all out with this book and I loved that she didn't give us all the answers and we are made to just sit back and enjoy as the story unfolds as we learn about Kia, Ethan and the Blackwood family and all of their wicked secrets.

Kia was awesome from the start, she's a sassy character who doesn't take crap from anyone and I loved her spark (pun intended). Staying with her Grandmother at Blackwood castle is a last resort since she got expelled for setting her school on fire, but it's not like Kia can help it, for what ever reason she can start fires with just her thoughts, but she's scared since she doesn't know why or how to control it.

Ethan is a rather intense character that was pretty hot and cold when he first meets Kia. He has a very unique role in the Blackwood family and I absolutely loved learning about some of his more eccentric talents and activities. I loved how protective he is of Kia and his friends. Ethan and Kia may have had a shaky relationship at first, but I can't deny they have quite the sizzling chemistry.

All in all, I thought this book was really very cool. The world Harvey creates is bizarrely imaginative, dark and edgy with characters I couldn't help be invested with from the first page till it's thrilling conclusion. There were some loose ends, so I'm hoping we get more. This was a fun and solid escape and I look forward to seeing what Harvey has in store for us next!

Find the author:

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