Review: Sisters Red - Jackson Pearce

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce, published by Hodder Children's Books on 7th April 2011

Goodreads synopsis:
Scarlett March lives to hunt the Fenris--the werewolves that took her eye when she was defending her sister Rosie from a brutal attack. Armed with a razor-sharp hatchet and blood-red cloak, Scarlett is an expert at luring and slaying the wolves. She's determined to protect other young girls from a grisly death, and her raging heart will not rest until every single wolf is dead.
 
Rosie March once felt her bond with her sister was unbreakable. Owing Scarlett her life, Rosie hunts ferociously alongside her. But even as more girls' bodies pile up in the city and the Fenris seem to be gaining power, Rosie dreams of a life beyond the wolves. She finds herself drawn to Silas, a young woodsman who is deadly with an ax and Scarlett's only friend--but does loving him mean betraying her sister and all that they've worked for?

 

 

Review:

You will never think about wolves in the same way again after reading ‘Sisters Red’.  They are the monsters that haunt Jackson Pearce’s world and which Scarlett and her sister Rosie have vowed to hunt down and kill, after a brutal attack which ended in their grandmother dead and Scarlett permanently maimed.  From that moment on, Scarlett has made it her life’s mission to seek revenge on the evil Fenris (the name for which the werewolves are known) by finding and killing as many as she can.  She believes it is her duty to save and protect the innocence of others and it is this which she dedicates herself whole-heartedly to.  She has no room in her life for anything other than the hunt and the only people who are close to her are her sister and childhood friend Silas, who is handy with an axe and used to be her partner before he became disillusioned with the hunt and started to want something more. 

 

Dark, brooding and bloody, this book captivated me from start to finish.  The first chapter which starts seven years before the main story, literally grabbed me by the throat and from that moment on never let go.  I’ve heard the story described as a modern re-telling of Red Riding Hood but with a twist.  However, for me, it’s so much more than that.  Scarlett and Rosie are not content to sit and wait for someone else to help them or rescue them.  They're headstrong, brave and fiesty and they've learnt how to survive on their own.  Each chapter presents their alternate viewpoint of events and although Scarlett started off as my favourite character, I loved the development of Rosie throughout the course of the book and the way she really came into her own at the end.  I also loved the way subtle way in which a romantic storyline between Rosie and Silas developed and this helped to balance out and provide a lighter tone to the darkness which is always present in the story. 

 

The bond between the two sisters is one of the things that I particularly liked about the book.  They are described as having one heart but as the story progresses they begin to drift in opposite directions – no longer with the same purpose in life, and this journey that they both go through is one of the best features of the story.  Having a sibling myself, I can share Scarlett’s feeling of things being like a bookshelf with a row of upside down books when the two are having an argument or have momentarily fallen out about something.  She doesn't feel right in herself until everything is back to normal between them.  The bond they share is pivotal to the story and I really enjoyed seeing how they always had each other's back. 

 

I absolutely loved all the fight scenes which dominated much of the second half of the story.  They only confirmed to me that Scarlett is one kick-ass heroine!  The Fenris are as evil as can be and are really scary!  Their souls are beyond redemption and the sense of them picking and stalking their prey was suffocating at times and oozed out of the pages but highlighted how important Scarlett's mission to protect people against them was. 

 

The story was a real rollercoaster ride although I did guess the major twist that came near the end of the book quite early on.  Even that however, didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the story.  For the most part, the writing was paced well and the plot fairly skipped along at times as I found myself totally sucked in and immersed into Jackson Pearce's imagination.  For me, the ending was perfect and provided just the right conclusion for characters which I had grown to love.  I would urge you not to hesitate and go and pick up a copy of this book now, particulalrly if you're a fan of the paranormal genre, because 'Sisters Red' is one of the best books I've read so far this year.  I loved it!