Pearce mixes werewolves and classic fairy tales to create a lushly romantic story of two sisters who hunt the Fenris, werewolves who roam in search of adolescent girls to eat. Along with her younger sister, Rosie, Scarlett March was orphaned and nearly killed at age 11 by a Fenris who destroyed her grandmother and left her missing an eye. Eight years later, the sisters have become fierce hunters, avenging their grandmother and protecting unknowing young women with the help of their neighbor, a young woodsman named Silas, who wields a mean axe. Silas loves Rosie, but hesitates to come between the sisters' strong bond. Scarlett and Rosie alternate narrating chapters, giving the reader a clear view of their inner conflicts. Despite plenty of gore and werewolf transformations, it's the compelling love stories that drive the tale e sisters' affection for each other, the first breathless flush of infatuation between Rosie and Silas, and Scarlett's love of the hunt. Readers of Stephenie Meyer, Donna Jo Napoli, and Shannon Hale will enjoy the excitement, romance, supernatural elements, and fairy tale references.

Attacked by a Fenris (werewolf) as children, Scarlett and Rosie, now teenagers, don red capes and hunt the creatures. For Scarlett, killing Fenris is her whole life; Rosie is torn between devotion to her sister and desire for a different existence. This modern, urban "Little Red Riding Hood" interpretation, told from the sisters' alternating perspectives, includes plenty of violence, action, and plot twists.

This is not the tale of Little Red Riding Hood your granny told. In this version, the sisters, Scarlett and Rose (shades of red, anyone?), were attacked by a werewolf-like Fenris and saved by Scarlett's quick action with a broken mirror. The attack left Scarlett with one eye, bite and claw scars and an obsessive drive to rid the world of the Fenris clans. Told from the points of view of the two teens, joined by childhood friend and woodsman Silas, the story combines elements of fantasy and mystery in equal parts. The voices of both sisters are distinctive and clearly differentiated, though the dialogue is sometimes overwrought and melodramatic. The plot unfolds with steadily increasing tension and unexpected twists to a shocking climax. The ending may not be totally satisfying, but it is realistic given the depiction of both young women. This urban fantasy with its scarred heroine and intermittent violence is not for Twilight fans but may well appeal to Melissa Marr's readers and teens who like their fantasy on the gritty side. (Fantasy. YA)

The psychosexual implications of ""Little Red Riding Hood"" have been explored since the days of Bruno Bettelheim, and Pearce (As You Wish) tackles them with enthusiasm in this grisly contemporary reimagining. Scarlett March, 18, scarred and missing an eye after killing the ""Fenris"" who slaughtered her grandmother, now lives to hunt the werewolflike creatures that relentlessly stalk and murder girls far and wide. Her 16-year-old sister, Rosie, has also been trained to hunt, but feels the tug of a different life and kills Fenris only out of loyalty to her beloved sister. The neighboring woodman's son, Silas, has been a reliable ally, but he, too, has begun to think about other things%E2%80%94including Rosie. Still, all three move from their rural town to Atlanta when the opportunity comes to strike a major blow against the Fenris, the urban landscape becoming the vehicle of discovery for them all. Although it remains fuzzy why the trio shoulders the burden of combating the Fenris alone, rather than exposing the creatures to the rest of the populace, it's a well-told tale that does not suffer from the fairy tale predictability of its outcome. Ages 15%E2%80%93up. (June)

Gr 8 Up-For Scarlett and Rosie March, the world is not what it seems. Werewolves, called Fenris, live among them in the form of good-looking men who prey on pretty young girls. When a Fenris attacked the March girls, it killed their grandmother and left them emotionally and, for Scarlett, physically scarred. Since then, they have taken action and revenge. With the help of a friend, Silas, the girls are on a missionto destroy as many Fenris as they can. This goal becomes more complicated when they try to unravel the mystery behind the pack and prevent the next "Potential" from transforming fully into a soulless, evil monster. Pearce is on the mark with this modern-day retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. Told by the sisters in alternating chapters, this well-written, high-action adventure grabs readers and never lets go. Rosie and Scarlett are true heroines; smart, tough, and determined, but their special bond is put to test when Rosie and Silas's relationship becomes more than just friendship. A satisfying read with a fantastic cover. Donna Rosenblum, Floral Park Memorial High School, NY

In the small Georgia town of Ellison live teenaged sisters Scarlett and Rosie Marsh. They have been on their own since their grandmother was killed in a vicious werewolf attack, which left Scarlett disfigured. Since then, Scarlett has been driven to bait and kill as many werewolves (or Fenris) as she possibly can with the help of her hunting partner, the sistersÆ neighbor Silas. But Rosie and Silas, also skilled hunters, dream of living normal lives, which frustrates Scarlett tremendously. Meanwhile, in Atlanta, gangs of Fenris are gathering in droves and murdering adolescent girls, and Scarlett is desperate to do something about it. The three determine that there must be a coveted Potential (a rare human who can be turned) somewhere in the area causing the wolves to congregate. Silas and the sisters rent a rundown apartment in Atlanta, so they can search for the Potential and put a stop to the killings. Emotions run high as Rosie and Silas fall in love and try to keep their new relationship a secret from Scarlett. In a horrifying twist, Scarlett realizes that Silas is the Potential, but after an intense, bloody battle with the wolves all ends well for the three friends. Pearce modernizes the story of Little Red Riding Hood, creating a novel filled with bravery, romance and loyalty. Though the long and frequent fight scenes sometimes overshadow the plot, and Silas is a little too noble to be believable, teens who savor the supernatural will enjoy this suspenseful tale. ? Dotsy Harland.