Book Review: Scarlet

Title: Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

Release Date: Feb. 14, 2012
Publisher: Walker Childrens
Pages: 292 pages
Genre: Historical
Source: Publisher

Goodreads Summary: Many readers know the tale of Robin Hood, but they will be swept away by this new version full of action, secrets, and romance.

Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in.

It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.

If you think you the story of Robin Hood has been done so many times, there can’t be anything new about it, think again. A.C. Gaughen writes a story that’s fresh, exciting and romantic and puts a new spin and the story you thought you knew!

Scarlet in set in Nottinghamshire, a small town ruled over by the evil and corrupt sheriff who oppresses the people beyond the breaking point. Robin is a nobleman who has had his title, lands and possessions unjustly taken from him. Of course, he loves his people so he steals for them so they can eat and pay their taxes and break them out of the jail when they are locked up. Everything is going as well as usual until the sheriff hires a new thief taker, one that even has the unflappable Will Scarlet terrified.

The story is told from Scarlet’s perspective, and she is the best and most daring thief in Robin Hood’s band. Very few people know that Scarlet is actually a girl, one with a chip on her shoulder and a shadowy past. The boys, Robin, Little John and Much, know what she is and are fiercely protective of Scarlet who hates being fussed over and treated differently.

The first thing you notice when you start reading the book is Scarlet’s dialect and since the book is told from her first person perspective, it’s constant throughout the book. It took me about two pages to get used to it and it seemed so natural after that.

I loved Scarlet! She had so much emotional baggage and a past that was a complete mystery, but it was slowly revealed throughout the book. The pain and angst the character feels is very well written. The fact that she is deadly with the knives made me love her that much more.

There is a of a love triangle of sorts among Scarlet, Little John and Robin. Robin is gallant, swoon worthy and utterly frustrating! He jealously accuses Scarlet of sending John mixed signals when he pretty much guilty of doing the same thing to her. Regardless, I liked Robin a lot and raced through the book to see how the romance would play out.

Scarlet is a fast paced, exciting book with some awesome plot twists thrown in and I loved it. Gaughen has written a solid debut novel that left me wanting more. I have no idea if there will be a sequel as the book works well as a standalone novel, but I would love to go back to this world. Fingers crossed that I will.

Content: Kissing and heavy violence

My Rating: Really Good!