Shaykitteh's World of Books

The last thing that Kia wanted was to set her school on fire... and her best friend with it. Unfortunately, that was exactly what happened. Cursed with a gift of fire, Kia is sent away to her grandmother in the country after her school expels her. Expecting to be bored while essentially living as a servant to the rich, Kia soon realizes that not all is normal with the Blackwoods. While creatures wander the woods, Ethan Blackwood comes home with blood on his hands, and Kia overhears talk of a Cabal. Fighting to control her power, Kia is watched by those who would destroy her... or use her.

RED is a mixture of myth, legend, fantasy, and romance; full of excitement and adventure, I found it difficult to put this book down! Kia is a strong character, uncertain of herself but unwilling to give up, she doesn't back down from a challenge or hide behind others in a fight. Ethan, a boy Kia's age who has secrets of his own, lives in the shadow of his father but is desperately trying to be different. The story is told from both Kia and Ethan's points of view, making the story more cohesive and complete, as each character slowly discovers the secrets of the other while hiding their own. This also helps both characters come more fully alive as you are able to see into the mind and heart of each throughout the story.

I really enjoyed the story in RED as well as the characters. This is both a coming of age tale and a mystery, wound together into a dark fantasy. None of the characters are exactly as they first appear, even the seemingly snobbish Justine, and you learn their backstories and motivations as the story unfolds. I was even happy with the ending, and the author has left it open just enough for a possible sequel without making the story into a cliffhanger.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

-------------------

If you enjoyed my review, please help me share it by marking it as being helpful on Amazon. I have included the link to the Amazon review in the Source section at the bottom of this review.