The International Writers Magazine: YA Fiction

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce ISBN: 978 1 444 90058 3 Published 3 June 2010 Published by Hodder Childrens • Holly Trinder Fairy tales are not all made up, this is what the March sisters are forced to accept. When Scarlett and Rosie March were little they saw the death of their grandmother Oma March, and were forced to fight for their very lives against a fairytale monster. The vicious attack saw Scarlett scarred for life, and the loss of her eye, forever a reminder of what was really out there.

Now it is years later, and the scared little girls have grown up. And they’re not frightened anymore. Scarlett and Rosie are hunters, and the Fenris are their prey. Monstrous creatures in human form, until it’s too late and their evil bubbles to the surface in a flash of teeth and claws, and the rotten stench of corpses oozes from their greasy fur. And these fairytale wolves are out for one thing, the kill.

   The quite town of Ellison is suffering a sudden surge in Fenris activity, which can only mean one thing, there is a Potential nearby. Someone who can be turned into a Fenris. So it’s up to the girls to adorn their red cloaks and, with their partner Silas, to go to the big city and stop another soulless monster being created.

   But with time running out and no way for them to know who the potential is, will they be able to stop the body count of innocent girls rising and stop the Fenris claiming another member? And with the Arrow pack, the largest Fenris pack in existence, taking over members of all the other packs how much longer can the sisters and Silas go without suffering another loss?

   A beautifully written story told from the alternating perspectives of the two March sisters that gives the age old tale of little red riding hood a modern twist; red riding hood just got sexy and very very dangerous.

   The plot is full of intrigue and fascination that is guaranteed to keep its audience hooked, with the tension created by fighting the monstrous Fenris, and the ever shifting relationship between the two sisters; after all, if the two halves of one heart want different things, how can there not be trouble?

   The contrasting settings of the piece add to the pace of the book shifting from the quite run of the mill life of the small town of Ellison, to the fast paced dangerous dark world of the city. The tension is mediated by the comedy and hardships of everyday worries. Which adds to the realness of the book.

   Jackson has a very distinct writing style which is rare to find these days. Her characters have such strong voices that it is easy to believe they have been developed from personal experience. The relationship between the two sisters has such strong founding that it was not surprising to discover Jackson herself has a sister.

   I can honestly say I have no criticisms for this piece, the writing was wonderfully developed to flowing perfection, the plot was both original and thoroughly enjoyable, and the range of reading ages is phenomenal that I could not work out who its intended audience was. In fact, the only bad thing I could say about this book was that it was so terribly addictive that it got in the way of me doing my actual work. I would recommend this to anyone I know, and if you enjoy a good plot that incorporates thrills, tension, and modern day mingling with the fantasy world as if they were made for each other, then I suggest you go out and buy this book...just be prepared to not get anything done until you have finished reading it.
© Holly Trinder May 2010
Holly has already written her first chidlren's novel and is looking for a publisher whilst she completes her degree in Creative Writing.

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