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Christina Henry
Christina Henry writes dark fantasy and horror, often putting a grim spin on classic fairy tales and legends. She is best known for titles like Lost Boy and The Girl in Red.
The Girl in Red
Synopsis
A postapocalyptic reimagining of Little Red Riding Hood. Three months after a pandemic known as the Crisis devastated the population, twenty-year-old Cordelia — who answers only to Red — treks hundreds of miles through dangerous wilderness toward her grandmother's off-grid home. A horror-film devotee turned prepper, she knows exactly why naive people die during an apocalypse, and she's prepared to use everything she's learned to survive.
The novel alternates between "Before," the collapse of Red's family as the Crisis spreads, and "After," her solitary journey through the woods — where the greatest danger isn't the sickness or the wildlife, but the men who see a lone woman as easy prey. Christina Henry's take on the fairy tale trades the wolf for something far more human.
Genres
Characters
RedProtagonist
Cordelia, called Red, is a twenty-year-old survivor with a prosthetic leg and an encyclopedic knowledge of horror films and disaster-prep manuals. She treks alone through the ruined countryside toward her grandmother's off-grid home.
AdamSupporting
Red's older brother, who sets out with the family after the Crisis begins; his fate diverges from Red's during the journey.
Goodreads Choice Award (2019)
Frequently asked questions
Does this book connect to the author's other fairy tale retellings?
This story is a standalone work and does not share a connected narrative or universe with the author's other fairy tale retellings like the Alice series.
How is the story structured?
The narrative alternates between the present day and the past, which serves to reveal the events leading up to the crisis and the protagonist's history.
Are there any specific literary influences beyond the fairy tale source material?
The author has noted that the story pays homage to Shakespeare's Macbeth, and the protagonist's survival mindset is influenced by her background as an avid consumer of horror and disaster films.