Scarlette
by Davonna Juroe
Kindle Edition, 326 pages
Published October 12th 2012 by BumbleB Media, Inc
Premise:
Find the Beast ~ Find the Cure
Scarlette, an 18-year-old peasant, lives under a dark threat. A nightmarish creature lurks in the surrounding forest, killing the villagers one by one. When Scarlette's grandmother survives an attack, Scarlette learns that her grandmother hasn't suffered the bite of just any normal animal.
Now desperate, Scarlette searches throughout her province to find a cure. But there are those who want to keep their pasts hidden. As she begins to uncover the dark secrets of her village, Scarlette is befriended by a local nobleman and a woodcutter who share a gruesome history with the beast. To save her grandmother, Scarlette must unravel their mystery and solve an age-old crime. But as she pieces together the clues, Scarlette finds herself torn between the two men, both of whom want to be more than friends and hold the key to the cure.
What if Little Red Riding Hood was Real?
Based on both the Grimm and Perrault versions of Little Red Riding Hood and set against the terrifying, historic Beast of Gévaudan attacks, this dark YA retelling blends two epic legends, giving the fabled girl-in-the-red-cloak a new, shockingly real existence.
My Review:
This book crawled underneath my skin from the very first pages. It's spooky... gripping... downright FREAKY... and yet I couldn't look away. Lol.
Scarlette is a fun character. The story begins with her and her relationship with her mom, which is so twisted and painful, I just wanted to hide Scarlette out of her mother's sight. Scarlette's grandmother begins as an oasis in her harsh world... and then everything goes haywire.
So... Scarlette's mom is eerie. There's a couple guys who are so (nicely) frustrating... and then surprising. I kept waiting for one of 'em to settle into something predictable, but no... this story isn't predictable anywhere. The magic got a little heavy for me when the "witches & warlocks" come on the scene mid-book, but the story is spookily complete with 'em.
I recommend this book for anyone who likes a gripping thriller and paranormal with a dark twist. I enjoyed the writing and I LOVED the pace. Scroll down to download it for FREE this weekend only!!
I read this book because I ran into Davonna on Goodreads... and fell in love with the premise. Naturally, I had to ask her if she'd come by for a visit!!
Why did you choose the tale of Red Riding Hood to
retell? Is it your favorite fairytale?
While I was
stitching, some questions came to mind: What if LRRH had really lived? And
wouldn't it be cool to retell the tale but make the wolf in the story a
werewolf?
Little did I know
that those questions were about to take me on an epic journey. One where I'd
discover the rich history of the Little Red Riding Hood story and stumble upon
one of the most famous alleged werewolves of all time.
I
began researching the fairy tale right away and was surprised to find many
different versions. One of them was a French rendition called The Grandmother where the wolf
in the tale was really a werewolf! I then hoped to find a historical event to
use as a backdrop to make the fairy tale seem like it could've really happened
in time.
After pawing around, I discovered something truly horrifying. Some sixty years after French author and aristocrat Charles Perrault penned his version of Little Red Riding Hood in 1697, nearly one hundred people were ferociously mauled by an unidentified wolf-like creature in the Gévaudan province of France.
After pawing around, I discovered something truly horrifying. Some sixty years after French author and aristocrat Charles Perrault penned his version of Little Red Riding Hood in 1697, nearly one hundred people were ferociously mauled by an unidentified wolf-like creature in the Gévaudan province of France.
Rumors
blended with superstition, and the terrified peasantry blamed the attacks on a
werewolf. This creature was then named: The Beast of Gévaudan. I knew right there
that I had my werewolf. And it made further sense to set the YA in France,
based on the rich background there surrounding LRRH.
The rest as
they say is YA storytelling history. ;)
My favorite fairy
tale? Definitely Han's Christian Andersen's
The Little Mermaid, but The Pied Piper comes in at a close
second. I'd say that out of all the fairy tales the The Little Mermaid has moved me the most. Such a tragic yet
heartfelt story.
Ha!! Yes!!! It's tragic! I love that part. And tea!!! Well... you're welcome to drop in here any time.
What is your favorite scene in Scarlette?
Probably the forest scene when Scarlette is being
taught how to throw axes and learns how to defend herself. That was VERY fun to
write and this is where she gains a lot of her own power and self-confidence.
Hm.. yes. I liked that scene, too. I bet that was fun to write. What with him bein' there, too, and all!
Please share something personal!! Hobby? Pet?
Writing habits?
I love 80's fashion--especially leg warmers--and am completely crazy
about the 80's TV show Jem and the Holograms. I also might have a
little bit of an obsession with the color pink.
Although, it might be time to move on to a purple
phase. Only time will tell. ;)
We couldn't tell.
About the Author:
Davonna Juroe stays up way too late, has a severe garlic food allergy, and loves all things 80’s. She wonders if all this could actually mean she's a vampire.In high school, she wore way too much glitter eye make-up. And in between many Disneyland visits and reading R.L. Stine’s Fear Street Series, she joined the high school drama department and may have developed crushes of the serious kind on many a theater boy. After many a broken heart (*sigh*), Davonna moved to the quaint, wooded village of Kalispell, Montana.
When she’s not writing, she shops @ thrift stores for hot-pink-Jem-and-the-Holograms-inspired-outfits, eats gluten free desserts, drinks tea out of antique teacups, and spends too much time on deviantArt, Pinterest, and Goodreads.
Scarlette is Davonna’s debut novel of epic-historical-fairy-tale-proportions, which she knows the Brothers Grimm would say is wicked cool.
Currently, she's represented by fabulous independent agent Roxanne McHenry who is waving wands to make all of Davonna's dreams come true.
FREE DOWNLOAD OF SCARLETTE on Amazon!!! Saturday & Sunday, Jan 5-6. You have WON a copy of this gripping book!!! :-D I know!! Don't thank me... thank Davonna!!
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