Wolf in a Hood

Review: Forever Scarlett (The Everly Girls Book 3) by V.B. Marlowe

What if the Big Bad Wolf was wearing the red riding hood? How would the story go from there?

The Everly Girls series makes our fairy-tale protagonists immortal, cursed with a situation that will not improve until they take drastic actions. I already reviewed the Kindle Scout selection Forever Snow (see Princely Kiss Cannot Save This Snow White); Snow needed the heart of another cursed child to escape her dilemma. Cinderella, who was cursed to live in pain (surely you didn't think glass shoes were comfortable), also sought a heart in Forever Ella.

So too with Scarlett, whose red hood hides a vulpine anger. 

And she shares that wolfish nature, and her curse of immortality, with her grandmother. In modern times, it has become ever harder to hide in the woods, real or virtual. One can never have a Facebook page, never send a Tweet. And never mind having girlfriends in for a sleep-over!

When Scarlett befriends the wrong girls, granny winds up dead, and Scarlett must flee to the only sanctuary left: a school for the similarly-cursed called Everly.

The first two books were full-size novels, setting the atmosphere and back-story (and providing a preview of too much of the action found in this novella.) At 110 pages, Scarlett is barely a third the length of Snow or Ella. Nevertheless, once you move past the repetition of action from Scarlett's perspective, and she winds up at the school, the promise of the series is renewed. 

And remember, where there's a big, bad wolf, there will be gnashing of teeth! If not, I will be very disappointed.

Liner Note:

At the time of this review, the novella was available only in ebook format.