Red Hood

A dark, engrossing, blood-drenched tale of the familiar threats to female power—and one girl’s journey to regain it. Five starred reviews greeted this powerful story from Elana K. Arnold, author of the Printz Honor winner Damsel.

You are alone in the woods, seen only by the unblinking yellow moon. Your hands are empty. You are nearly naked. And the wolf is angry.

Since her grandmother became her caretaker when she was four years old, Bisou Martel has lived a quiet life in a little house in Seattle. She’s kept mostly to herself. She’s been good.

But then comes the night of homecoming, when she finds herself running for her life over roots and between trees, a fury of claws and teeth behind her.

A wolf attacks. Bisou fights back. A new moon rises. And with it, questions.

About the blood in Bisou’s past, and on her hands as she stumbles home.

About broken boys and vicious wolves.

About girls lost in the woods—frightened, but not alone.

• Red Riding Hood Retelling: You are alone in the woods. You are nearly naked. And the wolf is angry. But this time, the girl with the red hood fights back.
• Hunter Heroine: After a vicious wolf attack on homecoming night, Bisou Martel discovers a bloody secret legacy and a power she never knew she possessed.
• Werewolves and Shifters: A new moon rises over Seattle, and with it, questions about broken boys, vicious wolves, and the darkness hiding in plain sight.
• Female Rage and Empowerment: A visceral and unflinching look at the threats to female power—and one girl’s blood-drenched journey to reclaim it for herself and for the girls who came before.
• Found Family: With the help of her enigmatic grandmother and two new friends, Bisou must forge a new pack to face the dangers that hunt in the night.

"In the wake of her Printz Honor–winning Damsel, Arnold blazes a new and equally powerful trail through toxic masculinity. Read, shed your pelt, and be transformed—for blades are being sharpened." - Booklist (starred review)

“It’s unsettling how seamlessly Arnold incorporates dark fantasy elements of beastly wolves and cunning hunters into her all-too-realistic tale. A fantastic novel in the #MeToo era, empowering women to share their stories by reaching out, speaking up, and demanding a change.” - School Library Journal (starred review)

"This will satisfy readers looking for a vengeful overthrow of the patriarchy that recasts the victims as the victors." - Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“At once a sharp critique of male entitlement and a celebration of sisterhood and feminine power, this story will linger with readers long after the final page.” - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"An ultimately empowering, and thoroughly immersive, feminist fairy tale." - Horn Book (starred review)

"Deeply and darkly enticing, Red Hood isn't a modern retelling so much as it is the story we should have had all along." - Shelf Awareness

Praise for Damsel: “This incisively written allegory rips into a familiar story and sets it aflame.” - School Library Journal (starred review)

Praise for Damsel: “Arnold’s pitch-black fairy tale isn’t subtle, but this isn’t a tale that requires subtlety. For teens learning to transform sadness and fear into active, productive fury, it’s an essential allegory. Eat your heart out, Sleeping Beauty: this brutal, devastating, powerful novel won’t soon be forgotten.” - ALA Booklist (starred review)

Praise for Damsel: “Exquisitely written and unflinchingly, furiously feminist, Damsel is a gorgeous inferno of a fairy tale and my new obsession. Searing and audacious, with an ending that will leave you howling at the moon. A must for every collection.” - Claire Legrand, author of Furyborn

“Arnold uses an intriguing blend of magic realism, lyrical prose, and imagery that evokes intimate physical and emotional aspects of young womanhood. A timely and unabashedly feminist twist on a classic fairy tale.” - Kirkus Reviews