Many readers know the tale of Robin Hood, but they will be swept away by this new version full of action, secrets, and romance.
Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in.
It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.
You want to know what comes to mind whenever I think of Robin Hood? Wishbone. Yes, when I picture the dashing outlaw of Sherwood I see a little Jack Russell Terrier. And you know what? It’s so much fun and that dog is so darn cute that it just might me my favorite adaptation of Hood’s tale. Unfortunately Scarlet was not. It wasn’t bad, but it didn’t leave much of an impression either so I’ll keep things short.
Scarlet started out very promising. In this version of events the outlaws are a small group and Will Scarlet is a girl. The overall plot is very similar to the original (townsfolk being unfairly punished, evil sheriff, etc.), but the main focus is really Scarlet’s feelings towards Robin and John Little.
I liked Scarlet’s narration very much. She has a clear voice and a distinct way of speaking that made it easy to get to know her. She’s a rough and tumble thief who isn’t afraid of much and feels more at home in the trees than among the townsfolk she’s trying to help. Scarlet is a complicated person with secrets from her past and she likes to keep herself to herself. Despite all this she is drawn to Robin and can’t help but want to open up to him.
I guess the problem for me was that I just couldn’t understand why. I never really came around to liking this version of Robin very much. I wasn’t that crazy about John Little either, so when the book became more and more about Scarlet choosing between these two men I found myself loosing interest.
Conclusion? Interesting heroine but a lackluster love triangle.
footnotes 
