Her Royal Pinkness, Elizabeth I: JanuaryTBR: The Girl in Red by Christina Henry

For posterity, chronicling my experience with this book in its own post. What fun!

For my Goodreads Review, with a slight spoiler at the end of it, Click Here.

And now to my updated Q1 Blurb. Read below.

The Girl in Red by Christina Henry

Goals Met: #MonthlyMotifGXO January - Once Upon A Time | Science Fiction Book

Pre-read Thoughts: The theme for this challenge reads as follows: Read a book from the Fantasy, Fairytale, Mythology, or Folklore Sub Genres. This is really not a stretch for me, so I narrowed down my googling to retellings in the Fairy Tale subgenre because I really, really enjoyed The Lunar Chronicles (Marissa Meyer) I read in 2020. My original choice for this theme was unfortunately not published at the time of the challenge like initially advertised which had set my heart on a Red Riding Hood retelling. I found something else that looks just as promising.

Post-read Thoughts: I am quite happy that my initial choice wasn't published in time! In looking for a retelling, I came across a Science Fiction genre book that I wouldn't have normally picked up if it hadn't had that retelling aspect.

After reading the first two chapters or so, I realized that this was NOT a traditional Fantasy: Fairytale. It carries characteristics of Science Fiction: Apocalyptic/Post-Apocalyptic as well as Horror: Quiet Horror to it. This book is a perfect example of how labelling genres and subgenres is an artform unto itself and not a hard science. (Ha-ha. Like what I did there?)

When I wrote my check in posts using this as my choice and completed challenge in the Goodreads GirlXOXO thread for January: Once Upon a Time: Read a book in the Fantasy, Fairytale, Mythology, or Folklore subgenres, first I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't get a single person saying "That doesn't fit the challenge since it's not really a fairytale." I honestly thought I'd get some shade on that point.

Secondly, others told me they had loved the book as well and suggested some of Henry's other works, which I had already intended to do that moment I held the book in my hands and read the blurbs related to her other fairytale retelling books. Talk about community!

Final Thoughts & CAWPILE Rating: All in all I absolutely loved this book despite a little hiccup at the end. ***Read all the way to the bottom of my Goodreads review if you want the spoiler as to what that hiccup was.***

Other key points that should be mentioned as I believe they help to normalize a reality that bigoted people would like to destroy: there are various plot points and conversations in the book about living in this world as a biracial person because Red has a white skinned father and a black skinned mother. This contributes heavily to the way Red perceives people as she comes across them.

There is also a passing reference to Red having had a girlfriend in the past but that she likes boys too. See? Normalizing. This point doesn't have anything to do with any of the plot points, but it drops into normal conversation with the other character simply accepting it and moving on in conversation, not weirded out, not upset, not being bigoted in the slightest.

And one MORE thing. As if those two things weren't enough, Red is physically disabled. A lot of the early focus is on her disability. If there is anything at all I have learned lately about how disabled persons are viewed in entertainment media, Red isn't portrayed as being heroic because of her disability although surpassing everything thrown her way while plenty of other abled individuals perished is pretty incredible in this setting, I find that it was her determination and her preparedness that make her an incredible character to me. Others may disagree, but when you know the world is going to hell and you do nothing to prepare? You brought it on yourself, buddy. Being abled or disabled has nothing to do with preparedness.

If you're curious about the end rating and don't want to head over to Goodreads, here it is:

C: 8 | A: 9 | W: 9 | P: 8 | I: 10 | L: 10 | E: 10 = 9.14 = ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐