Book Shelf: Red by Alyxandra Harvey

Bad girls burn hot…

Red is the color of Kia Alcott's hair.
It's her temper, which blazes hot and always gets Kia into way too much trouble.
And it's the color of fire. Fires that Kia can start…just by thinking about them.

When her latest “episode” gets her kicked out of school, Kia is shipped off to her grandmother, who works for the wealthy Blackwoods. It's an estate shrouded in secrets, surrounded by rules, and presided over by a family that is far from normal…including the gorgeous and insolent Ethan Blackwood.

Ethan knows far more about the dangers of the forest surrounding the estate than Kia can ever imagine. For this forest has teeth, and Ethan is charged with protecting the outside world from its vicious mysteries.

But inside, even the most vibrant shade of red doesn't stand a chance against the dark secrets of the Blackwood family…

More info on Goodreads......


Review:

Red is Alyxandra Harvey’s latest release and is an unassuming story full of intrigue, passion and the paranormal and will ensnare you from beginning to end with its kick-ass heroine, sweeping romance and mythical creatures.

I feel it's important to express that I am wholeheartedly an Alyxandra Harvey fan. With Red, I’ve now read all of her published work and consider her simple, albeit entertaining writing and solid characterization not to be missed. I’ve never read a novel by her I haven’t liked and Red is no exception, though the ending left me a little dissatisfied.

I’m not exactly sure what I was expecting heading into Red, but as beautiful as it is, the cover and the description really don’t do the book justice. Red is told through the dual eyes of seventeen year old Kia Alcott, who has the ability to start fire with her mind and whose touch burns deadly and Ethan Blackwood, a privileged young man whose family has a history of hunting and capturing the most shocking of creatures.

After an accident at her school saw Kia’s best friend injured and her expelled, Kia is sent to live with her estranged grandmother at the country estate where she works and lives, the Blackwood family home. Set amongst a forest backdrop, Kia’s new home is eerie and mysterious and Kia soon starts to realize the family her grandmother works for is hiding secrets and those secrets are more impossible than Kia could have ever anticipated, even as she slowly realizes that Ethan Blackwood isn’t the cold-hearted individual he so desperately wants people to believe he is……

Red is quite an enjoyable read. I actually wasn’t expecting it to be told through both Kia and Ethan’s POV’s, but was quite glad it was in the end. I enjoyed the aura of mystery Harvey explored in Red and the creatures she wove into her novel. I really liked seeing the different mythical creatures throughout the story and loved that they weren’t the ones you typically see in most supernatural and paranormal tales. Obviously I don’t want to give away too many spoilers, but Red often isn’t what you expect.

Harvey introduces her readers to a very fiery heroine—pun intended, with Kia Alcott. Kia is a feisty young thing with guts and tenacity; something I very much enjoyed whilst reading Red. Kia is sharp speaking and has a great internal monologue who has some great chemistry with her love interest Ethan.

As the male lead and the other point of view we follow throughout the story, Ethan surprised me by being personable, entertaining and full of character! He certainly is the mysterious young man Red’s description paints him as, but Harvey managed to give him enough depth and character to make him more than your typical good looking love interest.

Ethan is a part of a larger group in this novel, and I liked some of his friends, particularly Sloane who also befriends Kia, and Colt—he seemed like a pretty cool character. In fact, most of the minor characters seemed to compliment the story well; my only issue with Red at all was it's ending…..

Though I sometimes quite enjoy a well written standalone novel, Red was the kind of novel that would have made a great series. The story had a fun, fresh idea and was wonderfully paced until the end when the novel seemed rushed; leaving me very dissatisfied. I feel like Harvey forced the ending and the story wasn’t tied up nicely. There are so many left over questions I would have liked explained including Kia’s abilities and what will happen to the characters next.

Fast paced and wonderfully written all the way until the final few chapters, Red is highly worth a read and something Alyxandra Harvey fans will not want to miss!

Rating:

Source: Sent for review by YA Bound Book Tours and the author (Thank you ladies!)
Format: Kindle ebook
Buy it: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
My Recommendation: Fans of Harvey and unique supernatural tales will love this!
Cover: I think the cover is quite pretty, but doesn't do the novel inside it justice!
Will I read sequel/continue with series: Though this is a standalone novel and I wasn't thrilled with the ending I'll still read whatever Alyxandra Harvey writes next!