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Loosely based on Little Red Riding Hood, Scarlet’s story starts as she searches for her missing grandmother. Along the way, she meets the dark and handsome street fighter Wolf who might be able to help her, if she can trust him. We also learn a little more about Cinder’s escape and how she might be connected to Scarlet’s grandmother.

Like Cinder, Scarlet is inspired by a fairy tale but isn’t similar enough to be called a re-telling. If you’re particularly excited for a more faithful re-telling, that might be disappointing. However, I enjoyed the originality of the world Meyer created and thought the similarities to Red Riding Hood added an extra layer of interest. The characters’ personalities are also unique and not exactly what you might expect from the fairy tale.

Although the characters and world were unique and original, the plot was less so. It was both predictable and light on action that moved the story forward. The writing, the world building, the characters were all good in the same way Cinder was good. Sadly, the lack of action made this feel like a let down, just more of the same, instead of an exciting extension to the series.

This review first published on Doing Dewey.