Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

Title: Scarlet
Author: A.C. Gaughen
Publisher: Walker 
Publication Date: February 14, 2012
Source: Thanks Netgalley and Walker!
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Summary: 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.


Review: Wow! Scarlet is an action-packed book that takes the tale of Robin Hood and twists into something wholly new and exciting.


I loved how Gaughen incorporated the original legend of Robin Hood into the story. She did it in subtle ways buts mostly the story was hers. It was so unique!


Scarlet, the main character, poses as a boy. I have always been so intrigued by stories where the main character is a girl but dressing up as a boy. Scarlet definitely fits the bill for that item. Scarlet also really surprised me, too. She is truly a brave character and is willing to risk anything for the people of Nottingham.


While there is tons of action and tricky escapades there is also a lot of romance. It never overpowered the story and other events but it was actually pretty intense. Scarlet and Rob have the cutest little love-hate relationship that I've seen in awhile. For some reason I love seeing two people fight/banter with each other but then realize how much they care about each other!


Overall, Scarlet is a great tale full of dangerous adventures. It could be a little confusing at times, keeping track of all the characters and names but it ended up being a great book from the usual YA fare.


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