A dark, engrossing, blood-drenched tale of the familiar threats to female power—and one girl's journey to regain it. Five starred reviews greeted this powerful story from Elana K. Arnold, author of the Printz Honor winner Damsel.
You are alone in the woods, seen only by the unblinking yellow moon. Your hands are empty. You are nearly naked. And the wolf is angry.
Since her grandmother became her caretaker when she was four years old, Bisou Martel has lived a quiet life in a little house in Seattle. She's kept mostly to herself. She's been good.
But then comes the night of homecoming, when she finds herself running for her life over roots and between trees, a fury of claws and teeth behind her.
A wolf attacks. Bisou fights back. A new moon rises. And with it, questions.
About the blood in Bisou's past, and on her hands as she stumbles home.
About broken boys and vicious wolves.
About girls lost in the woods—frightened, but not alone.
In this stunningly dark Little Red Riding Hood retelling, the wolf is not the only one with teeth.
- Feminist Horror: A visceral, blood-soaked exploration of female rage, toxic masculinity, and the violent lengths a girl named Bisou will go to reclaim her power.
- YA Dark Fantasy: Set in the misty woods of Seattle, this standalone fantasy thriller follows a girl who discovers the monsters are real—and they walk the halls of her high school.
- Generational Trauma: Bisou Martel has been a good girl her whole life, but after one bloody night, she must confront the secrets in her past and an inheritance from the grandmother who raised her.
- Coming of Age: A powerful story of bodily autonomy and supernatural awakening, centered on a girl who finds her strength in the very thing she's been taught to fear.
