Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Scarlet by A. C. Gaughen

Plot: A retelling of Robin Hood, Scarlet tells the tale of a fiery young woman stealing from the rich and protecting the poor - but most people know her as Will Scarlet, a boy in the exiled Robin Hood's notorious gang, harboring a mysterious past. When a thief-catcher comes to town, Scarlet's already dangerous life takes a turn for the worse. As she struggles to stay free from the law, Scarlet also fights between her feelings for her leader, Rob, and her teammate, John.

Comments: Scarlet was an intriguing story with a strong female lead. I enjoyed the retelling of Robin Hood with its theme of protecting the impoverished, overtaxed villagers from the cruel, violent local government. The plight of the peasants takes a back seat, however - the story focuses on Robin Hood's band and the complicated relationships between the outlaws. Specifically, the main conflict appears to be the love triangle between three of the members, including the female lead, Scarlet.

For what seemed to be a romance story, the actual elements of romance were slightly unclear. Yes, Scarlet's growing emotions - as well as her denial of those feelings - were evidenced in her confused thoughts and the fluttering of her heart. Gaughen did a good job of showing those feelings expand and morph without actually having to explain or name them. However, I never quite understood Scarlet's motivations or the reasons for those feelings. While I could feel her emotions, it was never clear as to why she was attracted to the two men. Perhaps there isn't ever an explainable reason when it comes to love, but I still felt like I was missing something as her feelings mysteriously grew stronger.

Everyone in the story, including the reader, is left in the dark about her past and the apparently scarring experiences she's had. This is intended, of course, but hints were dropped rather suddenly and out of context. Throughout the book Rob was able to draw out the truth from Scarlet in an effortless manner that I felt unrealistic, given her stubborn, private nature. And when the big reveal of her past was finally spilled completely, it felt forced and not nearly as important and touching as it was probably meant to be.

Despite this, I did love Scarlet's character. She rivaled the other teammates in skill, making up for her lack of physical strength through speed, cunning, and a knack for near-invisibility. And she never let anyone get to her, always talking back and ready for a fight. Scarlet was pretty flighty, though, and while she never ran away when someone needed her, she always escaped when someone was trying to talk to her. This made her a rather feral creature, one who didn't want to be human anymore.

Spoiler alert. Skip to the rating if you haven't read the book yet. I thought the ending was strange and forced. Why would Scarlet agree to marry the psychotic guy who planned to kill her? Originally I figured it was a distraction - but she actually went through with it. For what reason? Just to create extra conflict in the love triangle, I assume. And as for the love triangle: Scarlet's sudden complete love for Rob surprised me. One moment she told John she loved him (she actually did!) and the next she never wants to leave Rob's side. I don't understand this. It felt very unrealistic and inexplicable, like Gaughen wanted Rob and Scarlet to end up together in the end even though it didn't really fit the plot anymore.

Rating: I rate Scarlet an eight out of ten. It was an exciting read and fast-paced, but the characters' actions were sometimes confusing and unrealistic.

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