RED by Alyxandra Harvey

Rating: C
Release Date: 3/10/15 
Synopsis:
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…

My thoughts on the book:
I'm a pretty big fan of Alyxandra Harvey's work. I generally enjoy everything she writes, and this novel was no exception. However, a lot of things just didn't make sense to the point that I could achieve a willing suspension of disbelief. The characters, for the most part were too extreme in their actions, and those actions often vacillated between love and hate with no warning. The world-building was also lacking a bit because things just didn't seem to fit. I've come to have relatively high expectations from Harvey, and this novel just didn't meet them. 

Kia was okay, but I kept forgetting her name (maybe because she's named after a car?). She didn't really stand out. She' was just your typical angsty teenager with authority and parental issues. Yeah, she could start fires, but not nearly enough was done with that. Ethan was also very typical. I mean yeah, he had secrets, but he was still just blah. He didn't intrigue me at all. Everyone else was as you'd imagine them. No surprises with the characters. I could have told you exactly what would happen with each character at the beginning of the book. 

The mythological characters that existed were there for some thrill factor. Nothing was done with the mythology of these creatures. It wasn't mentioned at all. One creature had its origins mentioned, but no mythology to go with it. That really bothered me. The stories of these creatures would have been much better than just following along with distorted folk tale imaginings of them and throwing them all in one place. They were there for a shock factor, but nothing was shocking about it. I wish that Harvey had actually done some research on these creatures. It would have added a dose of much-needed reality. In addition to the weak world-building, all of the surprises weren't really surprises at all. I had them all figured out before I hit the 50% mark. The writing itself was good, and the book was enjoyable in a light, doesn't-make-you-think sort of way. However, this story could have been so much more. 

I'd say if you're looking for a light, quick, read, then give this book a try. If you want something with some depth, then pass this one up. It's enjoyable enough, and it's cute, sure. It just isn't something that will stick with you. 

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