Into the Bloodred Woods, written by Martha Brockenbrough, reviewed by Carrie Conner

Summary:  In a fairytale kingdom, twins Ursula and Albrecht are born to a king and a queen who can spin grass into gold. Ursula is a "werebear", part of a small population of shapeshifting "werebeasts" feared for their abilities, removed from families as children, and kept in cages at night. As the firstborn, Ursula should rule, but the jealous and fearful Albrecht has other ideas. When the king divides the kingdom to allow both his children to rule, Albrecht instead seizes everything by force, sending Ursula and the surviving "weres" into the forest. In a book told from multiple perspectives, familiar fairy tale characters are woven together into feminist interpretations. Blending Ursula the Bear, Goldilocks, Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretel, the Pied Piper, Little Red Riding Hood and numerous others, readers will find familiar plots pieces and elements weaving this story together. However, expect a darker twist more Grimm than Disney in this gruesomely violent tale.

Straight Talk for Librarians:  While the fairy tale element is well-done and historically accurate, the level of physical and descriptive violence towards animals and people should be noted as a caution. References to rape, sexual violation, and explicit torture are included pushing this title to a higher age level for YA.  Inclusivity is present with characters of different races as well as an LGBTQIA+ relationship between Ursula and Sabine shown in a positive light, but it is not a primary focus or theme. The persecution of "werebeasts" instead fulfills the role of illustrating prejudice and allowing characters to advocate for inclusivity. However, a main theme is about the power of storytellers (leaders) to twist the narrative and influence people through misinformation and fear. The classic fairy tales told to inspire fear of the forest and blame women are here portrayed as lies told by a clever and broken man, consumed by his own fear and inadequacies. The author includes a reference to repeating a lie three times to make it true. The parallels to modern leaders is clear and could tie into studies about truth in media and political speeches. This book could also be used with students studying King Lear or fairy tales as this work could be considered an adaptation of those stories.