I do love a retelling that's entertaining and different than what you're used to. Shurtliff defies much of what you'd expect from Red's tale and turned it into a funny and thought-provoking story for young readers. Take what you thought you knew about Red and the big bad Wolf, add a bit of a magic to her Grandma as well, and you've got only a tip of this interesting tale. Red's story not only includes her Granny and the Wolf, it also includes other well-known fairy-tale characters such as Goldilocks, the Huntsman (from Snow White), and the Beast. You also see creatures such as nymphs, dwarfs, sprites, and more. The author's spin was twisty with a touch of dark, and there's a ton of magic involved. 
 Red goes on an adventure to save her grandma, who is really sick, and through this, learns to face her fears of magic and discovers just how strong and strong-willed she is. I liked the sense of empowerment the story gives the reader, telling them that looking for the easy way out, through magic and stuff, isn't the best thing, and that you've got to look inside yourself to find the true magic. I'm definitely curious about the other books in this series and if they're anything like this one, I'm sure I'll have fun reading it.