Books I Love: Scarlet

Behold, my favorite book I've read so far this year:

Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen presupposes that Will Scarlet (a member of Robin Hood's band of Merry Men) is actually a girl posing as a boy. Scarlet knows her way around a knife. She also has a past full of secrets that she won't share with anyone -- not even the charismatic Rob. Unfortunately, when the cruel thief taker Lord Gisbourne goes bounty hunting for Robin and his men, it seems Scarlet's past is out to find her.

I'll be the first to tell you that the Robin Hood legend never did much for me. However, I kept hearing buzz about how awesome this book was and became compelled to pick it up. I'm so glad I did.

Why? For one, Scarlet herself rules. She is a strong, flawed heroine with an ultra-compelling voice. For another, the action in the book is non-stop and fantastic. And, finally, I was so invested in the romance because Gaughen takes her time in building it up beautifully and realistically.

And underneath all that heart-pounding plot are a lot of deep questions and themes: about religion, gender equality and class systems. It's the kind of book that gives you so many things to work with and think about, all while being as entertaining as they come.

I actually think I'm going to be reading it again before the month is out! Will you be picking Scarlet up? Or, if you've read it already, feel free to wax poetic in the comments!