Scarlet

Book Name

Scarlet 

Author

Marissa Meyer 

Book Description

Scarlet Benoit has only her grandmother, Michelle Benoit. So when her grandmother disappears, Scarlet is determined to bring her back through any means possible. When she runs into a street fighter named Wolf who offers her his help to find her grandmother, Scarlet takes it. But she must be wary of the secrets he is hiding. Has he really left his old gang? Does he know more about his grandmother’s disappearance than lets on? And what’s with the strange tattoo on his arm? Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Cinder is stuck in jail. She knows that if she doesn’t find a way to escape, she will be given to Queen Levana and taken back to the moon where she will be killed. She is the long lost Princess Selene after all. When she and a fellow prison mate finally manage to escape the prison, Cinder finds out that a woman named Michelle Benoit has information about her accident, her extraordinary powers, and how she came to live on Earth. But will Cinder be able to escape the clutches of Queen Levana and Prince Kai long enough to get answers about herself? Read the book to find out!

Age Rating

13+

This book contains some topics that would be appropriate only for teenagers. Scarlet’s father is a drunkard and Scarlet stops living with him for that reason. Scarlet gets angry at her father for messing up her house and tells him to leave and never come back. The idea of children asking their parents to leave because they are so angry at them may be something that younger children won’t understand and take in an incorrect way. There is a fair amount of violence in the book, the specifics of which are described below. The one thing I would like to bring attention to is the usage of werewolves. The villains in the book are people who have teeth like werewolves, and they bite into the necks of their prey to kill them. The description of the killing is quite descriptive in the book, and that might be something that causes younger children to feel sick. Other than that, this book is perfect for any teenager who enjoys reading science fiction and has an imaginative mind.

Good Messages

4/10

This book has a few but important messages. Readers learn the importance of family through Scarlet’s love for her grandmother. They learn about determination through Cinder’s resolve to get out of the prison and through Scarlet’s persistence while looking for her grandmother. One learns to follow the rules while they read about Cinder’s struggle as a fugitive who didn’t follow them. They also learn to make sure they know enough about somebody before trusting them, as Scarlet didn’t know much about Wolf before trusting him, and it got her into trouble.

Violence

7/10

There is a fair amount of violence in the book. Guns are used a lot, along with tranquilizing darts. The characters cut open their skin to get rid of ID chips that are implanted inside of them. Characters are tortured, and one is forced to burn themselves. There are werewolves who bite into the necks of their prey in order to kill them, and the description of the killing is in detail. One person in the book commits suicide, and Queen Levana’s army wages war against Earth.

Language

1/10

There are very few bad words in the book, only variations of ‘damn’ and a few mentions of ‘bastard’.

Romance

3/10

There isn’t much romance in this book. The only relationship that happens is between Scarlet and Wolf. They kiss a few times, and one of those kisses is described in a little detail. Cinder also shows some feelings for Prince Kai.

Adult Topics

Scarlet’s father is a drunkard, so there is an allusion to excessive drinking and alcohol. During one scene of the book, people at a bar are talking about Cinder, and one of the men suggests that the palace send her home with him. This gives an allusion to the two having sex.

Tvix’s Take

After the first book, I was expecting this book to absolutely bomb. Which it totally was. The plot was well-developed, and I enjoyed the 2 different story-plots with Scarlet and Cinder. I was a little confused with Scarlet in the beginning, as I wasn’t sure what she was there for, but it made more sense towards the middle of the book. Thorne was MY GUY, he was probably my favorite character in the whole book. His personality was just so well-developed, and I really have to say kudos to the author for bringing in such a great character. Overall, I think this was a great sequel to the first book, and it definitely lived up to my expectations.