Interesting premise: in the town of Scarletville, having red hair is all that matters. Felicity is popular and she has it all. She has gorgeous red hair, loyal best friends, a hot boyfriend, artistic talent, and it looks like she will win the Miss Scarlet pagent. But then she receives an anonymous note. Someone knows her secret: she dyes her hair, and has been doing it her whole life. It's her junior year in high school, and if anyone finds out she's a fake, she could lose everything.

So, it seems a bit silly that red hair could be that important, but there is always something, especially in high school. Money, looks, power, that "something extra" that the popular people have and the rest of us don't. 

The story is well-written and the narrator is good. I guessed the end (or most of it) long before it actually happened, but I still enjoyed listening. It was a bit of a stretch for Felicity to change so quickly at the end, but it wasn't terrible.

A funny thing, it doesn't occur to Felicity that in the outside world red hair isn't a big deal. She is also worried about how she will get out of Scarletville and go to college if she doesn't win the pageant. At one point, when someone points out she might be able to get a scholarship or other money for college, Felicity insists her mother won't let her take it, she would think it was charity. Her mother is clearly single-minded. Since Felicity was first born, her mother has been preparing her to win the Miss Scarlet pageant. Felicity doesn't care about the pageant nearly as much as her mother does. Talk about living through your child.

This is a young adult novel and maybe teens will get the hint that superficial things aren't as important as they sometimes seem.

This is yet another book I initially read about a year and a half ago, but since I remember enjoying it, I decided to reread it so I could review it better. To my relief, despite lower-rated reviews I read from friends, I found that I still enjoyed Red for all its goofiness and craziness.

The second I read the synopsis for this book, I knew I needed to have it. I’ve been dying my hair a coppery red since I was fifteen, and it’s actually astounding how many people feel slightly betrayed when they discover that I’m not actually a redhead. I’ve had “real” redheads poke fun at me, and while I don’t care if people know I dye my hair, I sometimes feel a little bit like a liar when someone (especially strangers) compliment my hair color. My reaction is always to say, “Thanks, I dye it,” like I want them to know I can’t take credit for it.

That could be why I enjoyed Red so much, despite its immaturity and its flaws. I usually don’t go for books that can’t convince me to believe in its world, but fortunately I found that Cherry convinced me quite easily that Scarletville is a real place, and the people there are really kind of messed up. Felicity is a perfect narrator for the novel because she changes the most, and she’s not intentionally cruel but just kind of clueless. Felicity learning that her hair color—and everyone else’s, too—doesn’t matter is a perfect metaphor for the insignificant differences we all have that we can get hung up on.

What I Liked: Spoilers!

Well, the ending was a little... abrupt. Not my favorite way to leave this story, that's for sure. I thought Felicity seemed a little too unchanged until the very, very end, at the pageant, which is less character development than I would have liked. It seemed a little scattered throughout the novel, instead of a smooth progression, so that bothered me a little bit.

Overall, though, I'm pretty pleased. It's exactly what's advertised, and I did enjoy the story for what it was. Of course, it was immature and slightly silly sometimes, and I had to stretch a little to understand some of the characters' ideas, but I did like this story, It's one to at least give a chance, and not write off because it's a little unbelievable. It was a fun ride. Four stars!

This is actually pretty good! It's more believable than I thought it would be (less magical realism and more suspending not exactly disbelief, but skepticism), and I actually love the way it's written. The story is engaging and I enjoy the characters, even if they are a little immature sometimes. 

And while it's not exactly something that makes you think about life, it's entertaining and cute, and that's what it's supposed to be. Meanwhile, it does make you wonder how much effort we put into our appearances. It's interesting for me because, while I don't keep it a secret that I dye my hair red, I can't imagine myself ever being a blonde again, either. I wonder how that'll play out for the rest of my life, so I bond with Felicity over her struggle to accept herself as a girl who does not have naturally bright, coppery red hair. And I love that. It's a silly thing to feel a connection over, but it's there, and it's strong. Definitely better than I thought this would be (especially following a wonder like The Fill-In Boyfriend!).

I feel like it's not even fair to start reading another book, but what can I say? I'm a little addicted to reading again.

I can relate to this, since my red hair is certainly from a bottle (much to the surprise of unsuspecting friends who learn the truth). I'm excited for it, and so far, the writing is good and I'm excited for what's to come!