Threads of Red by Julie Wright-YA Fairy Tale Review

 Book Synopsis

"Red Riding Hood" meets "Goldilocks" in this sweeping fairy-tale retelling where love, jealousy, and magic collide.

Red Grimshaw has sworn to protect her younger sister, Kristell, not only from the poverty that plagues their family but also from their mother's cold ambition, which treats the sisters as nothing more than marriage bargaining chips.

But when Kristell flees her unwanted betrothal into the forbidden deep woods, she is bitten by an ice snake and falls into a deathlike sleep. Red has no choice but to venture into the cursed forest to find her grandmother—a conjurer who might be the only one who can save Kristell from death.

Armed with only her grandmother's enchanted red cloak—alive with its own mysterious magic—Red quickly discovers that the woods are a place where wolves howl, bears roam, and the trees themselves respond to magic's call. Joined by both her rival, Goldi Martin, and the boy they both love, Carrigan Woods, Red's path is quickly tangled with jealousy, secrets, and impossible choices.

As time ticks away for Kristell, Red and her friends must reach Grandmother's house before the night of conjures, when the woods are filled with magical beasts intent on hunting down any intruders.

In a world where conjurers are feared, and love can be both a blessing and a curse, Red must learn that every spell has a cost, every heart hides a truth, and bravery is written in threads of red.

Book Details

• Publisher: ‎ Shadow Mountain
• Publication date: ‎ October 6, 2026
• Genre: Teen & Young Adult Fairy Tale 
• Language: ‎ English
• Print length: ‎ 272 pages
• ISBN-10: ‎ 1639935614

• ****I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, NetGalley, book tours, and/or authors. A review was not required, and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own. ****

My Review

Julie Wright is a very talented storyteller, and Threads of Red pulled me straight into its pages right from the start. If you love fairy-tale retellings, this clever mashup of "Little Red Riding Hood" and "Goldilocks" is such a fun, dark, and enchanting read.

The story centers around Red, who would do literally anything to protect her younger sister, Kristell, especially from their awful mother, who is determined to marry them off for money. She had the personality of a wicked stepmother, even though she gave birth to both sisters. When Kristell runs away from her mother into the forbidden woods and gets bitten by an ice snake, she falls into a magical, deathlike sleep. To save her, Red grabs her enchanted red cloak (which honestly feels like its own character) and heads straight into the cursed forest to find her estranged grandmother.

I seriously admired how brave and courageous Red was throughout the entire book. No matter what got thrown her way, she was so resilient and simply refused to give up on her sister. That resilience stood out even more given the group dynamic on this rescue mission. Red ends up stuck traveling with Goldi, who had always bullied her, and Carrigan, the guy they both like. Things get messy fast, and I loved watching Red hold her own while they navigated past hurts, secrets, romance, and a forest full of wolves, bears, and dark magic.

Between the fast pacing, Red’s unstoppable determination, and the messy love triangle drama, I flew right through this one. If you're looking for a cozy-yet-dark YA fantasy with a tough, inspiring heroine and a really unique twist on classic stories, definitely add Threads of Red to your TBR.

****Meet Author Julie Wright****

Julie Wright (1972-still breathing) was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. She's lived in LA, Boston, and the literal middle of nowhere. She wrote her first book when she was fifteen. Since then, Julie Wright books have received several starred reviews, have been chosen as Teen Readers’ Choice Award Nominees, Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selections, Tome Society Book Award winners, Whitney Award winners, & have been listed in the American Library Association’s top ten romances.

She’s a sucker for almost all things nerdy: Doctor Who, Disneyland, the Marvel Universe, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, fairytales, and Jane Austen. She believes in second chances, getting up and trying again, and in the power of generosity and compassion.

She has one husband, six kids, two grandbabies, one dog, and a varying number of houseplants (depending on attrition). She loves writing, reading, traveling, hiking, playing with her kids, and watching her husband make dinner.

~*~*~*~*Purchase: Threads of Red ~*~*~*~*

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