Red in Tooth and Claw by Lish McBride
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
**3.5-stars**
Red in Tooth and Claw is a very original and quite strange YA story. I loved the overall tone, but didn’t find it particularly compelling. Therefore, it’s a tough one to rate.
It took me what felt like forever to read, over 2-weeks for 400-pages is a long time, but I would still say I enjoyed it. I think maybe the pacing was a little off for me. That was my biggest issue with it, and that’s not bad.
This story follows Faolan Kelly after her beloved grandfather, her sole guardian and only remaining family member, passes away.
She’s now alone in the world, and essentially homeless, as the local powers that be don’t feel like a young person of 16 is mature enough to take over the family homestead.
They also think Faolan is a young man, which is how her grandfather wanted it. Life was too dangerous for girls then, and if they found out, she would be married off as soon as possible. Her life no longer her own.
After his death, Faolan continues on with the charade. She’s not ready to expose her true self. It would change everything, and her life is already in enough turmoil as it is. She can only take one step at a time.
The mayor, appointing himself as the decider of Faolan’s fate, decides to have them shipped off to the Settlement; a remote outpost, home to many societal outcasts. The place is mysterious, and Faolan has no idea what to expect.
She goes though, because honestly, she’s out of options. Paired up with a gunslinger, to ensure her safe passage, Faolan decides to just keep her head down and bide her time until she can hopefully get her Grandfather’s property back.
Once she’s there, the mysteries of the Settlement only expand. The people she meets, the rules, their leader, it’s all so strange. What is the point of this whole thing? Why all the rules, and what’s lurking around at night?
While this wasn’t a touchdown for me, there were definitely many aspects of this story that I felt the author did really well and that I thoroughly appreciated.
First and foremost would be the atmosphere and overall vibe of the Settlement itself. I loved the slow build of the world and was fascinated with the idea of the Settlement. It’s clear it was meant to have a sort of quasi-religious component, and I felt like the author portrayed that really well.
It felt cultish. I feared for Faolan’s safety from the moment she got there. The unsettling feelings were only enhanced when Faolan begins hearing crazy noises at night.
It’s not all bad and scary though. Faolan does make some allies at the Settlement, including the fabulous Ms. Moon, and young loves, Jesse and Dai Lo.
With these new friends, as well as a few others, a lovely found family element is eventually established, which I always love to see.
There is a bit of a mystery too, as some people end up dead under very mysterious circumstance and Faolon investigates what was the cause of those deaths. Trust me when I say, I never could have predicted the direction this eventually took.
It was so bizarre, but I still really enjoyed it. I loved the Western feel and concepts. It was very different, unlike anything I’ve ever read and I walk away impressed with this author’s creativity and vivid imagination.
Thank you to the publisher, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This won’t be the last I read from Lish McBride!