Moving to Hawthorne was something Tess and her mom never anticipated, but after Tess’s mom loses her job, it’s their only option. Tess’s grandparents welcome them into their home, but with the condition that Tess and her mom attend church, something Mom isn’t too pleased about. But Tess enjoys the church community, finding a place in youth group and the church choir. Faith fills a void Tess didn’t know she had.
After a very personal decision goes public, Tess faces daily harassment and rejection by her former friends, and singing in the church choir is no longer an option. When she meets some kids in the music room, her only place of solace in the school, who don't judge her for what's happened, she learns to find her voice again. Against the backdrop of the Spirit Light Festival, Tess will need to find the strength to speak out if she has any chance of ending a silent cycle of abuse in Hawthorne.
This didn't start at all where I expected; I thought we'd get Tess and her mother moving to town and making friends, but instead it starts in the middle, more or less, with Tess's huge decision already in motion. Flashbacks and memories fill in the back story for us.
From outside the story, it's devastating watching the way Tess is groomed and led down a very specific path, and how blind people are or have made themselves to it. Watching the support system she built around herself was extremely satisfying. I loved that, despite the terrible associations she must have had, she never gave up on her faith or her music; she made both more private and personal and more meaningful to her, instead.
Every time I read something like this, I'm horrified that stories like this are based on real life and that people really go through this kind of thing. Hopefully, by sharing stories like this, we can bring more attention to the issues and make things better for everyone.
Book Info: Red by Annie Cardi
Book Info: Red by Annie Cardi
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Publishing Date: January 30, 2024
Content Warning: Religious Themes, Abortion, Bullying, Slut Shaming, Trauma, Grooming, Sexual Assault
Book Links:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/129162465
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Red-Novel-Annie-Cardi/dp/1454951303/
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/red-annie-cardi/1143345756
IndieBound: https://bookshop.org/p/books/red-annie-cardi/19988509
About the Author:
Annie Cardi is the author of The Chance You Won’t Return, which was named a Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year for 2015. She holds a MFA in creative writing from Emerson College and a BA from the University of Virginia. Annie lives near Boston with her family and a portrait of a sea captain.
Author Links:
Website: https://www.anniecardi.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/anniecardi
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anniecardi/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5610666
Giveaway!
1 person will win a finished copy of Red (US Only)! The giveaway will run from January 22nd until February 2nd.
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