Scarlet

Scarlet is the second installment in Marissa Meyer's popular Lunar Chronicles series, blending elements of 'Little Red Riding Hood' and 'Cinderella' with a futuristic, dystopian twist. The story follows two main protagonists: Scarlet Benoit, who is desperately searching for her missing grandmother in France, and Cinder, a cyborg on the run from the tyrannical Lunar Queen Levana. Their individual quests intertwine as they uncover conspiracies and prepare for a larger rebellion. This 452-page chapter book is ideal for independent readers aged 12-16, offering a fast-paced narrative, strong female characters, and themes of justice, identity, and courage. Parents should be aware of moderate peril and violence typical of young adult dystopian fiction.

Cinder is back and trying to break out of prison―even though she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive if she does―in this second installment from Marissa Meyer. Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother, or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana. The adventure continues in this fresh fairytale retelling that combines elements of Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood.