Threads of Red

"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.

Author: Julie Wright
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Published: 10/06/2026
Pages: 272
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.97lbs
Size: 8.61h x 5.51w x 1.01d
ISBN: 9781639935611
Audience: Young Adult


Review Citation(s):
School Library Journal 07/10/2026 pg. 1
Publishers Weekly 08/17/2026
Foreword 08/27/2026
Kirkus Reviews 09/15/2026

About the Author

Julie Wright has written thirty novels and ten novellas. Her books have received several starred reviews and been listed in the American Library Association's top ten romances of the year. Three of her titles have been chosen as Junior Library Guild Gold Selections.

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

She is surrounded by a loving and supportive family, one dog, and a varying number of houseplants (depending on attrition). She loves writing, reading, traveling, hiking, snorkeling, playing with her family on the beach, and watching her husband make dinner.