Wolf Siren
As seen:
By Beth O’Brien
avg rating
8 reviews
WINNER OF THE CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR WRITING 2026
WINNER OF THE UKLA BOOK AWARD A vibrant, evocative and magical debut which centres a positive, empowered disabled character at the heart of a reimagining of Little Red Riding Hood. The woods are hiding a secret… but then so is Red… Red is not allowed to go into the woods. Everyone knows that they are dangerous – because of their strange magic and the wolves that lurk there… But Red finds herself increasingly drawn to the woods and the place where her grandmother disappeared without a trace three years ago. When the woodcutter fails to return home one night and wolves are spotted close to the village boundary, fear drives a deep and dangerous divide between the villagers and the nature they live alongside. Only Red seems to hold the key – but she has a secret, and exposing it could ruin her family forever … TweetReviews
Red is a likeable main character and I enjoyed seeing her question the rules and beliefs she has grown up with. I also thought the representation of her visual impairment was handled really naturally and added another layer to her character.
There were some lovely ideas in the book and I can see it prompting some really interesting discussions with older primary or younger secondary readers. For me, though, it didn’t completely grip me throughout and there were parts where I found my attention wandering, so it wasn’t quite a four or five-star read.
Overall, an imaginative, thoughtful story with plenty to talk about. 3 stars out of 5.
An amazing read. Well deserved of Carnegie Medal Award.
A great retelling of the classic Little Red Riding Hood. Women are portrayed as strong, with special wolflike powers.
This one didn't agree with me even though it won The Carnegie Award and Shadower's Choice Award. Didn't live up to the blurb for me.
I absolutely LOVED this book!! It’s a clever take on Red Riding Hood. The main protagonist is a feisty young girl with a powerful secret. Perfect read for those who like folklore, a bit of mystery and magic.
I loved this book. It explores some strong themes in sensitive ways, and remains a strong story throughout. There are many similarities to the classic fairytale, Little Red Riding Hood, but with so much more complexity. It is a beautiful book, written from the point of view of a visually impaired character and it was such an interesting way to view her world.
I feel this would suit readers aged 11-14 due to some of the darker content and themes. The dystopian setting is very well described and the writing is absolutely brilliant.
This is a powerful tale that celebrates difference and the power that individuals have to change their world. Beautifully written with many different layers it can be read and interpreted in different ways but at its heart it is a very good tale. The content and themes make this book suitable for Secondary students would be a great read for a book club.
Some complicated themes for Year 3, but an excellent read with a disabled hero
