Dark and Deepest Red is a book by Anna-Marie McLemore. It was published on January 14, 2020, by Feiwel and Friends. There are 320 pages in the kindle version of this book. This book can be categorized into three genres: romance, young adult fiction, and fantasy fiction. The main characters in Lavinia(a.k.a Lala), Emil, and Rosella. It takes place in Strasbourg, France, but it takes place in two different timelines.
What did I think of the book?
***Spoiler Alert(s)***
I feel like Dark and Deepest Red is a pretty good book, but I only rate it 3 stars out of 5. Why was it just okay for me? Well, it is told in alternating perspectives and I thought that was pretty cool. Except, each section was 2-3 pages long. When I started to get interested in one character’s chapter, she switched perspectives. I would start to lose track of things and go back and reread what I forgot. There wasn’t a lot written about the dancing fever, which made me sad. This book talks about Romani culture but doesn’t explain a lot of the culture. But that’s what drew me in. I was interested in the history of this book. This book is a re-telling of the story of Hans Christian Anderson of the “Red Shoes” told in different perspectives. I also like how the author wrote about the LGBTQIAP+ community. There was a little bit of war between the Romani and the LGBTQIAP+ community back then, and McLemore described that. The ending of this book is so beautiful and magical. I loved that.
What did I think of the characters of the book?
I liked the characters of the book, but I’ll tell you this, I don’t know much about them. Rosella is Mexican-American, Emil is Romani-American, and Lavinia and her tante are Romani. Alifair is trans. Rosella is from a family of shoemakers and Emil is from a family of historians. Emil and Lavinia are related because Emil is Lala’s distant descendant. Emil likes to ignore his family’s history and Emil and Rosella like to hide their family’s cultural traditions.
What did I think of the art of the book?
I really liked the art of the book. The title of the book is red and sparkly and written in cursive. I like that there is a silhouette of a girl and girls dancing in the silhouette. I also like that there are trees, thorns, and the moon in the background. They are symbolic in the book.
Would I like a sequel or does the sequel work?
I certainly don’t want a sequel because first of all, she finished the book. There isn’t anything that she left out. Second of all, even if there was a sequel, I wouldn’t read it. I was fully interested in this book. I usually can’t put down a book, if I like it a lot. But this book wasn’t one of them.
What is the ideal reader age group for this book?
The ideal age group for this book would be 13+, specifically between 13 -18. Children might not understand the LGBTQIAP+ community, and they might not even know what a trans person is. There is some kissing and younger kids would think that’s gross.
