THREADS OF RED, by Julie Wright, Shadow Mountain, Oct. 6, 2026, Hardcover, $21.99 (young adult)
Threads of Red, by Jule Wright, is a Little Red Riding Hood and Goldilocks YA mashup 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. —Synopsis provided by Shadow Mountain
Threads of Red is a fairy tale retelling that you didn’t know you needed, but you do.
The story follows Red, a strong young woman with an independent streak that just wants her sister to be happy and has a whisper of hope for her own happiness, too. Red’s mother is truly awful and her father, though loving, has no backbone. And when her mother’s plotting puts her sister’s life in danger, Red can’t sit around waiting for help, she takes action.
Red is a strong, multi-layered character that you want to succeed. She’s surrounded by strong supporting characters Goldi and Carrigan who are also well-realized.
Threads of Red is by far my favorite YA novel from Julie Wright.
Wright’s writing is confident and her plotting tight. She drops you into a world straight out of a gothic fairy tale. Though there’s a brightness to Red, she’s in a world that feels slightly sinister, and it ups the stakes. Strong pacing adds to the tension and pushes the story forward.
Threads of Red is a fast-moving read that, at 277 pages, is a great length. It’s satisfying without straying into superfluous. I would love to read more novels like this from Wright.
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