Hood by Jenny Elder Moke, 320 pages. Disney-Hyperion, 2020. $18.
Language: R (45 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Isabelle lives with her mother, Marien, in a convent, though Isabelle isn’t really the convent type -- as illustrated by her being arrested. When Isabelle escapes, Marien reveals the identity of Isabelle’s father: Robin Hood. Leaving the convent is scarier than she expects, but Isabelle knows she is going to need her father’s help to save her world being destroyed by King John.
Moke mixes history and fable in her continuation of the classic Robin Hood story. I had a hard time with a lot of the details included because their references were unfamiliar to me. Eventually, everything was explained, but it was frustrating to go half the book while feeling like I was missing something I should have known. Unfortunately, I also wasn’t a fan of Isabelle. She was wishy-washy in her decisions even when the best solutions were obvious. Of course I wanted Isabelle and the good guys to succeed, but I found it hard to root for Isabelle herself. The mature content rating is for innuendo; the violence rating is for blood and murder.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen
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