Cloaked by Rachel Kovaciny

Cloaked 

Rachel Kovaciny

Western Fairy Tale

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Last month I read this with my kids. It is a fun, suspenseful adventure story with a Western twist, written by Rachel, who blogs over at The Edge of the Precipice. 

This is a modern retelling of the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale, set it in the Old West. The protagonist, Mary Rose, is a sweet and sharp young lady, sent to spend part of the summer with her grandmother, whom she has never met. With two other important characters staying at her grandmother's ranch, Mary Rose spends the next few days cautiously observing and discerning what everyone's intentions are. In the beginning, even her grandmother is kind of a riddle. 

But as things warm up, after a few equestrian lessons and Grandmother's kindhearted surprises, the reader begins to single out one character because of his suspicious behavior. It is best to be on guard, just as Mary Rose was guarded.

For the rest of the story, the suspense increases; my kids and I wondered what would happen next. We knew who the bad guy was, but what would he do? To what extent would he take his wickedness? I have to admit...I was caught off guard and did not expect to experience such a dramatic (even tense) ending. It was kind of exciting, too.

Rachel's writing style is whimsical and lighthearted, which makes the story warm, amicable, and fun. Of course, the antagonist is a thorn in the side of the pleasant atmosphere, which is, in other words, quite effective.

While reading, my kids never liked to stop for the night, to save the next chapter for the next day. But, when we were totally done, I asked them what they thought of the story. My 11-year old said, "It was like historical fiction turned crime story. It was really surprising." And my 9-year old said, "It was cool because [Mary Rose] got to ride a horse and live on a ranch." That's all she can focus on. I think she wished she were Mary Rose.