Fans of Robin Hood will enjoy this retelling. ( )

I adored absolutely everything about Will in Scarlet. That, my friends, is getting harder and harder for me to say. It's not often anymore that a book completely sweeps me off my feet. That it enchants me so wholly, that I'm saddened when it ends. Matthew Cody's brilliant reimagining of Robin Hood did just that, and I'm thrilled! Let the gushing commence.

First off, this is a much different take on the Robin Hood tale. While all the essential elements are there, the reader is taken on a new journey into Nottinghamshire courtesy of our plucky young hero, Will. A noble heir, Will's life has thus far been filled with little more than boring lessons and quests to steal goodies from the larder. He never dreamed he'd be caught up in anything exciting, much less something that would threaten his very being. This is what I loved about Will. He's so honest about everything. Not afraid to admit when he is in over his head, not ashamed to tackle his fears, and he has a big heart under all that mischievous outer boyishness. Yes friends, at the center of this boy beats the heart of a leader.

Better yet, his unlikely companions turned out to be just as well-built and vibrant as Will himself. The "Merry Men" are a rag-tag group of peasants, displaced from their lands due to unfair taxes and leans. Faced with the choice between toiling for nothing and robbing the rich? Well, you can guess what they chose. I loved that Matthew Cody brought these characters to life. "Little" John, King Richard, and the Sheriff all make their debuts, with a rich cast of additional characters around them. My favorite though, is Rob. Can you guess who he will end up to be? See, in Cody's story Robin Hood is but a story yet to be told. This is all about the boy who brought him into existence.

I know this review is getting long, but I need to gush about Much, the Miller's "Son" before I finish. In the original tale we have our Maid Marian. The apple of Robin Hood's eye, and nearly the only woman of any importance in the story. In Will in Scarlet our Marian comes in a much different form. I don't want to spoil, so I won't say anything concrete. Just know that Much is a fabulous character. I was so ridiculously happy to see this character hold their own right next to Will. I'm a happy bookworm.

So if this rambling review has proven anything, it should be that I have much to say about Will in Scarlet. All good things in fact! I was looking forward to reading something that would prompt me to write a glowing review, and I'm so ecstatic to have found it. Thank you Matthew Cody. You've made me a fan of Will and his Merry Men. I only hope there is more around the corner! ( )

Will, the thirteen-year-old son of Lord Shackley, is on the run from Sir Guy, the villain, who is taking over his father’s castle and land. His father, Lord Shackley, is away on the crusades with King Richard. Will makes his way to Sherwood Forest where he is taken prisoner by a band of outlaws. Will leads them back to the castle by duping them into thinking they were going for treasures but he is on a mission to end Sir Guy’s life. The plan goes astray but Will redeems himself and is accepted into the gang. Others in the gang are the young orphan girl, Much, who is posing as a boy, John Little, and Rob, the drunk, who reforms to become the famous Robin Hood.

The adventure in this book should appeal to a middle grade reader. Hopefully, the writing style will not hamper his interest in completing the book. Even though the characters had many adventures, I didn’t feel the excitement that I couldn’t wait to turn the next page to find out what might happen next. I also felt that the drinking and violence were maybe a little bit explicit for the age of the intended reader. I’m guessing if there is enough interest, there may be a sequel, which could increase the interest in this book. I have read and reviewed this book, Will in Scarlet by Matthew Cody, courtesy of an advanced e-copy from Net Galley.
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If you back up from Robin Hood, you find where this book begins. It's the precursor of Robin Hood and the reason Will stumbled into Sherwood Forest. The boys enjoyed the adventure, laughed at the many 'boy' things and were inspired to pull out their bow and defend their territory. A tale of revenge, courage, friendship and loyalty.

Because I read the book aloud, I was able to skip over some of the 'strong' language, not cussing, but strong and in their time period. ( )

A fun retelling of Robin Hood and a solid middle grade historical fiction that would appeal to fantasy fans ( )