The book, Red, by Annie Cardi, follows a young girl named Tess Pine. She and her mother move in with their grandparents after her mother loses her job. Tess joins the church choir but soon finds out she is pregnant and her mother supports her as she gets an abortion. She is harassed at school, being called a whore, a slut, and a baby killer. She soon befriends Connor, Chloe, and Mia after sitting in on their small band practice. Her grandparents find out about the abortion and kick her and her mother out. Tess runs into her youth group leader, Alden, and it is revealed that he got her pregnant. Tess decides to start playing music and writing songs, performing them at Pammy’s Diner. Tess starts the Scarlet Support Project for people who have been sexually assaulted, harassed, and abused. Tess reaches out to other girls who have also been Alden’s targets of grooming, so she can set the story straight. She signs up to play at the Spirit Light Festival, where she knows Alden will be watching. She exposes Alden in front of the crowd at the Spirit Light Festival. Alden gets fired from his job at the church, and a few of his victims come together and press charges against Alden. Tess finally feels free from his abuse, continues the Scarlet Support Project, and keeps playing guitar.
I loved this modern retelling of The Scarlet Letter in a post-Roe v. Wade era. I found myself having a hard time putting it down because many chapters end on a cliffhanger. I will definitely remember this book because it had such a chokehold on me while I was reading it. The theme of the book is about finding your voice and taking a stand. I thought that the controversy between Tess's abortion and her mainly conservative school presented a good conflict within the novel. The book raises conversations and topics of abortion and its moral and ethical dilemmas. Some people believe that abortion is a 'sin', and that people are 'killing babies'. They believe that 'women shouldn't get themselves into those situations'. Others, like myself, believe that abortion is a right that people have, and should use if necessary. For instance, if a teenager was raped and she didn't want to carry the trauma of that baby, she should have the option to get an abortion. In the case of Tess in this book, she was groomed and sexually assaulted, and she wasn't in the right place to take care of a baby. This relates to the bigger issue of abortion laws in America, and how states have different laws regarding it. To conclude, I enjoyed this book and the questions it raises about abuse and abortion within America.
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