Red Run by Kami Garcia

Antho - EnthralledI love anthologies, especially since that’s how I generally find new authors to read. It’s also a great way to try several authors in a genre one doesn’t typically gravitate towards. For me, I’m not a big young adult fan, so I don’t go looking in the young adult section for something to read. However, it seems like urban fantasy has taken the genre by storm and there’s a ton of fabulous new series out there to explore. So when I was given the chance to read the upcoming anthology Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions, which features stories from 16 of today’s YA stars, I jumped at the chance.

A journey may take hundreds of miles, or it may cover the distance between duty and desire.

Sixteen of today’s hottest writers of paranormal tales weave stories on a common theme of journeying. Authors such as Kelley Armstrong, Rachel Caine, and Melissa Marr return to the beloved worlds of their bestselling series, while others, like Claudia Gray, Kami Garcia, and Margaret Stohl, create new land-scapes and characters. But whether they’re writing about vampires, faeries, angels, or other magical beings, each author explores the strength and resilience of the human heart.

Suspenseful, funny, or romantic, the stories in Enthralled will leave you moved.

The third story in Enthralled is Kami Garcia’s Red Run and it’s a great Bayou ghost story that has enough action to satisfy any reader.  With Red Run being a novella, there’s not a lot of room to introduce a new world or even the characters involved, but Garcia does a great job, giving just enough information to make the reader interested.

Red Run focuses on this little stripe of road in the bayou, where for 20 years, teenagers have been murdered and no suspects have ever been found.  So of course, there must be a ghost involved.  *grin*  The entire town believes the ghost, Tommy, is claiming vengeance on the teenagers, so when Ellie’s older brother becomes the latest victim, she goes in search of the ghost herself to exact her own revenge.  What starts out as a very cut and dry situation quickly escalates in a way Ellie doesn’t even dream possible.

The introduction of Ellie is pretty good.  We’re not given a lot of information about her current situation, just enough to give us an idea of why she’s doing what she’s doing.  There are two other boys who are mentioned, but merely in small flashbacks that actually give reason for why Ellie believes she an do what she has set out to do.  Their introduction is just quick and short enough that I’m wondering if this couldn’t be the start of a new series for Garcia or simply an idea that has been buzzing around.  I can see the potential for more stories.

As I said, the plot was fairly quick paced.  Garcia doesn’t spend a lot of time trying to dump a bunch of emotional information on the reader and yet is still able to portray a lot with a lot of action.  Okay, so maybe I’m overstating the action a little bit.  Ellie is in a car the whole time, so she’s constantly moving, but in a way, that helped keep the story flowing.

Overall, I have to say that Red Run was the first story in Enthralled to really capture my interest in the characters and environment, which only makes me interested in reading more by Kami Garcia.

Other stories reviewed from Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions: (*the stories are being reviewed in order, so the links for stories after this one won’t work until it’s done.)
Giovanni’s Farewell by Claudia Gray
Scenic Route by Carrie Ryan
Red Run by Kami Garcia
Things About Love by Jackson Pearce
Niederwald by Rachel Vincent
A Mortal Winter King by Melissa Marr
Facing Facts by Kelley Armstrong
Let’s Get This Undead Show on the Road by Sarah Rees Brennan
Bridge by Jeri Smith-Ready
Skin Contact by Kimberly Derting
Leaving by Ally Condie
At the Late Night, Double Feature, Picture Show by Jessica Verday
Iv League by Margaret Stohl
Gargouille by Mary E. Pearson
The Third Kind by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Automatic by Rachel Caine

About Jackie 3282 Articles
I am a 30-something SAHM with two adorable boys and a supportive husband who is very tolerant of my reading addiction. I love to read and easily go through about a dozen books a month – well I did before I had kids. Now, not so much. After my first son was born, I began to take my hobby of reviewing a little more serious and started Literary Escapism to help with my sanity. I love to discuss the fabulous novels I’ve read and meeting all the wonderful people in the book blogging community has been amazing.