Red by Annie Cardi

Red

A Modern Retelling of the Scarlet Letter

Annie Cardi

Union Square & Co. · Print & ebook · December 30, 2025

A Christian girl is stigmatized by her peers after seeking an abortion in this modern retelling of The Scarlet Letter for the #MeToo era.

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Who it’s for
A contemporary YA story where faith, public judgment, and finding your voice meet without easy answers.
Genres
Surviving Sexual Abuse, Faith & Belief, Teen Pregnancy
Published
Union Square & Co., December 30, 2025

About this book

A Christian girl is stigmatized by her peers after seeking an abortion in this modern retelling of The Scarlet Letter for the #MeToo era. Moving to Hawthorne was something Tess and her mom never anticipated, but after Tess’s mom loses her job, it’s their only option. Tess’s grandparents welcome them into their home, on the condition that Tess and her mom attend church, something Mom isn’t too pleased about.

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But Tess enjoys the church community, finding a place in youth group and the church choir. Faith fills a void Tess didn’t know she had. After a very personal decision goes public, Tess faces daily harassment and rejection by her former friends, and singing in the church choir is no longer an option. When she meets some kids in the music room, her only place of solace in the school, she finds they don't judge her for what's happened, and she learns to find her voice again. Against the backdrop of the Spirit Light Festival, Tess will need to find the strength to speak out if she is to have any chance of ending a silent cycle of abuse in Hawthorne. Perfect for fans of YA books like Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson, or Exit, Pursued by a Bear, by E. K. Johnston, Red is a timely and relevant young adult novel about finding your voice and rising above shame. Anyone looking for teen girl books that explore the complex themes of reproductive rights, religious hypocrisy, and overcoming adversity will appreciate this story of judgment and redemption.

Faith Under Pressure

A contemporary YA story where faith, public judgment, and finding your voice meet without easy answers.

Come here for

  • The uneasy overlap of church belonging and public shame

Expect

  • A thoughtful look at faith, harassment, and the cost of silence

Where it sits

Teen Pregnancy59%
Faith & Belief44%
Surviving Sexual Abuse30%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Coming of Age
  • Teen Pregnancy
  • Surviving Sexual Abuse
Authors
Annie Cardi
Publisher
Union Square & Co.
Published
December 30, 2025
Format
Print & ebook
Reading lane
Coming of Age