
Red
A Modern Retelling of the Scarlet Letter
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.
We earn from qualifying purchases.
- 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
Nearest books
Matched by what the books are about, then ordered by what their readers also loved.
You Belong HereSara Phoebe Miller, Morgan Beem57% match
Gita Desai Is Not Here to Shut UpSonia Patel59% matchShares Surviving Sexual Abuse
Difficult GirlsVeronica Bane56% match
Biology LessonsMelissa Kantor59% matchShares Teen Pregnancy
The Secrets We KeepCassie Gustafson56% matchShares Surviving Sexual Abuse
The Judgment of Yoyo GoldIsaac Blum57% match
Confessions of an Alleged Good GirlJoya Goffney57% matchShares Faith & Belief
Stay GoldTobly McSmith58% match
For younger readers: Caprice
For older readers: These Heathens, The Choice
Start with three books, and this one can be the first.
Members get a new edition every morning: a route out from their books to essays, research and talks, with the reason for each.
Start with this bookAbout 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.
Continue reading
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 Pregnancy | 59% |
|---|---|
| Faith & Belief | 44% |
| Surviving Sexual Abuse | 30% |
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