Review also posted at Ja citam, a ti? 
 Sometimes you just have to trust your gut. Here is the thing. I have seen the cover for this book a while ago and fell in love with it. This book has been on my wishlist for a long time, but then I started seeing some not-that-nice reviews for it and I cooled off. But my gut is something I always trust and it told me to go for it. I did and surprise, surprise it was totally worth it! 
 Firstly, I'm glad that this book haven't got labeled as retelling as I'm not sure I'd put it there. The cover gives of a vibe like this is a story about Red Riding Hood, but in reality it's not that much. This is actually something I have no idea where to put. Depending on your interpretation it can be either historical story or dystopia, but for me it works both ways. 
 Now, this is a story about Emmeline (Em for short), who grew up in settlement. It's the world she and people living there know about. The woods around them are scary and full of malmaci who are their worst nightmare. But Em is a very curious young girl and wondering in the woods is what she often does. But, it's what she discovers there is what will change her. 
 I have no idea why, but I always liked stories which give off a very old fashioned vibe. I have got a feeling like I'm in 17th century and somewhere in area of today's Canada (be prepared for lots of French here, tho) and I loved it. Besides the setting, Em and I connected right away. She is not your extraordinary, kick ass girl, but rather common but at the same time easy to approach. That leads us to the love interest here, which almost melted me! I made that weird squee whenever the two of them met. What can I tell you, I have a thing for first/sort of forbidden love deal. 
 Lastly, what made me fully enjoy this story is actually the writing. It was really nicely written and very readable. I couldn't stop reading once I started. The only issue I had with this book, is that some elements here seemed unnecessary. Maybe we'll get the point in the sequel. Well, let's hope.