The blurb for Uprooted promised to be an intriguing, if not dark, retelling of Beauty and the Beast (at least it was recommended to me as one). And while this appears to be modeled generally off of the framework of BATB, it's not really a retelling. It's more just inspired by BATB - sure we have a "beast" character, a Belle, and even a sort of Gaston, but the stakes are much higher here than in Belle's little village and the curse in this story is a dark and dangerous woods that is a legitimate threat to life in the entire kingdom. 
 As far as main characters go, I really adored Agnieszka. She was spunky and honest, brave but in a realistic way. I'm not a big fan of leads being surprised that they have some hidden strength that no one else has - girls that are "just normal" but find out that they're in fact princesses, have epic ninja skills, or are secretly another being entirely - but when we find out that Agnieszka is unique in her own right, it's so well written that we don't feel that this makes Agnieszka no longer relatable. She doesn't become this awesome, cool heroine who is impossible to emulate because you don't have a similarly tragic past that's murky with mystery and deadly family secrets (I'm looking at you dystopian fiction). She's still this normal girl, who is struggling with a life and future that she never anticipated - i.e. spending ten years with the "Dragon", a mysterious and grumpy/rude but generally helpful wizard. 
 This story was packed with so much great stuff, I honestly don't know where to begin, and really party of me just wants you to stop right now and pick up a copy yourself. So if you haven't read it, I recommend you stop here. If you have then continue - 
 So I loved the idea and the character of the 'Dragon', but I wish that there was more development where he was concerned. I don't know, I felt it was like a gun on the mantelpiece - there is so much more potential for story here! I am demanding a sequel Naomi! 
 The whole premise of having a forest that is pretty much alive with deadly forces is so enchanting, and I loved how the author doesn't leave flagrant plot holes and does not overwhelm you with useless information. I do wish that there was more interaction between the Dragon and Agnieszka - their relationship goes from 0 to 60 in a matter of a few scenes, and I honestly don't think she was prepared to (view spoiler)[get into bed with the Dragon when she did. In fact I wish she hadn't - partly because I would've recommended this book to younger readers (like my younger sister) if this scene hadn't been included. (hide spoiler)] I love Agnieszka's relationship with Kasia, but I also feel that there is so much more that could be done/said with both of their characters. 
 I get that this is one of those do you or don't you book reviews - but the reality is is that I loved this book, but on the other hand I can understand people who are not as enamored with it as I am. For instance, I love lyrical and descriptive writing - my imagination can fill in the scenes with all the suspense and drama required - but some people prefer it to be written out for them and there's nothing wrong with that. I do sincerely hope that Naomi writes a sequel, as the book really just scratched the surface of the iceberg of potential this world she wrote has.