This book was simply amazing! My full review can be read here (along with my fellow bookworms: [...].
I'll give my bottom line first: This book will take you for the best ride over the river and through the woods you've ever had! You must read this!
Into The Forest...
I've really been enjoying the trend of fairy tale reboots, but I haven't seen one yet that's such a dark retelling, like Ryder is. In this book, we get such a unique perspective on the traditional Little Red Riding Hood story, because the wolf is our heroine! I loved that aspect of this story.But what I absolutely, flat out, truly loved about this book was the writing. Greta Maloney's prose reads partly like poetry, partly like a song. It's visual and visceral and just pulled me into this story like she was weaving a magic spell. If for no other reason than to read a book written so differently, so lyrically, than any other book I've read before, readers should pick up this book!
Who's Afraid Of The Big, Bad Wolf?
I love that Piper, our heroine, is the wolf in this tale. And I truly enjoyed the juxtaposition of Piper the girl and her "sister-wolf" who lives inside her head. The true big, bad wolf is Piper's not-so-dear sister. The telling of the story from alternate POVs (although mostly Piper's) definitely gives us a look into what's going on in everyone's heads, but Piper's POV in particular is so heart-wrenching! From her run in with the true big, bad wolf at an early age to the results of that encounter, Piper's life has been truly hellish, and it's a wonder that there's any shred of her humanity left to her. Still, she not only continues to survive, once she meets Ryder, she actually begins to hope!
Good Guys Wear Red!
So seriously, how much did I fall for Ryder? Not only did he have a rough past (which he survived and is coping with), he took a chance on Piper, showing her compassion and gentleness when he easily could have turned a blind eye to her plight. The romance in this book is ever-present, although definitely handled with a deft, light touch, but still, when I think of how, at their young ages, these two soul mates find each other. *big, swoony sigh*
Big Bads Left & Right
The bad guys are just SO EVIL in this book. The wolf that bites Piper, condemning her to a life of helpless murder, does so when she's merely a toddler! And the bite gives her the parasitic "sister-wolf" who roams inside her head, howling constantly to be set free! Throughout the book, we get glimpses into their POV's but no sympathizing with these two. They're killers, creatures of instinct, with no remorse or empathy for those they consider beneath them.