I feel like I'm about the middle of the pack on this book. I have friends who have loved it and friends who disliked it.

I like this story as a spin-off of a classic story. I also like this story as a YA work for advanced middle grade readers. It has a few gory moments, but it is, in my opinion, clean enough for most readers. I could see how each character came to act the way they do, which I think is a good reminder for why people are prickly around us every day.

I don't think this is a story about one girl choosing her fate though. I think there are a lot of outside forces acting directly on her, which make it difficult to determine which choices are actually her. I think post-action of the book, that could be true. I also think the ending ties everything up too nicely, with pretty much everyone getting what they want.