All Lady July - "Uprooted" by Naomi Novik

Agniezka lives in a quiet village in a lovely valley. She loves her village, even though the dark, sinister, dangerous Woods linger not far off. The Dragon is the name of the wizard who lives in a high tower that keeps the village safe from the things that lurk in the Woods. His price? Every 10 years he takes a girl from the village. No one knows exactly what happens to the girls when they return to the village after their tenure (though every girl that comes back says he never laid a hand on them) but the girls never stay in the village for long. Agniezka is not worried about herself getting picked by Dragon, because she knows her best friend, Kasia will get picked. She is beautiful, courageous, smart and caring; everything that a wizard would want in a ....kidnap victim. Of course, this book wouldn't be about Agniezka if Kasia actually did get picked,right?

What follow is a book about:
-finding strength and potential in yourself that you didn't know you had
-loyalty
-making hard choices
- why you should always put your cows down IMMEDIATELY after they get bit by a mysterious creature

What I liked about the book:

-The things that happen in the Woods, and what it does to the people who survive the encounters with the Woods, is genuinely scary. I know all the stuff that's going to be going through my end when I'm camping this summer under the trees.

- I like that we hear how Kasia side of the story. By not getting picked the course of her life changed drastically from the one that she had planned. This leads to her having some feelings.

-No instalove! Hooray! Though there is some romance, which is fine.

- There wasn't a "hey let's do a really vague ending so that there's plenty of room for me to start with the sequel" type of ending. I hope she does continue writing with these characters, but if she doesn't "Uprooted" is one full, complete book on it's own.

I think this is my favorite fiction read of the year so far. I liked it very much.I give it 4 out of 5 stars.