Little Red Riding Hood Meets The Addams Family

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This fantasy novel has taken inspiration from classic fairy tales such as Little Red Riding Hood to showcase the lives of a young girl and her estranged family of beasts. It features a variety of family members and goes deep into the past of the Zarrin family's matriarch, Grandma Persephone and the magic infused in their clan. I thought that the characters were written with an air of mystery; Szabo often uses "round-about" language instead of saying something outright, forcing the reader to guess what's actually happening. The plot was a little difficult to follow as there were constantly random characters, events and "revelations" being thrown at the protagonists, many of which do not make sense.

I really liked the werewolf aspect of the book; the main character's (Eleanor) sister Luma, cousin Rhys, and grandfather Miklos frequently transform into wolves and hunt animals (and sometimes people). Their inability to control their "beastly" urges often cause conflict and have resulted in major family drama. Overall,