HUNTED IN THE VALLEY is a great series starter set in a dystopian world with isolated villages in a forested region populated by aggressive animals. Ravyn is forced to flee her family at the age of eight before she can be cast out due to strict laws about the number of children that each family can have. Alone in the wilderness, she quickly falls prey to one group wanting to round her up after another, which I found to be an interesting point that kept me on my toes—I never knew entirely who I could trust or who in this novel was allied with whom. You have military factions. You have official cities. You have unofficial villages living off the grid. The politics and world building is interesting and Ravyn herself is such a cool character with a backstory that is revealed more as the novel goes on. I definitely want to read more about her and look forward to book 2! ( )