Winterkill by Kate A Boorman

What if your community was the only one left?  All the rest of the people are lost.  The community must follow the rules, be useful, marry when old enough, and follow the rules of:  Honesty, Bravery and Discovery.  If you don't, you will be found Wayward.  The third time you are found guilty of that, you die.  It's hard life behind the doors of the this community.

Amulet Books sent me an ARC of this story to read for review (thank you).  It's being published this month, so check with your local bookstore for a copy.

Emmeline's Grandmother was Wayward and she was taken away to die.  Emmeline's foot got injured as a child and she's partly crippled.  Her family wears the "stain" of Wayward and has to work hard to keep their place in the community and overcome the shame.  It's her and her father trying to survive, and they do the best they can.

She feels much more comfortable by the river.  Going into the woods is forbidden.  There are rumors of a monster in there and sometimes people disappear, so everyone leaves the woods alone.  Everyone except Emmeline...

Her life gets even more complicated when Brother Stockham decides he wants her for a wife.  He's handsome, it would rescue her family from the "stain" and make her life easier.  But she doesn't love him.  She's in love with Kane.  She's never discussed it with Kane, but she knows he likes her, too.

When she finds out the Brothers have been using Kane to keep track of her, she runs...into the woods.  What she finds there will change her life and attitude.  However what she's found is dangerous enough to kill her, just like it did her Grandmother.

This is a well paced dystopian tale that has all the attributes of what happens when men get in power and try to play God.  Emmeline is a strong character that I admired.  I'm not sure I would have made any different choices if that was my life.  Why don't you read it and see what you think?