Melanie is 10 years old. Like most 10-year-olds, she goes to school. Unlike most 10-year-olds, she is taken to school by armed guards, strapped into a wheelchair. After school she is taken back to her cell. She never goes outside that building.

Until one day, she has to, together with her favourite teacher. The world outside is not like in the stories her teachers have told her, not like what she’s read about in the books. There’s not much left of it, and it’s pretty deadly.

I really don’t want to spoil the story for you, even though I’m itching to write more. It’s clever, it’s thrilling, it’s scary. The world is unwrapped with such care, the people and their relationships developed so lovingly. Secrets and surprises are uncovered at just the right pace, with just the right amount of drama.

The girl in the title refers of course to both Melanie and the myth of Pandora, the story of which Melanie has heard in her lessons. So I guess I should have seen it coming but the ending still took me by surprise – in a really good way. When you think you know where this is going, no, you don’t.

A more in-depth review at io9 that manages to avoid spoilers.

The book strongly reminds me of John Ajvide Lindqvist by the way.