A teenage boy from rural Russia is fascinated with the story of the Little Red Riding Hood. The fantasy of meeting a real, talking wolf while alone in the woods, excites him as much as it scares him. When on a trip to visit his grandma in a remote village surrounded by thick, unpopulated woodlands, the boy is determined to live out his fantasy. He borrows a red cape and a red hood from a local girl for a box of chocolates and sets off into the thicket of the woods. Unbeknownst to the boy, there is another tracker in the woods today: a man in a wolf fursuit.
Once inside the forest he meets several large wolves that were lured there with the promise of tasty rabbits or deer, but which have now become ravenous and feral after being fed too many wild game dishes. Each time they attack him, only to be repelled by his newfound skills in fending them off using makeshift weapons like sharp sticks and rocks. But when he does manage to kill one of the savage beasts, he soon realizes that without human blood flowing through their veins, these creatures are unable to survive. He then realizes that if he wants to escape, he must use his wits and cunning rather than brute strength.
With a plan to get past all the wolves and leave the forest, he returns to his Grandma's house, leaving behind his caped cape, red hood, and gifts from his sweetheart who was so concerned about his safety. However, she has been worried sick about him and has already notified the authorities and the police have arrived at her home to search for the missing boy. Although the boy tried his best to explain away his whereabouts, he is still taken into custody and interrogated by the detective and a psychiatrist.
The boy is brought before a judge who decides to send him to a psychiatric facility, where he can undergo psychological evaluations under the supervision of doctors and psychiatrists. He thinks his dream of going to America may finally come true, as he is a smart kid who scored in the 98th percentile on his last standardized test, but he quickly realizes that while he might make it out alive from the forest, he will not be able to stay there, even with the support of his family. He does not want to go back to a world in which he would always be feared and hated because of his monstrous form. So, in order to adapt to modern society and live a normal life he must learn to keep this part of himself hidden, until such time that he becomes comfortable being around other people again.
He learns to cope with his condition and successfully completes his therapy, although he continues to have nightmares about the feral pack he encountered deep within the woods. As a result of his treatment, he decides to write down what happened and what he learned, so that others can benefit from his experience. When he finishes his story, his doctor urges him to publish his account so that the public can learn about his experience and avoid similar situations in the future.
With the help of his lawyer, he self-publishes his book: "The Boy Who Spent a Year Living Among Wolves". The publisher agrees to let the public know more about his case and gives him his own show on the cable television channel where he can talk about his experiences and how he overcame them. His fans become aware of the dangers lurking in the woods and take to wearing protective gear whenever they venture into the wilds.
The boy is able to live a fairly normal life, but he still has dreams of becoming an astronaut or a professional baseball player, as he believes these professions are the only ones that do not discriminate against the physically different. However, the public still tends to see him as a monster, so he decides to try out for American Idol. He makes it all the way to the finals and performs a duet with a girl who shares his interests in astronomy. They make a great impression on the judges, who praise their talent and urge them to perform a song together. In the end, she wins the competition, which proves that even though the world may be full of prejudice, there is also room for those with special talents.