Book: Hunted
Author: Meagan Spooner
My Rating: 3 Wintery Stars
It’s hot outside, y’all! So, here’s a nice cool wintry story. And it’s a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, which was my favorite fairy tale.
Yeva lives a life full of fancy dresses and wealthy gentlemen suitors, but her heart longs to be in the forest with her bow and arrow. After misfortune befalls their father, Yeva and her sisters must leave their life of luxury and move to their father’s cabin in the woods. Soon after, he goes missing while hunting a mysterious beast and it’s up to Yeva to find her father or find revenge.
This book was an interesting read for me. I love Beauty and the Beast, so usually I am all in for any variation of the fairytale. However, this one is a little more abstract in its iteration. Meagan Spooner’s writing has a magical quality that makes this book a work of art. I loved how beautiful her prose was. I felt like I could see the castle in ruins and the forest in the height of winter. I also think variations of classic tales can sometimes be predictable, however this story manages to avoid that pitfall. The bones of the classic tale were there, but the story was definitely it’s own.
The downside of this for me was that at times the story felt a little too abstract, like the plot got a little lost in the prose. Also, there were some magical concepts that didn’t really have a lot of explanation, so a quick introduction to the magic systems of this world would have made this a little easier to understand.
Overall, I enjoyed the book! If you like fairytale variations, Beauty and the Beast, or if you’re just drowning in the humidity of an Arkansas summer give this one a shot.
Krystle Goodman is a crazy cat lady, who loves to drink exorbitant amounts of coffee, and read a shocking amount of books. She lives in Benton with her husband Josh, her son Roman, and their two cats Roxanne and Abby. When she isn’t reading, you’ll find her cooking, painting, or watching true crime shows. Watch for Krystle’s book reviews every other Friday. Send fanmail to: [email protected]
See more of Krystle’s reviews at www.mysaline.com/krystle.