Hunted

4.5 Stars

Initial Thoughts: My only complaint with this book was that the end was a little rushed and it was much too short. I would have loved to spend more time in Yeva and the Beast's world. This was a fantastic Beauty and the Beast retelling and I love that I was able to read it at the same time as the live action film came out. It was very rewarding to experience two different takes on the classic story in such a short time period.

I'm pretty sure this is the first fairy tale retelling book that I've read. I thought it was good. It really didn't excite me too much since it was The Beauty and The Beast until near the end. I enjoyed the differences with Beauty being a hunter and talking about whether or not she was the Hunter or the Hunted. Well done there. And also, the inclusion or internal dialogue of whether or not Beauty is a victim of Stockholm syndrome.

The book earned its third star from me near the very end, when it discussed the legend of the prince and the wolf. I loved the imagery and the parallels between Beauty and the Beast and that they both endlessly wanted more, which was the real curse and problem all along. I thought it was very well done and told the story in a new a refreshing way. Additionally, I enjoyed the magic and the fact that Beauty basically killed Beast in the middle.

QUOTES:“She wept because she did not know what she wanted, and because she wanted everything.”“There's no such thing as living happily ever after — there's only living. We make the choice to do it happily.”“I would give up a thousand happy endings just to go back with you to your valley, and live as we did. I'd give up every fairy tale I've ever known just to hear you say my name again.”“We thought too much. Because while hatred is a fire only man feels, he does not hate the beast that comes in the night. Mankind fears it, fights it, drives it off, but he does not hate it. No one hates the bear, the wolf. They don't hate the wind or the snow. They don't hate the death. They hate each other.”

The best version of Beauty & the Beast retelling so far ❤️ The middle part was a bit dragged on but the last 1/3 of the book was so good I finished it in one sitting. I never thought I could feel so much for the Beast even though it was described as so rugged and “beastly”. The ending was beautiful. I even enjoyed the Author Note which I usually skip.