I don’t know about you, but my favorite classic fairy tale is Beauty and the Beast. When I found out that Hunted by Meagan Spooner, was going to be retelling of this beloved tale but mixed with Russian folklore, I was immediately hooked.
Beauty knows the Beast’s forest in her bones—and in her blood. Though she grew up with the city’s highest aristocrats, far from her father’s old lodge, she knows that the forest holds secrets and that her father is the only hunter who’s ever come close to discovering them.
So when her father loses his fortune and moves Yeva and her sisters back to the outskirts of town, Yeva is secretly relieved. Out in the wilderness, there’s no pressure to make idle chatter with vapid baronessas…or to submit to marrying a wealthy gentleman. But Yeva’s father’s misfortune may have cost him his mind, and when he goes missing in the woods, Yeva sets her sights on one prey: the creature he’d been obsessively tracking just before his disappearance.
Deaf to her sisters’ protests, Yeva hunts this strange Beast back into his own territory—a cursed valley, a ruined castle, and a world of creatures that Yeva’s only heard about in fairy tales. A world that can bring her ruin or salvation. Who will survive: the Beauty, or the Beast?
The Good
- The Characters – Beauty (or Yeva), is such a strong and independent main character. I loved that Spooner was able to take away those criticisms of the original character, by giving us a young woman who is known for her hunting and not her looks. Ummm, yesssss please! I also really enjoyed the depth to the Beast. We were given a very complex character who was able to show how much he struggled internally with his dual natures of man and beast.
- Beautiful Prose – I loved the writing in this book. It had an almost lyrical quality that went really well with the folklore in the story. This was my first book by Spooner and I was pleasantly surprised to see such beautiful words.
- Philosophical – The YA genre catches a lot of flack for being superficial, with a focus on action and plot. However, I would definitely say that was not the case for Hunted. The entire theme of the book is very deep, revolving around wants, desires, and the endless need for complete satisfaction. Pretty important in today’s society, huh?
The Bad
- Pacing – I will say that due to the prose and the overall plot (which we are all quite familiar with!), the middle of the book does tend to drag for a bit. I think there’s about a good 100 pages where not much is happening. It was almost like a Groundhog Day moment, where we had to relive the same everyday routine. I would be lying if I didn’t say that I struggled to push through it.
Overall, this was a really interesting take on the Beauty and the Beast story. I loved how it was able to seamlessly blend with Russian folklore and create a completely new story, that was still the beloved tale that we’ve all come to know. Don’t expect to breeze through this story. I think it’s better to be savored on a snowy day, curled up by the fire with a cup of hot chocolate.
Final Verdict: 4/5 Stars
Have you read Hunted before? What did you think of it? Did you like how it was mixed with Russian folklore?
Wonderfilled Reads 
Loved your review! I’ll for sure be reading this on a snowy day. 🙂 I haven’t read a book by Spooner in a while, and don’t remember the last time I read a Beauty and the Beast retelling. I now really want to read this! Thanks for sharing!
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Thank you so much! This was a beautiful retelling and I really hope you enjoy it! 🙂
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This book is still waiting in my e-reader. I seriously need to pick it up now! Loved your review!
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Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
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Great Review! Despite the slow pacing, I really loved this book! I’m so glad you loved it as much as I did! This was really a wonderful retelling 🙂
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Thank you! I definitely agree! 🙂
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OMG YES! This is def a tale you want to savor on a cold Winter day Larkin, you def nailed it! 🙂 I think my fave aspect of this book had to be the internal battle of Beast Vs. Man. The passages we get sprinkled throughout from his POV were some of my fave pages. Awesome review! ❤
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Thank you so much, girl! Those were my favorite passages too! I loved getting to experience that internal struggle with the Beast. I think it definitely bought a more mature aspect to the story for a YA novel.
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Omg I agree!!! & this is why I enjoyed her method of re-telling 😃
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B&B is not my favorite fairy tale ever but I was so intrigued by this book’s premise! Add Russian/anything folklore to a story and I’m in hahaha
Add fairy tale retellings and I’m basically sold!
I’m really glad you enjoyed despite the pacing issue… Wonderful review! ❤️
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Thank you so much! It really is a wonderful book! 😊
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Great review. I actually started this as an audio but after the first couple of chapters decided I didn’t have patience and switched to the book.
It’s probably one of my favourite retellings as there is such great scene setting. I loved how true to the original story it was but also how different (her father). The Russian elements really added something though I do agree it’s a little slow in places.
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Thank you! Yeah, I thought it was a perfect blend of the classic story mixed with new/different elements. Such a wonderful ending too!
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Amazing review! I adored Hunted and agree with you about the beautiful writing! It definitely brought the setting, characters and story to life~
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Thank you so much! Without the gorgeous writing, I don’t think the book would have been as enjoyable. It definitely made it for me!
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Great review! I love retellings as well and I’m definitely looking forward to it. Good to know about the slowish pace, but I guess beautiful writing can surely make up for it! 🙂
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Thank you! This one is definitely worth a read! 😊
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