HUNTED, by Meagan Spooner

The story: Yeva's father taught her to hunt, and now that he's lost his fortune, she's relieved to leave the castle and get back to the woods. But deep in the forest, the "fairy" tales her father told her as a child now seem to be coming true, and they're not the nice ones where everyone lives happily ever after. Stalking through them (and through her father's mind before his mysterious death) is something she learns to call The Beast...especially after she becomes his prisoner. Happily ever after has never been so hard to come by.

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence PG-13; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse PG; Magic & the occult PG-13; GLBT content G; adult themes (mental illness, curses, black magic) PG; overall rating PG-13 (higher-level prose, rather than objectionable content here).

Liz's comments: Here's a dark Beauty & the Beast that's a welcome switch from the well-trodden paths of Disney (as much as I like that one!). Spooner gives the tale a Russian twist and COLD seems to be its own character. You'll like Beauty, and be cheering for Beast (and maybe even fall in love with him a little yourself) long before the end of the story, even though you think you know how it's bound to turn out. Cuz hey--it's enough different that maybe the ending could be too...