This story is chock full of fairy tale retellings (Beauty and the Beast, Cupid and Psyche, and the main male character is named Tamlin for christ's sake, just to name a few), but don't let that fool you. This is not young adult, as the poverty, sex, and violence are at the forefront. This is not a coming-of-age tale, but rather one about what it means to love and protect and live. Not the typical YA what would you die for, but the new adult what would you kill for. Painful and excellent.