This one felt a lot more mature than your standard YA. It definitely has darker subject matter - a faerie curse, rape, and madness. However, I felt that the topics were handled realisticly, in that the heroine had a supportive family, counseling, and she didn't just bounce back from anything. There was also a very sweet romance that was also handled well. It is not an easy book to read, but I did feel it was well done.