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madmadmaddymad's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I really liked this one.
It’s YA, and the premise is a little dense and took me a minute to get into, but it took me by surprise. It’s got so many fairytale elements and it’s really excellent and exciting.
I was simping for the villain. I didn’t want to, but I was. I’M SORRY, HE HAD DAVID BOWIE FROM LABYRINTH VIBES.
Just excellent, wonderful storytelling, and a thrilling conclusion. The magical creatures were all really fun and cool. I loved Parvaneh and the pariks! And of course, it has a nice happy ending, where the MC embraces what makes her different, what makes her “monstrous.”
It’s YA, and the premise is a little dense and took me a minute to get into, but it took me by surprise. It’s got so many fairytale elements and it’s really excellent and exciting.
I was simping for the villain. I didn’t want to, but I was. I’M SORRY, HE HAD DAVID BOWIE FROM LABYRINTH VIBES.
Just excellent, wonderful storytelling, and a thrilling conclusion. The magical creatures were all really fun and cool. I loved Parvaneh and the pariks! And of course, it has a nice happy ending, where the MC embraces what makes her different, what makes her “monstrous.”
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror
esme_may's review
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I wish I had liked this more! The last hundred or so pages are well-paced and gripping, but I don't think the previous 200 are worth it. I loved the concept but I found it difficult to get invested, especially since the relationship isn't given much room to develop. I think this book needed to be a bit longer to flesh it out.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Confinement, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Blood and Body horror
eve_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Overall Thoughts:
⁕ Bashardoust writes about grief, loneliness and loss SO WELL! I really was taken aback by how artfully she utilized the characters to create conflict centered around these themes.
⁕ Soraya’s development as the main character is solid. I thought it was particularly clever how Bashardoust juxtaposed two of the minor characters to show the alternative “paths” Soraya could take, and used her understanding of them to help her grapple with her inner conflict.
⁕ Some of the plot developments felt a little too convenient, a little too easy. As terrible as it sounds, I wanted the characters to suffer just a little more before being saved. It didn’t feel as gratifying as I would have liked when they were.
To read my full review, visit: https://evereads.online
For regular book-related content, follow my Instagram account: @eve_reads
⁕ Bashardoust writes about grief, loneliness and loss SO WELL! I really was taken aback by how artfully she utilized the characters to create conflict centered around these themes.
⁕ Soraya’s development as the main character is solid. I thought it was particularly clever how Bashardoust juxtaposed two of the minor characters to show the alternative “paths” Soraya could take, and used her understanding of them to help her grapple with her inner conflict.
⁕ Some of the plot developments felt a little too convenient, a little too easy. As terrible as it sounds, I wanted the characters to suffer just a little more before being saved. It didn’t feel as gratifying as I would have liked when they were.
To read my full review, visit: https://evereads.online
For regular book-related content, follow my Instagram account: @eve_reads
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture, Emotional abuse, Death, Gore, Confinement, and Body horror
hyliansee's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Death, Confinement, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Body horror, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, and Cannibalism
plumpaperbacks's review
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
While there was nothing inherently wrong with this book, it didn’t stand out to me as one especially captivating or memorable. I never got attached to the characters, and Soraya’s arc was one I’d seen multiple times before in some way or another, without any way to make hers stand out.
I went in expecting a sapphic romance, and while technically I did get one, it was more of an undertone than a focal point. Again, there’s nothing wrong with that, as romance isn’t and doesn’t have to be central to every story. It was more of a misunderstanding on my part. I did like it, though.
Also, the antagonist? I saw that coming a mile away. Even if I didn’t guess all the details, the brunt of it was quite obvious. Nearly every fairytale I’ve come across tells you that if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. And beyond the reveal, it didn’t feel like any part of the story was particularly intense or any of the obstacles were truly fearsome.
Overall: good world-building, plain characters, and nothing really surprising throughout the book. I’d recommend it if you’re looking for a fantasy that’s not quite so intense, or a very character-driven retelling. I do think there are people that will enjoy this book; I just ended up pretty indifferent toward it.
Representation
I went in expecting a sapphic romance, and while technically I did get one, it was more of an undertone than a focal point. Again, there’s nothing wrong with that, as romance isn’t and doesn’t have to be central to every story. It was more of a misunderstanding on my part. I did like it, though.
Also, the antagonist? I saw that coming a mile away. Even if I didn’t guess all the details, the brunt of it was quite obvious. Nearly every fairytale I’ve come across tells you that if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. And beyond the reveal, it didn’t feel like any part of the story was particularly intense or any of the obstacles were truly fearsome.
Overall: good world-building, plain characters, and nothing really surprising throughout the book. I’d recommend it if you’re looking for a fantasy that’s not quite so intense, or a very character-driven retelling. I do think there are people that will enjoy this book; I just ended up pretty indifferent toward it.
Representation
- full POC cast
- sapphic protagonist and love interest
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Violence, Body horror, Blood, Gore, and Death
Minor: Death of parent
Parent death refers to the protagonist’s father, who died prior to the story. There are only a few brief mentions of this.so_many_ocs's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Body horror
emerald_skull's review
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I didn’t realize that it was based off of a Persian tale the the vocab can be confusing but there’s a dictionary in the back. It was a nice book but I wasn’t super into it. Definitely good for a simple read with twists.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
bluejayreads's review
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I finished this book five days ago and am just now starting the review, which is an unusually long delay for me. But I'm having a really hard time figuring out what to say about this book. It's really, really good - set in a world based on ancient Persia, featuring a cursed princess and fascinating demons and just enough magic to be tantilizing without giving it a high fantasy feel. It was highly engaging and I enjoyed every minute of it.
What makes it hard to write a review is that the plot on the back cover wraps up about 40% into the book. It's a rare book that can put the major twist in before the halfway point and still make the story interesting, but this book pulls it off. And also makes it hard to review, because anything I say about the last 60% is going to be a spoiler.
This is one of those books you could easily analyze for a paper for school or discuss in a literature class. It has Important Themes of family loyalty (what do you owe your family if everything they've done has made your life worse?) and humanity versus monsterhood, centering around a cursed princess who believes her poisonous touch makes her more monster than human. But if you don't feel like digging that deep into it, you don't have to. In a surface read, it's a perfectly entertaining fantasy story with likeable characters and surprising twists.
Since it's so hard to talk about the story contained in this book without ruining the experience, I guess I'll just say this: Experience it for yourself. It's a great fairy tale, marvelously told, set in a richly imagined world of Persian royalty and demons who haunt the woods, resplendent with myths and monsters and unexpected surprises and featuring a protagonist who is as loveable as she is relatable. It's a very, very good book and needs to be experienced to understand just how good it is.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Kidnapping, Confinement, Death, and Blood
papercraftalex's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Girl, Serpent, Thorn is like a YA, Persian Frozen, but gay. Once this book got rolling, I could not put it down. I was so intrigued to find out what would happen next. Some parts are predictable, but others truly surprised me. I love how the readers really got to feel how conflicted the main character felt about her decisions and the side characters really added to the story. Bashardoust has a romantic style of writing that fits well with the story and definitely gave it fairy tell vibes. If you like morally gray sapphic main characters and stories rich with mythology, then you'll love this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Toxic relationship, and Violence
morebedsidebooks's review
medium-paced
2.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Confinement, and Violence