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frawst_disasta_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is mostly character driven, and the plot show, but even still, I didn’t find the book dragged. Mostly. This isn’t really a romance, to be warned, but still a great read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Animal death, Child death, and Child abuse
spacebras's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Wow!! Thorn is so good!! The second I finished reading it, I rushed to go buy it for a friend. The arc of the story is based on the Grimm's fairy tale "Goose Girl" which I not familiar with, but is a fun light fantasy with some allusions to a more magical story to come.
I really enjoyed how Khanani handled the theme of trauma and PTSD in a way that would be accessible for young readers. Even though Thorn is a fun fantasy book, you can tell that she really took the time to get the idea across that even the little things can be traumatic and just because it may seem insignificant, your trauma is just as real and valid as someone who has been through the worst of it.
The writing gets a little cheesy at times to fit with the setting, and having a horse talking about "his wife". But that is par for the course for the fantasy ya genre honestly. If anything, I wished the protagonist was aged up by a few years. 15 year olds can absolutely be smart and independent, but the situations she was put in seemed a little silly for someone that young, especially considering that her family literally HATED her for something she did when she was TWELVE. But maybe I'm getting old. I just kept seeing how these grown adults were treating her and kept thinking "THAT IS A CHILD".
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Physical abuse, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Child death, Death, and Violence
Minor: Death of parent
The book handles these issues well and does not go into graphic details. The on screen death is at the hands of the government and is by hanging which is described but only briefly and not necessarily shown as a good thing. The description of the animal death is related to it being displayed afterwards and was the only instance that was described in detail. Sexual assault is attempted to the MC but is not outwardly described and one character is sexually assaulted off screen but the act is only briefly mentioned and no explicit detail.
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