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theespressoedition's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
“She had thought nothing would be more incredible than the simple sensation of touch, but she'd been wrong: more incredible still was the idea that she could be dangerous, all her thorns on display, and that someone would dare to touch her anyway.”
This book was absolutely beautiful in every way. I absolutely loved how descriptive it was, without droning on or slowing down the pace. It helped me connect with all of the characters, individually.
I didn't find myself relating with anyone in particular, which is unusual when I read. Typically, I can find myself in one or two of the characters, but in this case, I didn't. However, it didn't take away from my reading journey. Instead of looking for myself throughout, I was focused entirely on the cast and what would happen next.
I found the plot to be somewhat predictable, overall, but it was another thing that didn't bother me. I knew it was a fairytale and inspired by Sleeping Beauty, so it wouldn't be without its stereotypical moments. What I did love was the representation! It's not every day that you find a LGBTQIA+ fairytale and this one was just gorgeous.
Since I listened to the audiobook, I have no clue how to spell any of the character names, yet again, but I just want to say that they were all brilliant. There was no lack of character development or world-building. It was the perfect mixture of both!
This book was absolutely beautiful in every way. I absolutely loved how descriptive it was, without droning on or slowing down the pace. It helped me connect with all of the characters, individually.
I didn't find myself relating with anyone in particular, which is unusual when I read. Typically, I can find myself in one or two of the characters, but in this case, I didn't. However, it didn't take away from my reading journey. Instead of looking for myself throughout, I was focused entirely on the cast and what would happen next.
I found the plot to be somewhat predictable, overall, but it was another thing that didn't bother me. I knew it was a fairytale and inspired by Sleeping Beauty, so it wouldn't be without its stereotypical moments. What I did love was the representation! It's not every day that you find a LGBTQIA+ fairytale and this one was just gorgeous.
Since I listened to the audiobook, I have no clue how to spell any of the character names, yet again, but I just want to say that they were all brilliant. There was no lack of character development or world-building. It was the perfect mixture of both!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Death, Torture, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Confinement
linesiunderline's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really liked the world building here, with the infusing of so many elements of Persian storytelling and lore. The universe of the story was rich and evocative. At times I found the pace felt a bit stuck, like we were swirling around in the same conflicts without much progression. Still, you don’t need to be a deep fantasy lover to enjoy this read. If you’re a fan of feminist fairytales, then this is one to try.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, and Violence
bybookandbone's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Girl, Serpent, Thorn does not disappoint! I really connected with Soraya and her story.
She has suffered awful emotional abuse under the guise of protection, even if her mother thought she was doing the right thing.
The world building is fantastically intricate but doesn't bog you down with details. Golvahar, the surrounding lands and the mythology in this book are based on Persian mythology. Melissa Bashardoust did a wonderful job incorporating the culture into an almost fairy tale story. I cannot gush enough.
There's the 'protagonist lied to their whole life so they make a bad choice' trope, which I always find cathartic. I absolutely hate when guardians lie to children/people in their care to spare them. It's never the reality, it's to spare themselves having a tough talk and always goes badly. Obviously, in real life, these consequences don't usually include divs or magic but metaphors will metaphor.
Highly recommend.
She has suffered awful emotional abuse under the guise of protection, even if her mother thought she was doing the right thing.
The world building is fantastically intricate but doesn't bog you down with details. Golvahar, the surrounding lands and the mythology in this book are based on Persian mythology. Melissa Bashardoust did a wonderful job incorporating the culture into an almost fairy tale story. I cannot gush enough.
There's the 'protagonist lied to their whole life so they make a bad choice' trope, which I always find cathartic. I absolutely hate when guardians lie to children/people in their care to spare them. It's never the reality, it's to spare themselves having a tough talk and always goes badly. Obviously, in real life, these consequences don't usually include divs or magic but metaphors will metaphor.
Highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement
Moderate: Violence and Abandonment
sankta_aleena's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, and Blood
megplant's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, and Blood
achingallover's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder
memorable's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
At first, it took me some time to get into it and I didn’t feel the urge to keep reading, yet it was totally worth it! I love the mystery and not knowing what character had what motives! The author’s note helped understand this masterpiece even more!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Murder
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: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Blood
bailey1196's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Death and Murder
morebedsidebooks's review against another edition
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Violence