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A review by wordsbychiara
Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust
5.0
Actual rating: 4.5 stars
Girl, Serpent, Thorn read like a fairytale from the very first page. The author’s writing was an effortless flow, creating a world which was part magic, part Persian myth and incredibly real and tangible. The complexity of the world-building surprised me, given that it is a standalone novel—and it was a perfect standalone novel. The pacing alternated between fast-paced action and shocking plot twists and slower, softer moments that revealed character vulnerabilities. The plot felt neither lacking nor condensed. It was just perfectly structured.
As always with any book that steals my heart, the characters were my favorite part. Soraya’s character development was full of internal struggles and intense desires, but never did she feel whiny or immature. Her actions were perfectly aligned with her situation, with her curse, and with the events she was a protagonist of.
Azad and Parvaneh were the perfect side characters and enriched Soraya’s story. The LGBTQ+ “love triangle” that was hinted intrigued me from the synopsis. I usually loathe triangles, but boy did I enjoy this one! The LGBTQ+ element of Soraya’s bisexuality was introduced so naturally and developed so beautifully through the story. I loved the interactions with Parvaneh—softer, filled with witty banter and full of self-discovery. I loved the interactions with Azad—thick with tension and feeding Soraya’s conflict.
I don’t want to say too much…but the villain of this book was brilliant. That’s all I’ll say.
My one “complaint” is that I would have wanted to see a bit more of the romance, which I felt had the potential to have more page time, but that’s just my opinion! Overall, this book really blew me away for its amazing characters and the beautiful work the author did of weaving myth in her narrative. I cannot recommend this book enough.
Girl, Serpent, Thorn read like a fairytale from the very first page. The author’s writing was an effortless flow, creating a world which was part magic, part Persian myth and incredibly real and tangible. The complexity of the world-building surprised me, given that it is a standalone novel—and it was a perfect standalone novel. The pacing alternated between fast-paced action and shocking plot twists and slower, softer moments that revealed character vulnerabilities. The plot felt neither lacking nor condensed. It was just perfectly structured.
As always with any book that steals my heart, the characters were my favorite part. Soraya’s character development was full of internal struggles and intense desires, but never did she feel whiny or immature. Her actions were perfectly aligned with her situation, with her curse, and with the events she was a protagonist of.
Azad and Parvaneh were the perfect side characters and enriched Soraya’s story. The LGBTQ+ “love triangle” that was hinted intrigued me from the synopsis. I usually loathe triangles, but boy did I enjoy this one! The LGBTQ+ element of Soraya’s bisexuality was introduced so naturally and developed so beautifully through the story. I loved the interactions with Parvaneh—softer, filled with witty banter and full of self-discovery. I loved the interactions with Azad—thick with tension and feeding Soraya’s conflict.
I don’t want to say too much…but the villain of this book was brilliant. That’s all I’ll say.
My one “complaint” is that I would have wanted to see a bit more of the romance, which I felt had the potential to have more page time, but that’s just my opinion! Overall, this book really blew me away for its amazing characters and the beautiful work the author did of weaving myth in her narrative. I cannot recommend this book enough.