*I received a free ARC of this book from the publisher, Flatiron Books. All thoughts and opinions expressed are completely my own.*

Girl, Serpent, Thorn tells the story of Soraya, who has spent her life hidden away from her family and her kingdom due to a curse running through her veins that poisons anyone who touches her skin. As a result, she spends most of her time alone, safe only in the comfort of her gardens at her family’s summer palace of Golvahar where she longs to be free of her curse. As her twin brother, the shah of Atashar, Sorush’s wedding to her childhood best friend, Laleh, approaches, she is tempted to step out of the comfort of her gardens for the first time – a monstrous div named Parvaneh has been captured after attacking her brother and now resides in the dungeons below, a creature who could hold the answers that see seeks about her curse, and a mysterious commoner turned azatan (or guard) named Azad who is greatly intrigued by Soraya and does not fear her curse. However, Soraya’s decisions lead to unimaginable consequences that makes her question who she truly is and who she is becoming – a princess or a monster.

I really enjoyed this book and its overall premise. A girl poisonous to the touch? Mystical beings? Strong character growth? I was intrigued by the synopsis of the novel and the story did not disappoint! The book was truly unlike anything that I have ever read before, but it definitely had some (subtle) fairytale-esque vibes and draws upon Persian mythology, which I had no knowledge of before reading this book.

I loved the twists and turns that this book presented as well as all the hidden mysteries and secrets that were slowly unraveled throughout the story. I really liked that not everything was what it seemed to be from the outside, which I felt was a running theme throughout the novel to not judge a book by its cover. There were a few twists that I saw coming

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(like Azad not being all that he seemed, although I never would have guessed that he was the Shahmar (I did predict that he was a div though)),

but there were still plenty that I was not expecting which made my reading experience quite enjoyable.

The characters in this book were so complex and everyone, heroes and villains alike, were very morally gray, which made for a very interesting book. Because all the characters were so morally gray, it made it very difficult to predict what they were going to do next or how they would react to the situations around them. The characters also had their own flaws and weaknesses, as well as their strengths, which made them very well-rounded and made their journeys throughout the novel super fascinating to read about and witness. Our major characters, Soraya, Azad, and Parvaneh, were all so unique and different and the differing dynamics and relationships among them were very interesting to see. I only wish that the side characters like Soraya’s mother and brother as well as Laleh were more fleshed out and that they played a larger role in the story, especially due to how much they meant to Soraya, and that their relationships with Soraya were strengthened and expanded upon.

Our protagonist, Soraya, undergoes such a powerful arc in this book. She transforms from a lonely girl trying to keep her family safe into a strong young woman ready to fight back and stand up for herself, which was very empowering. I enjoyed witnessing the sort of struggle that she was dealing with throughout the novel in terms of her power and whether it was something she wanted for protection or something that she wanted to reject to be accepted by her family and her people. Soraya just really wants to be accepted and to be truly seen by someone (which she has been rejected from throughout her entire life), which leads her down the dark and dangerous path that she pursues in the novel.

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I also liked Soraya’s shifting view of her power throughout the novel as both a blessing and a curse and how she learns to come into her own even without her poison backing her up and then manages to become even stronger when she gets her "power" back and is able to control it instead of having it control her.

Spoiler

I liked witnessing the unique developments of Soraya’s relationships with Azad and Parvaneh. As previously mentioned, I knew that Azad was not all that he seemed to be from the beginning as he seemed way too accepting of Soraya, in terms of both her power and actions, than any stranger reasonably would. When it was revealed that Azad was the Shahmar, this truly changed the dynamic of their relationship and I was really interested in how it played out with Azad being able to offer the power and authority that Soraya had been denied her whole life. I really enjoyed Soraya’s relationship with Parvaneh and how they transformed from enemies, to allies, to lovers slowly overtime, and how they learned to trust each other by the novel’s end. Like the rest of the characters, neither Soraya nor Parvaneh are perfect characters, which makes them perfect together and they really bring out the best in each other and help each other realize their full potential. I liked the sort of differing dynamic between Pavaneh and Azad in terms of their relationship with Soraya and how they each offered her different things that she had wanted her entire life and the sort of line that Soraya was balancing between them (although she was also with Parvaneh, despite what Azad promised).

This novel was very fast-paced (although not fast-paced enough to make things confusing) and I feel as though a lot occurred in a little over three-hundred pages. Although I enjoyed the quick pace of the novel as it kept the story from dragging, slowing down at some points would have been beneficial for me to gain a better understanding of some of the characters and what was going on throughout the story.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to those who love fantasy stories with unique, morally gray characters, immersive writing, and a completely engaging plot.