Title: Girl, Serpent, Thorn
Author: Melissa Bashardoust
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Published date: May 2020
Star rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with a copy for an honest review.

Overview

Soraya has been cursed since birth with a touch that can kill. She spends her time hidden away from the public at the palace.
The announcement of her twin brother's wedding and an unexpected captive in the dungeon, sets events spiralling in to motion. Soraya must decide whether she is a Princess or the Monster that everyone fears.

This has been the dark fairytale I've been looking for.

I just love that the inspiration has been taken from ancient Persian mythology (even if it was a little confusing to begin with).

Soraya was an easy character to connect with, I found the opening scenes highlighted her utter loneliness and had me wishing for her happy ending only 4 pages in!

This is a story based upon lies, betrayal and a thirst for power that almost consumes Soraya. There were a few times where I WANTED her to descend into the perfectly moulded villain. There were also times when I was so frustrated with her, especially to always feel the need to lessen other people's guilt.

I wouldn't say this is a romance, it's certainly your typical self discovery YA - but the the chemistry between both potential love interests was fun to read.
Until towards the end, I really wasn't sure who I wanted her to be with, as both were dark and neither thought of her curse as a curse. Both felt like she deserved more and both fought in their own ways to ensure she became who she needed to be!

The conclusion was so satisfying. It could only end one way and I'm glad this story gave me closure.

Things I loved

A bisexual MC without the cliche that usually comes attached with them. The chemistry felt genuine and was just so refreshing to read!

The Author's Note at the end help clarify the choice of names with the explanation of using Old, Middle and Modern Persian.

The cover!

Wish list

The first half of the book is full of Soraya quite literally moping about in the shadows feeling sorry for herself. Initially I felt sorry for her. I then started to worry that she was ANOTHER damsel heroine. Soraya needed a back bone when speaking with her mother.

I feel like the world building could have been mapped out a little better. Even now, I'm still a little fuzzy on the details.

The beginning was over complicated without really telling me anything that would have an impact on the story.

Would I recommend?

Yes, if you enjoy self discovery YA stories with a dark fairytale twist.

Link to Goodreads review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3291250150
Instagram: hklovesbooks

4.5 Stars

What I love about Melissa Bashardoust is the way in which she write completely unique and original versions of fairytales that you wouldn’t know were retellings unless being told. I also adore Bashardoust’s feminist themes within her stories which I highly appreciate. Packed full of suspense and tremendous character development and world building this is truly a book to pick up upon release.

The only reason for me that this is 4.5 stars is because I didn’t love it as much as Girls Made of Snow and Glass however I think I have found a new favourite author!

This YA Persian-inspired Fantasy had an interesting premise. A girl locked in a tower who is poisonous to the touch and as the plot unfolds all the lies and mysteries that surround her also begin to fall apart. I love fairy tale re-tellings and so I had to give this one a chance. I couldn’t put this book down because of the mysterious plot and the the Persian mythology that has inspired the book. I felt the book was thoroughly YA In terms of it being for a younger audience and maybe lacking some real depth in character. The main character is very morally grey and she needs to find out for herself whether she is the hero or the villain of the story. I liked the book but for me it lacked real depth and richness of character; like, for example, ’The Daevabad trilogy’, which it reminds me of in some aspects. I enjoyed it but i didn’t love it and I think maybe it’s something more for younger readers.

I'd heard soooo much about this and was definitely not disappointed. It was as captivating and well written as I expected. I'm usually not into fantasy but this was perfect.

Ever since this book was released as an eARC everyone has been talking about it, I was go glad to finally read it and see what everyone was talking about.

I will be honest I thought in the first 25% I was going to get bored of it and it was going to have a predictable story line and they would all love happily ever after.

How wrong I was, this book took a major turn as the plot grew, and became a book I have been looking for were the female MC actually saves herself. The love interest wasnt how i thought it would be and refreshingly so.

Over all this book is in my top 5 books of this year and would recommend everyone to read it

What a joy this was to read. A blend of fairytales that cans to life on the page. A heroine poisonous to the touch must overcome her fear, her anger at her life, and learn to trust and believe in herself in this amazing story that really packed a punch. The writing was fluid and the characters fully developed. This fantasy story has it all, magic, battles, love, and plenty of action to keep me turning the pages. Thoroughly enjoyed this story and I look forward to reading more from this author..

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me with an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is not my usual genre, I’m more into romance stories and girlie books therefore am extremely pleased and grateful to them for opening up my mind to something totally different.

I enjoyed this very much. 4 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

GIRL, SERPENT, THORN feels like reading a fairy tale retelling, even though it's an original story. It has that feel of being a well known, and beloved story with a new spin. I kept reaching moments and thinking "this must be a clever play on a particularly point in the fairy tale - if only I could remember which fairy tale". I loved it, as it made the story both familiar and excitingly new all at the same time.

The world is so rich, full of magical beings called divs - all of whom carry an air of danger even if their allies. I particularly loved how easily the palace was conjured - from her private golestan (I'm not sure the exact translation, but it's described as an enclosed rose garden) to the gardens and secret passages. There's a lot of transliterated Persian included in the text, all of which can be worked out from the context, and it helps bring the world alive a bit more.

There are a lot of twists in the book, as characters hide secrets from one another and make choices that lead to even worse situations than the ones they're trying to escape. I particularly loved all the turns about her curse and the ones about the feather. There is something so ironic and human in how undoing one thing triggers a worse disaster that could have been solved if you hadn't done the thing.

It all ties in so well to her emotional journey - embracing the inherent strength she has while retaining what makes her her. I loved the play between anger and compassion, and trying to learn where true strength lies on that spectrum.

Melissa Bashardoust’s GIRL SERPENT THORN is a stunning original fairytale about Soraya, who poisons everything she touches and wants more than anything to be able to live like a normal girl.

This book took me on a JOURNEY. In the beginning, I found it rather slow, and so was struggling to get myself to read it, but then it all took off at around page 80ish, and boy did it TAKE OFF.
First of all, I adored the setting that Bashardoust created in this book, the world was so rich and beautiful and I felt really immersed within the cultural setting. The magic system was really unique, and very well explained so easy to understand. I especially loved the two main plot twists in this book, one of which I was *not* expecting at all.
I love the main character, Soraya, and from the start of the book, I was rooting for her. I really empathised with her and my heart broke over how she was outcast from not only her whole family but also society as a whole. So, when she hears that the demon locked in the dungeon knows how to rid her of her curse, I was instantly backing her and hoping to see her live life normally.
I have to say, the f/f romance in this book was actually unexpected for me, which doesn’t happen very often! But, it was *so* cute and I really enjoyed the dynamic between the two characters and how much they helped each other.
This story is gorgeously written and I loved learning about the Persian influences within the book. However, something about it was just lacking? I think almost all of the characters were slightly underdeveloped and Soraya’s male love interest was so very annoying at points. Parts of the book also dragged along a lot and made me want to pick something else up, but then this was recovered by the many plot twists within the book. Without lingering on the negative, I will say I enjoyed reading this book! The sapphic romance is gorgeous and I especially loved Soraya’s partner. The ending of the book was very satisfying too!

Over the past couple of years, I've been noticing that among the books I enjoy most are the ones that are based on mythology and fairy tales. Having a gem like Girl, Serpent, Thorn be based on myth from a culture that is all too rarely represented in YA fantasy is refreshing and made me love the book from the beginning - before reading this, I had never considered that 'Once upon a time...' is a Western concept, and of course stories based in other cultures would follow different rhetorical conventions. I had simply not interrogated the customs of storytelling - which is silly, given that I have done multiple university degrees in literature, history and related subjects - and I now want to go back and read as much traditional storytelling in a form as close to the oral tales as possible, because I am curious about how these customs of storytelling differ between cultures. So what I mean to say is that Girl, Serpent, Thorn is an amazing book, and has already affected me in ways I haven't thought possible for a single book. Or maybe quarantine is doing funny things to my brain.
Anyway, Girl, Serpent, Thorn is full of beautiful, lavish prose, evoking a world of mystery and betrayal. It is compulsively readable, and the pacing works well. The plot is twisty and not what you expect - there is no rescuing the princess in this book! Soraya makes for a great main character. Over the course of the story, she undergoes character growth, and develops from a mostly weak and scared princess into a complex, morally gray character to be reckoned with. She is also obviously bi - and I'm all here for that rep! She also forces her way into so much agency, something which is all too often sorely lacking in YA fantasy. Not only does she make mistakes, she owns them, she lives with them, and she actively tries to do better. We need more characters like her. The romance is slow-burning and seductive, which is wonderful too, but I don't want to say too much about it because I don't want to spoil anything...
This is it. We need more books like Girl, Serpent, Thorn. Publishers, listen up, and commission them, please!

Thank you for this ARC.
Wow, to start off let's say after reading a significant amount of YA books the plot, the characters and the overall feeling becomes quite repetitive but let me tell you this wasn't the case at all.
Beautiful crafted story with great representation and diversity - need I say more. It was like a breath of fresh air and we could do with more stories of this quality.
It kept your attention all the way through and was an absolute joy to read.
I've recommended this story to many readers and I cannot wait to read more of this authors work

I absolutely adored Girl, Serpent, Thorn. I read it in a day, I just found it so addicting.

I felt all of the emotions whilst reading it. Empathy, fear, shock (I mean I didn’t see THAT plot twist coming), love and anger. I felt them all, and I feel it’s quite rare to get all of those emotions packed in one book. A credit to the author.

It is a beautifully written book that I think will appeal to many. I personally love Persian themed book, the author clearly did her research, writing Persian folklore into the pages.

It has love, loss, resentment, a queer love story.

A fairy tale about Soraya, a princess cursed with a poisonous touch, who is cut off from the world. Then a div, a demon like the one responsible for her curse is caught and Soraya lets her hopes soar for a cure. But there are obstacles to her quest and surprisingly a heroic young man, name Azad, who is not afraid of her.

This captivating tale presents a beautifully written narrative, tinged with the melancholy of the protagonist's loneliness. Including a wondrous and rich mythology, with vivid descriptions that bring this world alive. Descriptions that could sometimes be called poetic, for their gorgeous play of words.

How important is freedom? To be seen and acknowledged? Is it worth betraying everything? Soraya is faced with an impossible dilemma. A dilemma that could lead her down a dangerous path. A path that could easily turn her into what she fears the most. A monster.

Playing with the notion of good and evil, the author brilliantly shows the protagonist's teetering on the fine line between them. I love Soraya's conversations with the div Parveneh, that tug-of-war of conscience, belief and the meaning of power. Also adore Azad, his determination, those actions and words that make you want to smile. Until...

Another important theme is betrayal and can it be overcome? Is forgiveness a possibility? And to what point are you responsible for actions of others?

Some truths will make you gasp and there's a gigantic twist that you will not see coming. A twist that changes everything. Like the classic fairy tales we love, everything goes wrong and a hero must save the day. But who will be that hero? Amongst the chaos who will reign triumphant?

This story was so good, with a truly remarkable villain. Plus lots of surprises, dangerous games, unexpected allies and feelings, atonement and final sacrifices. An original tale that you definitely should not miss.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a big 'meh' for me. It's not it was bad or I didn't like it but I wasn't much invested in the story or the characters. It just didn't have that 'spark', you know?

I liked the writing of the author, the whole 'fairytale' thing, how she introduces you to story and some of the characters.
I also liked some of the choices she made, for example in the romance or the post twist before the half of the book.
It felt all a little bit rushed thought, I would have loved to know more about the villain. I think he would have been such an interesting character but sometimes I didn't really get why he did some of the things he did.
Also I think the card of the 'poison' could have been played better, turning the story in something more dark and interesting.
The setting is inspired by Persian Mithology and it was interesting to read about the Divs but at the same time I wanted more 'Persian' vibes, I don't know if you get what I mean. The only two elements it had where the creatures and the names, I wanted more atmosphere!

Overall It was not a bad book and I recommend it if you want an easy read, but it was not great either... it just missed something.

I don’t know why I haven't heard more about this book. Why hasn’t it been in my twitter feed more? ITS FANTASTIC, but we’ll get to that in a moment. I didn’t realise two things when I started reading this, 1) it’s a Persian inspired fairytale 2) ITS QUEER, but it’s not a love story! But I'm so glad I read this because throughout my whole reading experience it felt like there was magic on the page. It’s a book I think we all need to keep an eye out on in the future because it’s something so special and dark and I'm SO here for it!

In Short: Dark + Twisted + Fairytale + Persian Inspired Setting = Girl, Serpent, Thorn.

My favourite element about this book is how at first glance it feels idllic but then on closer inspection you see small cracks in the illusion that make this story feel magical. Inside these small cracks are moments of darkness and fear, scenes which will make you hold your breath thinking, “NO HOW COULD SHE!”. This book masters the art of creating a lush and beautiful world, as you go through all the different settings in the book each new place feels real and fully realised and beautiful in its own way. If I could sum up this book in just two words I would probably use the words “Twisted Beauty”. It’s hard to explain without giving any of the best bits away, but the way the author has managed to make even the most ordinary things stunning to read about whilst turning the story into something you don’t expect.

As I started this book I thought it was a love story, it is not a love story. It’s a story all about power and realising that things aren’t always as they seem and sometimes you will make mistakes and sometimes you’re forced to pay for your mistakes even in books. I think that’s why I loved this book as much as I did, because behind every stupid or naive action there was a fully realised consequence which most of the time ended up causing huge damage, which made me go ‘FUCK’ a bit too much. It reads like a fairytale and it is basically a fairytale (I think) but it’s expansive and goes to places I really didn’t expect it to and it’s so cleverly done I'm still in awe of it.

Talking about the characters though there’s probably 3/4 characters that are fully fleshed out, but for me and for this story it didn’t really matter that everyone else wasn’t as in-depth as those 3/4 characters because the story travels around so much those other characters feel of very little consequence. The only issue I would have with the story is that Soraya's (the main character) mother and brother weren’t fleshed out a bit more and they felt very empty, towards the end you saw more of her mother, but when the consequences got high you didn’t really care a much as you would have done if there was more of a connection to those two. But talking about that at the same time I can totally see why the mother and the brother weren’t as in-depth as Soraya because that also fell into the narrative of Soraya being all alone and not feeling part of the family which did in a way feel more powerful because you rarely saw the mother or brother.

You might be wondering why I haven’t spoke about the big bad or anything more substantial to the plot apart from the fact that it travels and is so grand enormous it ended being bloody wonderful. Well this is mainly down to the fact that I don’t want to spoil anything for you. The world that’s been so carefully built has myths and lore that feed into real myths and lore and it’s so cleverly done with all the surprises and turns in the story that I don’t want to spoil it for you at all!

All in all though, this book is brilliant, it’s a Persian inspired fantasy that deserves to b up there will all the new big releases in 2020. It’s stunning, grand and a book that everyone who likes fairy tales or books that's have a dark edge to them should read. It’s a book all about power, secrets and family. If you’ve been wondering about this book or haven’t heard of it before, check it out right now! Add it to your TBR because trust me if you want something to immerse yourself in then this IS the book for you! Thank you to Hodder for giving me an ARC through NetGalley to read early!

Girl, Serpent, Thorn is a Persian inspired fantasy about a princess who has been locked away in her castle because of a curse which makes her touch poisonous.

Sounds interesting enough! Honestly, I did enjoy the overall feel of the book. It has got an interesting premise of ancient Persian mythology mixed with several of the fairy tales, and the plot and writing is quite easy to get into. However, I felt that this was one of those books that I read but won't remember for very long. I think there wasn't enough world-building, it felt very basic and I needed more. Apart from the main character, Soraya, the other characters were not very well developed and felt two- dimensional.

Soraya's character growth was something which kept me reading this book. I liked how her character grew from a sheltered and conflicted girl to a person who has come to realize her strengths and the power she can wield. And, even though, at times I was frustrated with her decisions I kind of understood where she was coming from. I can't say the same for the other characters though. Both Azad and Parvaneh had a lot to offer but they weren't utilized to their full potentials. Similarly, I think that the relationship between Soraya and her family wasn't explored to its full potential. The romance was okay but again it wasn't something which made me swoon.

Overall, this book stood somewhere in the middle for me. It wasn't great but it wasn't bad either. I will definitely look forward to what Melissa Bashardoust comes up with next.

Rep - Bisexual MC!

Girl, Serpent, Thorn was such an interesting reading. It was my first book of Melissa Bashardoust and I really liked her writing stile; I was captivated from the first page. The story was inspired by Persian mythology and it was very original and well written. It revolved around Soraya and her curse: she didn't want this "power", her only desire was to be normal, human. And yet, as the story goes on, she realises that this curse was actually a gift and in the end she accepts who she is, finally feeling whole again. There were also other characters, whose stories were intertwined with Soraya's, twists and a subtle f/f romance. All in all, I recommend this book if you want to read somenthing unique and captivating.

'Girl, Serpent, Thorn' is a Persian-inspired fairytale about a princess cursed to be poisonous to the touch. Kept locked away in a tower, she dreams of the day a handsome prince will come and rescue her - but when someone does, it doesn't quite go how she expected.

The first quarter of this is a slow read and feels very trope-y, but then the story starts to take twists and turns and becomes much more fast-paced and enjoyable. I predicted several of the twists but still found the plot holding my attention. It helps that the setting is gorgeous, and the Persian-inspired elements are intriguing and give this a fresh feeling even when the plot treads over familiar ground.

The main character, Soraya, is the twin sister of the Shah - the ruler of the land, blessed with the protection of the Simorgh to protect his people from evil divs. Cursed shortly after her birth to kill every animal - including humans - that she touches, she stays shut in her room at the palace with very minimal contact with the outside world. As such, she's innocent and naive, coming across younger than her years and very vulnerable. She also has a great deal of anger and resentment - at herself, her situation, and the world. Whilst at times she's a difficult character to like, her immature emotional outbursts and naivety felt realistic and she grew significantly as a character throughout the book. I particularly enjoyed her relationship with her mother, Tahmineh, and how that changed as secrets were revealed.

With the exception of Soraya - and to an extent Tahmineh - none of the other characters felt quite as three-dimensional. I would love to read the full story of Azad, and equally the story of Parvaneh - two highly intriguing individuals who weren't quite utilised to their full potential. The childhood relationships between Soraya, Sorush, Laleh, and Ramin would also be interesting to know about in more detail - especially the dynamic between Laleh and Soraya. But the book would not have been as fast-paced and exciting if it had stopped to delve into side characters, and they all played their part.

Overall, this is a solid addition to the YA fantasy genre and worth a read for anyone looking for a story that's a little bit different. It takes a while to get going, but once you get past the first part it grows into itself and takes you on a journey.

3.5 stars, rounded down for the beginning (but the ending is a solid 4).

What a brilliant and rich fairy tale. Such beautiful and original world creation. Oh it was glorious to read and explore the wonder that is Girl, Serpent, Thorn.
How do I begin to explain this book? I suppose I can say that it seems I have been waiting my whole life for a tale such as this.
A poisonous princess, betrayal and dark brooding villains.... yup sign me up you got me hook line and sinker. Especially when you throw in areas of Persian mythology.
It was just so well crafted, each character was neither good nor bad, they were all the heroes in their own tales. But never really knowing that they could be the villain in another.
No one was fully good nor bad, their choices and their paths all came down to experiences and influences.
This isn’t your cozy twee princess gets saved by the prince... instead it demonstrates strong misunderstood women.
Women who make mistakes and must attone. Women who do give into rage and desperation. Who do rise up out of ashes.
It truly is an incredible read.

3.5 stars!

Girl, Serpent, Thorn is a beautiful Persian folklore-inspired fairytale about a princess who is hidden away from her kingdom because she is poisonous to the touch. I was very impressed with what this book managed to achieve in such a short number of pages. The world felt rich & magical and the story was reminiscent of the classic fairytales we all know. Perhaps the strongest part of this book is the world-building. I was seriously impressed with the world that Bashardoust managed to create & portray in a 330 page standalone novel. The world-building and folklore was incredibly rich & detailed, and I didn’t struggle learning the rules of this mythical world, falling into the flow of the story within the first 30 pages or so! This book had some great, well-defined and realistic characters - who are all flawed in some way, and who all go through some kind of growth by the end of the book - as well as LGBT representation in the main character, who is bisexual.

Overall, I enjoyed my time reading Girl, Serpent, Thorn and while the plot didn’t completely hold my attention and was somewhat forgettable for me, everything else about the story is so strong and well-developed, that I can’t deny the skill that went into crafting it.