Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.
.
So Girl, Serpent, Thorn sounded rather interesting despite the fact I’ve gone off YA a bit recently or maybe I've become a bit more picky about what I want to read when I don't have nearly as much time to read as I used to. What piqued my interest in this book was it was clear that it was set in a slightly different world to most of the young adult fantasy settings that are usually a riff on Western European countries. I haven’t come across many Persian inspired settings before, so I was looking forward to seeing a Persian inspired story by an own voices author.

The story follows Soraya who is essentially a Princess, the sister of the Shah. Soraya’s touch is fatal to all living things (except plants) so she is unable to touch anyone, (think Rogue from the X-Men) which is understandably a tad problematic for her. As a result of her curse Soraya lives apart from her family and society as a whole and roams the secret passages of the palace and tends her rose garden. However, an encounter with a mysterious prisoner inspires her to find a way break her curse.

As this is a YA book suffice to say there is romance element as well. I felt like there was a little bit of insta-love going on here. This perhaps this makes sense considering the circumstances in which Soraya lives and perhaps someone who has never been able to touch someone else would be more likely to fall hard for the first person who shows them any kind of positive romantic attention so I’ll let it slide.

Probably my favourite aspect of the book was the references to Persian culture and Zoroastrian beliefs and practices for example the Dakhmen towers correlation to the real-life Towers of Silence. I also really liked the different demons, even though they were called “divs” which in the British vernacular means “idiots” basically which I couldn’t help finding a little amusing. The more humanlike Pariks were also pretty cool. There’s also LGBTQ representation.

Another thing I really liked was how pace-y the book was. It really was a rollercoaster of a plot without feeling like the plot was being lost. There were numerous times Soraya was in genuine peril and had to use her quick wits to find a way out. It felt quite tense at times and there was a real sense of stress and peril but in a good way, not in a way that made the book difficult to read.

Some criticisms I might have would be that the other characters perhaps felt a little underdeveloped and one dimensional. I felt Soraya was a really strong character but some of the others just felt a bit…well boring really. I also saw the main twist coming from a mile away but it didn’t detract anything for me.

I would say that I was really surprised by this book. I don’t usually mention covers in my reviews, but the cover for this one is really cool; I know snakes are having their moment lately, but this cover stands out as particularly stunning.

This novel was a little bit different, the way the story developed and the relationships that Soraya has with the different characters were all written really well, and the eventual outcome felt fresh and interesting. The Persian inspired setting and the fairy tale influences all came together to elevate it above the usual YA fare. A fairy tale with bite!

I was so excited to get approved for an e-ARC of Girl, Serpent, Thorn, so thank you Netgalley for letting me review this book.

Girl, Serpent, Thorn is set to be one of my favourite books of the year. Although I was excited about this book and story I was a little panicked at the thought that we might be on track for another Shatter Me experience and I just wasn’t up for that. Well what we got instead was a beautifully written story full of culture and beautiful characters, believable romance and a young girl finding out what it means to be yourself. I think the way this book presented itself meant that the pacing was brilliantly done and I loved the drama and the conflict. I think overall the best thing about this book was just how natural it all felt and nothing felt forced. It was really well done.

Ahh, I cannot wait to tell you how much I loved the characters in Girl, Serpent, Thorn. The best character was definitely Soraya, watching this young girl work out who she was and face the world alone was impressive, I don’t usually enjoy characters who are angsty but with her, it felt natural. I think it had a great set up with the story and watching her struggle with natural urges and wanting to touch and be touched but not sure how to deal with everything that comes along with that. It was beautifully done and one of my favourite parts of the story. My other favourite character would have to be Parvenah and the part that she had to play in the entire drama and I just loved her as a character. It was an interesting dynamic to watch and I thought that the romance that she is involved in developed so well and was so well written.

I don’t even know if I can condense my best bits of Girl, Serpent, Thorn down. This book surprised me. I knew it was something I would like, hence requesting it but boy did it blow me away in a way that I never expected. The world that this is based in is so beautifully written and the culture is stunning. I loved not only seeing all the characters grow and develop I also loved watching and learning about the mythology and the various mythical creatures. It was such a well-constructed book, and I don’t think I can pinpoint the best bits without spoiling the actual plot. But the arc in this book was so well done, and I was so pleased with how this all ended.

No worst bits for me. Nothing, absolutely nothing. I adored this book from start to finish and I can’t believe how enthralled it had me.

Recommending Girl, Serpent, Thorn to everyone! This book was phenomenal and I loved reading it and learning about everyone and the culture and the loves of everyone. I kinda wish that this was a series so I could love on it for a little longer.

I loved this book so much! Devoured it in a day! So well written, and i enjoyed reading about the Persian references at the end too.
One of those books where you think you know what will happen, but you're wrong! I couldn't put it down. So glad I have the fairyloot edition coming, so I can keep this on my favourites shelf!

This is, and is not, a fairy tale retelling. Drawing inspiration from the myths and legend of Bashardoust's culture (yet forming an compelling and original story), this story was as twisting as that snake on the cover, full of complex characters in a highly atmospheric setting recalling ancient Persia.

As the synopsis suggests, terrible mistakes are made, with suitably terrible consequences. These catastrophic errors are not only those of Soraya, our protagonist - almost everyone in this novel is blundering around, entangling themselves ever deeper into nets of their own chaos and regret. There were plenty of unexpected revelations... Everyone is trapped in their own way, but impressively they all retain their agency. This made for a whole host of incredibly complex characters, particularly Soraya and the villain, and I absolutely loved the will-she-won't-she dynamic as Soraya teeters on the needle of her moral compass. Soraya's mother, Tahmineh, is especially fascinating, as is her relationship to her daughter. We already know from the very beginning that Tahmineh is a pivotal figure.

All the female bonds in this book were great to read - not least the sapphic romance. I wasn't even expecting to, but I shipped it so much; it was just so tenderly written yet no less intense for it, and I loved how it developed. There was and there was not a love triangle. For fear of spoilers, that's all I'm going to say about that - just know that as someone who hates love triangles with a passion, the dilemma in this novel was pretty understandable. (Strong Darklina vibes at times.) I also enjoyed the lack of girl-on-girl hate! It would have been so easy to fall into that, but it didn't happen and I'm thankful. Bashardoust's characterisation and narrative is too layered to make drama out of something so superficial!

The world of this novel, Atashar, is full of magic, tradition, deities and demons - my first encounter with Persian mythology! I highly recommend taking the time to read the Author's Notes at the back. Of course, I didn't need the extra information to understand the story, as Bashardoust's skill with exposition and use of context meant the world took form around me almost seamlessly, without the need for info-dumping. Whenever explanations were given to Soraya, it's believable that she doesn't know this, so it didn't come across as spoon-fed information. Needless to say that after reading 'Girl, Serpent, Thorn, the archaeologist in me is dying to learn more about Persian history! I'm certainly going to check out Bashardoust's other novel as well, 'Girls Made of Snow and Glass'.

Soraya lives a solitary existence. Her very touch can kill and her family keep her a hidden secret, ensconced in elegant rooms designed to appeal to her every want and whim. But there is one her padded cell can't assuage, and the long-buried part of her that longs for human connection is growing as she ages. When those around her experience loves and lives of their that own she can never have a part in or experience for herself, her rebellious spirit wars with her fear of the destruction her fingertips can hold, and it is only a matter of time before one wins out over the other.

I would frame this cover and hang it on my walls for all eternity and I hoped the story inside was just as captivating. Whilst I did enjoy it and remained intrigue throughout, it wasn't wholly the book for me. Soraya's infliction was an interesting one and I imagined discovering the reason behind her cursed state would form the majority of the book's focus. The truth was revealed in a tumultuous second quarter, however, where all that was previously held as the truth was flipped on its head. This 100 pages were a breathless, wild ride and I was hooked on its many revealed twists.

Despite this early adoration, the latter half of the novel felt a little lack-lustre and my interest slowly waned after so many grand reveals and surprises. There was still much I enjoyed and one certain character whom I grew to love almost as much as our protagonist did, but I don't think this was entirely the fantasy book for me when no deep understanding for and explanations of the mythological elements were as continually as forthcoming as I would have liked.

'Because isn't that what you do, shahzadeh? Aren't you made for death?

This cover and synopsis is absolutely beautiful and the story did not disappoint. I loved the relationship between Soraya and Parvaneh. They are so cute together. I also love that Soraya is bisexual and that that gets represented in the book. The story is just so rich. The characters and world building is done phenomenally well.

This is a very fairytalesque read but in no way does that take away from the fantasy element in this book. Melissa combines the two flawlessly.

The thing I loved most about this book apart from the relationship between Soraya and Parvaneh was the story inside a story aspect. Everything about this book is beautiful.

'She was a monster.'

Excellent story that had me hooked. I read this in a day and found it reminiscent of Naomi Novik's Uprooted. This story is based loosely on Perisan folklore and mythology and there is a fascinating little section at the end which gives some information on the author's influences and inspiration.

Though I like YA Fantasy, it's a Genre that barely manages to surprise me (and that's totally fine), but then I read this book and I really didn't see ANY of this coming. 😂 I flew through its pages and enjoyed it so much.

"Girl, Serpent, Thorn" is a book about a girl, Soraya, who is cursed to be poisonous to the touch, hidden away, living in her gardens. But there is one boy, who isn't afraid of her ...

This book reads like a fairy tale, inspired my Persian mythology. It's totally captivating. I was immediately pulled into this world, drawn to its characters. Especially Soraya is a really amazing main. She's kind of "morally grey", able to kill everybody with one touch, afraid of herself, lonely, but also powerful. I loved her. Such a great protagonist.

I also knew that this book would include a wlw story (because that was one of the reasons I requested it 😬) and I was totally blown away by it!! Oh myyy god, I won't say too much, but I simply LOVED it! My... little... heart. ❤

Another great thing about "Girl, Serpent, Thorn", is, that it's written so well. Such a vibrant, powerful writing style, full of emotions. I was totally amazed by it and by the world the author created with it. I loved reading about the Persian mythology and could barely put the book down. It's such a pageturner, that left me speechless at times!

Also: This cover??? SO beautiful. I love it so much and I want it for my shelf! 😂

If you love fairytales, want to root for an amazing morally grey main, need a new sapphic fave and want to fully escape the real world for a little while: Read this book. I highly recommend it. ❤

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the opportunity to read and review this book. A full review will be available on my blog soon.

What first attracted to me this book was the gorgeous cover, and it's only outdone by the wonderful world and characters that the author has created. Taking inspiration from Persian Mythology, Melissa Bashardoust weaves the tale of Soraya a princess that has been locked away all her life due to a curse that makes her poisonous to touch. The summary speaks of consequences and I was worried that Soraya would end up becoming yet another one-sided character filled with bitterness. I was pleasantly surprised to find that she and all the characters are so much more fleshed out, and nothing is as straight forward as it seems.

I would say that Girl, Serpent, Thorn is more akin to traditional fairytales (nowhere near as dark, however) in the sense that there is no good or bad. It's much more reminiscent of real-life where actions have consequences for everyone, and people make mistakes even if they mean well. This is certainly not a Disney story.

The strength of this novel is in the rich description and the strength of characters (it was very much appreciated to have an LGBTQ+ relationship included and not have anyone comment on it as if it was something abnormal or shameful), not so much in the story. While I found it an enjoyable tale, I personally found it a little too easy to follow. There were no major shocks, twists or turns which is what makes me hesitate to give this a rating of 4 stars. It was a very enjoyable book, and one I would recommend, just for me I need the story not to be so obvious.

I do need to mention a TRIGGER WARNING though for people who have been in an emotional abusive and/or a coercive relationship. I have been and have PTSD as a result, and while it didn't trigger me I'd be remiss in not mentioning it. I will add that it has been handled in a positive way and this may open up some people's eyes to the reality of coercive behaviour.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book if I'm honest. The first few chapters had me thinking it could be a did not finish as the setting is different to what I would usually read, I believe it's set with a Persian twist to it so was unsure of whether I would understand what some things we're. But this ended up being okay, you get the gist of it as you go throughout the story.

The story is about a young girl who is ’cursed’ to the touch, and anything she touches dies. All the girl wants is to be rid of the curse so that she can live a happy, normal human life, like the rest of her family. She feels like an outcast and is locked away to ensure peoples safety. Little does she know that her curse is what is actually keeping her safe... The story definitely has some Sleeping Beauty/Rapunzel/fairytale type feels to it, with a curse and being locked away from humanity. But I did enjoy this book, maybe not as much as I thought I would, as fantasy is one of my favourite genres but it was a good read.

It was a little slow in the beginning, then it spead up pace in the middle, and slowed again. It was very predictable what was to happen in the end. It was still a fun read though, I wouldn't say it's a bad book at all! The writing style was easy to follow, and it is a good story, just not 100% my cup of tea but as I said it wasn’t a book I would usually pick up and I liked being able to try something different!

Girl, Serpent, Thorn asks: What if? in a lot of different ways.
What if the girl is the monster?
What if accepting yourself is more important than slaying the bad guy?
What if the enemy isn't the enemy? But what if he should be?

Soraya is poison: everyone who touches her bare skin will die. Hidden away by her family, she lives in the palace's shadows as her twin brother and her mother rule the kingdom. scared of her own power. But when she meets Azad, a royal soldier, he is not afraid of her--he admires her strength, and makes her see herself in a different light. Together, they search for a way to lift Soraya's curse, But when that search leads to horrifying consequences, Soraya needs to decide what she wants--and where her loyalties lie.

Girl, Serpent, Thorn is such an interesting book! It completely flips your expectations upside down, looks at YA and fantasy clicheès and asks: what would happen if we did the exact opposite?
Initially, the plot feels familiar, almost Sleeping-Beauty-like: "Who could learn to love a beast?" But as the plot moves on, the focus shifts from Soraya's search of approval from others, and towards her own acceptance of herself. It was such a fantastic plot point, and such a great spin on the familiar story. I could talk about the finer plot points for a long time, but as this book is full of twists and turns, it is very hard to talk about them without spoiling some of the plot twists. So I will just say: This book almost never does what you expect it to, and manages to catch you by surprise a lot!

I really liked the characters in this book: all of them many-layered and three-dimensional, and develop so much over the course of the book! Especially Soraya had such an interesting character ark, and I really felt along with her, wanting her to succeed!

This book is perfect for fans of Wicked Saints or A Curse So Dark and Lonely, or for anyone who would like to see a different spin on the traditional fantasy and fairy tale tropes!

I really liked it! The main characters were relatable and I cared for them. The world building could have been better though. I would have liked to see more of the world to be fully immersed.

Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust is a brilliant fantasy fairytale. It is very well written and full of enchanting characters and beauty.

Be still my heart!
I’ll be honest and say I wasn’t holding out much hope after reading the first chapter as the various titles (satraps, shah, divs etc..) took me awhile to grasp but I’m so happy I continued!
Soraya Is a princess who has lived her life hidden away. Cursed with a poisonous touch as a child she’s lonely and the story begins as her family returns to the palace with news of her twin brothers wedding.
I really enjoyed the writing styles and fell in love with the main characters. I like how the story came together and the ending was perfect 👌
I’d Love a second book!

“There was and there was not”

… a girl who was cursed. Soraya lives her life in the shadows, knowing she is poison to everyone around her, including her mother, Tahmineh, and her twin brother, Sorush, the shah of Atashar.

“She had read enough stories to know that the princess and the monster were never the same. She had been alone long enough to know which one she was.”

Hidden from the world, Soraya spends most of her time in her golestan (a walled rose garden) or navigating the passages hidden within the palace walls. She longs to belong but can only catch distant glimpses of the life that could have been hers. She would do anything to break her curse.

Soraya wasn’t as easy for me to love as Mina and Lynet from ‘Girls Made of Snow and Glass’. This seemed fitting to me as it can sometimes feel like we’re approaching a caged animal when someone is hurting like Soraya is. We tend to push people away when we see ourselves as unloveable, making it difficult to accept (or even recognise) when someone is trying to reach out to us.

When we feel like we exude poison into the world we either burrow deep inside of ourselves or lash out at others, opposites with the same intent. Hurt them before they hurt you. Don’t allow yourself to get too close to them because they’ll leave you in the end anyway. Don’t get your hopes up for someone to love you for who you truly are because, frankly, who in their right mind would?!

“Anger and shame fought for control within her, and so she forced her body into the position of shame, because it was safer.”

As I spent more time with Soraya I began to love her because of, not despite, her pain. The pain of not belonging is amplified when it’s your own family that declares you an outcast, through their actions if not their words. I yearned for Soraya to find acceptance.

I grew to love Parvaneh, a parik, almost as much as I adore her name, which is Persian for “moth or butterfly”. I wish I could have gotten to know the other pariks better and wanted the opportunity to learn more about their history and culture. I also wanted to find out more about the other divs, the drujes and the kastars; I don’t know nearly enough about them.

I loved the way Persian mythology was woven into the story, and I particularly appreciated the ‘Author’s Note’ at the end of the book where the ways various elements in this story line up with and also diverge from their origins were explained.

I’ve seen parts of myself in all of Melissa’s girls so far and I quickly become immersed in the worlds she creates. I can’t wait to see what world she’ll invite me to explore next.

“It’s time for you to become who you were meant to be.”

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Flatiron Books and Hodder & Stoughton for the opportunity to read this book. I’m rounding up from 4.5 stars.

Book Review: Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust
Genre: Fantasy, Fairytale
Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton/ Flatiron Books
Release Date: 7th July, 2020

Yes, the cover of this book is stunning, and I'm happy to say that it suits the story extremely well. The poisonous Princess Soraya is hidden away from the world by her family. She has been cursed with poison running through her veins, therefore everyone she touches dies. We follow her as she discovers the truth about who she is. Is she the hero or the villain?

Opening with a story within a story, Soraya's mother tells her daughter a fairytale, but we find out that it's not just a fairytale; it's Soraya's life. However, that's not the only story within a story we are told, more and more are added to the mix, which starts to become boring. As a lot of readers may not be familiar with the Persian myths that the story is based around, the author has to tell them all. I felt myself starting to gloss over them, hoping to get to the main action of THIS story.

Once we got passed the myths, the story did start to gain it's own momentum. Soraya's journey of self discovery was the most entertaining part for me. Stuck in a battle with herself - she was constantly being pulled in both directions; good or evil?

As I was already struggling to get lost in the book due to the tangents of, 'here's something that happened before that you need to know for this to make sense', when the first love interest was introduced the 'insta love' was even less believable. For someone in her situation Soraya seems far too trusting. The second love interest, however, had a little more to it. I loved the way that Soraya's bi-sexuality was a seamless part of the story; gender was a non-issue and it was the connection she had with the second love interest that was important and drew me in. The relationship was a lot more developed and seemed to grow from something, a single touch, rather than nothing. Also, the fact that the love interest was considered a 'monster' was another non-issue. This was slightly harder to believe given what people in the world thought of the 'divs' (evil creatures).

However, I think by the end of the novel, acceptance was the key theme, and overall it was a unique story of a girl accepting herself for who she was - thorns and all.

Thank you to NetGally, Hodder and Stoughton and Flatiron books for the opportunity to read and review this E-ARC.

I loved this book!

This book tells the story of Soraya, a girl poisonous to the touch. She’s hidden away by her family, feared, isolated and lonely. She finds herself wondering what her life would have been like without the curse inflicted upon her as an infant.. and if the curse can be broken so she can live freely.

This story is a fast paced, captivating Persian inspired fantasy story reminiscent of a fairytale retelling. The premise was extremely appealing to me and I honestly couldn’t put this book down! I was hooked from the beginning. There are so many twists and turns in this story that I couldn’t predict what was going to happen next.

I felt really connected to the main character; I felt she was relatable and likeable. I also thought all of the characters were very distinctive and fleshed out and I enjoyed the exploration of gray morality. The world building was seamlessly woven into the plot and I really liked the writing style from this author. We also have bisexuality representation and a f/f romance which was great. Overall, I highly recommend this young adult fantasy book. It was dark, exciting and fantastical.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for sending me this ARC. Definitely check it out when it comes out in July!

For the first 20% of the book, I really thought it was going to follow a predictable fairytale-type trope and lead us down a well travelled path; how happy I was to be wrong! I thoroughly enjoyed Girl, Serpent, Thorn and will recommend it to my students on a reading list as I know they will love it too.

Soreya is a strong and clever character, who longs to escape the restricted life she has endured. The plot was addictive and engaging, with the author building a detailed world influenced and inspired by Persian folklore. The details of common behaviours, belief systems and hierarchies in place helped to make this story so captivating.

Girl, Serpent,Thorn also held plot twists that I was shocked and delighted by, with the trope I expected being knocked out of the park! Such an enjoyable read with so many emotions and strong characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this novel. I look forward to reading more from the author.

This book was SO MUCH more than what I was expecting, I figured it would be another YA fairy-tale retelling, but I was wrong, and thank God. Girl, Serpent, Thorn is inspired by Persian mythology and the opening story was delightful.
I'll be honest, when I first started reading this book I was struggling to connect with anything as I found it a bit too slow but once it gets going I found it to be a really enjoyable read. Sorry for the cop out but I can't say tooo much without spoiling it! This is definitely a story you can go into without knowing much because whatever your expectations are this book will knock them on their head. 

The world building is incredible, it wasn't overwhelming and easy enough to digest which is always a bonus in my eyes. I struggled with the characters at first but once I gave them a chance they grew on me, I also appreciated the LGBTQ representation. They were intriguing, full of angst and longing. Bashardoust did a really great job of describing loneliness and everything that comes from extreme loneliness.

The twists, the turns, the betrayals, urgh this book has it all. We have morally grey characters, angst, sexual tension, a "meet-cute" in a prison, f/f romance (that has some really sweet moments), a poisonous touch, we even have a MC who uses her power because she wants to even though she knows the consequences of what happens and doesn't immediately shirk away from what shes done. 

If you enjoy fantasy, Persian mythology, morally grey characters, representation, rich world building and a beautiful romance chances are you'll love this story.

Let's just start with the cover, which is exactly what I want from a YA cover and is just beautiful to look at. I will definitely be purchasing this in book format once it is released.

This book was so unexpected. What I was expecting for a fairly typical YA romance along the lines of Rapunzel,
who is cursed to be poisonous to the touch and is locked away from friends and family. While some of this still stands, what we actually get is an incredibly complex heroine who takes command of her own life. Queer representation abounds (bisexuality) in the form of sea monsters. Diversity in its fairy tale inspired by ancient Persian mythology. The writing is phenomenal. Excellent all round.