Girl, Serpent, Thorn Tour: Review + Favorite Quotes!

Hi everyone! Today I’m excited to participate in the blog tour for Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust! Huge thanks to Flatiron Books for inviting me to join. ♥ Read on below for our review + favorite quotes from this 

Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust
Published by Flatiron Books ISBN: 1250196140
on July 7, 2020
Genres: YA, Fantasy
Format: eARC
Goodreads
Buy on Amazon
Source: Netgalley

I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

A captivating and utterly original fairy tale about a girl cursed to be poisonous to the touch, and who discovers what power might lie in such a curse...
There was and there was not, as all stories begin, a princess cursed to be poisonous to the touch. But for Soraya, who has lived her life hidden away, apart from her family, safe only in her gardens, it's not just a story.
As the day of her twin brother's wedding approaches, Soraya must decide if she's willing to step outside of the shadows for the first time. Below in the dungeon is a demon who holds knowledge that she craves, the answer to her freedom. And above is a young man who isn’t afraid of her, whose eyes linger not with fear, but with an understanding of who she is beneath the poison.
Soraya thought she knew her place in the world, but when her choices lead to consequences she never imagined, she begins to question who she is and who she is becoming...human or demon. Princess or monster.

Melissa’s Review!

Consider me in love! Girl, Serpent, and Thorn was just the fairy tale read I needed. It was dark and enchanting and the type of story you will happily lose yourself into. (And it features a Sapphic Romance + Persian Mythology! ♥)

This book is about a young princess cursed with a poisonous touch. Soraya is the mysterious sister of the shah of Atashar, whose royal court and family have kept hidden in order to not affect her brother’s rule. Soraya has never been able to touch anyone, for her single touch immediately kills. And due to this curse, her only companions have been roses and the hidden tunnels of the palace. Until she meets a young soldier, who she is inexplicably drawn for he sees her for who she truly is, and who presents her with the opportuniy to meet a Div (one of the demons who cursed her) that can possibly bring an end to her curse.

I am not even scratching the surface of what this story is about but I can certainly say it is full of plot twists and it is such an achingly beautiful journey from start to finish. The feels for Soraya and the injustice of being cursed. How her family, in order to “protect her”, alienated her all her life. Her loneliness. The need for human contact and to not be afraid 24/7 of hurting the few people she loves. For being a burden for her family. And in the end, alienating and loathing herself and who she is.

Soraya is amazing. She’s thoughtful and smart, and all of her hurt feelings and insecurities are so valid. When she meets Azad, the young soldier who captures the div, she gets the first slivers of hope. Of maybe ending her curse and her suffering. And maybe having someone care enough for her, thorns and all.

But when she meets the div, Parvaneh, who turns out to be a parik (one of several div races), she soon realizes that there are more layers to the tales and stories she grew up hearing about, including her own. (And Parvaneh is someone you REALLY want to meet! ♥)

Will not spoil anything further but this fairy tale based on Persian mythology about curses and old tales is a new spin you will want to dive into. With beautifully complex characters full of flaws & desires plus a magical world to explore, Girl, Serpent, Thorn is a must read!

Related Posts