Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid

3 reviews

slvt4b00ks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This story follows Marlinchen, one of three daughters of the greatest wizard in Obylan, as she forges her own path despite living under an abusive father and alongside wicked sisters. Marlinchen soon finds herself driven to disobey her fathers orders to not leave the house after one night at the ballet in Obylan where she meets the heartbreakingly beautiful and tortured Sevastyian. As Marlinchen is sneaking out and living her best life, there is a monster stalking the streets of Obylan stealing the hearts and livers of men. 

This has been my all time favorite book I have read. Period. Reid is a master of weirdly beautiful and unique metaphors and other literary devices. I had no idea people could write and create such beautiful captivating atmospheres that are equally as horrifying and dark.

I couldn’t name all of the trigger warnings that this needs to be filed under. There were parts of this that were very difficult to read. Expect rape, abuse, alcoholism, cannibalism, self mutilation, eating disorders, body dysmorphia, so on and so forth.

That being said I think the author touched on every single one of those sensitive subjects with brutal honesty and also something like grace. 

For a majority of the book I found the story very character driven. Toward the end it picked up but it was so worth it. Highly recommend!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Gore, Gun violence, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Antisemitism, Blood, Chronic illness, Classism, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Death, Torture, Violence, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, and Vomit

wonderfulwaytooweird's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Beautiful dark fairy tale like story about trauma and love persevering through it and the damage left over. This gothic romance was raw and hard to swallow but so rich and entrancing. Loved it so much and could not put the book down.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Medical trauma, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Murder, Alcohol, Animal death, Antisemitism, Body shaming, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Cannibalism, Sexism, Chronic illness, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Death of parent, Grief, Self harm, Vomit, and Drug use

starrysteph's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Juniper & Thorn explores how trauma shapes us, how we desperately look for meaning & purpose in dark circumstances, and how you live with your past.

Specific content warnings at the end of this review: but this book is about trauma. 

We follow Marlinchen, a fairytale-obsessed plain-faced third daughter. Her mother is gone and her wizard father is cursed to never feel satisfaction; he is controlling and cruel to his girls. Marlinchen and her sisters are witches; they treat clients with their various skills (though their father spends the rubles and is xenophobic - so VERY particular about the clientiele) and they are not permitted to leave their home.

One night, the three girls sneak out to see a ballet show: and Marlinchen falls head over heels for the lead dancer, Sevas. She now must balance her first secret with her deep desire and the trauma of her past. And to add to the stakes - there’s a monster on the loose, terrorizing the city.

There’s brilliance here - Reid skillfully integrates fairytale tropes with darkness and horror. There’s also deep vulnerability - Marlinchen is living with trauma and has shrunken into herself; there’s a major theme of dehumanization.

The pacing ebbed and flowed; there were moments I couldn’t put the book down but also scenes that were far too slow for my taste. I think a large issue here was some overdone repetition - like I get it, the rule of threes is important, the sisters are beautiful and Marlinchen is plain, Marlinchen is blushing 99% of the time. Some of it boiled down to intrusive thoughts and folkloric obsessiveness tied into Marlinchen’s trauma; that made sense to me. But others felt like Reid was shouting at the reader. Remember this?? Don’t forget this foreshadowing!! Let me hold your hand, reader!! It felt like an editing issue, alongside some slightly-cringey & overdone analogies. 

I felt like we got to know Marlinchen quite well; the supporting characters were not always so fleshed out. Her sisters, for example, felt quite limited. And for a book that takes place largely in one location, the world-building was a bit vague & confusing. I’ve read The Wolf & the Woodsman and felt that gave me a significant leg-up in understanding some of the hierarchies. 

Finally, I didn’t particularly enjoy the romance. For me, it felt very insta-lovey and lacked the depth and lyricality and complexity that Reid gave to the rest of the storyline. I wasn’t ever truly rooting for them as a pair.

I felt like Reid is continuing to strengthen their voice and explore the themes she most wants to write about. This writing feels vulnerable and powerful. There’s a lot I admired about this storytelling. I’m looking forward to reading whatever she puts out next.

CW: blood, body horror, death, murder, emotional abuse, child abuse, sexual abuse (child), cannibalism, antisemitism, xenophobia, gaslighting, racism, eating disorder, vomiting, self harm, suicidal thoughts, animal death, animal cruelty, incest, explicit sexual content

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Blood, Chronic illness, Gaslighting, Gore, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Incest, Rape, Violence, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Xenophobia, Animal cruelty, Murder, Racism, Self harm, Animal death, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Death, and Injury/Injury detail