Reviews with content warning for Sexism - Juniper & Thorn

Look, like, I liked it. I do not think it is a good book though. Like the core themes of the book were good, but all the set dressing sort of fought against it? The discussions of monsters and morality and freedom, all of it good. But pretty much everything that wasn't inherent to telling the story that was trying to be told, it wasn't great. Like the sheer amount of sexism that this book repeats over and over and over again, is just not worth the way that it is passively resolved. Like it isn't a sexist book, it's just got sexism in it in such quantities that while it could theoretically have aided the narrative, it didn't really.
This is a very spewing from the mind sort of review.
The things that the synopsis promised were there, but they were so deeply hidden by the set dressing. The things that I liked about the book I felt like I had to push past curtain after curtain after curtain to get to.
I liked it in the end. I liked what it was at its core. I did not like the rest of it.

One of the big flaws was that the book was very oversexualized. Like, sure the main character is repressed bc of her horrible father, but... Just it's sooo much. The talk of being aroused and breasts and the obsession with virginity being linked to purity. Even though the whole virginity thing is like, dismantled by the end, it still sucked. Like the amount of talk of breasts and sex is really really annoying. It definitely gets in the way of the story too. It slows the book down an incredible amount.

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kalehouse's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

gothic fantasy. if you’re a fan of wolf and the woodsman, i think this is very much in the same vein! similar character development and folklore. a little less mystical and a little more gothic.

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thoughtsontomes's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This book is such a visceral experience of dread and discomfort. There are a ton of dark themes explored in this book, and it is the perfect example of a gothic horror novel - which imo is not so much scary as deeply unsettling. Ava Reid's writing continues to be beautiful even when describing the grotesque. In particular, the way that she weaves sexuality with horror left me feeling so uncomfortable (intentionally). The themes of generational trauma, the identities of womanhood, and what makes a monster resonated with me even amongst some of the unsettling content. Between this and this author's debut novel both being 5 stars for me, they are solidified as a new favorite author.

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m00dreads's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Juniper & Thorn is a chillingly visceral portrait of the underpinnings and repercussions of abuse, painted over a haunting imagining of Slavic lore. Reid’s evocative writing heightens the morbid effect of her main weapon of delivery – body horror. Her words are darkly atmospheric; they snake around you with all the slithering seduction of vines and drag you headfirst into her gritty and sepulchral world.

For those who like their fantasies heaped with indulgent servings of sordid, this is the perfect October read (if you’re planning on picking this up, I cannot implore you enough to look up the CWs and heed them). However, if you’re looking for an action-filled and plot-driven tale, it’s best to turn elsewhere. I love myself a depraved, no-holds-barred fantasy, but I still require orientation. I need the story to be grounded with a sense of direction regardless of how sinuous the trail may be. And yet, the cohesion between the underlying themes and the plot is weak. The grittiness began to feel like over-liberal seasoning compensating for an undercooked center. There was an effort to incorporate explorations on xenophobia and industrialization to the overarching storyline, but they proved to be as purposeless an element as the city map plastered on one page.

The romance? Also very off-putting. The love interest had the potential to be an intriguing character in his own right, but it was like Reid had dunked both him and the MC in a tub of trauma, and upon their resurfacing, poked them with a stick to get them going at it. Zero chemistry, and a farce of a build-up (if having them meet each other a grand total of four times even constitutes one lol). Of course the cloistered and traumatized MC was going to fall in love with the first person who drops her a crumb of sincere kindness 🙄. There were better devices for character progression that could have been used.

In retrospect, my expectations for this were ramped up high — Novik and Valente’s Eastern European lore-inspired books are some of my most beloved, and my standards were through the roof. Still, I commend Reid for her raw portrayal of womanhood, toxic relationships, and the hope that cycles of abuse can be broken. Marlinchen earned my sympathy and tested my patience; and it is the poignance of her journey that allowed me to overlook most of my gripes.

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slvt4b00ks's review against another edition

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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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wonderfulwaytooweird's review against another edition

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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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emmague89's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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booksdogsandcoffee's review against another edition

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dark emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Ava Reid has done it again in their sophomore novel. Juniper and Thorn starts off as a slow moving quaint little story about.. well stories and how the truth can be hidden within those stories.

We follow Marlinchen and her two older sisters who are forced to live with their father who just so happens to be the only wizard in their town of Oblya. Everyday they are to do as their father says, feed him, take care of the house, serve the clientele who come to their house for treatment.

Finally one night her sisters invite Marlinchen out into town with them, breaking their horrid fathers rules, She has never seen the outside world, but her sisters have been going out behind her back for years. So once she has a taste of the outside world she needs more. Especially when she catches the eye of the theaters best dancer.

Marlinchen continues to disobey her father, realizing the world is much more than the stories she has been told. But being out in the world she also finds there are monsters, for one is killing men and has an insatiable appetite.

This was one of those books that I was confused for about 75% of the time and then everything clicked and I went OH SHIT! It was so dark, so good and such a gruesome look at how trauma affects us. Ava handled it beautifully and this book shocked me to my core.

cw/tw
child abuse
gore
xenophobia
blood
violence
antisemitism
eating disorder
misogyny
sexism
sexual assault
gaslighting
sexism

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