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booksdogsandcoffee's review against another edition
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
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Grief, Gore, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Death of parent, Self harm, Murder, Gaslighting, Body horror, Blood, Antisemitism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Animal death, Xenophobia, Vomit, Violence, Child abuse, and Alcohol
lybrarie's review
challenging
dark
emotional
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? Yes
4.5
This was one of my most anticipated books this year, and it definitely didn’t disappoint. I really enjoyed reading this book, as much as you can enjoy a book about abuse. It was horrific and dark and gruesome but I am very glad I have read it. I continue to love Ava Reid’s writing and I am very excited to see more from her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Gore, Xenophobia, Gaslighting, Vomit, Cannibalism, Physical abuse, Antisemitism, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Death, Pedophilia, and Suicidal thoughts
theodenreads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Juniper & Thorn is a haunting and folkloric tale that grapples with themes of trauma and abuse while building up a darkly alluring romance.
Content Warnings: abuse, alcoholism, animal cruelty, antisemitism, blood, body horror, cannibalism, eating disorder, emotional abuse, gaslighting, gore, murder, racism, self-harm and self-harm ideation, sexual assault, sexual content, pedophilia, vomit, xenophobia
Feel free to let me know if anything else should be added to the content warnings, as it’s very likely I could have forgotten something!
Generally, I tack content warnings onto the end of my reviews, however given how dark and graphic this story is, I thought it would be best to start with those! Don’t get me wrong, the author approached the topics explored with care, however it was dark enough that even I got squeamish (which is very rare for me). Please be careful going into this story as there are very graphic depictions of blood and gore, cannibalism, disordered eating, emotional abuse, and vomit, and many of the other CWs I listed are also very present throughout the book.
Now that that’s out of the way, onto the rest of my review!
Ava Reid masterfully depicts a slavic inspired fantasy in Juniper & Thorn (and it’s to my knowledge that it takes place within the same universe as The Wolf and the Woodsman, although I have yet to read that). The worldbuilding was lush and the atmosphere pulled me in from the very first chapter. The dark atmosphere of Reid’s writing alone is almost enough to make me pick up The Wolf and the Woodsman!
All of the protagonists introduced had a ton of trauma, and their trauma is a heavy theme throughout the story (see CWs). They all dealt with (or didn’t deal with) it in different ways, and their experiences were all so incredibly complex, but they were also handled with care. One of the main reasons I didn’t give this story a full 4 stars is that, although I felt for them and wanted them to come out on top, I ultimately didn’t find myself being incredibly enamored with any of the leads.
The other reason I didn’t give this a full 4 was because of the sexual content. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love love love exploring themes of sexuality in stories, whether it’s through fantasy or romance or erotica. That being said, the way it was explored in this story just… didn’t hit any of the right notes for me. From the very first chapter, the main character is lusting over the love interest, and normally I don’t have a problem with insta-love/insta-lust, but the way it was written felt very objectifying. People joke about how horribly men write women, but this almost read as the opposite end of the spectrum, and it was very off-putting for me. There were also a few points where something very dark or serious would be happening, only for it to cut to Marlinchen’s thoughts being about the love interest’s body and or sex–and there was also a random sex scene in the middle of an otherwise very tense moment, which just completely threw me out of the story for a moment. There was also quite a bit of sexual descriptions of Marlinchen’s sisters, which was uncomfortable to read, and there were a few points where it felt almost borderline incesty.
Overall, Ava Reid crafted a great horror story, filled with dark characters and an alluring romance (although I could have done without some of those descriptions). For fans of dark fantasy and slavic inspired worldbuilding, I would definitely recommend this. I loved the world building and the tense atmosphere, there were just a few spots that didn’t hit the right notes for me personally.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings: abuse, alcoholism, animal cruelty, antisemitism, blood, body horror, cannibalism, eating disorder, emotional abuse, gaslighting, gore, murder, racism, self-harm and self-harm ideation, sexual assault, sexual content, pedophilia, vomit, xenophobia
Feel free to let me know if anything else should be added to the content warnings, as it’s very likely I could have forgotten something!
Generally, I tack content warnings onto the end of my reviews, however given how dark and graphic this story is, I thought it would be best to start with those! Don’t get me wrong, the author approached the topics explored with care, however it was dark enough that even I got squeamish (which is very rare for me). Please be careful going into this story as there are very graphic depictions of blood and gore, cannibalism, disordered eating, emotional abuse, and vomit, and many of the other CWs I listed are also very present throughout the book.
Now that that’s out of the way, onto the rest of my review!
Ava Reid masterfully depicts a slavic inspired fantasy in Juniper & Thorn (and it’s to my knowledge that it takes place within the same universe as The Wolf and the Woodsman, although I have yet to read that). The worldbuilding was lush and the atmosphere pulled me in from the very first chapter. The dark atmosphere of Reid’s writing alone is almost enough to make me pick up The Wolf and the Woodsman!
All of the protagonists introduced had a ton of trauma, and their trauma is a heavy theme throughout the story (see CWs). They all dealt with (or didn’t deal with) it in different ways, and their experiences were all so incredibly complex, but they were also handled with care. One of the main reasons I didn’t give this story a full 4 stars is that, although I felt for them and wanted them to come out on top, I ultimately didn’t find myself being incredibly enamored with any of the leads.
The other reason I didn’t give this a full 4 was because of the sexual content. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love love love exploring themes of sexuality in stories, whether it’s through fantasy or romance or erotica. That being said, the way it was explored in this story just… didn’t hit any of the right notes for me. From the very first chapter, the main character is lusting over the love interest, and normally I don’t have a problem with insta-love/insta-lust, but the way it was written felt very objectifying. People joke about how horribly men write women, but this almost read as the opposite end of the spectrum, and it was very off-putting for me. There were also a few points where something very dark or serious would be happening, only for it to cut to Marlinchen’s thoughts being about the love interest’s body and or sex–and there was also a random sex scene in the middle of an otherwise very tense moment, which just completely threw me out of the story for a moment. There was also quite a bit of sexual descriptions of Marlinchen’s sisters, which was uncomfortable to read, and there were a few points where it felt almost borderline incesty.
Overall, Ava Reid crafted a great horror story, filled with dark characters and an alluring romance (although I could have done without some of those descriptions). For fans of dark fantasy and slavic inspired worldbuilding, I would definitely recommend this. I loved the world building and the tense atmosphere, there were just a few spots that didn’t hit the right notes for me personally.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Vomit, Gaslighting, Eating disorder, Child abuse, Cannibalism, Blood, Xenophobia, Gore, Sexual assault, and Body horror
Moderate: Death of parent, Animal cruelty, Pedophilia, Racism, Alcoholism, Antisemitism, and Suicidal thoughts
poetry_shaman's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, Cannibalism, Gaslighting, Vomit, Eating disorder, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Racism, Antisemitism, and Self harm
litty_lydi's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"That's not right, and that's not magic. Magic is the first sip of good wine that makes the edges of your vision blur. Magic is the cool breeze of the boardwalk at night and organ music in the air. Magic is landing a grand jeté and nearly going deaf with hate crowd's applause. Magic is the low flicker of tavern lights and the girl your courting leaning close so you can kiss."
If Ava Reid has a million fans, then I'm one of them.
If Ava Reid has one fan, then I'm that one.
If Ava Reid has no fans, that means I'm dead.
The Wolf and the Woodsman is one of my all time favourite books, naturally as Ava's debut I was excited for whatever she published next, while also being a little nervous (how can it get better?!). Yet, somehow they managed to raise the bar again with their sophomore novel, Juniper & Thorn.
In broad strokes, this is a gothic-horror fantasy (with a dash of romance) story inspired by the Grimm Brothers fairytale, The Juniper Tree. Considered one of their more gruesome fairytales, Reid does not shy away from that. As no surprise, Ava Reids prose continue to be truly spell-binding, within the first few lines you are immersed into this world engulfed by the haunting atmosphere that quickly sticks its claws in you and is unwilling to let you go. The pacing of this novel is impeccable; you are immediately thrust into the story and the tension and adventure remains high from start to end.
At its core, Juniper & Thorn is about Marlinchen’s journey of finding her voice after spending her entire life under the rule of her abusive father and surviving the only way she knew how; keeping all of her emotions to herself, and doing anything and everything, without complaints, in hopes of pleasing her father. J&T deals with many difficult topics, and it will not be for everyone. There are sections that are hard and uncomfortable to read; but that’s the point. Despite this being set in a fantasy world, the experiences of the characters are very real, and very horrific (all content warnings will be below). Ava Reids ability to use these hauntingly beautiful prose to epitomize how the trauma Marlinchen experienced has shaped the woman she is (and becomes) was a cathartic experience for me. It's dark, emotional, confusing, and yet very, very real. Many will not relate to Marlinchen's character (quite honestly, that's a good thing) but I hope that those who do are able to find some solace in knowing that they are not alone in how their traumas have impacted their lives.
My eldest sister was right; I would smile blithely if someone tried to saw off my leg. But no one ever told me I was allowed to scream."
If fairytale retellings set in a gruesome gothic-horror world are your jam (with an added bonus of himbo love-interest head-over-heels for the mc), I highly recommend that you check out Juniper & Thorn.
I am diving back in to annotate this arc (& I might have three copies of this preordered; the uk cover has me in a chokehold alright?! [also word of special editions, ugh rip me]). I will also be rereading TWATW as my watch for A Study in Drowning begins.
"The juniper tree looked as stolid as a grave marker, unruffled. Under the dirt was the compact and inside the compact was the black sand and in every grain of sand was Sevas, my first secret, my first lie, safe as death."
❦❦❦
cw: gore and body horror, cannibalism, antisemitism, xenophobia, and scientific racism, child sexual abuse; incest, physical and psychological abuse by family members; gaslighting, self-harm and suicidal ideation, bulimia; graphic descriptions of vomiting, animal death
As a disclaimer, I did request and receive this physical arc from Harper Voyager. All the quotes are from the arc thus are subject to change.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Eating disorder, and Vomit
Moderate: Antisemitism, Xenophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Self harm
Minor: Animal death and Incest
theladyofink's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Child abuse, Incest, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Cannibalism, Antisemitism, Eating disorder, Racism, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Self harm, Body horror, Vomit, and Animal death
taylor_houser's review against another edition
dark
emotional
slow-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 truly feels like being told a story on a cold night huddled next to a wood stove. It is a beautifully written gothic retelling of the fairy tale 'The Juniper Tree', and the prose that I fell in love with while reading Reid's debut, "The Wolf and the Woodsman" returns in their sophomore novel.
'Juniper and Thorn' excellently analyzes the ways moderninity and traditionalism clash and I absolutely adore Marlinchen and Sevas, who are flawed and human in their experiences of hope, love, and trauma. Their character growth is a magic in itself. Despite the dark themes, you can't help but cross your fingers in hopes that they get a happy ending. Additionally, Reid handles the effects of the trauma her characters experience incredibly well.
Thank you to Avon, Harper Voyager, and Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC of 'Juniper and Thorn' and to Ava Reid for creating this gorgeous novel.
CW:
Gore and body horror
Child sexual abuse; incest
Cannibalism
Antisemitism, xenophobia, scientific racism
Physical and psychological abuse by family members; gaslighting
Self harm, suicidal ideation
Disordered eating, bulimia; graphic descriptions of vomiting
Animal death
'Juniper and Thorn' excellently analyzes the ways moderninity and traditionalism clash and I absolutely adore Marlinchen and Sevas, who are flawed and human in their experiences of hope, love, and trauma. Their character growth is a magic in itself. Despite the dark themes, you can't help but cross your fingers in hopes that they get a happy ending. Additionally, Reid handles the effects of the trauma her characters experience incredibly well.
Thank you to Avon, Harper Voyager, and Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC of 'Juniper and Thorn' and to Ava Reid for creating this gorgeous novel.
CW:
Gore and body horror
Child sexual abuse; incest
Cannibalism
Antisemitism, xenophobia, scientific racism
Physical and psychological abuse by family members; gaslighting
Self harm, suicidal ideation
Disordered eating, bulimia; graphic descriptions of vomiting
Animal death
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Cannibalism, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Eating disorder, Vomit, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, Incest, and Death
Gore and body horror Child sexual abuse; incest Cannibalism Antisemitism, xenophobia, scientific racism Physical and psychological abuse by family members; gaslighting Self harm, suicidal ideation Disordered eating, bulimia; graphic descriptions of vomiting Animal death
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