Reviews

Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid

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elliejane002's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging 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? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

meganforseth's review against another edition

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5.0

I *love* Ava Reid's writing. There's something so haunting about the prose, the way that the language plays on itself and builds, and how the characters she creates are beautiful and horrific. I'm once again waiting to read her next book (preferably sooner than got to this one). One thing to note is to check the trigger warnings for this title before diving in, as it was very heavy throughout.

goodestmich's review against another edition

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dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.75

thimblesweet's review against another edition

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5.0

I cannot even begin to unpack the emotions this book dredged out from me. It’s a book for the survivors with an ugly and checkered journey of catharsis. It’s a kiss on raw, cat-o-nine-tails wounds to the back in the way it burns and soothes simultaneously.

The writing is poetic and rich in metaphor and simile. It takes full attention to graph whats meant beneath the surface. The whole story has an almost ham-fisted fairy tale quality but it’s too be expected from a retelling. Some bits of dialogue are like an extension of Marlinchen’s narration but every word feels necessary. I wouldn’t give up the style of Reid’s writing if it meant giving up the experience this book gave me.

Despite the dreamlike storytelling, Sevas and Marlinchen manage to have a down to earth and soothing chemistry which I feel is rare in stories like these. I loved reading every supportive, fiercely loyal line from Sevas and Marlinchen’s protective, nurturing love in her internal monologue.

I’ll admit, being drawing to stories like these in a twisted, masochistic fascination much like Marlinchen’s macabre fantasies, I wasn’t expecting to fall so in love with it and with Marlinchen. She feels like a mirror, and I don’t often love to have my flaws laid so bare by a protagonist but healing to know her, and know her happy.