Reviews - Juniper & Thorn | The StoryGraph

6.6k reviews for:

Juniper & Thorn

Ava Reid

3.76 AVERAGE

ngilbertt's review against another edition

5.0

SOO GOOOOD!! the writing style was new and intriguing, descriptive without getting boring. wasn’t sure where the plot was going and i’m glad i couldn’t guess it 100%

eileene1994's review against another edition

5.0

Lots of trigger warnings for this one—emotional, physical, and sexual abuse; bulimia; self-harm.

This is an ugly story, told beautifully: A wizard manipulates, controls, and abuses his three daughters. The youngest (and, everyone says, the kindest, ugliest, and stupidest), Marlinchen, has magic that is “just for show,” and at 23 is resigned to remaining trapped inside the crumbling family home, doing her best to avoid angering her father.

There is some romance, and clearly the setting is based on Eastern Europe/Russia as industrialism is taking over, but unlike Wolf and the Woodsman, those elements are not front and center. The story is much more about how the kind, ugly, stupid daughter realizes she may not be any of those things; that “showing” is a powerful magic; and that survival can be the goal.

I really, really enjoyed all of this book, but the last 25% moved this from 4 to 5 stars: it surprised and horrified and saddened and satisfied me.

sweetyongf's review against another edition

4.0

This was an experience lmao Nothing that I expected but I loved it!

snowwhite02's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

silver_spine's review against another edition

3.0

dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

The preview text mentions the words gruesome and abusive and they aren’t kidding.

Content Warnings

amriherd's review against another edition

4.5

Don't read this book if you don't like horror. The negative reviews are baffling to me. Of course it's gross. Of course the things happening in it are gross. Of course it's wrapped up in sexuality and the feminine. The two are inextricable in a patriarchal tyranny. Maybe you have to have sexual trauma to get it, idk. Beautifully written. Loved the repetitive language for the most part, but docked half star for creeping middle and an excess of repeating in the plain faced witch department. Wasn't as effective as other patterned bits.

lemon_yellow's review against another edition

2.0

I really wanted to like this book.... Especially after I adored a study in drowning.. but I did not. I found myself waiting to see if it was going to get better and it never did. The sexual imagery and attitudes around it were largely upsetting for me and while the ending was trying to set everything right it didn't make up for the rest of the horrors we saw throughout the book. I also did not like the way the sisters treated each other. It felt unsisterly to me. Rotten.

I enjoyed Sebas being a decent man and the imagery was very witchy and powerful. Ava Reid has a real talent for having her imagery match the story.