Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust

37 reviews

sandy_21's review against another edition

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

4.5

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emerald_skull's review against another edition

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lighthearted mysterious sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I didn’t realize that it was based off of a Persian tale the the vocab can be confusing but there’s a dictionary in the back. It was a nice book but I wasn’t super into it. Definitely good for a simple read with twists.
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nothingrhymeswithrachel's review against another edition

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adventurous tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I don’t know if this book is actually that good or if I just need to read more fantasy, but I am absolutely OBSESSED with this!! It was amazing, I was hooked on every second of this story. Amazing. Wonderful. Loved it. 
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sadie_g's review against another edition

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adventurous dark 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? Yes

4.25

Absolutely loved this book, I really liked the exploration of Soraya’s character and her feelings. As the book says “sometimes the princess is the monster” and I love that.

I really liked that even through Soraya gave her curse/gift up, she realized that was a mistake and she got it back and she accepted and felt comfortable in herself and with her power. I’ve seen books end too many times with the (usually female) characters having to give up their powers and I hate that troupe so I’m so glad this book did not do that and it let Soraya be powerful and dangerous.
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linesiunderline's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark 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

4.0

I really liked the world building here, with the infusing of so many elements of Persian storytelling and lore. The universe of the story was rich and evocative. At times I found the pace felt a bit stuck, like we were swirling around in the same conflicts without much progression. Still, you don’t need to be a deep fantasy lover to enjoy this read. If you’re a fan of feminist fairytales, then this is one to try.
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sankta_aleena's review against another edition

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adventurous 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

4.25

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bailey1196's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

4.5

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morebedsidebooks's review against another edition

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medium-paced

2.75

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samusc's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This is one of the best fairy-tales I think I've ever read. I might just have to pick up Girls Made of Snow and Glass after this.

Pros: 
  • Soraya's motivations make sense. She is a touch starved isolated teenager, which makes her an easy target for manipulation.
  • I love the design for Parvaneh, but maybe I'm just a sucker for powerful Sapphic women with wings.
  • I really connected with how Bashardoust describes Soraya's crush on Laleh as a child. Soraya is a lovely bi/pan protagonist.
  • This book handles that archetype of an antagonist claiming that the hero is just like them really well.
  • I'm genuinely surprised, but thankful, that Tahmineh is not killed during the conclusion . I like how much the story relied on a mothers' choices impacting the trajectory of the current story.
     

Cons:
  • Other reviewers have noticed this as well, that being the pacing in the beginning is a bit slow. It took me some time (a few days) to get invested into this story, but once I was, it was highly enjoyable.
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herk's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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