A review by rdmoreland0801
Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid

challenging dark tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I don’t know how I feel about this book…. I don’t typically go for such dark themes, but I think I liked it?  It was written very well overall, although I think some things went right over my head.

Marlinchen is the youngest of three sisters, daughters of the last wizard of Oblya - Zmiy Vaschenko.  Marlinchen believes in all the stories in her father’s codex and her life is beginning to unfold as one.

As she begins to fall in love with Sevas, Marlinchen begins to unravel her father’s secrets and lies.  After 23 years trapped inside the house she was born in, she’s finally managed to escape his grasp.  Together, Marlinchen and Sevas work to rid the world of Zmiy and discover who Marlinchen truly is.

This is a very dark tale with mentions of sexual assault, mutilation, eating disorders, and abuse.  This story is a good representation of women being treated as property.  The father is truly possessive and wants his daughters to remain “unspoiled” so that he may be the only one who could.  No man wants a spoiled woman.  It further promotes the idea that a woman’s value is tied to her “purity”.
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