A review by umak4
Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid

dark reflective 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

3.75

I’m struggling to decide how to rate this bc the first 30% of this book was phenomenal to me, but the next 60% ended up falling very flat, while the last 10% finally brought it back up again. The writing was stunning throughout, feeling immersive and lush, but at times that lushness felt gratuitous and aimless, which I think is in part why I struggled through the middle portion of the novel. I feel like while the themes regarding trauma were generally well done, moments of tension or release felt almost toothless because of the pacing and narrative choices. Finally, the authors use of sex and sexuality as a vehicle for exploring womanhood (among other things) was fine, i just wasn’t expecting it and frankly did not work for me personally