A review by lizziereads151
Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid

dark emotional mysterious tense 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

4.75

This book gripped me and had me very emotional. Be warned this is not for the faint hearted, it is incredibly dark and a horror. It’s not a romance although there is a love story in there. There are many triggers and it’s biggest theme is trauma survivors dealing with child abuse and CSA. Marlinchen is an unreliable narrator who has spent her life sheltered and repressing memories. Finding the only way to deal with her trauma to compare real life to the fairytales her mother loved. Her father is tyrannical, cruel, emotionally, psychologically and physically abusive and refuses to let his daughters leave the house. Reid explores the themes in this book with a level of care and depth that has me in awe. Her prose is beautiful and an amazing juxtaposition with the dark themes and plot. 
I connected to Marlinchen in a way I have not to a main character for a long time, and as a trauma survivor I am so glad I picked up this book.
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