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A review by willdarlingg
Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid
dark
emotional
tense
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
4.5
I adored this book. Inspired by Slavic folklore, Juniper & Thorn was a treat to read with it's bloody, dark, and gory themes. Discussing things like cannibalism, xenophobia, intergenerational trauma, and assault, it's not an easy read at all, but it captured me very quickly and kept me reading until 3 am.
Marlinchen was a fantastic main character, I love stories about women who have kept all their anger in check all their lives and are bursting to let it out. Her storyline was incredibly cathartic and heartbreaking. I would die for her. Sevastyen was a delight and I loved him. I know he's based on real-life queer dancer Vaslav Nijinsky, and I enjoyed this version of the story a lot.
Ava Reid's writing is rich, dense, beautiful, and vivid. Sometimes the metaphors are a touch heavy-handed or pretensious, but personally, that's exactly how I like my prose.
Marlinchen was a fantastic main character, I love stories about women who have kept all their anger in check all their lives and are bursting to let it out. Her storyline was incredibly cathartic and heartbreaking. I would die for her. Sevastyen was a delight and I loved him. I know he's based on real-life queer dancer Vaslav Nijinsky, and I enjoyed this version of the story a lot.
Ava Reid's writing is rich, dense, beautiful, and vivid. Sometimes the metaphors are a touch heavy-handed or pretensious, but personally, that's exactly how I like my prose.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gore, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Cannibalism, Xenophobia, Murder, Eating disorder, and Animal death
Moderate: Antisemitism, Violence, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit