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A review by sammiesshelf
Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This book was not at all what I expected. To be fair, I had never read the original Juniper Tree story, but after reading it’s plot online, this book would have still blindsided me.
There is a lot of dark subject matter in this book, including eating disorders, sexual assault, and cannibalism, so be warned and definitely check all content warnings before diving in. For me, I was expecting a low fantasy that was maybe a little dark, so all of this was a bit heavy on me.
However, I did enjoy this book. I loved seeing Marlinchen find her voice and rebel. Almost every character in this book besides Marlinchen, Sevas, and the goblin are absolutely repulsive and I hated reading their parts, but they contributed to the story. Overall, it was a unique and shocking retelling and I can see why people like it.
There is a lot of dark subject matter in this book, including eating disorders, sexual assault, and cannibalism, so be warned and definitely check all content warnings before diving in. For me, I was expecting a low fantasy that was maybe a little dark, so all of this was a bit heavy on me.
However, I did enjoy this book. I loved seeing Marlinchen find her voice and rebel. Almost every character in this book besides Marlinchen, Sevas, and the goblin are absolutely repulsive and I hated reading their parts, but they contributed to the story. Overall, it was a unique and shocking retelling and I can see why people like it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Vomit, Death, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Self harm, Blood, Gore, and Eating disorder
Moderate: Alcoholism and Physical abuse