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A review by stavoosh
Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
how to explain how i felt about this story....
i found the writing to be very compelling especially in the exposition of the book. it explained this world of magic and begins the character arc of each person through fantastical imagery and a folklore touch. i think it discusses serious topics, like abuse, in a fitting way and i didn't find it exaggerated for the point of the story. i even bought my own copy after reading a few chapters.
here's why i returned my copy: i have very particular taste, i guess, and i found the body horror, repeated vomiting, and gore to be written for the purpose of arousal which made me feel sick, to be honest. additionally, i understand marlinchen, the main character, is supposed to have a character arc of becoming brave and facing her fears, but she was so pathetic the whole time that it annoyed me. i also didn't feel like there was a reason for the romance beyond marlinchen being attracted to Sebas. most of these complaints are due to my own taste in novels and fantasy. i wouldn't want to deter anyone from reading it, it just wasn't for me.
i found the writing to be very compelling especially in the exposition of the book. it explained this world of magic and begins the character arc of each person through fantastical imagery and a folklore touch. i think it discusses serious topics, like abuse, in a fitting way and i didn't find it exaggerated for the point of the story. i even bought my own copy after reading a few chapters.
here's why i returned my copy: i have very particular taste, i guess, and i found the body horror, repeated vomiting, and gore to be written for the purpose of arousal which made me feel sick, to be honest. additionally, i understand marlinchen, the main character, is supposed to have a character arc of becoming brave and facing her fears, but she was so pathetic the whole time that it annoyed me. i also didn't feel like there was a reason for the romance beyond marlinchen being attracted to Sebas. most of these complaints are due to my own taste in novels and fantasy. i wouldn't want to deter anyone from reading it, it just wasn't for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Violence, Gore, Body horror, Death, Sexual assault, and Alcoholism