A review by enyltiak
Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid

dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

Deeply interesting world and exploration into trauma/abuse. Marlinchen and her relationship with Sevas was one of my favorite parts. Kind of wish there was more magic, and the balance of pacing was off (slower, then quite quick toward the end). Definitely lingers in your mind while reading/after finishing. The insistence that this book was so dark and horrifying set me up with expectations that it didn't quite meet, though. The themes and topics explored are difficult and dark, but not terribly worse than you'd expect from a horror novel. More of a dark fantasy than true horror. I'll definitely be thinking about this one for a while!

Note: a lot of the reviews for this book are ridiculous. It's a dark, gothic novel. If you aren't familiar with the gothic, look into it. If you dislike the gothic, you won't like this. And if you claim to love dark stories but then complain about how dark they actually are... I think you should try some new genres.
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