A review by talyasoytas
Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid

dark mysterious 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

4.0

Ava Reid’s retelling of this gothic story absolutely entranced me. There is always a looming sense that things are darker than they seem. There is a goblin, a fiery snake, a cursed wizard, a tree of poison berries, and dark secrets that get revealed one at a time as Marlinchen steps out of her father’s scary shadow. I found her to be easy to care about, and the storytelling just whimsical enough to keep the story’s essence while breathing some modernity into it. I have enjoyed other reads more, so the loss of a star ranking is simply my consideration of how much I had fun during the read, however, if you are looking for a fresher fantasy that has old fairy tale vibes with a handful of dark sorcery tossed in there, you should pick this book up.