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A review by booksdogsandcoffee
Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Ava Reid has done it again in their sophomore novel. Juniper and Thorn starts off as a slow moving quaint little story about.. well stories and how the truth can be hidden within those stories.
We follow Marlinchen and her two older sisters who are forced to live with their father who just so happens to be the only wizard in their town of Oblya. Everyday they are to do as their father says, feed him, take care of the house, serve the clientele who come to their house for treatment.
Finally one night her sisters invite Marlinchen out into town with them, breaking their horrid fathers rules, She has never seen the outside world, but her sisters have been going out behind her back for years. So once she has a taste of the outside world she needs more. Especially when she catches the eye of the theaters best dancer.
Marlinchen continues to disobey her father, realizing the world is much more than the stories she has been told. But being out in the world she also finds there are monsters, for one is killing men and has an insatiable appetite.
This was one of those books that I was confused for about 75% of the time and then everything clicked and I went OH SHIT! It was so dark, so good and such a gruesome look at how trauma affects us. Ava handled it beautifully and this book shocked me to my core.
cw/tw
child abuse
gore
xenophobia
blood
violence
antisemitism
eating disorder
misogyny
sexism
sexual assault
gaslighting
sexism
We follow Marlinchen and her two older sisters who are forced to live with their father who just so happens to be the only wizard in their town of Oblya. Everyday they are to do as their father says, feed him, take care of the house, serve the clientele who come to their house for treatment.
Finally one night her sisters invite Marlinchen out into town with them, breaking their horrid fathers rules, She has never seen the outside world, but her sisters have been going out behind her back for years. So once she has a taste of the outside world she needs more. Especially when she catches the eye of the theaters best dancer.
Marlinchen continues to disobey her father, realizing the world is much more than the stories she has been told. But being out in the world she also finds there are monsters, for one is killing men and has an insatiable appetite.
This was one of those books that I was confused for about 75% of the time and then everything clicked and I went OH SHIT! It was so dark, so good and such a gruesome look at how trauma affects us. Ava handled it beautifully and this book shocked me to my core.
cw/tw
child abuse
gore
xenophobia
blood
violence
antisemitism
eating disorder
misogyny
sexism
sexual assault
gaslighting
sexism
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Grief, Gore, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Death of parent, Self harm, Murder, Gaslighting, Body horror, Blood, Antisemitism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Animal death, Xenophobia, Vomit, Violence, Child abuse, and Alcohol