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A review by jules_grable
Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid
4.0
**3.5 stars for me**
This book had me researching a fairy tale that I hadn't been aware of before, which is always fun. Though this retelling drifted pretty far from the source material. This retelling ended up pretty far from the source material, becoming more of a mash up with Sweeney Todd. There were many intense themes (childhood sexual violence, physical and psychological abuse, eating disorders, murder, blood, and horror) that elevated the book from a gothic horror novel to something more nuanced.
The themes of overcoming abuse and oppression by discovering personal power played out beautifully. Marlinchen was a flawed main character who had a great deal to overcome and found strength to do so through her trauma-bond with a ballet dance who broke all the rules she'd been told existed. She learned that she mattered, and it was beautiful.
The theme of sexual awakening, however, was clunky, awkward, and forced. The first time it was addressed felt like it came out of nowhere and didn't fit. It became more ingrained later, but still felt strange within the context of the larger story.
That said, I thoroughly enjoyed Marlinchen as a narrator and appreciated the journey of growth she went on. The twist at the end was expected and the foreshadowing obvious, but that didn't deter me from enjoying the story as a whole. It's definitely one that is not a one-time read but one that should be studied to truly appreciate the layers of applicability and reality that are present.
This book had me researching a fairy tale that I hadn't been aware of before, which is always fun. Though this retelling drifted pretty far from the source material. This retelling ended up pretty far from the source material, becoming more of a mash up with Sweeney Todd. There were many intense themes (childhood sexual violence, physical and psychological abuse, eating disorders, murder, blood, and horror) that elevated the book from a gothic horror novel to something more nuanced.
The themes of overcoming abuse and oppression by discovering personal power played out beautifully. Marlinchen was a flawed main character who had a great deal to overcome and found strength to do so through her trauma-bond with a ballet dance who broke all the rules she'd been told existed. She learned that she mattered, and it was beautiful.
The theme of sexual awakening, however, was clunky, awkward, and forced. The first time it was addressed felt like it came out of nowhere and didn't fit. It became more ingrained later, but still felt strange within the context of the larger story.
That said, I thoroughly enjoyed Marlinchen as a narrator and appreciated the journey of growth she went on. The twist at the end was expected and the foreshadowing obvious, but that didn't deter me from enjoying the story as a whole. It's definitely one that is not a one-time read but one that should be studied to truly appreciate the layers of applicability and reality that are present.