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A review by katharine_opal
Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid
5.0
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!
Juniper & Thorn is a whirling tale that grabs you by the throat and just won't let go! The story focuses on Marlinchen, the third witch daughter, and is one of the daughters of the last wizard in the country. It opens on the night Marlinchen follows her sisters out into the city for the very first time, and where she meets a ballet dancer named Sevaskty. I don't want to delve more than that into the plot for fear of spoiling it! I would like to note that I had no idea this is a retelling of a fairy tale story, mostly because I have never heard of the fairytale "The Juniper Tree". This makes sense because after researching, I see it was published in "The Brother's Grimm", something I was never allowed to read as a child. I've also never read the first book set in this world, "The Wolf and the Woodsman", though after reading this book I certainly will be seeking it out! I don't think either of these is needed to read this novel, however. It worked beautifully as a stand-alone novel! The way the prose is written in this novel is poetic yet straightforward. The way certain things are described, even though blatantly gruesome, almost distracts you with how poetic it is written. Speaking of, the story has some VERY gruesome scenes. It is at its heart, gothic horror and it doesn't let you forget that. I would heed those who decide to read this book to look closely at the trigger warnings because it does not shy away. It is blunt and looks head-on at some of the horrific events that happen. There is no sidestepping or beating around the bush with this one. The entire time I read this novel, I was rooting for Marlinchen. I was also rooting for Sevas too after getting to know him. Thankfully, this book does fall under the "Good for Her/Good for Them" category. Also, with her Marlichen's inner dialogue is written, that when I first started reading the book, I thought she was a teenager. So a certain scene after the ballet theater gave me (an uncomfortable) pause, but no, Marlinchen is twenty-three. Whew. There are multiple sex scenes in this book, but they are all handled tastefully. It doesn't shy away from the fact that is it a sex scene, but it's written in the same poetic yet straightforward way the other scenes are. Also, a minor note is that the cover of this book is to die for! I'm obsessed with how it blends old fairy tale art with an Alphonse Mucha art nouveau style! The cover is what drew me in and made me curious about what a book with such a gorgeous cover could be about. This book is one of my few five out of five-star books, and I will defiantly be seeking out a copy to buy for my bookshelf!
Juniper & Thorn is a whirling tale that grabs you by the throat and just won't let go! The story focuses on Marlinchen, the third witch daughter, and is one of the daughters of the last wizard in the country. It opens on the night Marlinchen follows her sisters out into the city for the very first time, and where she meets a ballet dancer named Sevaskty. I don't want to delve more than that into the plot for fear of spoiling it! I would like to note that I had no idea this is a retelling of a fairy tale story, mostly because I have never heard of the fairytale "The Juniper Tree". This makes sense because after researching, I see it was published in "The Brother's Grimm", something I was never allowed to read as a child. I've also never read the first book set in this world, "The Wolf and the Woodsman", though after reading this book I certainly will be seeking it out! I don't think either of these is needed to read this novel, however. It worked beautifully as a stand-alone novel! The way the prose is written in this novel is poetic yet straightforward. The way certain things are described, even though blatantly gruesome, almost distracts you with how poetic it is written. Speaking of, the story has some VERY gruesome scenes. It is at its heart, gothic horror and it doesn't let you forget that. I would heed those who decide to read this book to look closely at the trigger warnings because it does not shy away. It is blunt and looks head-on at some of the horrific events that happen. There is no sidestepping or beating around the bush with this one. The entire time I read this novel, I was rooting for Marlinchen. I was also rooting for Sevas too after getting to know him. Thankfully, this book does fall under the "Good for Her/Good for Them" category. Also, with her Marlichen's inner dialogue is written, that when I first started reading the book, I thought she was a teenager. So a certain scene after the ballet theater gave me (an uncomfortable) pause, but no, Marlinchen is twenty-three. Whew. There are multiple sex scenes in this book, but they are all handled tastefully. It doesn't shy away from the fact that is it a sex scene, but it's written in the same poetic yet straightforward way the other scenes are. Also, a minor note is that the cover of this book is to die for! I'm obsessed with how it blends old fairy tale art with an Alphonse Mucha art nouveau style! The cover is what drew me in and made me curious about what a book with such a gorgeous cover could be about. This book is one of my few five out of five-star books, and I will defiantly be seeking out a copy to buy for my bookshelf!