Review: Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust

Eeekk! Happy book birthday to Girl, Serpent, Thorn! When I first found this book, I was obsessed with its cover. And the synopsis simply sounded amazing! I found it on Edelweiss and requested without a second thought. I needed this book!. Fast forward a little while and my request was declined. I later found it on Netgalley and tried again; what do you know? Lucky me had her request approved! I dived in straight away and finished it in two days. I can’t wait to share my thoughts with you!

I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.

“She was about to step of the edge of the world she had always known. Could anyone ever be ready for that?”

My Review

I’m not quite familiar with Persian fairytales ~~or anything else for that matter~~ so I was curious as to what Girl, Serpent, Thorn would be like. I fell in love instantly. Melissa’s writing is beautiful and I could follow the story easily at all times. The story was full of plot twists and unexpected betrayals, while also giving me a sense of familiarity and comfort, if that makes sense?

The story follows Soraya – our cursed princess. I liked her from the beginning; she tends this beautiful garden full of roses (which I love!!) and her development throughout the story is really inspring. I love her growth. The way she makes mistakes and learns from them. She’a definitely a badass, especially when she realises what power she holds. I think her starting to love herself for who she is, is my favourite part of the book. And for some reason, I think she’d make a great villain! Probably because she gets close to actually being one sometimes. It’s fantastic.

Girl, Serpent, Thorn doesn’t have a whole lot of characters, which makes it easier to get to know most ~~if not all~~ of them. I didn’t quite know what to think of Azad for a while… I sort of liked him, in a way. But I also found him a bit creepy. And I wasn’t wrong about it! Parvaneh is probably my favourite. I love her with all my heart and will protect that little demon with all my might. Parisa only played a small – yet important part – but I want to mention her simply because I love her name! ~~And another reason I won’t name for spoilery reasons!~~

I love it when book titles actually make sense in the literal way! You’ll know it when you read it, trust me. At first, the plot is pretty straightforward. I wouldn’t say it’s actually predictable, but you get a sense, you know? I think it’s needless to say that I was so surprised at all the plot twists, surprises and betrayals. Melissa knows how to write a good plot twists, that’s for sure! Not only plot twists, by the way, but romance as well! Girl, Serpent, Thorn has a bisexual main character and I loved how normal it was. Same goes for the f/f romance. It was beautifully done, I just wish there was more! ~~Cause let’s be honest, you can never have enough f/f romance!~~

My Rating

I loved Girl, Serpent, Thorn. It’s a beautifully written story with shocking plot twists and amazing character development. Definitely a must-read!

About Girl, Serpent, Thorn

Melissa Bashardoust’s Girl, Serpent, Thorn is “an alluring feminist fairy tale” (Kirkus Reviews) about a girl cursed to be poisonous to the touch and who discovers what power might lie in such a curse.

There was and there was not, as all stories begin, a princess cursed to be poisonous to the touch. But for Soraya, who has lived her life hidden away, apart from her family, safe only in her gardens, it’s not just a story.
As the day of her twin brother’s wedding approaches, Soraya must decide if she’s willing to step outside of the shadows for the first time. Below in the dungeon is a demon who holds knowledge that she craves, the answer to her freedom. And above is a young man who isn’t afraid of her, whose eyes linger not with fear, but with an understanding of who she is beneath the poison.
Soraya thought she knew her place in the world, but when her choices lead to consequences she never imagined, she begins to question who she is and who she is becoming…human or demon. Princess or monster.
Flatiron Books | Goodreads | Book Depository