Title: Girl, Serpent, Thorn
Author: Melissa Barshardoust
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Release Date: July 7, 2020
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Find it: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Kobo
Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Synopsis:
There was and there was not... So begins Melissa Bashardoust’s utterly transporting new YA novel, GIRL, SERPENT, THORN (Flatiron Books; on sale July 7th, 2020; Ages 12-18). In this richly imagined fairytale, Bashardoust puts a modern spin on the Shahnameh, a Persian epic with parallels to “Rapunzel,” and draws inspiration from other classic stories like “Sleeping Beauty” and “Rappaccini’s Daughter.” The result is a captivating coming-of-age novel filled with princesses, demons, and fairies—a tale that is at once thrillingly fantastical and deeply human.
In the vast kingdom of Atashar, a young princess lives a hidden life. Cursed from birth with a deadly touch, 18- year-old Soraya finds herself forever confined to her chambers, shrouded from the eyes of the public and forced to keep her distance from friends and family alike. Her sole comfort is her private garden of roses and thorns, the only living things that don’t wither at her touch. But with each passing year, Soraya has grown more isolated and increasingly tormented by dreams of the Shahmar, a young man whose anger and dark desires twisted him into a demon...and with poison, loneliness, and resentment flowing through her veins, Soraya worries that perhaps she, too, is more monster than princess.
As Atashar prepares for the wedding of her twin brother, Sorush—the heir to the family throne and the sun to her shade—Soraya is presented with an opportunity to speak with a captured div, one of the demons who may hold the secret to breaking her curse. The div, Parvaneh, is not at all what Soraya expects: Beautiful, mysterious, and intriguing, Parvaneh seems more than willing to aid Soraya in her quest...for a price. Now, after a life lived in the shadows, Soraya must decide whether she’s finally ready to step into the light and determine her own destiny. Together with the dashing soldier, Azad—the only person, besides Parvaneh, who isn’t afraid to stand too close to her—Soraya sets off on a journey that will force her to confront her greatest powers, her deepest desires, and her most frightening vulnerabilities.
With exhilarating narrative turns and an unforgettable heroine at its center, GIRL, SERPENT, THORN is a brilliantly told story of family, self-discovery, and love in all its forms.
Praise for GIRL, SERPENT, THORN
“With crystalline, sometimes sensuous prose, [Bashardoust] digs into her characters' motivations and manipulations, deftly keeping readers on the hook until the final, stunning turn." — Booklist starred review
“Surefire for...readers fond of princesses capable of embracing actual demons as well as the inner sort.” — School Library Journal starred review
“Bashardoust’s exceptional attention to folktale structure and Soraya’s hard-won acceptance of herself make for a lyrical, inspiring read.”— Publishers Weekly
“An alluring feminist fairy tale.” — Kirkus
“Girl, Serpent, Thorn is YA literature at its best.”— BookPage
“Gorgeously written and quietly powerful...an enthralling tale of family, monsters, and the things we do for love.” —S. A. Chakraborty, author of The City of Brass
“A deliciously lush fairy tale of a novel. I was swept away by Bashardoust’s prose and found myself losing track of time as I read, turning every page, sinking into her magnificent world, wishing it would never end. At its heart, it’s a book about a girl who may be monstrous claiming her own power, filled with twists and a fascinating queer romance that stole my own heart.” — Patrice Caldwell, editor of A Phoenix First Must Burn
“The queer, good-monster book of my dreams.” — E.K. Johnston, author of Star Wars Queen’s Shadow
“Surefire for...readers fond of princesses capable of embracing actual demons as well as the inner sort.” — School Library Journal starred review
“Bashardoust’s exceptional attention to folktale structure and Soraya’s hard-won acceptance of herself make for a lyrical, inspiring read.”— Publishers Weekly
“An alluring feminist fairy tale.” — Kirkus
“Girl, Serpent, Thorn is YA literature at its best.”— BookPage
“Gorgeously written and quietly powerful...an enthralling tale of family, monsters, and the things we do for love.” —S. A. Chakraborty, author of The City of Brass
“A deliciously lush fairy tale of a novel. I was swept away by Bashardoust’s prose and found myself losing track of time as I read, turning every page, sinking into her magnificent world, wishing it would never end. At its heart, it’s a book about a girl who may be monstrous claiming her own power, filled with twists and a fascinating queer romance that stole my own heart.” — Patrice Caldwell, editor of A Phoenix First Must Burn
“The queer, good-monster book of my dreams.” — E.K. Johnston, author of Star Wars Queen’s Shadow
ABOUT MELISSA BARDSHARDOUST
Melissa Bashardoust received her degree in English from the University of California, Berkeley, where she rediscovered her love for creative writing, children’s literature, and fairytales and their retellings. She lives in Southern California with a cat named Alice and more copies of Jane Eyre than she probably needs. Melissa is also the author of Girls Made of Snow and Glass.
MY REVIEW
Girl, Serpent, Thorn opens up with a story within a story. The story told as the opener is actually a true story that a mother tells her firstborn daughter, Soraya. Cursed, Soraya harbors a poisonous touch that kills any living being and thus is isolated in the shadows from others. The royal family is preparing for the wedding of the young shah next month. The shah is actually Soraya's twin brother, Sorush. As twins, Sorush is known as the Creator, one born of hope, and Soraya is known as the Destroyer, one born of doubt.
As Sorush gets ready to marry childhood friend Laleh, Soraya feels even more abandoned. Soraya is desperate to find more about her curse. However, the only being she thinks can help her is someone who was captured and is held as a prisoner in the palace. Melissa Bashardoust introduces readers to a world where not only Soraya's secret is hidden behind walls but Soraya finds love with someone unexpected. With a guard's help, Soraya is able to blend within the people and is able to navigate the world.
The world-building opens up new frames of mind. There are new places among Atashar to explore and new beings to meet. The characters we meet in the Girl, Serpent, Thorn are characters you want to get to know better. Some of them, you would like to befriend. While each character may have different intentions, many want to help Soraya. However, when Soraya finds a way to extinguish her curse, she will need to decide whether it's worth it to risk others' lives. Throughout the novel, Soraya learns self-acceptance and self-worth. Things may not seem as they appear and many characters possess secrets that can be deadly. Join the journey of family, loyalty, and betrayal. Immerse yourself in a world where the divs and humans hold secrets that can literally kill.
Girl, Serpent, Thorn is a captivating character-driven novel where there are many unexpected twists and turns. The novel is a wonderful, unique fairytale woven with Persian elements and Zoroastrian beliefs where love interests and character's paths are not so obvious. As Soraya battles between good and evil, she paves her own path and it's up to her to decide whether to be a princess or the monster that some people see her as. She becomes somewhat of an anti-heroine in her own story. Soraya is a strong woman. She is curious. She is headstrong. And she seeks knowledge. She has a weapon that wields such power but what type of woman does Soraya want to be? Will she betray her own family so she can lift the curse? To read more about Soraya's story, pick up Girl, Serpent, Thorn.
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