This was a YA fantasy story about a girl forced to dance in a travelling show.

Rose was quite a caring girl, but she was also a little naïve. I thought that while trying to rescue her sister dancers from the garden was a good thing, thinking she could do it alone was a little silly.

The storyline in this was about Rose being kidnapped when she was only 8, and forced to work as a dancer in a troop called ‘the Garden’. She had a chance to escape, and instead ended up as a hostage to a rebel. This probably worked out better for her though as she had zero plans or ideas as to how to rescue her sisters and where she’d go afterwards anyway. We also got a storyline about Rose having a secret, but I guessed what that was pretty early on. I felt like I should have enjoyed this book a lot more than I did, but it was just missing something for me.

The ending to this was okay and tied most things up, there was room left for a sequel though.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, the premise sounds excellent, and I had great hope for how it might go. However, the plot just fell short for me and the characters felt very 2D with nothing to really draw me to them. Sadly it's a DNF for me.

Interesting concept. Requested this book because it reminded me a bit of chemical garden which I loved back in the day. It wasn't anything like that book but oh well it was still a good read. Since I'm reading fanfictions a lot recently it was a nice chance for me. Really liked the premises of the book and it's plot.

Garden of Thorns in the first book in a new ya series by Amber Mitchell.

This book follows Rose who was kidnapped as a child and it made to work as a burlesque dancer. Our other main character is Rayse who is leading an uprising against a despicable tyrant. Rose was such a bold and strong main character, I loved her inner strength and perservence, I found myself admiring her so much when she was faced with a difficult situation.

I cannot wait for book two!

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I enjoyed reading this. An interesting story with fun characters. Well written.

Rose has spent the last seven years in the Garden as a flower. She is a very skilled dancer and the Gardener's prize possession. When she gets a chance to escape, she doesn't hesitate and takes a captive from the crowd. The captive turns out to be the former heir to the throne who also happens to be the leader of the rebellion. Rayce assumes Rose is involved in a plot to end the rebellion, so he takes her hostage instead. She agrees to tell him all about the Garden, if he will help rescue the other girls. But Rose has a secret that could ruin it all. 

I really enjoyed this book. It is fast paced and will keep you guessing. I couldn't put it down. Rose has been through so much so it was nice to see her romance with Rayce grow and blossom. The world building is very well done and the story felt extremely unique. I'd highly recommend this book.

I wasn't a big fan of the writing. I felt like the plot was great but some things could have been developed or explained better.

3.5 stars
This was a pretty cool book that started out really strong but unfortunately slowed in the last half of the book. The characters are really well developed and while the lead did get on my nerves a little at times, I can't deny this is overall a really fun read.
Recommend you give it a go

I’m sadly going to have to call a DNF on this one. I thought it was super slow, I couldn't really get into the world, I didn't like or connect to ANY of the characters. I constantly had to force myself to pick this up and never really got pretty far before I lost interest.

I'm not using NetGalley's DNF feature as it negatively affects reviewers.

*Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this ebook when I couldn’t find one at my library. I received the sequel, War of the Wilted, through NetGalley and am happy I don’t have to go into it without having read the first book.*

I might give this book 4.5 stars. It was well written, interesting, and exciting; I really enjoyed reading it. Character development was good. The plot was well thought out and executed. Everything fit together nicely in a very natural way, not like it was forced.

Rose (19) and Rayce (?) are likable characters. They’re both kind and strong. Rose especially experienced significant growth throughout the book. I appreciate that her abilities in combat were not miraculously high after the amount of training she received. I also really liked Oren, Marin, and Arlo.

Note: Can’t think of anything bad.

‘Garden of Thorns’ is a gripping YA fantasy with a strong narrating female main character. Author Amber Mitchell provides rich world building and creative cultural and political backgrounds for the different kingdoms.

This is a YA Fantasy about a teenage girl who while trying to seek her freedom runs head first into a rebellion.

Sixteen year old Rose has spent the past seven years a captive in a dance entertainment show. If she messes up in the slightest bit, her partner Fern will be beaten. To keep Fern safe, Rose has learned to be obedient to her master, The Gardener. Fern is killed when it is discovered that she is working with the rebellion to overthrow the government. Rose uses this as a motivation to escape her captors. Unfortunately, her escape is hindered by being taken hostage by the very rebellion that motivated her into escaping in the first place.

Suddenly Rose is at the center of the rebellion. Should she put aside her own wants to help save her community? Will she trust Rayce, the leader of the rebellion with her secrets and her heart? Or has she traded one form of captivity for another?

I liked the story in general. It had a great concept and interesting characters. However, I did feel that a lot of the story was predictable. Rose's secrets where not that much of a secret. I did like the flashbacks that Rose experienced.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

In Garden of Thorns, teen burlesque dancer Rose decides to escape the company that is holding her prisoner by taking a hostage at the next show. But it turns out he’s the exiled heir and leader of the rebellion, and he takes her hostage in the mistaken belief that she is an assassin, and spirits her away to their secret underground hideaway. But now Rose wants their help to free her captive sisters!

Among all of the cookie cutter YA fantasies currently glutting the market, Garden of Thorns stands apart with this theme of gardening running throughout the narrative. The burlesque company Rose was part of was called the Garden, run by horrible man known only as the Gardener. Rose was a Flower, one of the prized performers, who are paired with Wilteds, girls who take harsh physical punishments for every step out of place the Flowers take. Rose thought in gardening terms: pruning, cutting, growing. That was interesting and unique. The other thing that makes this differ is that Rose has a secret, but it’s not saved until the end to reveal it. It’s pieced together and revealed casually throughout the beginning of the novel. ‘Guessing’ the secret isn’t that big of a claim because it’s never treated as a big mystery, which another author probably would have done.

Rose was a likeable character who showed growth throughout the novel. Already entering as a veteran of performing in silks, she had overcome a fear of heights and now learned how to handle weapons. She didn’t immediately become a pro but did show advancement after her training.

One of the issues I had with the novel was a sense of disconnection. There is nothing wrong with its writing or narrative, I just felt disconnected from the characters and could not care that deeply about their welfare. One character is killed early on, which I think is supposed to make us realise that anyone can die, but when I reached the end of the novel View Spoiler », I felt unsatisfied, like I was being lead into reading the rest of the series. I understand that leaving threads open extends the story when there is more to tell, but I felt unsatisfied and disinterested in continuing this series. The book had a really great opening, but by about 30% I had lost significant interest, even though the love interest seemed like a genuinely nice guy and Rose was clearly dealing with some intense mental health issues.

Overall Garden of Thorns delivered a predictably strong story, a brave heroine with an interesting love interest, horrible and creepy villains, and developed side characters, but I found it hard to care about any of them. I haven’t yet decided f I want to read its sequels, but I think it’s telling enough that I don’t immediate want them in my needy little hands.

Garden of Thorns has a very eye-captivating cover, it sparked my interest as I was looking for a new book to read, it gave me a "Alice in Wonderland" vibe. As I read the blurb, I realized it was completely different and interesting, and so I had to read Garden of Thorns. The pace was a little slow, but I really liked Rose and Rayce's (what a name!) character and the world-building. The plot was very intriguing and I will be reading the next book, I want to see where Amber Mitchell is taking this story, and I cannot wait to find out!

I will be unable to provide a review of the book at this time, but do appreciate the approval from the publisher to have a chance at reading this as an advanced read. Thank you.

This started out really good for me. Unfortunately the further I read, the more disinterested I became. I liked the writing. I wasn't a huge fan of the romance. (Where's the chemistry?) Rose was likable enough. I like that the concept was original. (I don't think I've ever came across anything like the Garden.) Overall, this was an okay read.

I received an e-arc to read and review.

The Garden is almost like a traveling circles, with no animals. Humans perform, and if they do badly the Wilted are the ones who are punished. Every Garden has a star flower, and Rose happens to be that flower. Fern is the Wilted that belongs with Rose and one day a mistake was deadly. Rose knew then that she would have to escape. Only she escapes with the one man that the emperor dreads and the townsfolk gossip about.

Rose has a secret that could change the world, yet due to circumstances beyond her control she became a slave in the Garden. She was content in the Garden with Fern but once Fern was done she realized she had to help the other girls escape as well. She was strong-willed, and loyal to a fault. A planner she was not, as she often tried to do things by the seat of her pants. This could get quiet annoying.

Rayce has a secret too, one that could also change the world. If only he could find a way around the emperor. A lot of people depend upon him, and he takes this responsibility to heart. If one of his people gets hurt, he is right there with them. He hates what he has to do, and the difficult decisions he has to make. He does them time and time again. His sense of purpose and responsibility is a thing of beauty.

The chemistry between these two is thick. There were times where I wanted to shake both of them and give them a Gibbs slap on the head. I refrained but only barely. They both feel the connection but fight it tooth and nail due to their responsibilities. While this is noble at times, I just wanted them to kiss.

Garden of Thorns is a good start to an interesting series. It combines fantasy with a bit of mystery and comes out winning in all of these areas. It is extremely fast-paced and could leave you feeling as if you got whip lash from all the back and forth in the romance department.

My Rating 4 out of 5 stars

Favorite Quote “Deception wins wars with the least amount of casualties.”

Other People
Fern- Rose’s Wilted
Oren- mentor to Rayce
Arlo- Rayce’s bestie
Marin- Arlo’s sister

I loved “Garden of Thorns.” It features a heroine who kicks butt and an intense political uprising.

The premise has two characters and stories that come together for mutual benefit. Rose was kidnapped as a young child to serve in a burlesque troop made up of underaged slaves. Rayce is leading an uprising against a tyrant. There is romance, but it is sweet and simmering, and not at all graphic. The main plot is focused on the action. Those with weak stomachs beware, the violence is brutal and graphic.

I recommend “Garden of Thorns” for anyone looking for a young adult novel with a strong heroine and a quick-paced plot. I hope there’s a sequel!

Sometimes tropes work. Sometimes... they don't. This was one of those times. Garden of Thorns had all the potential of a fast-paced YA fantasy but lacked the hook to keep me interested.

From the very beginning I struggled to get into this book. The idea was interesting enough, having the "flowers" and "weeds" so there was something there that caught my eye. But the writing just wasn't working for me.

Things moved pretty quick for a little while so I could mostly ignore the writing style and push through but then things started slowing down. I wanted to skim the pages rather than really read them. And the writing itself isn't bad or anything, just felt... too simple? Not sure if that's the best way to put it but I wasn't hooked. I didn't feel the desire to keep reading the farther I got.

The plot became predictable and therefore boring. I saw each twist and turn before they happened. Not good. The characters themselves weren't all that intriguing to me either. I felt like Rose and Rayce were simply meant to full standard roles in this YA fantasy, with a lackluster romance and really no dynamic between them.

That romance was just... well, it didn't work. It could've been a great enemies-to-lovers scenario which I love but I didn't like Rose at all, and Rayce wasn't all that great himself. It felt forced and instead of liking the characters more for this new love, it was quite the opposite.

I just really didn't like Rose. I wanted a strong heroine to fill the role of protagonist in this book but she became super swoon around her love interest and I imagined a cardboard cut-out would have likely filled her role with similar results. That sounds terrible, I know. But I'm tired of YA fantasies where the girl suddenly loses her personality over a boy.

As for the world, I loved the idea of the Garden but I wanted more. Everything felt very superficial for the sake of the story instead of immersive. That's what I was looking for and Garden of Thorns just fell short.

Now I noticed a lot of people really enjoyed this book so maybe I just read it differently but I wouldn't recommend it for anyone looking for a YA fantasy with depth. It takes a unique idea but never fleshed it out into a book I could really dive into. I needed more from it and there just wasn't anything to give. Just wasn't a fan of this one.

*I would like to thank Entangled Teen for the copy of this book in return for an honest review*

From the very beginning this book dives right in and takes off with thrilling intensity. The concept of the Garden and all that these captured girls go through in this traveling burlesque troupe was so captivating and made me want to continue from the very start. There are secrets, intrigue and kingdoms at war.

I thought Mitchell did a wonderful job with the opening of the book. I was so drawn in from the first page. She was able to maintain my attention and keep me on the edge of my seat until the end, although I did think it faltered a little in the middle. The character development of the main character Rose was so well executed. She had issues and unlike so many YA novels she actually had to work through her issues and face her own demons which was refreshing. I find that in so many novels the issues are presented and then quickly are dissolved. Rose was a strong female heroine and definitely makes the whole female independence a strong motto.

The other characters were really well developed and so well described that I could picture them perfectly. The thing with such great character development is I feel like Mitchell fell a little short on the world building. There was so much room for great world development being a fantasy novel and even more about the Garden. I was really intrigued by the concept of the Garden and wanted more from it.

I had just a few other issues with this book and without giving too much away, I thought the romance at times was too much. I really liked the way it ended but at the beginning it came on too strong and didn't follow Roses beliefs but Mitchell managed to straighten it out and actually make me really happy that it was in the story and added a great component. The last problem I found was with how quickly they threw Rose out on missions and how she was trusted with little to no training.

Overall, I found this story to be very unique and nothing I have read before. It did not shy away from the gruesome details and wasn't afraid to not let a strong female overcome obstacles and shine. Garden of Thorns was a fast read and kept me on the edge of my seat, never knowing what was going to happen the whole time. It made me experience a wide range of emotions and actually had an ending I cannot complain about. I really recommend YA fantasy readers who enjoy strong female leads and times of war and unrest to pick this book up!