Highly enjoyable story delving into Persian folklore-which was a new culture for me!
The audio narrator, Nikki Massoud, was on point and I enjoyed her speaking and accents used with various characters. My biggest complaint makes me realize I may be aging out of YA books because it bugged me with another book recently too. But, the lack of communication and the lying! If honesty was the main component in any of the relationships in the book, things would have been different!

Even still, I enjoyed the Persian inspiration and mythology the author pulled into play. The author's note in the back of the book gives some fascinating information on Persian fairy tales, mythology, and history. I loved seeing how Bashardoust incorporated that into an original fairy tale. If Nikki Massoud ever wants to narrate a Persian mythology or folklore book I am on board!

I finished Girl, Serpent, Thorn almost a week ago and I’m still not entirely sure what I think. The premise was good. It was interesting, engaging, and just dark enough to keep me reading but not make me overwhelmed. The writing is also good. Bashardoust clearly knows her way around words, and the writing was never clunky and the dialogue was never forced.

The problem I had with this book mainly boils down to one thing. This book did not work for me as a standalone. Let’s get one thing straight: there is a lot going on in this book, and it’s only 336 pages. There was not nearly enough room for Bashardoust to develop both the characters and the plot, so events seem to jump around pretty quickly (and often conveniently), and aside from Soraya, very few of the characters feel like real people.

Another issue I had with this book was the romance. This was hyped up to be a great f/f romance, and while, yes, I suppose there is technically a f/f romance to be found here, it’s so minimal that you could blink and miss it. I loved the chemistry between Soraya and her female love interest and just wish it would have been fleshed out a little more. While it’s nice to finally have a YA fantasy novel that doesn’t prioritize romance over action, this romance was such a tiny part of the book that I almost wondered why it was included at all.

As for the audio, I thought the narrator did a great job. I did, as usual, have to listen on 1.75x speed to not fall asleep, but that probably says more about me than about the book.

In the end, if you’re really into YA fantasy and retellings, you might enjoy this.

We all know that the NetGalley audiobook feature and app are new! Unfortunately this also means there are a few bumps along the way, for me this included being unable to actually download this audiobook. Or any audiobooks to be honest. Now that it's been archived it will be impossible to do so. I was really looking forward to this one.

I've given the average rating so that you can see this feedback and know there is an issue!

If I pick up the audiobook another way I'll pop back and give more detailed review theb.

Wow, this one wasn’t at all what I expected. I really enjoyed this one. I love learning about the legends and folllore of other people, so this book hit the mark for sure.

Our main character was tipping as a morally grey character, this is such a humanly trait that gives me something to connect with out character. She’s hurt and she feels outcasted, betrayed, and like the world owes her this moment to be selfish. While quickly realizing why that’s wrong.

I kind of saw the “trap” or betrayal coming but It didn’t take away from the story. I really wanted to see where Soraya would end up with the choices she had to make. As well as knowing the truth about her family and the curse that was set upon her. It was also really satisfying to see her excepting and embracing what she is!

I have the fairyloot version of this but I was also lucky to get the audio from NetGalley! I read along to the audio, the narrator did an amazing job! I was completely captured by the story and how it was being told!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the early audiobook. Unfortunately the app and my phone didn't work the greatest and I switched to listening via the Scribd app halfway.

I really enjoyed this story and think the narrator did a fantastic job.

Soraya starts out being completely sheltered as she is a girl who can kill with a touch. Her skin is poison and it is a curse. She's hid away from the world and only really has contact with her family. She does not get to explore the world and enjoy the festivities. Soraya definitely pulls at the heart strings with her story.

Eventually a mysterious soldier appears that starts to help her and helps her talk to a demon in the dungeon that knows how to break her curse.

This story was super unique and the different mythology and cultural references were really cool to read. I loved the f/f romance. And this book moved very quickly and kept me interested the entire time. There was still something missing so I can't quite give it 5 stars. I really don't know what its missing but it was a solid 4.5 star read for me.

This novel follows a young girl who has a poison that runs through her veins. When she so much as touches a living thing, it dies.

Without spoiling anything, she wants to get rid of this curse, and shenanigans ensue.

I enjoyed the multicultural tale this was. There was also a queer relationship which was not made a big deal of; it just was, which I appreciated. That said, I wish that the main character would have been stronger and more self-assured along the way. She seemed to get pushed around at times that I felt she could have stepped up in.

I was very intrigued by the premise of this story. A Persian tale with the main character having this terrible curse of not being able to touch or be touched without killing people. It had such promise but ultimately fell short. I listened to the audio book and while I did enjoy the narrator, I was very bored with the story. There was no complexity. When the MC asked a question, the answer was given. There was no struggle and it just felt too easy.

Rating: 3.5 stars!

Girl, Serpent, Thorn creates a marvelous fantasy world, rich with culture and a sense of magic. This world felt like something screen worthy, and this book could make for a television show because of how vivid the descriptions were.

I loved the world-building the most in this book, obviously, but there were many other aspects that I enjoyed. I loved the cast of main characters: Parvaneh, Azad, and Soraya. They were delightfully written and each of their motivations were so humane and well done. I was rooting for each of them in different ways, and I think if an author can manage to make you care about characters so deeply they are doing something magically right.

The romance was done delicately and I loved watching it blossom and grow, and without spoilers, I want to tell you all that you have to wait a little for that aspect to get exciting.

The fiery world of divs was another fun, yet scary aspect of this fantasy that I enjoyed.

The reason this book loses stars is because while it’s so delightful near the end, it begins too slowly and it feels like I’m reading the backstory rather than the story for a good 40% of the book. Once you get past that mark, this story has twists, turns and it comes alive. But that issue with pacing and the rhythm feeling off at the beginning makes this a 3.5 star read for me…

Thank you so much Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for allowing me to access an early release copy of the Audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

The world-building is absolutely fantastic! I absolutely loved the different creatures, social status, castles, mountains, forests, and more. I thought they were perfectly designed and I loved learning about each one. I also enjoyed the characters. Something that I struggled with was the main character. I kept asking myself, “what are you doing?” I just didn’t understand her rational for some of her decisions. Overall, I really enjoyed the storyline, writing style, and dialogue.

Not my favorite narrator, but still enjoyable.

A princess named Soraya was venomous to the touch. Anyone or anything that touched her died - from beetles to humans. She was hidden away in the castle, but no one but her closes family members knew why.

Her mother told her she was cursed by a div. As her twin brother's wedding came near, a div was captured and brought to the palace. She decided she had to talk to this div, because if a div can curse her then surely a div can also remove the curse.

As things begin to fall into place and she is able to lift the curse, she finds out that she wasn't told all the secrets around her curse and having it taken away leads to even bigger problems that can put their entire kingdom in danger.

This was such a great read. I loved the world Melissa Bashdardoust created here. It's so well developed. I'd love to read other books set in this world, but this one wasn't set up as if it has a sequel. If you're a fan of YA Fantasy then check this one out.

I give this one 4.5 Stars.

I really loved the idea of this story and I really wanted to love it!

It was a unique twist of some old tales.
My favorite character in this retelling was definitely the Villian.

I did enjoy the unique narration on this one.

Who doesn’t love a fairytale?!? I simply devoured this audiobook. The narrator is awesome and I’d listen to her over and over again. I enjoyed that it had Persian Mythology within these pages. The story was unique & beautifully written. I highly recommend this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review. This was the first book I’ve read by the author and it won’t be my last.

I received the audiobook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Girl, Serpent, Thorn is a fairy tale based on Persian mythology and other famous fairy tales about a girl who is poisonous, so is unable to touch or be touched by any other living things.

Ever since I tried to reread Shatter Me, I have been over the whole "girl has some mysterious condition that makes her unable to touch humans or she will kill them" trope, because they all tend to end the same way. Some man is always the one exception (except for when it's two men, because ya know, love triangles) and so therefore they must love each other. But this book did not do that, which I have appreciation for. The author used an idea that has been used so many times, but put her own spin on it.

I loved the Persian mythology and history that she incorporated into the story. I found it very interesting and something you don't see often. I really liked that author's notes were included to give us more background into these references and inspirations. The other thing I loved about this book was the writing. I think it was written well and flowed nicely.

Now for what I didn't like...

This book definitely was slow at parts. It took me awhile to get through it.

One of my pet peeves is when I feel like I've predicted the whole plot of the book before I'm even to the halfway point, which I was able to do with this one. To avoid spoilers I'll just say I could easily see who would be the bad guy and who she would love and the general way events would go from the first 20-30% of the book. Another pet peeve is when the entire conflict of a story is caused by miscommunication. The entire book could've been avoided if there was better communication and certain characters told the truth. I find that a bit frustrating as a reader, however since it is a fairy tale, I can understand it a little more, I guess.

As for what I specifically thought of the audiobook itself, really no complaints here. The narrator did a great job and I enjoyed the listening experience.

I'm rating this book 3.5/5 stars! I had some issues, but I overall enjoyed it.

It's a bit of a spoiler to say that this has a bi/pan main character who ends up with a woman, but it's been pretty widely all over the internet prior to release, so I get to say this: MONSTER GIRLS IN LOVE

GST is a rather twisty fantasy with a fresh take on the Poisonous Girl trope. There are betrayals, secrets, murders... It's not nearly as heavy on the romance as I had been led to believe, but I enjoyed it a lot. The writing was lovely.

I read Girl, Serpent, Thorn on audio courtesy of Macmillan Audio on NetGalley and while I loved the narrator, the volume was uneven. I found the dialogue to be much quieter than the rest of the story which was frustrating. Since this is my first time using this new review app, it's possible it's something to do with the player itself, but I couldn't tell in the Audible sample.


Content Warnings: murder, war violence, abduction, references to infanticide

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.

It was a breathe of fresh air to read a fairytale set outside of Europe. It was a bit of a slow start for me, I was starting to wonder about half way through if I could finish this book, but I am so glad I did! The author built such a vibrant world I could easily picture it. The characters were slow to built but you could feel for most of them and what they had been through by the end. I am looking forward to learning more about Persian folklore soon!

I also was not sure about the narrator at the beginning. Her voice did not seems to fit with the story, but like the rest of the story, the beautifully subtle changes in accent and pitch help mold the setting and characters for me.


DISCLAIMER: I received this audiobook free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This story was beautifully written and the audiobook contains the best narration I have found in a long time. Nikki Massoud captures the voice of each character so beautifully that it added additional dimension to the entire experience.

I was in anguish with Soraya as she struggled to free herself from the curse, I felt longing for something as simple as a touch and her heartbreak as she tries to make a place for herself in a world where no one can be trusted.

I'll be honest - a large reason why I requested this book was the cover - I mean, have you seen it? Girl, Serpent, Thorn is seriously one of the best cover designs of 2020. Cover judgements aside, the description of this book made it seem super interesting - a standalone YA fantasy that pulls inspiration from Sleepy Beauty and Persian folklore (honestly, the fact it was a standalone was a huge selling point).

The struggle of having a fantasy be a standalone book is that a whole lot of world building has to happen in a very short time. In the case of Girl, Serpent, Thorn, the author seemed to struggle at times to find a balance between world building and moving the plot forward. Between the fast paced plot and creating the setting - the book on a whole was rushed and could have used more chapters to better tell the story. After all of the effort the author put into the world building, part of me wants the author to write a spinoff that takes place in this world. However, the best part of this book was how atmospheric the writing was - it really set the tone for the fairytale vibe. 

Soraya was a fascinating study in what prolonged isolation and neglect can do to a person. For her entire life, she had been hidden away and deprived of touch - treated like a monster by some of those who knew of her existence and treated distantly by the rest. Over the course of the book, we got to see her experience attention, touch, and affection for the first time. We also got to read about how her naiveté slowly evolved to cleverness and resourcefulness - altogether, she experienced a huge amount of growth over a relatively short period. Also, she had a great love interest and romantic arc - they were truly a perfect pair.

My biggest issue with the cast of characters is that a lot of them were useless to the plot - Soraya's brother, childhood best friend, and her mother were all totally underused characters. Outside of small plot points towards the beginning and end, these characters really didn't have any subplots or contributions to the story. I wish they had been more involved or developed and I think this is one area that would have benefited from the book being longer.

If you're tired of the same old fairytale retellings over and over - Girl, Serpent, Thorn is the book for you. It mixes elements from Sleeping Beauty and Persian Folklore (footnote: if you're interested in Persian folklore, the author made some reading suggestions in this interview). This book would be great for people looking for a fantasy but who don't want to commit to a whole series (woohoo standalone!). While not perfect, it's definitely made me want to read Melissa Bashardoust's first book ASAP. 4/5

A gorgeous Persian retelling of Sleeping Beauty. I am so glad I listened to the audio of this one. I loved the multiple voices and accents.

I loved the multiple layers with conflict, betrayal, and bisexual love interest. The audiobook flew by and most definitely recommend.

Girl, Serpent, Thorn was so much fun to read. The writing was beautiful and the concept was so intriguing. This is a Persian retelling of Sleeping Beauty. Soraya is our main character and she is poisonous to the touch. I felt so badly for Soraya throughout this book. I had to remind myself often that how she handled things throughout the book were a direct result of the life she has lived due to her curse. I can't imagine how difficult it would be to never feel the touch of another living being. What a lonely existence that must have been, living most of her life alone in her garden.

There is a lot of betrayal and family secrets contained in this book that are flushed out through the winding twists and turns the story takes. The story is highly addictive and I found myself listening to the book every chance I could over a 24 hour period. Responsibilities be damned, I needed to know what happened with Soraya.

While there is romance in this book, it was not the main focus. I loved that the focus was more on the development of our protagonist and not her needing to be saved. She navigates a cruel world and learns who she really is and what her place in the world is.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. My only real complaint is that I wanted more. I wanted to explore deeper into this rich world. This is definitely a story worth diving into.

A Persian fantasy?! I’m here for it. I had a hard time with the audio book. I’m thinking I need to read the book instead. The narration was great I just found it too easy to get distracted. However, it was nice to have a voice put to the characters that wasn’t my own voice inside my head. The MC is easy to feel for having no human contact no physical touch. I can’t even imagine. A good story and altogether good read.