Combining the tales of Rappaccini's Daughter, Rapunzel, and (the author says) Sleeping Beauty, with Persian folklore and royal history, this book is about a girl with a curse trying to figure out what it all means and how to save her kingdom. I found it to be an entertaining YA fantasy, heavy on the fairy tale aspect, and so perfect for fans of all the above!

This book was amazing and the audiobook really brought it to life. from start to finish this book kept me interested. I know I did not see the bad guy twist.

I think a big thing about this book is being able to accept yourself. Just because you think something is a curse to you to someone else it's a gift. It's always about perspective.

Reader, (this) Book, Happiness. That pretty much sums up this novel for me. At first, the cover and the description didn't have me hooked or convinced that this wouldn't be just another fairy tale... but I was wrong in so many ways. It was more than a fairy tale. Melissa Bashardoust weaves together folklore, mythology and a whimsical fairy tale to create a novel filled with beauty and thorns. The mythological stories within the story ensnared my interest from the beginning and entangled the plot to keep it interesting.

While parts of this novel are predictable, it felt more like an inevitability and the pull of fate that things happen the way that the plot plays out the way it does. My favorite part about this story is that Soraya doesn't need a prince or a princess (or a div) to save her. She has the power within to save herself and everyone around her. Not only that, but in the end, she grows so much as a character that it makes my heart happy. Sometimes, we need to embrace the beast within us and intertwine the thorns we sprout with our beauty to realize how amazing and powerful we really are. Soraya is both the rose and the thorns. This story has both a girl and a serpent who have their own metaphoric thorns.

My favorite line: "It was fitting, Soraya supposed, that she would kiss a handsome young man and turn him into a monster".

I will admit, the evil villain in me was chanting for her to join the dark side at times in this story. Maybe Melissa Bashardoust will honor me with a retelling in which she doesn't choose to be good and rather descends into darkness and an evil reign. Or maybe the next novel will have a character who doesn't grow into a hero, but turns into a villain.

There was and there was not a history and cultural presence in this novel that enhanced it. The Persian cultural fertilized this novel and made it bloom into the delightful read that it was. I loved the Persian influences and the author's explanation at the end of how she was influenced and inspired.

In the classroom, the end would be a perfect springboard for students to research the history, the cultural context and the myths that influenced this novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to enjoy this as an audiobook in exchange for my opinion!

This was definitely a unique fairy tale!
I enjoyed the characters, Soraya had a wonderful growth and realizations throughout the book as a morally grey character. I loved the enemies to allies to lovers romance. It felt very believable and was completely adorable. I got an audiobook copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review and all the foreign words and names made it a little bit hard for me to follow.
The fact that Soraya is poisonous is so unique, but so sad to think about. Just thinking about her never being able to touch another human being is so gut wrenching. It was so easy to feel her loneliness and anger and fear of accidentally touching someone.
The plot had so many parts that were so interesting, it was always a surprise what was going to happen next. The villain was a surprise that just led into a whole other part of the book seamlessly and it was just a really fun ride.
As a stand alone book, it was well paced and well wrapped up to the point where there always could be more, but I'm not left wondering about loose ends.

Thank you so much for my ALC of this book!

This was such a wonderful reading experience and Bashardoust does an incredible job slowly transporting you to not only a different time, but also a different place entirely. This book roped me in for the very beginning as we learned about the reason for her curse. I love the fairy tale references and the vibe of that presented in this book, but with a twist and in the best way possible.

It's quite possible similar tales with the same basis as this have been told before, but from all that I've read..none were as finely executed as this one. The world that formed around us as readers was intriguing as well as the different types of people/groups presented. There weren't many, if any, points in this book were i was struggling to continue or even slightly uninterested, I'm very excited to add this one to my collection in physical form and be able to read in again.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for this free advanced copy in exchange for a review.

I can definitely see the fairytale influences from Rapunzel and Sleeping Beauty, as well as the Hawthorne short story, Rappaccini's Daughter. The setting was unique and probably my favorite element of the story. It is reminiscent of Persian folklore, and I can see how the author may have tried to emulate the 'folklore' writing style of works like Spinning Silver or the Winternight Trilogy, but somehow this book just missed the mark for me.

While the POV was 3rd person close, it felt more separated from the main character. Possibly an issue with 'voice,' which can often be elusive or hard to describe why it does or doesn't work well (nothing to do with the audio book, which was good). But I particularly noticed in the beginning chapters that the main character's name was repeated over and over again, almost every sentence and dialogue tag, even if she was the only person of her gender in the scene. I possibly wouldn't have noticed this so much if it hadn't been in the audio book, but it was frequently enough that it distracted me and kept me from being fully engaged in the story. Almost every sentence had at least one character's name in it. Maybe it's a "show, not tell" problem. It also felt like events would just happen to the protagonist, rather than her influencing the plot. The ending also felt a bit Deus ex machina.

I appreciated that the author's notes were included at the end of the audiobook.

Overall, lovely cover and intriguing premise, but fell short of my expectations. 3 stars.

Unfortunately I just wasn't a fan of this book. The fairy tale elements were interesting, but overall, I found myself underwhelmed by the characters.

I don't know if it's the audiobook or just the way my phone was playing it, but it kept skipping chapters and I'd have to manually go back a chapter each time. Other than that, I liked this audiobook! The narrator was really good and I liked the speed of the narration.

The story of itself was pretty interesting, though I didn't love the main character. She felt like a very passive character at the beginning and, while necessary for character development, I didn't love . I liked the setting and the myth around the story. There's lgbtq+ representation and I like how that was worked in. I loved the family growth between the characters. I would definitely read more by this author.

Soraya, a princess cursed to be poisonous to the touch, has live her life hidden away. As the day of her twin brother’s wedding approaches, she must decide if she wants to step out 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. She thought she knew her place in the world, but when her choices lead to consequences never she imagined, she begins to question who she is and who she is becoming...human or demon. Princess or monster.

Wow, this story was truly captivating; it was unique, intriguin and magical.
The author transported me to a mystical world full of fantastic creatures and a little bit of romance.
Girl, Serpent, Thorn is a beautiful tale about bravery, love and discovering your trueself.

Thank you Netgalley, MacMillan Audio and Melissa Bashardoust for giving me a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

http://www.instagram.com/booksandcoffeepleasemx

Audiobook: This book was well narrated. The narrator was able to differentiate her voice for each character so it was fairly easy to tell the difference between the characters and the narration. I appreciated that when there was an indication for chapter transitions and when a new one started.

Story: This is your typical YA fantasy and yet, it isn’t. None of this is in a negative way, however. It’s got all the elements of a good YA novel: a female protagonist, a quest, betrayal, romance, royalty. I am about it. My heart broke for Soraya with her poisonous skin, longing for the connection that physical touch provides between living beings. Her desperation for that connection was so tangible from the description the author, Melissa Bashardoust, was able to provide. I felt so connected to that desperation despite not being able to empathize with it. So misunderstood in so many ways, never feeling like she belonged. My heart broke for her. This story had all the setup and potential to make an exciting YA fantasy trilogy or series. Bashardoust did an excellent job creating an exciting yet original fantasy. I’m hoping to be able to read more about this strong woman.

I have to shout a huge thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an advanced audio copy of Girl, Serpent, Thorn. It was my first advanced audiobook and I really enjoyed being able to listen to it via the new NetGalley app.
This story, I really don’t even know how to put my thoughts into words. I was a bit disappointed by the last book I read by this author, but this synopsis sounded too good to pass up. So, I didn’t have super high hopes about loving this one. I definitely thought I would enjoy it, but I liked it way more than that.
The story follows Soraya as she’s trying to figure out a way to rid herself of the curse she’s had since she was a baby. She is poisonous. Her skin has the power to kill. Her family hides her away. Her only happiness is when her mother visits and her gardens. But this year, when her family arrives, they bring a demon with them and keep her in the dungeons. This is when Soraya’s life starts to change. She meets a soldier that comes into town with her brother and they become friends. She opens up to him in a way she’s never been able to before. He helps her go to visit the demon, then to figure out how to get rid of her curse.
There’s so much I can’t talk about because I don’t want to give anything away. So, I’ll say that I really loved this soldier. He’s a very complex character and I thought he was a great addition to the story. But even more, I loved how dark the story was. A poisonous girl? Hell yes. A poisonous girl falling in love with a demon? Even more hell yes. I loved the mythology and the Persian folklore. The author talks a bit about the stories she drew inspiration from and the things that she changed in an author’s note after the story ends and I really enjoyed getting to know more about the inspiration.
Overall, I loved this book. The narrator was incredible. She really inserted emotion into the characters and told the story beautifully. This story was dark and twisted and complex. There were characters that had so much love for others, but were also extremely selfish which I thought was just fascinating. I’m sorry that this review is sort of nonsense, but as I said at the beginning, I really don’t know how to put my thoughts for this story into words other than saying that I loved it.

This story was so lovely. While it took a little bit for the action to pick up and really draw me in, I ended up loving the characters and the dynamic world constructed around them. It’s always nice to read a sapphic story where the characters don’t have to face intense homophobia and the romance in this one was so sweet. I loved the exploration of magic and what was truly considered a curse. Overall, this story was unique and gorgeous and I had a great time with it. The audiobook itself had a slight echo but I think that’s a problem that can easily be fixed.

I was so excited to be gifted this audiobook by netgalley and Macmillan audio. So let’s start with that Nikki Massoud has an amazing voice! I loved that she used a different accent for the narrative aspects while using an accent for the characters. It brought the story to life for me. The narrator is five stars easily.

My biggest issue is how slow to start the story was. It took about 50% to finally hook me in. The big mistake our main character makes, the one that shapes the story could have easily been avoided by one simple conversation. That aspect bothered me and took me out of the fantasy.

The end was great! It made up for the slowness of the beginning. That for me made it worth the listen. All together it was a good three star listen.

Full review to be posted on GR

First i would like to thank netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this previous to publication.

I was very interested in this book since the first time i heard about It because I really enjoy myths retellings, especially when they are nonwestern. So technically this should be perfect for me but after listening to the audiobook i am torn between thinking It was ok and feeling annoyed.

What i liked, the world and the myths. The stories inside the story were the best part for me and they kept me interested for the most part. And if you are a fan of myths and non western settings you are probably going to enjoy it.

Unfortunately every other aspect of the story didnt click with me. While the setting was phenomenal and fresh, the characters felt bland and one dimensional, every single one of them. I ended up not caring for them and speeding through the book to get to the end as soon as possible.

The bland characters were not helped by the fact that the simple form of the plot, a girl with a curse to kill, is not exactly new or fresh in the YA market.

The worst part of it for me however was the writing style. I did not click with it at all. There was so much telling and not showing what was happening that It made a 3.5 book turn into a 2.5 or 2.0 for me. I simply could not enjoy the writing style and its constant telling of the events and How the characters thought and acted. And because its the writing style, its goes on for the entire book and its quite hard to ignore.

So ok plot, great setting, passable characters, but the writing was its downfall for me.

2.75/5 stars This book was so thoroughly average. If it had been at least 100 pages more and actually developed anything it would have been a lot better. The romances were totally lack luster and the plot didn't have any time to develop. It all happened way too fast and it didn't give me time to get invested in anything. The main love interests interact three times before declaring their loyalty for each other and it just didn't make sense to me. The main character's mother's motivations also left me wanting. She made her daughter feel cursed her whole life when there was a completely reasonable explanation behind her killing everything she touches. She should have told her years earlier. I was happy that her mother didn't hold a grudge. I was very worried that even though it was all her mother's fault, she was going to blame our main character anyways, but that didn't happen. The villain should have been a lot more cutthroat. He's supposed to be the leader of the demons, but he keeps whining over a girl. Get over it and be the villain you're supposed to be. He felt like a teenage boy instead of a creature from stories. I also heard going in that this was going to be a villain origin story sort of situation, and this definitely was not that. The main character made some stupid decisions, pretended to be bad, and then was the hero in the end. It has been done so many times before, and done better by different authors. Overall, very disappointing.
I was given the audiobook on Netgalley, but the app has a weird glitch where, if it is put on anything faster than 1.25 times speed, there are two people talking (echo situation). I listen to all audiobooks between 2 and 3 times speed, so it was too slow to listen to.

Soraya has spent her lonely life being locked away from everyone since she was cursed with a killing touch as a baby. She would do anything to be able to touch another person, just for a minute- even if that price was steep enough to bring down the kingdom her brother rules. Soraya has a terrible choice put in front of her, one she could never guess the consequences of.

This was action packed, completely unique and very surprising. Just when I thought I figured out what was happening, the rug was pulled out from beneath me (and the main character) and I loved that the author was able to do that. While this had elements of magic, betrayal, lies, court intrigue, battles and survival, this was also a love story- both romantic as well as self love. I enjoyed the author's note at the end that broke down all the aspects of the story that the author wove together to create this exciting, dangerous, moderately romantic read.

The audiobook was fantastic, the narrator did an amazing job bringing the story to life. She was clear and well paced in her diction and used wonderful accents and different tones for all the characters, making the audio engrossing and easy to get lost in. I would gladly listen to her narrate more audiobooks in the future.

If you like fairy-tales, all kinds of magic and great detailed world building with flawed characters that try to make the right choice no matter how hard it is, this is the perfect next read for you!

I was fascinated by this book since I first read the blurb because any non-western mythology based storytelling gets me going. Ofcourse I had to wait a while to read because my library didn’t buy a copy and then luckily got the advance copy of the audiobook instead. And it definitely was fun.

The best part of this book is surely the inspiration it’s based on - Persian mythology. I absolutely loved all the stories that form a part of this world, including the faith, their traditions as well as all the kinds of monsters. It felt very well fleshed out, with lush and vivid descriptions and other worldly vibes - almost making it feel like I was part of a fairytale. The writing is very easy to follow and once I started, I didn’t feel like putting it down because the author managed to ensnare me in with her words. I also really enjoyed the liberal use of Persian words because even if I didn’t understand the actual meanings, they just felt very familiar and comforting.

But it was the plot and execution where I think I felt a bit let down. The premise is so interesting that I think I expected a lot and that may have led to my disappointment, but I just felt like the book was missing a wow factor. The big reveal/twist that happens didn’t feel that shocking at all and even if not in it’s entirety, I did see a big part of it coming a mile away. After that, even though I was very engaged in the story, it didn’t feel high stakes enough for me to be worried or tense.

It’s hard not to empathize with Soraya despite her making some not so great decisions sometimes, because her circumstances are so unusual. She is perfect antihero material - with her anger and shame and self loathing - and while she does tend to let her baser instincts drive her sometimes, you never stop rooting for her. She is someone who has spent most of her life in isolation and starved of touch, afraid of succumbing to the poison in her veins and becoming a monster - and her journey of figuring out what kind of a person she can be if given the chance, with and without the curse, and what all she is ready to sacrifice for the sake of family - it’s all very interesting to be a part of and I loved getting to know her.

While there are many other side characters who appear in the book, there are only a couple who feel fleshed out enough that we get to understand them a little. Azad is a fascinating character and reading about him and Soraya together is very intriguing because we get to see all the possibilities that their paths have taken and can take in the future; and how circumstances can alter the choices they might make leading to unexpected consequences. Parvaneh is another character whom I wasn’t sure about for a while, but I loved the progression of her relationship with Soraya and the kind of trust they managed to build in such precarious conditions.

While we do get some insight into Soraya’s mom and her decision making which leads to most of the plot, I still would have liked to see more of the bond between mother and daughter because they definitely deserved more time to explore the new nature of their relationship. Sorush on the other hand doesn’t get much page at all and I honestly felt that he was very unfair to Soraya in the past and despite her actions, he deserved to spend more time trying to win her affections and he got let off easy.

To conclude, this book has a beautiful Persian mythology inspired world which sucks you in and a great main character whom you can’t stop rooting for. If you are someone who loves fairytale retellings, then this book is perfect for you. It may not have completely lived up to my expectations (I surely would have loved some more of that promising sapphic romance), but I did enjoy my reading experience and would definitely recommend it. And I really loved the audiobook narration of Nikki Massoud but I have to mention that it may take a couple of chapters to familiarize yourself with the Persian vocabulary a little, but don’t let that deter you from listening to it.

I love the idea of including this title and future curriculum in my classroom! I am always looking for multicultural authors and stories, and one that features a female hero is icing on the cake!
For me, reading the story not only propelled me to another world, but also gave me a much needed history lesson in a part of the world of which I am truly unfamiliar. I found the author’s note at the end especially interesting.
I’m not sure I agree with other reviewers who refer to this as a “feminist “story. Just because the hero happens to be female, and there are strong female characters, does not mean they are feminists. But I do like the matter-of-fact way that things like sexual identity are addressed.
As a huge fan of YA fantasy, and age appropriate romance, I found this lovely book “ticked all the boxes.” I’m excited to introduce it to future students!
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read it!
Note: Although the voice actor reading the audiobook did a credible job with many of the characters, I found her caricature portrayal of a couple (especially Parvenah) annoying and almost offensive.

This was an interesting and intricate story/fairytale and I love that it came from Persian mythology. The beautiful cover does it justice. Overall, it's a successful story, there's complexity in its characters and in its development and you want to know where it goes. It fell a bit short for me in the pacing, I was listening to an audio version, but I have a feeling I would have skipped some pages on book version. As for the narration, the narrator used an American accent when narrating and imitated a Persian accent when impersonating. The difference was such that I found it distracting, the American narration felt out of place where everything else was trying to submerge into a Persian fantasy. Overall, I would give this book 3.5 stars, but perhaps 4 for the non-audio version.

I received an audioARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book and the fairytale aspects of it. The beginning of the book reminded me a lot of Juliette in the Shatter Me series.

Some of the characters and settings also reminded me of Sarah J Maas's A Court of Wings and Ruin series.

All in all it was an enjoyable read. I do think the plot fell short of my expectations and the ending wasn't as great as I thought it could be.

This book does have a f/f romance, which isn't my cup of tea.