Girl, Serpent, Thorn is a sapphic Persian fantasy based off of Persian mythology and inspired by fairytales such as Sleeping Beauty. The writing is atmospheric and flowery and feels like you are reading a fairytale from the beginning. The main character is cursed with a poison touch and cannot touch others and eventually ends up befriending (sort of) some demons/gods.

While, I truly believe this book was set up to be EVERYTHING I ever wanted in a novel, I had a hard time initially getting into the story. I found the first half to be a little slower and difficult to get used to. The second half, however, was action-packed and full of the sapphic romance we were all promised, although it was a very slow-burn.

The narrator was amazing, but I think I really needed the book as a companion to really get the understanding of the world and flowy writing.

Overall, I will not be rating as I don’t feel like I had the same enjoyment with the audio as I would have had with a physical copy. I think fans of City of Brass might enjoy this, as well as fans of Shatter Me which are coincidentally also written by Persian authors (I believe).

Girl, Serpent, Thorn is a lovely Persian inspired fantasy of a girl cursed with a poisonous touch, who fears she is more monster than girl.

Soraya is the twin sister of the Shah, but her curse has kept her cloistered away from the public's eye, for fear that she might harm someone or the family's reputation. Soraya wants nothing more than to find a way out of her curse, and defies the wishes of those around her when a div (demon) is captured by a young soldier. With the help of the soldier, she seeks out the div, hoping to get answers on how to break her curse. Except the div isn't what she expects and has information she isn't certain she wants to hear.

Girl, Serpent, Thorn is inspired by various works and is a bit of a fairytale retelling at its heart. It is fast paced and easy to enjoy, with a captivating writing style that will firmly clasp your hand to pull you through its pages. I quite enjoyed the sweet, soft sapphic relationship that builds between Parvaneh and Soraya, though I do wish we had gotten more of the various side characters in this one. I definitely feel as though we could have spent more time getting to know them and see them interact with Soraya in a manner that isn't simply meant to get us to the next action sequence.

Overall though, this is the type of book you can simply sit back and enjoy over the course of a weekend, without much worry of too much emotional turmoil or complications. This is definitely the type of book I think would suit readers new to fantasy that are seeking to get swept up into a light, magical world.

Initial Impressions: The introduction to "Girl, Serpent, Thorn" is the one you'll photograph artistically, bring to class to share, and reread when you're sad because it's simply brilliant! I was immersed from the first sentence and nearly couldn't set the book down to write this little snippet. Bashardoust began the book in a way which quickly raises questions and enthusiasm for the fantastical elements. Just halfway through and I am caught up in learning the ins-and-outs of Soraya's poisonous touch while following her journey. I can't wait to keep reading!

Opinions: Overall, "Girl, Serpent, Thorn" was an upbeat, intense, intriguing read. That's all you need to say about it! I was engaged, on the edge of my seat, and squealing at the positive LGBTQ representation the entire time; everything I find absolutely necessary in a good book. Bashardoust has hit the mark with the tone and pace so that readers were constantly absorbed and charmed! Perhaps it wasn't the most sophisticated YA book you'll ever read, but "Girl, Serpent, Thorn" was definitely unforgettable and worth the time. Stuck in lockdown? This book will undoubtedly keep you entertained and give you hope for the future.

My Favourite Thing: My obsession with "Girl, Serpent, Thorn" is centered around Bashardoust's world building, especially the creativity of Soraya's poisonous touch! It is all unique, comprehendible, and consistent. That said, it's almost as if Bashardoust took elements from ten other YA books and melded them all together into this fabulous story. Almost all fantasy adventure readers will adore "Girl, Serpent, Thorn" for this reason. No matter which way you look at it, the magical part of this book was fresh and fun. I adored everything to do with the setting and atmosphere.

My Least Favourite Thing: There wasn't any particular thing bad about "Girl, Serpent, Thorn", which is why I have difficulty choosing a rating. 4.5 / 5 stars works best because it isn't the best book in the entire world, but it is certainly near it! As a reader, you won't be turned away by any character or theme, but you won't be forever obsessed with it like "Harry Potter" either.

I enjoyed the narrator for this audiobook very much. The story itself started off a little slower than I expected but once it picked up, I was drawn in. I definitely felt some Frozen vibes with the curse involved in the story but the who story surrounding the curse itself was truly magical. Lots of family drama, love and betrayal and I highly recommend the audiobook.

Great book, well-read by the narrator. I loved this story and thought that that the narrator did a good job bringing it to life.

What I Loved: I was initially drawn to this book because of the inspiration taken from Persian mythology and folklore. My undergraduate degree was in Ancient Near Eastern SItudies and so I’m familiar with a lot of the source material of this story. Essentially a sleeping beauty retelling, Bashardoust’s sophomore novel promised an intricate story, compelling characters, and political intrigue at every turn. The pacing was fine and the mystery at the center of the novel was interesting. I appreciated the ownvoice angle and the fact that protagonist was bisexual. I wanted so desperately to like this book more than I did but there were just some issues of execution, plot and character development that were really disappointing to me.

What I Didn’t Love: I really enjoyed the book until a certain point when a twist was revealed. Then the book just kind of felt chaotic and confusing. Too many of the characters were shallow and superficial and merely made choices to move the plot along. There were a handful of threads that were brought and then quickly brushed aside. Maybe it was because I largely experienced the story on audio at a time when I was struggling to focus on much of anything, so many this is more of an issue of right reader wrong time, because I love dark fairytale retellings. Despite my dislike of the novel I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a dark, slow burning fairytale retelling.

I have decided that fantasy is not my go-to genre. Nor is it one that I get eager to pick up. Hence why it took me so long to get to this choice. With that being said, this one was just okay for me. I think I only got through it as fast as I did because I listened to the audio. I found it hard to follow at times and I didn't connect with any of the characters. I found the story to be boring at times and it was a tough one to get through.

Soraya is born with a terrible curse. She is poison to anyone who touches her, cursed by a Div because of the decisions of her mother. Her family has locked her away in one of their seasonal palaces and she has made it into a home. Caring for her rose garden and hiding in the walls she lives a half-life, although it is the only life she ever knows. When her family returns to the palace for her twin brothers wedding they bring with them something Soraya has only dreamed of. A Div who might help her break her curse.

I honestly only finished this because I don't like to abandon books. But it really wasn't very good. It was just ok, nothing special. I listened to the audio and I honestly was super confused. The narrator sounds like their using a slight Russian accent? Which doesn't seem to fit with the Persian theme. The world building could have been better. And the twists and turns less obvious. I didn't find myself rooting for or against any characters and I wasn't particularly satisfied when the main villain died.

I’m surprised at how much I actually enjoyed this story! It gave me Renee Ahdieh feels and had a middle eastern feel. I really liked the writing style and the Narrator was so good at doing the different characters voices and keeping you engaged in the story. This story was a little grittier than I thought it would be which I liked and Soraya was an interesting MC. I liked how a lot of things weren’t as it seemed and I couldn’t predict what was going to happen. The only thing that made this not a five star is that it was short and I wanted a little more from it but overall this was a fun read. 4/5 stars.

This started off a bit slow for me and I'll admit I almost DNF'd it.
But I'm not a quitter, so I stuck with it and I am really glad I did.

It had a very "Frozen/Elsa" vibe in the beginning, but as they explained the curse and the characters became more...character-y, I really started to dig what was happening.

I'm here for this one.
You should read it too.

It's filled with curses and family and love and betrayal.

You know, all the things you want in your YA fantasy.

Sorry, this is late! I never received an email saying I was approved!

I requested this on a whim but it disappointed me. I wanted to stop reading so many times because it was boring and was not interesting to me at all.

A princess is cursed to be poisonous to the touch. She spends her life hidden away to protect others and herself. A prisoner tells her that they can break the curse so she begins to question everything. Based on Persian folklore Melissa Bashandoust builds a vivid world that you instantly fall in love with.

I really like the interactions between her and the guards. All of the characters are complex, even those you don't see very often which makes the world built super exciting to explore. The imagery is connected to the poison which is really cool. My favorite thing about the story is that tension just keeps building. It isn't a slow burn either. You just feel like things keep getting worse and worse and something is going to break soon.

4 stars.

Overall very solid -- this book packed a lot into its relatively low page count, and often it felt fairly rushed as a result. I genuinely think this could easily have been a duology is Bashardoust had been so inclined and still not felt like it was lacking plot. All the same, there were a lot of elements I particularly loved -- Parvaneh was delightful, and Soraya's internal conflict remained interesting throughout, which made the conclusion satisfying.

This book was relatively interesting. It introduces some common tropes but then spins them on their head. I enjoyed the surprises that came with that. Even better, this book is a standalone! We all need a few of those on our bookshelves and this one definitely delivers. I would recommend this to any one who loves a good fairy tale with some extra spice.

I really enjoyed the narration of this book and was quickly drawn into the story. I enjoyed this book up until about 70% of the way through, when I started to get really annoyed with the main characters wishy-washy attitude. I also would have liked to see more between Soraya and Parveneh in regards to their friendship/relationship. There is so much happening in this book and I wish that it had been split into 2 or possibly even 3 books, so that the plot could have slowly grown rather then been rushed in the end.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The character development was subtle in a myriad of ways, and the plot moves along quickly enough to keep interest. I could have used a little more expansion around the ending of the book, but on the whole found the experience very enjoyable.

Thank you Net Galley for this audio book.

This tale was more dark and unexpected. The main character seemed a bit more relatable- in the sense that she wasn't perfect. Mistakes were made- some being big ones with far reaching effects. She was a girl who wasn't going to let fate decide her future- she rescued herself.

This would be a very interesting book to make into a movie- heres to hoping.

I was super excited about this one when I requested, and while I've started the audiobook and so far have enjoyed it, I am way late in reviewing and finishing it to begin with. Unfortunately, quarantine has sent my reading habits spinning and I've been busy with a job change and moving houses, and I have not been able to get into the proper headspace to read YA Fantasy. So this review will be incomplete until I do finish this one. I will say, this boo is rich, DIVERSE, and engaging. I'm only about a fourth in and I know this one will not be DNF'd, I do want to finish it and plan to before the year is up!

Thank you for the free audio copy of Girl, Serpent, Thorn.

The narration was very good. The voice, was clear and well suited for the character. The narrator did a good job of creating a setting for the book. Unfortunately I did not enjoy the story and decided not to finish the book. I stopped at about 30%.

A devastatingly beautiful tale of the monster within.
Bashardoust created a stunning world filled magnificently flawed and interesting characters. This story wonderfully deals with themes of home, love, acceptance, selfishness, and the darkness that lurks within us all.
Soraya shines through this story. She has a beautiful character arc that was absolutely marvelous. Her growth and development throughout the story was insightfully done and truly inspiring. Soraya is often painted as an antagonist by most of the characters of the story but for me she was mostly victim. Her isolation and family issues led to many of her mistakes but I felt all of her choices were warranted given the information she had. Soraya’s inner conflict is one of the core aspects of the story. Who is she deep down? Monster or princess?
I love the style in which this story was told. Bashardoust masterfully weaved a darker atmosphere that fit so perfectly. This monstrous tale is overall a pretty grim story and I loved how it leaned into it rather than shying away. I loved how even with the heavy atmosphere, hope was always glimmering just out of sight.
The world building is awe-inspiring. Bashardoust has created a gorgeous world with fascinating lore and creatures that I couldn’t get enough of. I hope she creates more stories in this world in the future.
There are two love stories in this story and both were interesting and artfully done, showing all of the facets of Soraya and helping her become who she is meant to be.
The audio is phenomenal. Nikki Massoud does an outstanding job bringing these characters to life. I loved her voice and pronunciation. She has great range going from silky to smoky as needed. Massoud was an excellent choice for this story.
Ultimately I felt this is a story of acceptance and identity, and I loved the method with which it was told. An all around extraordinary read.