I really enjoyed this novel and was excited that this book was so well written and interesting. I adored Girls Made of Snow and Glass. This was another retelling, so naturally I had to read it!

I thoroughly enjoyed Soraya and her curse was so interesting. In fact, her whole story arc is well written and you feel as if you are inside of her head. She is constantly torn between princess and demon, and what type of person she is and wants to be. There is a love triangle In this book, which I typically hate, but damn this one was so well written and didn’t annoy me.

I think the only downside to this book is that there tended to be a lot of exposition and at times I felt like I was being dragged along. It wasn’t often, but enough to be bothersome.

This author has easily become an instant buy for me.

The narration was very easy to follow along, though I did have some trouble keeping up with the characters at some points in the story. I do wish that I knew more about the world Soraya and why people acted the way they did. I just wished there was more and it was a little longer. I did really enjoy the characters even if I hated some. They made the story more interesting and I will be picking up a physical copy of this book very soon.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Girl Serpent Thorn was so wonderful to listen to! It tells the story of a young princess named Soraya who is cursed to be poisonous to the touch and begins to discover what power might lie in such a curse.

This book had great character development who each had their own past with decisions that revealed their humanity. Their gray morality made the plot and relationships very interesting!

In regards to relationships, I was really happy to see a bisexual main character with a F/F romance! I enjoyed that it wasn’t made to be the center of the story but was a lovely addition that furthered the development of each character and the plot and still allowed for Soraya to be independent.

The book had a well-paced plot (not too quick and not too slow) but seemed as though it almost should have been divided up into multiple books. The direction in which the plot was driven changed at various points that would have I believe may have benefited by splitting it up.

I thought the world building was really well done! The usage of modern and ancient Persian words, myths, and traditions really helped to create a very fleshed out world that was quite captivating. The authors note at the end really helped me appreciate all the time, care, and research that was taken and done to create this world.

As far as the actual features of the audiobook, the narrator was good with expressing emotions and distinguishing characters (for the most part). My main complaint comes with how the narrator voiced the dieves. They often made their voice much quieter, almost a whisper at points, and while that helped to distinguish character types and create an atmosphere it made it difficult to listen to. I would have to turn up the volume to hear the voices clearly but then get blasted by the narration once they switched back to the main scene. This was particularly a problem when I was listening while driving.

Overall, I would recommend reading this book as it a fun read that took me on an adventure and had me loving the characters and their development! The audiobook for the most part was nice to listen to, although I do recommend doing so with headphones :)

Thank you Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for giving me an audio copy of this book for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When I picked up this book all that I knew about it was that it was a YA fantasy inspired by Persian mythology and a Rappaccini's Daughter retelling. I was sold by that concept alone. Oh and it's a standalone. I had not read anything by this author before so I was amazed at the beautifully enchanting writing of this book. This book was very atmospheric, I had no issues imagining every aspect of the story.

This is the story of Soraya, a girl that was cursed as a baby to be poisonous. The only living thing that she can interact with is flowers. I found Soraya to be a very frustrating character due to her making a lot of really bad decisions and could be very naive; however, what do you expect from someone that was forced to hide away with little to no interaction for her entire life.

The heart of this story is Soraya’s journey of self-love and acceptance. Soraya has spent her life not liking herself due to the way that she is. During this story she is able to see that what made her so different is also what makes her special. Which is a wonderful theme for a YA book.

I really enjoyed the narrator of this book. The way that she read the story pulled me in. She was able create the voices that seemed to fit each character.

Disclaimer: I received this audiobook download from Macmillan Audio. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Girl, Serpent, Thorn

Author: Melissa Bashardoust

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: f/f romance, bisexual main character

Recommended For...: fantasy, mythology, Persian tales, fairytales

Publication Date: July 7, 2020

Genre: YA Fantasy

Recommended Age: 16+ (romance, violence, gore, poison, kidnapping TW)

Publisher: Flatiron Books

Pages: 336

Synopsis: 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.

Review: Oh my goodness I absolutely loved this book! The voice narration was spectacular and I loved how the narrator changed her voice for the different characters. It felt very much like sitting down around a fire and being told a campfire story. The characters were well detailed. The world building was amazing and I loved the bits of fairytales and Persian tales weaved into this unique story! The writing was well done and the twists and turns kept me at the edge of my seat as I listened in agony to what would happen to Soraya!

The only thing I had to fault the book on was that I thought the book could have been a bit longer or perhaps two stories instead of one. The book does well to give you the story, but there’s a lot of scene changes and flipping between different places that it takes a bit to orient yourself.

Verdict: I highly recommend this!

I listened the audiobook for Girl, Serpent, Thorn, and I high recommend it. The audio had a special effect that made everything seem a bit creepy. It was a nice addition to a story about demons.

This story is about a girl, Soraya, who was born with cursed skin, so that if she touched anything living it would die. We follow Soraya as she deals with her curse, finds out about her past, finds love, and toes the line between heroine and villain.

The story is based on Persian folklore.

I received this audiobook from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Actual rating is 3.5 stars. I enjoyed the story line and the characters (who had such lovely sounding names!). What I was not certain about at first was the narrator's voice. She did not seem like she would be a good fit at first for this type of story, but as the characters came in and she added accents, she ended up being brilliant for this role! Each character had a distinctive voice that was easily recognizable and the accents brought the characters to life. The story moved at a good pace and kept going without too many spots where the story was in danger of dragging. It was a combination of quite a few fairy tales and it was not easy at times to always pick out where everything came from, which is what I like to see in a retelling. I do not want to give anything away to those who have not had the chance yet to read it, but it is definitely a story to check out and read when you have a chance. There is so much growth with not only the main, but all of the characters as well. They do not feel two dimensional and it is not your typical YA novel with the cookie-cutter plot. There are beautiful gardens, a poisonous princess, secrets, lies, stories, battles, good guys who are bad and vice versa. It's simply brilliant!

Bashardoust is a master of retelling fairy tales that I've never heard of. Persian tales are so enchanting and magical, and her words are gold thread.

Cursed at birth by her mother, Soraya remains separated from her twin and the rest of society because of that curse. Her flesh is poisoned and anyone who touches her will die. She longs to be a part of society, a family that truly loves her, or just part of a couple - friends or more doesn't matter.

A dream/nightmare she has had since she was a child, ultimately comes to fruition as a young man enters her life and gives her the care and concern she has yearned for her whole life. He doesn't expect her to continue to hide in the tunnels within the walls of the castle or remain as an unseen presence in society. Her desire to rid herself from her curse ultimately compromises her family's safety and that of the entire kingdom.

The story was engaging and seemed to be an Asian influence twist on common fairy tales. The audiobook was pleasant to listen to after the first couple of chapters. The narrator spoke very quietly during the first couple of chapters when it was dialog between characters, which caused me to strain to listen or up the volume and then be blasted when she was narrating the story. She might have used the difference in volume to show the meek, timid Soraya in the beginning and then the progress towards confidence as the story progressed. I enjoyed the story and plan on recommending it to my young adult patrons.

**“There was and there was not, she reminds herself. It’s just a story. The daughter wants to crawl onto her mother’s lap and lay her head against her mother’s chest, but she doesn’t. She never does. it’s not just a story.”**

Before we even get into whats inside the book, I think its imperitive that we give its cover the credit it deserves. The cover of Girl, Serpent, Thorn is absolutely stunning! Easily one of the most INSTA-ready covers I have seen in 2020.

Girl, Serpent, Thorn is a captivating and original fairy tale about a girl cursed to be poisonous to the touch. Soraya is cursed with a deadly touch and thus spends most of her life in isolation. In attempt to become "normal" she seeks to abolish her curse, but the consequences of doing so just may tear her family apart.

"She had read enough stories to know that the princess and the monster were never the same. She had been alone long enough to know which one she was."

There are many other characters is this story and the character development and world building is terrific, albeit some of the relationships were a bit rushed. I wanted more from Soraya and Parvaneh, their romance was honestly one of my favorite parts and I was sad it didnt recieve more attention. The narration was done by Nikki Massoud and she did an outstanding job. Through Melissas words and Nikkis voice I was transported into this dark fairytale and I wasnt ready to leave....

At the end of the book, Melissa wrote an author’s note which explained her inspirations for writing Girl, Serpent, Thorn. She speaks alot about the Persian mythology and terminology, which I found both fascinating and enlightening.

I recieved a digital copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Hello Gemmies! I have an exciting book review to share with you today. Please note: I received an audiobook ARC of this book (via NetGalley) from its publisher in exchange for an honest and fair review.

Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust is a new YA fantasy fairytale. With influences from Persian mythology and Sleeping Beauty, Girl, Serpent, Thorn felt very fresh and new. It was so much more than I expected. This story was unexpected and captivating, full of twists, turns, action, magic, and morally grey characters. The world building is eloquent, lush, descriptive and full of rich culture. I found myself quickly immersed in it. The plot was also well done, with so many layers that allowed the past to connect to the present in a seamless and elegant way.

Girl, Serpent, Thorn is also a well written character driven story with a diverse cast of characters that I found to be dynamic and complex. I mentioned before all the characters were morally grey and it is true. It is hard to tell who is "good" or "bad" at times and you will be kept guessing all the way until the end. There are three main characters that I really loved...Soraya, Azad, and Parvenah. Soraya's character arc in particular was amazing. She's a princess but she is also a victim, and a monster. All of those qualities are what I think made her so relatable. This is very much a story about accepting yourself, flaws and all. And the struggles we face when trying to find our purpose in life. There are also themes of family, revenge, love, grief, and betrayal.

Girl, Serpent, Thorn is narrated by one person Nikki Massoud. Nikki does a fantastic job of voicing each character. She is able to provide each with a distinct voice and personality. This is especially true with Soraya who needed a touch of naivete to make her character's plight believable. Nikki also did a fabulous job with the pronunciation of the words derived from the various Persian dialects. Everything felt very authentic. The narration is done at a great pace, it never feels too slow or too fast. Nikki Massoud was the perfect person to narrate this story!

If you are a fan of dark fairytales, love triangles, flawed heroines, betrayal, themes of light and dark, and diverse feminist stories, then go read this book! This gem published by Macmillion Audio is available for purchase from all major booksellers. I give Girl, Serpent, Thorn 4 out of 5 gems. Happy Reading!

Sometimes you come across a book that immerses you so fully from the very beginning that you get lost in the story until the end. This was how Girl, Serpent, Thorn was for me. Full disclosure, I listened to the audiobook rather than read the book. The narration was fantastic, but the story was what captivated me.

First, I would like to acknowledge that the author did a phenomenal job of presenting a diverse culture. She allowed the reader to be invited into this world without explaining what should be understood about this land and its people. She allowed the reader to draw from the references the societal importance of certain things and allowed us to learn by viewing the events through the eyes of the main character. I believe she accomplished her goal and it provided for an exciting and illustrious adventure for the reader.

I do not want to provide the synopsis because I want you to have to opportunity to experience this book in the same fashion, without knowing what is around the next bend. I'm looking forward to many more exciting reads from Melissa Bashardoust.

This was my first book by the author and after hearing a lot of hype about this and her previous book I was excited to listen to the audiobook. In the end I felt like it was just ok and I had a hard time getting into it and often found myself drifting and having to backtrack. I’m not sure what it was about this one that I didn’t love since it had all the elements I usually love in a book based off of fairytale/folklore so maybe it was just my mood more than anything.

This is an odd one, because the best way I can describe this book is half-baked.

It has all the ingredients, the recipe was followed, but it need something extra or needed more time to cook for it to be perfect. Because although this story has so many promising starts and ideas, it just wasn’t there to make it different.

Inspired by Persian mythology, the story follows Soraya, who is cursed with a poisonous touch. She is an interesting and complex character, and I totally understood her feelings. She’s the Sleeping Beauty of the story, and it was interesting to see the tale in a new setting. I’m a sucker for the curse trope, so it was the main drawing point, as well as a mythical elements. It’s a nice break from the usual popular Greek and Norse myths being used as inspiration.

While this was good, there are a lot that I wanted more from. It could’ve benefitted from a slower pace, and spent more time taking in the world. I never got a good picture of what was going on because we kept racing through the plot. It could’ve done well to develop the characters more, too. They didn’t have much depth.

One of the drawing points of the novel is the lesbian relationship between our leads, but I didn’t buy their relationship. It came out of nowhere and had no build up for me to be invested. I liked them as individual characters, but the minute they became a couple didn’t hook me when their entire romantic relationship felt tacked on. It didn’t help how I thought Soraya’s antagonistic rivalry with Azad had more emotional depth in comparison, even though his character was annoying at times.

Overall, this is a great premise but lacked the spark. The idea carried it, but it all felt too surface level to be amazing.

I loved the narrator. She brought the story to life, and helped to immerse me into the world and characters.

Give me a fairy tale that I haven't heard before that's steeped in culture any day! I loved all of the Persian vocabulary and folklore in this book. Since I was unfamiliar with the stories being retold, there were several plot points in this book that I should have seen coming but didn't. I also usually get bored in the action sequences leading up to endings, but this one held my attention all the way through. This was the right book at the right time for me.

Solid start to my love for audiobooks! This is an amazing story that really shows that sometimes just because they are your parents doesn't mean they always know the best. Things don't go the right way Soraya and she has to live with something her mother unknowingly did to her and has to hide away from the world. Knowing you can't fall in love because you can't touch anything has to be a hard way to live. The narrator does an amazing job conveying the story and she really gives Soraya an amazing voice. It was nice to listen to and an amazing story!

WOW. I'm not usually one for Young Adult books but this premise sounded intriguing enough that I decided to give it a try. I actually also got a hard copy from my library and started reading it that way first. The book was good and grabbed my attention right away but the audiobook was GREAT! It was so helpful to hear the correct pronunciations of words/characters I'm unfamiliar with. Fast paced, kept you guessing, a heroine you're rooting for the whole way through.

Also, probably my favorite cover of the year. Just gorgeous.

Thought this story about Soraya, the princess with the poisonous touch was really original. The story flowed well and the narrator of this book was great. Pacing of the tale kept me hooked and the tangled relationships were the true star of this story. Will look forward to more from this author in the future.

This book was received as an ARC from Macmillan Audio - Macmillan Young Listeners in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I have read the book a while ago and loved every single page due to the compelling story of the curse of the Shah's first born with the touch of skin, she is poisoned. Now, with the audiobook and the voice of Nikki Massoud, the story came to life like no other. Nikki really was enthusiastic in her storytelling and brought the characters to life in a way that nobody else could. This would be perfect to listen to coming home from a road trip or waiting in a doctor's office due to being taken away inside.

We will consider adding this title to our Audiobook collection at the library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

I didn’t have to debate too long on how many stars I want to give this read. It’s actually 2 1/2 stars rounded up. I just didn’t get into this one for some reason. I didn’t care about the characters at all. And when the one interesting moment started happening, it stopped short and never resumed. The whole thing felt pretty meh to me.

I also wasn’t fond of Soraya. She was too pliable and bent easily to think what others thought. So she didn’t have like a solid personality. And when her moment came to be the heroine, it was just really flat. I didn’t even hate those who were supposed to be enemies. Parvaneh was interesting, but Soraya seemed to suck up all her good energy and then meh.

The emotions were just lacking in this one, which is pretty disappointing considering it’s got such a beautiful cover!!! I know, don’t just a book by its cover and all... but it’s so pretty. 🥺🥺🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️😂🤣

One thing that oddly sort of bothered me at the end, ********spoiler alert*******so she got thorns and had two rows of them on her cheeks. Ok, sure, but then she kissed Parvaneh... I’m no expert, but I feel like the rows of deathly poisonous thorns would interfere with that... *********spoiler over******** oh well, it’s not that big of a deal considering it just fell flat for me anyway.

I’m sure I must be in the minority for not loving this and that’s fine. I just can’t personally recommend this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan for proving me with a copy of this audiobook for my honest and unbiased opinion.