Juniper and Thorn is a book you won't be able to put down. It's darkness draws you in and grips you, not letting go until the last page. I haven't read a book this fast in ages.

I haven't read Ava's other book, but I fell in love with the writing style. I think it was the main reason I could not put the book down.

This book is dark and disturbing and will definitely make you uncomfortable. But I also think it speaks a truth that may be difficult to put to words for a lot of people. Just like Marlinchen aches for answers, I think her story also brings to light the truth for so many survivors of abuse.

You ever love/hate a book because you feel attacked, but also relate, and hate that you relate, but also it puts words to your experiences and makes you feel Seen. This book did that. It left me with so much to think about, especially with how girls are sexualized from a young age and how this affects them throughout their childhood and into their adulthood. But what I appreciated the most was the commentary on emotional abuse and manipulation...of taking someone's innocence and naiveté and using it for your own purposes, and them blaming them for being silent and passive as a result. Of creating a picture of a world/life that is dangerous to keep someone scared and submissive. This book did that and I'm still a little shocked and at a loss for words.

While aspects of this book are disturbing and difficult to read, I am glad I went into this openminded and aware of different experiences and reactions to those experiences. In a way, it helps you understand your own ugly and dark thoughts better, and maybe makes you feel less alone.

5/5 stars. I am excited to pick up Ava's other book now.

“Juniper & Thorn” is a very loose retelling of a German fairy tale originally called “The Juniper Tree” (it’s also sometimes known as “The Almond Tree”). It was sanitized somewhat by those pesky Grimm Brothers once they picked it up and put it in their collection, but the very loose roots of this wonderful new adult (NOT young adult) dark fantasy (at times it verges close to horror fantasy but doesn’t quite get there in whole) Ava Reid has written come from a much simpler but no less horrific story involving a vengeful parent, a juniper tree, a dead child, a bird transformation, and a girl named Marlinchen. Ava Reid took the seeds (pardon the nature pun) of that story and crafted a gaslamp fantasy set in the same world of her book “The Wolf and the Woodsman” (AKA - Eastern Europe, the Caucasus Region, and Russia) that hooked me immediately, reeled me in effortlessly, and kept me on the line for the whole ride with no complaints. I was happy to read page after page of this beautifully, lovingly crafted story that brings me the beauty of a person’s first trip to the ballet (I’m a huge fan), mentions the fairy tale of “The Swan Princess”, which is the basis for my favorite ballet, “Swan Lake”, and doesn’t shy away from the darkest parts of fairy tales for the sake of wider audience appeal.

Fairy tales were initially not meant to serve as stories to entertain small children to the tune of “... and they lived happily ever after”. After all, fairies themselves weren’t considered to be good or evil. They just were. And they possessed an extreme amount of power. Fairy tales were stories meant to serve as warnings to small children about the evils and trials the world outside might put them through. They were cautionary tales. Tolkien once argued that if you were going to keep the dark parts of fairy tales from children then you shouldn’t tell them the tale at all. Do I think my 7 year-old nephew needs to hear about ritualistic cannibalism? Nope. Do I think he’d think it’s wicked cool? Right now, yeah. He’s at that age. But my niece at 7? She would’ve been terrified. That’s why I love these fairy tale and folklore retellings by authors like Ava Reid and Hannah Whitten (among others): they do their research into those original tales and the permutations of them over time, collate and matrix the tales to find out where they differ and where they’re the same, find out what works and what doesn’t so they can sort the wheat from the chaff, and then they put their own spin on the distillation of the tale. It’s the fruits of literary phylogeny.

Throughout all this meticulous storycraft, Reid’s wonderful prose shines like a diamond. She has a fantastic eye for setting a scene without lapsing into being overly descriptive. She gives us just enough of a visual outline that we can fill the rest in easily with our minds. She keeps our senses engaged: smells, tastes, colors, textures, awareness of how the body looks and moves are all kept in mind and used as part of the story in a way that reminds me a bit of Erin Morgenstern. Best of all, Reid uses her plot devices to deliver the exposition instead of using the characters themselves. This accomplishes my favorite thing: showing and not telling us what’s going on. That’s true literary magic right there.

I highly recommend it. It’s dark, violent, fantastical, romantic, tragic, whimsical, crude, and may even trigger some readers. But it’s also magical in word and deed.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for granting me early access to this title in exchange for a fair and honest review.

“Don’t you see? You can take my heart and liver; split open my belly and eat what’s inside. I would sooner bear it than lose you to those who would call you plain-faced, who makes you kneel and kiss their feet. Do not leave me alone. Do not leave me to lick my wounds like a dog before it’s put down. Do not look at the truth of me and then look away. Please, Marlinchen.” Wow. Happy Pub Day to Juniper & Thorn! I saw one of my friends say this was her favorite book of the year (shoutout, Jess!) so I was super excited to get into it and it did not disappoint! I loved that it was fairytale-like but still dark. I loved the characters. I loved that it left me thinking. I really feel like while this isn't realistic fiction that it will resonate with a lot of readers and make them feel things. I don't have much else to say without spoiling it so take my advice and read Juniper & Thorn!

Now I *know* I need to read The Wolf and the Woodsman.

*3.5/5*
Ava Reid’s prose is absolutely amazing within Juniper & Thorn. I loved Reid used imagery within this book, it really allowed me to picture some of the scenes. This is the first book I’ve read by this author and it did not disappoint. This book’s synopsis definitely describes the book perfectly. This dark retelling of “The Juniper Tree” was done spectacularly well.

However, this will only be rated 3.5 stars due to the over-sexualization within this book. It just wasn’t for me. Not only are characters being over-sexualized, this book also features incest, sexual assault, eating disorders, and many, many more trigger warnings. I definitely feel that any book that features things like this should have the proper trigger warning placed in the description. I understand that many will say that it’s the readers job to look them up before reading/buying, but authors should place them in the description.

This book is definitely for an adult audience, so I would not recommend for younger readers. With that being said, I did like this book. I do encourage everyone to at least give this book a try. It was an amazing story, but overall wasn’t my personal favorite.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All opinions are my own.

I was extensively warned going into Juniper and Thorn to take the content warnings seriously. There is no denying that this book is brutal and horrifying. And yet the darkness was delivered in a much more subtle and lyrical way than I was expecting. And this almost makes it more disturbing. Because it is not violent war and clear crimes, but subtle manipulation, mind games, and horrifying truths hidden behind bias and fear.

It is so clear that every sentence of this book was carefully chosen with enchanting lines that don't pull their punches. This is an incredibly well-crafted book. I have never read anything like this book and I don't think I ever will again. Juniper and Thorn delivers what it promises—a horror fantasy retelling of The Juniper Tree.

My one tiny critique—a critique so minor and unique to me that I can't take any points away from the book—is that I saw the plot twist coming a mile away. Almost from the first hint, I guessed the shock at the end. For the most part, this did not detract from my enjoyment of the story. I was thoroughly enchanted and horrified the entire time. Knowing the truth even made me appreciate some of the lines even more. However, the time Marlinchen spent at the end accusing her father and struggling to accept the truth dragged for me. It is also possible that the twist was not meant to shock the reader. Maybe Reid wanted us to observe Marlinchen with that additional layer of knowledge.

Take the content warnings seriously. I know everyone on TikTok is raving about this book, but it is not for everyone. But if the darkness of Juniper and Thorn catches your attention, I cannot recommend it enough.

Juniper & Thorn is a haunting and folkloric tale that grapples with themes of trauma and abuse while building up a darkly alluring romance.

Content Warnings: abuse, alcoholism, animal cruelty, antisemitism, blood, body horror, cannibalism, eating disorder, emotional abuse, gaslighting, gore, murder, racism, self-harm and self-harm ideation, sexual assault, sexual content, pedophilia, vomit, xenophobia

*Feel free to let me know if anything else should be added to the content warnings, as it’s very likely I could have forgotten something!

Generally, I tack content warnings onto the end of my reviews, however given how dark and graphic this story is, I thought it would be best to start with those! Don’t get me wrong, the author approached the topics explored with care, however it was dark enough that even I got squeamish (which is very rare for me). Please be careful going into this story as there are very graphic depictions of blood and gore, cannibalism, disordered eating, emotional abuse, and vomit, and many of the other CWs I listed are also very present throughout the book.

Now that that’s out of the way, onto the rest of my review!

Actual Rating: 3.5

Ava Reid masterfully depicts a slavic inspired fantasy in Juniper & Thorn (and it’s to my knowledge that it takes place within the same universe as The Wolf and the Woodsman, although I have yet to read that). The worldbuilding was lush and the atmosphere pulled me in from the very first chapter. The dark atmosphere of Reid’s writing alone is almost enough to make me pick up The Wolf and the Woodsman!

All of the protagonists introduced had a ton of trauma, and their trauma is a heavy theme throughout the story (see CWs). They all dealt with (or didn’t deal with) it in different ways, and their experiences were all so incredibly complex, but they were also handled with care. One of the main reasons I didn’t give this story a full 4 stars is that, although I felt for them and wanted them to come out on top, I ultimately didn’t find myself being incredibly enamored with any of the leads.

The other reason I didn’t give this a full 4 was because of the sexual content. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love love love exploring themes of sexuality in stories, whether it’s through fantasy or romance or erotica. That being said, the way it was explored in this story just… didn’t hit any of the right notes for me. From the very first chapter, the main character is lusting over the love interest, and normally I don’t have a problem with insta-love/insta-lust, but the way it was written felt very objectifying. People joke about how horribly men write women, but this almost read as the opposite end of the spectrum, and it was very off-putting for me. There were also a few points where something very dark or serious would be happening, only for it to cut to Marlinchen’s thoughts being about the love interest’s body and or sex–and there was also a random sex scene in the middle of an otherwise very tense moment, which just completely threw me out of the story for a moment. There was also quite a bit of sexual descriptions of Marlinchen’s sisters, which was uncomfortable to read, and there were a few points where it felt almost borderline incesty.

Overall, Ava Reid crafted a great horror story, filled with dark characters and an alluring romance (although I could have done without some of those descriptions). For fans of dark fantasy and slavic inspired worldbuilding, I would definitely recommend this. I loved the world building and the tense atmosphere, there were just a few spots that didn’t hit the right notes for me personally.

This is a glorious dark tale that looks at the relationship between a father and his three daughters. It takes the original tale, the Juniper Tree, and expands upon the struggles with abuse and one's own place in the world. I enjoyed the main character's struggle with her own appearance and worth when faced with the continued conflicting opinions her family gives her. The magic is easy to follow, though occasionally the main's character's own power limitations are a little unclear.
I highly recommend it for anyone willing to look at the darker side of folktales.

I really wanted to love this book because this was a fairytale sett in Russia. The writing is very beautiful and filled with lush descriptions. However, there were many dark and graphic that really made uncomfortable. Still, I recommend this for fans of fairytales!

Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid has been one of my favourite books of the year! I really adored her book previous book The Wolf & The Woodsman, but Juniper & Thorn blew me away. It encapsulates the darkness of the Grimm fairytale that it is based of off so well. The Juniper Tree is one the more disturbing fairytales and it was so beautifully re-told by Reid.

The story is horrifying and the storytelling is breathtaking. I know I will return again and again to this book.

This is excellent for fans of The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden.

Quotes
“If there was power in keeping a secret, surely there was power in revealing it too.”

Quick thoughts
This is a gothic horror retelling of the Juniper Tree. I have not read that fairytale so this was all new to me. After loving The Wolf and the Woodsman by this author I knew I had to read this as well. This book is character driven and is a bit of a slower read. However, the story is so atmospheric and the setting is so well done that I found no problem being sucked into the story and forgetting that I was reading. In true fairytale fashion this was gruesome and uncomfortable to read at times. I would recommend checking CW/TW before picking this book up but if you enjoy retellings with darker elements definitely look into this.

Ava Reid's sophomore title is a gothic horror dripping with spine-tingling intrigue and gut-wrenching angst. It beautifully explores the trauma of its characters with unflinching honesty and submerges you into the anguish of the experience by prioritizing authenticity over comfort. The prose are direct but beautiful, with every word being intentional to push the story and emotional arc forward while reminding you at every turn that gothic horror can take many forms, and the most monstrous things out there not always monsters on sight.

Juniper and Thorn is a Bluebeard retelling following his three daughters but most specifically, Marlinchen. The three daughters who also happen to be witches leave their father behind in secret to visit the ballet where Marlinchen meets a ballet dancer who she falls in love with. At the same time their father forbids them from leaving his estate and she must protect her ballet dancer from trying to find her.

It’s chock full of fairytale mystique and touches on several Slavic fairytales but still has a mentions of modern life. I absolutely loved the world the author has created. It’s dark but also with bits of light and happiness thrown in. Marlinchen’s character arc is beautifully done as she figures out her place in the world and the strength she has in her own body. Her love story with her ballet dancer is also well paced and it’s never assumed that she’s going to be kissed and turned into a beautiful princess like the stories she grew up with and it’s shown that that is okay.

Overall I would definitely recommend this book to someone who enjoys dark fairy tales!

Ava Reid does it again! If you were like me, you loved The Wolf and the Woodsman then get ready to love Juniper & Thorn too. This is has cemented Ava Reid as one of my favorite authors.

I was a big fan of The Wolf and the Woodsman, so I am bummed to say that this book and I just did not get along as well.

I actually genuinely enjoyed the story and I felt that the characters were really well done, but the writing bogged this book down for me and made it tough to get through. I am sure there are readers who will love the style, but in my very humble and I promise well-meaning opinion- this book was very overwritten. Simile after metaphor after simile after metaphor. They definitely contribute *vibes* and some of them were really cool comparisons, but there were just SO MANY- one after the other after the other. I think this book needed a stronger edit.

I still stan Ava Reid and love what they're doing for the industry, and I will most likely read whatever they put out next- but Juniper & Thorn was just too much for me!

Thanks so much for the review copy.

Unfortunately, when I requested this book, I had more time but some things changed, and I have not had the chance to read this book, and will unfortunately have to skip reviewing it.

Really good dark retelling/inspired by the juniper tree. The monster in this reminded me of foul lady fortune but still felt really original. This follows Marlinchen and her two siblings who live with an abusive father. They take her with them one night into the city and she sneaks back out to see a dancer which gets them all in trouble. I really liked the romance in this book and the setting! Marlinchen can be a bit frustrating at first but it's beautiful to watch her eventually grow and free herself. TW for eating disorder, gore, murder, abuse.

Sister stories always get to me. And Juniper & Thorn is no exception. The relationship Marlinchen has with hers is complex, difficult, and full of resentment. There are moments of care and love interspersed, but it's largely an element that merely explores the themes of family. Because for Marlinchen, what she wants versus what her family expects of her is one of the central themes. To figure out who she is apart from them. If she were to stand alone, is explored within Juniper & Thorn and one of the main reasons I loved it.

Another theme that resonated with me, is this idea of monstrous girls. Of the insidious ways girls are seen as monstrous. When they don't conform to what society wants from them, or what men want from them. Or when they disobey their family, follow their dreams with abandon. All the way to Marlinchen and what it means to be a magical girl and how 'monstrous' she is. Don't worry Juniper & Thorn explores it all. And that's why for me, all of a sudden while reading, it just sort of clicked.

Juniper and Thorn follows Marlinchen as she discovers secrets about her family, her city, and herself. Marlinchen and her sister are witches and their father is a wizard, but he is very strict and controlling. After Marlinchen and her sisters sneak out one night, Marlinchen falls in love with a ballet dancer. She has to find a way to have a happy ending with him and stand up to her father.

I was disappointed by this book. The writing was good and the story was just interesting enough to keep me reading, as I wanted to know what was really going on. But the story was way more graphic and sexualized than I expected. There should have been trigger warnings at the beginning, as I may not have read the whole book. It's definitely a gothic horror story and deals with some very heavy topics. It's very dark and I found myself skimming over graphic content several times.

1. I never want to read the word “varenyky” again.

2. This might have been a fair-ish 3⭐️ if it wasn’t such a complete trauma parade. Apparently I missed the author’s content warnings on GR and definitely didn’t see any on NetGalley and this book is beyond awash with every trigger under the sun, one of which really blindsided me in the moment. Please seek these out (or see below) if you need/appreciate trigger or content warnings.

3. Aside from the difficult and often times just gross subject matter, I was fine with the romance unlike many reviews that took issue with the triggering content. I’m not opposed to insta-love on principle, though of course it works better for me some times than others. Throw these two poor trauma babies together, and what do you expect? I think one of Marlinchen’s sisters hits the nail on the head when she says that Marlinchen has never been anywhere or seen anything, of course she falls in love with the first beautiful person she sees. Whatever, good stories are built on less. Sevas was sweet, and I didn’t begrudge them their love or peace, even while not totally liking Marlinchen in general.

4. This is my first Ava Reid and while her prose was overall lovely, the pacing and plot elements were clunky for me, especially with the monster storyline. I felt like Marlinchen’s memory gaps were too obvious and the incidents - especially the bookend ones - were too far apart to aid the flow of the story. Can’t say this makes me want to pick up another one of her books.

CW: pedophilia, sexual abuse, rape, sex trafficking, emotional abuse, gaslighting, disordered eating / bulimia, gore, body horror, cannibalism, antisemitism, racism

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC of this book.

This book was, at times, very difficult to read but in a cathartic way. Brutal and unrelenting. The exploration of abuse and survival are incredible. I'll be thinking about this book and it's characters for a long, long time.