I’m always sad when I have to say I don’t like something, because I only select books I want to love and when the synopsis sounds amazing, but the story let’s it down I’m sad of what could have been , thecharacters weren’t likeable at all and I really wouldn’t recommend this to anyone, the emotional abuse involved alone put me off, not for me

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Rating: 2/5
I received an eARC for my honest opinion.

When I read the synopsis, I thought this would be a great book, I loved the fantasy, with witches, LGBT, and so much more but it was lacking. I thought the magic system was interesting and loved the foreboding feeling that something bad was going to happen. For me it was the pace of the book, it was really slow and all the back and forth from Maude was a child with Odette to her obsession with Odette afterwards. I didn’t mind her wanting to find her best friend/maybe love but it was how it was handled in the book that I did not like.

I know a lot of people thought this was a wonderful book and I hope that others will give it a try, it just wasn’t for me.

Come for the cover, stay for the story.

Thankfully this book lives up to the lush magical world on the cover, kudos to both author and illustrator.

I think this book is a niche cult classic in the making. What do I mean by that? I think this isn't a "mass market" story. This is a book that, when in the hands of the right audience and the right reader, is going to strike them down with intense emotion and really become their new favorite thing. But I do not think this book is for everyone, and honestly that isn't a critique. Stories shouldn't be blandly packaged to be loved by the widest audience possible.

The writing style is intensely vivid and extremely descriptive. I loved it, personally. I love really seeing and sensing what the characters are experiencing. One of my personal annoyances with some books is when everything is so vague that I have no idea where I am or what the characters are seeing. This book is detailed and immersive; it really describes sensations in a beautiful way, lots of interesting metaphors and unique phrasing. It really felt unique to me and utterly refreshing (a GREAT anecdote to some plainer books I've been reading lately).

The writing style pairs with the story in a mutual harmony. The story is about straying from the path, about going deeper and deeper and darker and darker. It's about pursuit even when you should turn back, even when all your senses feel like something is wrong. The writing and descriptions match this theming.

In short: this book is an EXPERIENCE to read, truly a fairytale in the gothic, Grimm, haunting cautionary tale way. While I did feel meh about a couple of the side characters, and some of the teenage dialogue felt anachronistic to the rest of the descriptive tale, I would recommend this for anyone who loves poetic prose, loves dark fairy tales, and loves feral stories that learn to bite the author back.

I really wanted to like this book. It has everything that I love in a teen fantasy book. Witches, different magic, a curse, twisted fairy tales, and a princess who wants to save the day not a prince. Personally, for me though this book feels super flat. The book overall was super slow, and I lost interest more times than I was sucked in. Maude is good at hyper focusing on one thing in most of the book. Which by the end she realizes that the fantasies she has created in her head are half the reason that they are in the situation they currently are. I will say the end message of embracing your wild nature was a reeding quality, but getting there just took so long. Overall, this book didn’t quite live up to my hopes for it, but I am sure there will be many readers it will resonate better with.
Thank you so much to Random House Children and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.

I thought that the premise for this story was really good but unfortunately the execution for me was lacking. i thought that the story started off strong and i was really interested in the magic system and the setting. i found the characters to be interesting. I had two real issues which i think kept me from really loving this book. The first was the pacing. This book was slow and it just never seemed to pick back up for me. My second issue was the obsession that Maude had for Odette. It really for some reason just really got under my skin after a while. all in all i think that there are alot of people that will really enjoy this story but it just wasn't for me.

The world-building and descriptions in this book are stunningly vivid. The only issue that I have with it was the repetitive reminder about the power of three. By the 5th chapter, I was already in love with this book. I found The Once and Future Witches to be the closest book I’ve read that I can compare it with. If you like the original style of dark fairy tales then I am fairly positive you’ll love A Hunger of Thorns. In my opinion, the synopsis does not fit this book. Elements of it do, but I’ll be honest, I was unprepared for the darkness, the wanting, the obsession.

There is so much about this book and the characters contained within that I would absolutely gush about but I don’t want to spoil their complexity for anyone that hasn’t read this yet. There is personal growth and realizations, even if they hurt and absolutely suck to admit. The same goes for the realizations – some were done by trying to do the best possible while others were just crushing. I thought that the lore around redheads in this book was interesting and I absolutely loved all of the plants! Even if I had to look up several – I just had to know what they looked like because there was a lot I wasn’t familiar with.

"I cry out for every girl who was told to comb her hair and wash the mud from her face. To keep herself contained. To be ashamed of her voice, her hair, her flesh. To be quiet and good and nice. Girls are not nice. Girls are wild and fierce and powerful, and I will not let anyone take that away. Not ever again."

Lili – if you ever happen to read this, please… PLEASE, never stop writing fantasy. To whoever is reading my review of this book – just buy it, it is beautiful, tragic, tortured, and epic. Whatever comes after this – I am in, one hundred percent. I would like to thank TBR & Beyond Tours for the opportunity to be on the tour for this stunning book, Lili Wilkinson for creating something I will have issues ever forgetting & Delacorte Press for publishing this gem. All opinions are wholeheartedly my own.

A modern fairytale with new magic rules.

Lots of adventure and good characters to enjoy in this fantasy.

The magic world wasn’t well described but I kind of picked it up along the way. Without focusing too much on that though, this was a pretty enjoyable read.

Do you ever pick up a book thinking it’s going to be amazing and then realize part way through that the book is good, but not as amazing as you’d thought it would be? That’s kind of what I got with A Hunger of Thorns. Let me explain…

When I first started looking at A Hunger of Thorns, I was pulled in by the description and by the cover. The cover is absolutely gorgeous. I also love the title. But when I started reading the book it just wasn’t quite the book I thought it was going to be.

For one, I don’t like Odette – at all. She just makes me think of an absolutely spoiled brat who has to have her way no matter what. She wants magic and she’s going to get it no matter what. Just not my type of character.

Maude… well, my relationship with her as a character is complicated. I like her, but I also don’t like her. She mentions the loss of her magic quite often. I get that she’s a witch without magic, but I sometimes felt like she mentioned it too often.

I like the world in this book and would like to see more of the world itself. Perhaps with different characters. Although, after reading the ending, I would like to see these characters all grown up. After all, they are teenagers in the book.

The story and plot are great. I just had trouble reading the book and staying with it. I’m wondering if it is a matter of right book, wrong time, because normally if I’m having trouble staying with a book, it is because I don’t like the content of the book. But that wasn’t the case here.

I gave the book 3.5 stars because like I said, the book is good, it just wasn’t my cup of tea – at least right now. Perhaps later I will revisit the book and it will be more to my liking.

I received this book for free as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is so interesting on its take of magic in more modern days. Glamour patches, witches regulated to only being able to make simple potions, big companies taking people magic from them essentially.

I really enjoyed how even though Maude and her childhood best friend were no longer friends, she still goes out of her way to be her hero and save her! The creation of the world in even just the old power plant and how the magic can trick you were absolutely amazing! I loved the character building and how Maude grew over this book! The ending way so amazing I absolutely loved it and would recommend this book to anyone wanting a more modern change to magic worlds!

It is always unfortunate when the synopsis of the book sounds wonderful but the book itself doesn't do it justice. The magic world part was interesting but the characters were toxic ( would not want any young person reading this thinking that this is how friends are suppose to be) and I just didn't want to read anymore so I DNF'ed this one.


Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Not all stories can be fairy tales. Maude has the fortune of growing up in a family with magic. Her childhood friend Odette has not and thirsts for the knowledge Maude has. But magic has broken Maude’s family. The government and schools discourage it and say it must be regulated. They struggle to balance what is safe and not. However, Odette’s passion to know magical secrets and Maude’s willingness to please her friend leads to a fairy tale nightmare. Odette has disappeared, can Maude swoop in and right this story?

This novel had a lot of depth and layers to the role of magic and how it affects our protagonist Maude. This was interesting but confusing at times because the novel is truly about coming of age and finding your true self in the world. The puzzling magic would distract from the growth of story. I enjoyed seeing Maude reflect on her role in her family, school, with friends and even in society as she decides what path to take and assesses who she needs please when making these decisions. I think everyone goes through this processes in their teens and it is very relatable. The fairy tale theme of the novel was a entertaining mode of delivery. 3 stars.

Review based on a digital Advanced Readers Copy provided by Random House Children’s and NetGalley. Thank you!

This is a very interesting story. It relies a bit too heavily on exposition dumps from the characters, but the tension and sense of dark fairy tales come to life help revive it. The magical world and how things work is outside the norm, but in a good way. It needs a healthy dose of "it's just a story, try to relax" around some of the internal logic. If you can do that, you'll have an enjoyable read.

The best part of this book was that it truly is a dark twisted fairytale. The heroine, Maude, is complicated and kind of hard to root for at times but still is compelling. My favorite parts take place when she first enters Sicklehurst on her hunt for Odette and begins to realize how horrifying the place is. The horror elements really worked for me. I really loved all the side characters except for Odette. She was awful to Maude so many times I had a hard time grasping why Maude would still care about her so much.

I had a few issues with lack of explanation and limitations to the magic though. It never felt fully formed. Plus the world it’s set in couldn’t be placed to a time or place within our world. Which can work but I definitely felt very confused through the beginning of the story. The setting within Sicklehurst is so fleshed out but the outer world never felt solid. I just wanted a more concrete sense of place and rules for this magic.

Overall I enjoyed this book. I love a good horrifying fairytale.

Thanks to NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, this was a rough read. I really struggled to get through it. I enjoyed the concept of this story though. I love books that deal with magic and witches, so A Hunger of Thorns caught my attention immediately. However, the reason I rated it so low was because of the characters. They are just so unlikeable. There is so much self-loathing and self-hatred that I could barely stand to keep reading. The fact that this book pretty much centers around an incredibly toxic friendship bothered me so much. It was painful to read. Maude is so attached to Odette that it's almost her identity. She is nothing without Odette and bases all of her actions off of what Odette would want instead of being her own person. Odette is a terrible friend, and proves it early on in the book and yet Maude just won't let her go. The amount of emotional abuse that Odette puts Maude through is just ridiculous and I hated reading it.

This book only got 2 stars because of the fact that I liked the concept/theme.

A Hunger of Thorns by Lili Wilkinson is a captivating, witchy tale that will transport you to a world of forbidden magic and missing girls. The story follows Maude, the daughter of witches, who has lost her own magic and her best friend Odette, who has gone missing. While everyone believes Odette to be dead, Maude believes she can find her inside the ruins of Sicklehurst, an abandoned power plant built over an ancient magical forest.

The world-building in this book is exceptional, and the author has created a world where magic has been reduced to mere glamour patches and psychic energy drinks, and is no longer the powerful force it once was. The contrast between the magical world of Maude's childhood and the bleak world of her adulthood is striking and adds depth to the story.

The characters are also well-developed, and Maude's gift for storytelling is especially noteworthy. Her determination to find her missing friend despite the dangers is inspiring, and her relationship with Odette is touching.

The plot is engaging and full of twists and turns, with a sense of foreboding and danger lurking around every corner. The author's writing style is lyrical and descriptive, and it perfectly complements the eerie and mysterious atmosphere of the book.

Overall, A Hunger of Thorns is a thrilling and enchanting read that will keep you on the edge of your seat. It's perfect for fans of magical realism and dark fairy tales, and it will leave you wanting more. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a well-written, atmospheric, and engaging read.

It was the gorgeous cover of A Hunger of Thorns that caught my eye, but it was the excerpt of Laini Taylor-worthy prose on its Netgalley page that made it a must-read.

And I’m so glad I requested it (and was accepted!) because truly, A Hunger of Thorns is marvellous.

Wilkinson uses lush, rich prose to deftly craft a world just a sidestep or two from our own; one with cars and power plants, but with (strictly regulated) magic in the form of glamour patches and dresses that never wrinkle. Magic used to be a fiercer, wilder thing, but after years of witches being declared terrorists and put in labour camps – where their mettle, which is both life-force and magic, is drained to make aforementioned glamour patches et al – it’s been broken and tamed.

Or so the authorities want everyone to think.

Maude certainly thinks of herself as declawed and mundane; when her own magic dried up at puberty (which, alas, happens sometimes) her best friend Odette dropped her and never looked back. But despite that, Maude can’t do nothing when Odette disappears. Armed with nothing but her imagination and sense of storytelling, she goes after her once-friend – even when that means following her trace into a place that can’t possibly exist, and stories that definitely aren’t supposed to be real.

I’m a complete sucker for gorgeous prose, and Wilkinson’s is rich and sweet, absolutely decadent – but I very quickly grew to love A Hunger of Thorns for a lot more than its writing. The story is twisty and toothed – this is absolutely not a book where you can be confident that every grand idea will work, or that every heroic act will succeed – or even that everything is going to turn out all right. Wilkinson delights in setting up the reader’s expectations only to dash them to the floor; so many times, I thought something was about to be resolved only for the story to buck convention again. The only guarantee was that if I thought the story, or part of the story, was about to be concluded, it wasn’t. And that’s something I really love – even if it also had my blood pressure through the ROOF as I worried for the characters!

I’m a big fan of let-girls-be-wild, and the parallels between the supposedly-subdued magic and Maude herself were a really lovely touch. Maude has tried so hard to be a Good Girl, fairly vulnerable to the disapproval of authority figures despite being raised by two very fierce women – but then, Maude also saw her mother taken away, punished, and ultimately killed for refusing to follow the rules, so maybe it’s not so surprising that Maude wants to keep her head down and her shoes shiny. Whether she wants to or not, though, A Hunger of Thorns is very much a shed-your-cocoon story; Maude has to be Wild, not Good, to face what she faces and survive it – and I thought her difficulties with that were very realistic. It’s hard to stop being a Good Girl, even when your life depends on it!

That being said, I did think the Let Girls Be Wild messaging was a bit heavy-handed; there are a fair few references and flashbacks to things the school principal (a man, obviously) has said to Maude over the years, and I thought that was a bit clumsily done. The sense Maude has of him, as this big important terrifying figure, doesn’t really come through to the reader, because he’s hardly ever on page. So the effect is more why do we care what this old white man thinks? rather than feeling the pressure to conform.

But if those parts are a bit heavy-handed in the middle part of the book, the climax is flat-out magnificent, and there we really feel the exultation and triumph that comes with flipping the bird to the patriarchy. That was just *chef’s kiss* So I can very much forgive the disjointed be a Good Girl flashbacks, when it all comes together so beautifully and powerfully in the end.

It’s not an easy journey to that end, though. A Hunger of Thorns is surprisingly (and delightfully) complex, far from straightforward, and one of the things I massively appreciated was the way this book is a sharp, thorny reminder that young people are still people. It’s something a lot of adults (bizarrely, imo) forget, and the adults around Maude are very quick to make decisions for her without her input – without even considering that they need it. Even the grown-ups who ought to be in her corner – even the ones who are in her corner – fail or betray her in ways that are all-too-believable, and although it was heartbreaking, it was part of what made this book so powerful. Maude is her own driving force, the driving force of the whole book, and while she does collect friends and allies eventually, I was still struck by how much she felt like a real teen making real, tough, scary calls because she has to. And because she can, and will, and does, because even if she is young she is still a person who can make those calls and determine her own story. She is not incapable because of her age, even if too many adults think she is.

(For the record, as best I can work out, Maude is sixteen or so, maybe a bit younger. She does read more fourteen or fifteen than sixteen to me, but most importantly, she reads as real. I don’t know how to put it better than that.)

And Wilkinson really does go hard when it comes to the failure of even the most well-intentioned adults; of how sometimes you need protecting from the ones who are trying to protect you. That struck a deep chord, and it hurt, and it was true.

It was good.

I think this is the start of a series, which is wonderful, because there were a few bits of the worldbuilding that I really want more clarification on – the kingdom of birds??? – and it’s very clear that this is only the beginning of Maude’s story. Honestly, the ending really gives the impression that things are about to go – ahem – nuclear, and I am so very here for it!

This is a beautiful, unexpected, twisty book, with sharp thorns and soft petals. It was not a book I knew to anticipate; it snuck up on me like a secret and a surprise, and it delighted me utterly.

I can only recommend it to you in the strongest possible terms.

I likes the premise of this, but I had issues with the characters that I couldn't get past. Still good for middle grade audiences.

I really enjoyed the dark fairytale vibe of this book, but unfortunately nothing else really stood out to me. I never really liked any of the main characters or felt invested in the story itself. The worldbuilding was also confusing and I still didn’t have a good grasp of much by the end of the book. Overall I didn’t hate this, but I don’t think it’s worth the read.

I was so happy to find when I was searching GoodReads to write my review that we are getting a sequel to this amazing book! I really loved this book, and once it was all finished I looked at the cover in a whole new way!

I loved the world, its magic was so fascinating, and written so vividly I could picture everything that was happening, and when Maude ventures into Sicklehurst it all really goes to a whole other level.

I loved the fairytale aspect, all of the amazing things that were conjured up straight out of Maude's imagination. I loved the characters, Maude and Rufus being favorites, with Ginny and Winny coming in at a close second. Sicklehurst was bursting with life of all kinds, and with its dark and corrupted vibe, I couldn't and didn't want to put it down.

Wilkinson really brought this world to life, and I can't wait to see where it's all going to go from here!

Magic has been restricted to harmless glamour patches and energy drinks sold in every day markets and malls. Simple parlor tricks that make those without it feel less threatened. However, Odette has always been drawn to dangerous, forbidden magic since they were kids. Maude had always been able to satiate her friend with her gift of storytelling, which she brought to life by her own magic. When her magic ran dry, Odette began distancing herself and, eventually, disappeared in search of magic. Everyone rights her off as dead, except Maude, who tracks her down to Sicklehurst, a place where powerful magic has gone awry.

The magic system is very unique and very botany heavy, sometimes to the detriment of the story. However, some of the basic knowledge included is important to the continuation of the plot line. I also feel like the book had a slow start before things got interesting. I do not regret reading A Hunger of Thorns, but I also don't think it is a story I'll pick up again.