Juniper & Thorn: A Novel

From highly acclaimed, bestselling author Ava Reid comes a gothic horror retelling of The Juniper Tree, set in another time and place within the world of The Wolf and the Woodsman, where a young witch seeks to discover her identity and escape the domination of her abusive wizard father, perfect for fans of Shirley Jackson and Catherynne M. Valente.

A gruesome curse. A city in upheaval. A monster with unquenchable appetites.

Marlinchen and her two sisters live with their wizard father in a city shifting from magic to industry. As Oblya's last true witches, she and her sisters are little more than a tourist trap as they treat their clients with archaic remedies and beguile them with nostalgic charm. Marlinchen spends her days divining secrets in exchange for rubles and trying to placate her tyrannical, xenophobic father, who keeps his daughters sequestered from the outside world. But at night, Marlinchen and her sisters sneak out to enjoy the city's amenities and revel in its thrills, particularly the recently established ballet theater, where Marlinchen meets a dancer who quickly captures her heart.

As Marlinchen's late-night trysts grow more fervent and frequent, so does the threat of her father's rage and magic. And while Oblya flourishes with culture and bustles with enterprise, a monster lurks in its midst, borne of intolerance and resentment and suffused with old-world power. Caught between history and progress and blood and desire, Marlinchen must draw upon her own magic to keep her city safe and find her place within it.

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320 pages

Average rating: 6.76

29 RATINGS

8 REVIEWS

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Anonymous

Jul 23, 2024

8/10 stars

This book leans into the horror aspect of Grim Fairy Tales. There are themes of abuse, assault, rape, molesting, and eating disorder, not to mention cannibalism.

I appreciate how the author talked about and centered the victims experience of abuse. There was also a discussion of power and control for characters and victims being able to take back their own power and control over their lives. The author also talked about the healing process with trauma.

This is a book that will stick with me and I will think bout but is not easy to read. The violent and horrible things that happen to characters while talked about are not talked about in a way that is pleasant for the reader and it the author focuses on how horrific it is for the characters. Sometimes not even talking about what happened so much as the experience of it to the characters.

Anonymous

Mar 13, 2024

6/10 stars

Juniper and Thorn reminded me of a beautiful sweater I have. It's gorgeous, warm, and looks good on me. But it's also itchy and uncomfortable and I'm always aware I'm wearing it. This story was beautifully told, but it was coarse and unpleasant. I never lost myself in it. The hypersexualization of every scenario was distracting and distasteful. It's clear the sex scenes were not meant to be titillating so I question why the author didn't use a more closed-door approach. The abuse and eating disorder plot points were too rampant and unnecessarily triggering. The story was as grim as those of old. The language and descriptions were precise. The characters were well-developed, even if some of their actions and motivations were questionable. I didn't enjoy it, but others might.

LMahoney

Jan 26, 2024

6/10 stars

I liked this book but didnt love it. Also, don't take a shot every time you read the worst "breast" less you wanna die.

LibraryMouse

Jan 19, 2024

Unfortunately I couldn't finish this book. As someone recovering from multiple eating disorders, the references to bulimia were too triggering for me, and I had to stop reading. I was enjoying it apart from that element, so maybe when I'm in a more stable place I'll try again.

Monkeyspams

Dec 27, 2023

5/10 stars

There's a lot of trauma and abuse overlaying this story, but it's presented as if you're looking in from fogged glass. It was interesting, but ultimately forgettable.