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. In this atmospheric historical fantasy, 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 begins a dangerous dark romance with a dancer who 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 the power of dark Slavic folklore. 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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Readers say *Juniper & Thorn* by Ava Reid is a powerful, gothic retelling of a Grimms’ fairy tale that skillfully explores trauma, abuse, and survival...
Originally reviewed on Cyn's Workshop
Juniper & Thorn takes a turn at retelling one of the Grimm’s lesser-known fairytales, The Juniper Tree, in a gothic form, tackling various forms of abuse.
Storytelling
Let the reader be warned; the novel may be triggering for some as it deals with emotional and physical abuse. However, Reid does an exemplary job of tackling these issues with tact, leaving the characters stronger and the reader hopeful.
Juniper & Thorn follows Marlinchen, the youngest daughter of the town’s only wizard. Progress has come, and the time of relying on magic has left the father bitter. Incredibly xenophobic and against progress and innovation, he keeps three daughters locked away in the house. They take customers and perform their magic under the watchful eyes of their father, but these girls have no freedom from his watchful gaze.
Some scenes are uncomfortable here. Reid uses subtext to indicate Sevas has suffered sexual abuse and grooming from his “agent,” whereas Marlinchen was physically harmed under her father’s gaze. Reid does not get into detail with these scenes, carefully crafting them to highlight the emotional distress and PTSD the characters have suffered due to this. While not explicit, it makes the reader uncomfortable, as it should, and thankfully does not detract from the evolving plot.
Complex
Juniper & Thorn can be seen as a survivor’s story. Marlinchen and Sevas are survivors of abuse. Some readers may view the hyper-sexualization of their relationship with distaste, but I found it empowering.
These characters had no freedom, were trapped by their guardians and exploited for their talent and gifts. Yet, together they found the inner strength they had. They choose to be with one another and give their bodies to one another. This is probably the most significant act of defiance these characters can show, empowering them.
By taking this big step and saying “my body, my choice,” these characters find within themselves the power to stand up for themselves, the strength to turn away from their abusers with their heads held high. Such a powerful and complex journey for these characters, even emotionally, leaves the reader feeling triumphant.
Final Thoughts
Juniper & Thorn is not for everyone. I admired the storytelling and enjoyed the retribution at the end, but this is a novel that will trigger some readers and leave others uncomfortable. So reader, be warned, the narrative is thoughtful and compelling, but the issues it tackles are tactful and emotional.
See more reviews at Cyn's Workshop and follow me on Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Twitter | Tumblr | Spotify Podcast | YouTube | BookBub | Goodreads+ | LinkedIn
Juniper & Thorn takes a turn at retelling one of the Grimm’s lesser-known fairytales, The Juniper Tree, in a gothic form, tackling various forms of abuse.
Storytelling
Let the reader be warned; the novel may be triggering for some as it deals with emotional and physical abuse. However, Reid does an exemplary job of tackling these issues with tact, leaving the characters stronger and the reader hopeful.
Juniper & Thorn follows Marlinchen, the youngest daughter of the town’s only wizard. Progress has come, and the time of relying on magic has left the father bitter. Incredibly xenophobic and against progress and innovation, he keeps three daughters locked away in the house. They take customers and perform their magic under the watchful eyes of their father, but these girls have no freedom from his watchful gaze.
Some scenes are uncomfortable here. Reid uses subtext to indicate Sevas has suffered sexual abuse and grooming from his “agent,” whereas Marlinchen was physically harmed under her father’s gaze. Reid does not get into detail with these scenes, carefully crafting them to highlight the emotional distress and PTSD the characters have suffered due to this. While not explicit, it makes the reader uncomfortable, as it should, and thankfully does not detract from the evolving plot.
Complex
Juniper & Thorn can be seen as a survivor’s story. Marlinchen and Sevas are survivors of abuse. Some readers may view the hyper-sexualization of their relationship with distaste, but I found it empowering.
These characters had no freedom, were trapped by their guardians and exploited for their talent and gifts. Yet, together they found the inner strength they had. They choose to be with one another and give their bodies to one another. This is probably the most significant act of defiance these characters can show, empowering them.
By taking this big step and saying “my body, my choice,” these characters find within themselves the power to stand up for themselves, the strength to turn away from their abusers with their heads held high. Such a powerful and complex journey for these characters, even emotionally, leaves the reader feeling triumphant.
Final Thoughts
Juniper & Thorn is not for everyone. I admired the storytelling and enjoyed the retribution at the end, but this is a novel that will trigger some readers and leave others uncomfortable. So reader, be warned, the narrative is thoughtful and compelling, but the issues it tackles are tactful and emotional.
See more reviews at Cyn's Workshop and follow me on Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Twitter | Tumblr | Spotify Podcast | YouTube | BookBub | Goodreads+ | LinkedIn
Update 05.06.23
When I finished reading this gem of a book in january, I was confused by how i felt.
This is an exploration of trauma. I was taken aback by the power of it and the effect it had on me, and i wrote a review i regret.
I should have refrained to review this book at the time, at least until I got to sit with my thoughts around it.
Now that I have, i felt i should come back to correct myself.
I contributed to the harmful and judgmental response this author got from *writing about their own experience with trauma* by saying "I fear the author's mind".
I don't.
I felt the power of their truly masterful writing and portrayal of characters dealing with their trauma, and got afraid at MY OWN emotional response to it, and then somehow blamed that on the author's MIND.
I mean their mind? Their MIND??? Not their writing, or story or characters, no their mind?????? Truly shameful behaviour.
Also, i'd like to add this isn't an issue that applies to this context only.
It nourrishes a very harmful discourse towards SA victims (the "good" victims being the only ones tolerated type of speech) and I should have know better.
I sincerely apologize to anyone who may have read my review.
(I know i absolutely don't have a big online presence nor following, but i don't think it matters here).
If you have had, or have an uneasy feeling about this whole issue; terms like "oversexualization" being used for example (like hypersexuality isn't a hella common trauma response), I suggest watching this creator's video around the issue at hand : https://youtube.com/watch?v=1aEPvsX4hNA
Also, yes it was marketed as a Gothic HORROR tale, and the trigger warnings are really easy to find.
My way of phrasing this was :"be careful of the themes in this story", the choice of the word theme is weird at best. Just take care of yourself, check the TWs, end of sentence.
To conclude this update, I'll definetly be rereading this gem one day! <3
Original review 30.01.23
Ava Reid, what have you done to me?
This was masterful, and i felt i was untangling my own traumas, my own truth, alongside Marlinchen, and perhaps alongside the writer, as well.
This did something to me, but i don't know what exactly, as my brain feel numb as if left with emptiness where just a few minutes ago this story was taking all the space.
There's evidently amazing writing and therefore, many amazing quotes, in this story.
I'd love to share some of those quotes but i can't seem to pick one? I feel it would do it disservice that to read it without the context, the whole?
(Also i called it with one of the many plotwists/revelations, soooooo early on, i'd forgotten about it until I read that particular scene. And that there was sooooo little foreshadowing of it??)
Okay i don't know how to end this review so i'll try and sum up my reading experience in 3 points:
1. I feel seen, in a way i didn't even know i needed to feel seen
2. Be very careful of the themes in this story, do check for trigger warnings on Ava Reid's website before reading (also this is a horror novel, just a reminder)
3. I love, and fear too, Ava Reid's mind (too close to home ya know?)
this is kind of hard for me to rate. from the cover i thought it’d be a fantasy adventure book, but that’s my bad because it’s actually much more of a character-driven fairy tale based on “The Juniper Tree.” i didn’t realize any of this going in, and i’d never heard that story anyway.
maybe because i didn’t know this was a retelling, i was really caught off guard by some of the dark themes in this book. it seemed more adult than YA, but the cover and description seemed to target a younger audience. as in the original, this story contains child abuse and murder. also, a tw for sexual assault and eating disorders as well. both are quite graphic
aside from the dark themes, there’s also quite a bit of sexual content so this is really not for younger audiences (again, i feel like the cover could be misleading so…)
as for the actual story and writing!! the story was good. like i said, i didn’t know the original fairy tale, so i got to follow the twists and turns myself. some of it, especially the romantic bits, were sort of cringey. they felt like a teenage wattpad idea of romance. other parts were pretty powerful though! not sure how old this author is, but maybe Reid just needs to keep working on their craft because there was definitely potential!! that said, every few scenes fell a bit short. there was also REALLY heavy usage of the words “belly” and “plum stone” in ways that i think were supposed to be poetic, but really annoyed me. i think a lot of the writing suffered from being too ‘pretty’ and becoming just shallow, which is especially frustrating when you’re listening to the audiobook.
all that said, i did enjoy reading this book towards the end, but overall can’t give it more than 3 stars. i read this for the “read from a playlist” category, and listening to the playlists enhanced my experience for sure! they made me feel more sympathetic for the main character, who was otherwise kind of annoying for me.
2.5 stars
category: find from a playlist
maybe because i didn’t know this was a retelling, i was really caught off guard by some of the dark themes in this book. it seemed more adult than YA, but the cover and description seemed to target a younger audience. as in the original, this story contains child abuse and murder. also, a tw for sexual assault and eating disorders as well. both are quite graphic
aside from the dark themes, there’s also quite a bit of sexual content so this is really not for younger audiences (again, i feel like the cover could be misleading so…)
as for the actual story and writing!! the story was good. like i said, i didn’t know the original fairy tale, so i got to follow the twists and turns myself. some of it, especially the romantic bits, were sort of cringey. they felt like a teenage wattpad idea of romance. other parts were pretty powerful though! not sure how old this author is, but maybe Reid just needs to keep working on their craft because there was definitely potential!! that said, every few scenes fell a bit short. there was also REALLY heavy usage of the words “belly” and “plum stone” in ways that i think were supposed to be poetic, but really annoyed me. i think a lot of the writing suffered from being too ‘pretty’ and becoming just shallow, which is especially frustrating when you’re listening to the audiobook.
all that said, i did enjoy reading this book towards the end, but overall can’t give it more than 3 stars. i read this for the “read from a playlist” category, and listening to the playlists enhanced my experience for sure! they made me feel more sympathetic for the main character, who was otherwise kind of annoying for me.
2.5 stars
category: find from a playlist
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.
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.
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.
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