Thank you to NetGalley, Flatiron Books, and Melissa Bashardoust for the opportunity to read Girl, Serpent, Thorn in exchange for an honest review.

This book is quite interesting right from the start. It features a fable of the land that is actually a true story for Soraya. When her mother sought help from a div, something like a demon in this world, the help she received for her child wasn't what she was expecting. Soraya was born with poisonous skin. Never could she touch a living thing (plants are her haven, though people and animals die to her touch). Forced to be locked away in the palace to avoid any kind of political unrest or unwarranted death, Soraya lives a day-to-day life wondering what it would be like to touch a person.

There must be some way for her to reverse the curse, but can she trust the words of a div to find out? When she finds a way, she unknowingly puts her family's lives on the line. Now Soraya must learn to play sides in order to save the ones she loves, and that might just mean making a pact with the divs.

I enjoyed the influences of this book. It pulls from many sources, but is heavily influenced by an ancient Persian tale called Shahnameh (Book of Kings), as well as Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story, "Rappaccini's Daughter," which I adore and wrote an essay on in college, and also pulls from the Zoroastrian religion, which I have studied in the past for a number of reasons. All of these influences come together to make quite an interesting tale.

Girl, Serpent, Thorn is an inciting read with a strong female character trying to discover her place in the world while discerning right from wrong. She will do anything to save her family, even if that means playing the game of betrayal. Certainly a recommended read!

This story perfectly captured that wondrous feeling of reading a fairytale for the first time, making well worn plots feel fresh and vibrant and new. The writing was absolutely stunning and I couldn't put this book down.
Soraya our protagonist is the twin sister to the shah but rather than living a life at court, she is shunned and hidden from public view because she has a terrible secret. Her touch is poisonous. A life of isolation and touch starvation have weighed heavily on the princess and her desire to free herself of this curse leads her down paths she never imagined.

This story was absolutely brillant! Soraya was great protagonist, she's morally grey, bisexual and incredibly lonely. These character traits lead to some of the most interesting storytelling I've experienced in a while. She is such an empathetic character and even when she's wrong it feels so so right and you just want to root for her no matter what path she chooses to take. If I'm honest, all of the characters were amazing, all flawed and nuanced and sympathetic in their own way. No one was one note, or a plot device, they all felt like real people making real decisions that were complicated and morally ambigious but that made sense for their circumstances. It made for such a cool read, especially when it came to the villain. The villain was so well written in my opinion, so heartless yet vulnerable at the same time.

The worldbuilding was also fascinating and reading the author's note where you can learn all the inspirations for mythology presented was pretty lit. This world felt so immediately immersive and I loved that so much.

the only reason I cannot give it five stars is the fact that there were some places the story would go that felt so dark and dangerous and I always wished that the author would take that risk, let some consequences be more unavoidable. Eventually the stakes no longer felt as high as I would have liked near the climax of the story so it let me down a little bit but it was still pretty great! Also the main romance needed more scenes, their scenes were great but I craved so much more from this sapphic relationship between monster girlfriends.

4.5/5

Intense and hard to put down. I really enjoyed the plot as well as the character growth. The dehumanizing of Soraya was heart wrenching. I appreciated how real the characters felt and how much they learned throughout the story. The plot was well paced.
A princess as a monster but she has the power to save herself.

I have come to find out that I absolutely love retellings, and this one is no different. I enjoyed all of the characters and the roles that they played. Parvaneh was my favorite character, with Soraya (the main character) in close second. My only complaints about Soraya was her 1) speaking without thinking and 2) not speaking up when she should. The former I blame on her young age and the latter I blame for her royalty status, neither of which impaired my rating of the book. I truly enjoyed this book and will recommend it to anyone looking for a retelling or a YA fantasy. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for any books by Melissa Bashardoust in the future.

Despite being a princess and twin sister to the shah, Soraya has been hidden away for most of her life. Her terrible secret? Her touch can kill. Cursed with poisonous skin, she lives a secluded, lonely existence, until one life-changing day when she decides to come down from her tower. This Persian mash-up of Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, and the Persian epic Shahnameh is filled with divs and demons, romance and heart-break, and plenty of girl-power. Bashardoust's writing is the perfect blend of lush description, twisty suspense, and sweet romance. Soraya is neither a saint nor a sinner, and her story arc shows the struggle to be true to yourself even when those around you may fail to see who you really are. To me, the real strength of this retelling is its solid foundation in Persian culture and legend, and the opportunity for teen readers to expand their worldviews while reading a tale that still has a taste of the familiar.

Well, I must admit, this gorgeous cover is what initially caught my attention - and then when I read the description of a blending of both Persian myths and Sleeping Beauty, well, I knew that I absolutely had to read it! And I am really glad that I did! I greatly enjoyed this first experience with Bashardoust's writing.

The book opens with the titular girl hearing the fairy tale creation story that has shaped her own life - a curse placed on her before she was even born makes the slightest touch of her skin poisonous. As her uncursed twin brother plans to wed one of Soraya's only friends, she begins to feel the bonds of her curse tighten. When a powerful magical being is captured, bringing both the new guard who captured it and the being herself into Soraya's palace, she breaks the rules for the first time to try to rid herself of the curse. But, magic comes at a price and soon Soraya learns even more than she expected about those closest to her.

Filled with action, magic and stories inside this one, this is a lovely book that manages to feel both familiar and fresh. The characters aren't deeply developed, but that fits with the genre and doesn't really detract from the story as a whole. If anything, it adds to the overall fairy tale-like feel. It's an entertaining and lovely read and I quite enjoyed it!

loved reading Soraya’s story. This book really spoke to my heart, this story of a young woman learning to take up space and recognize her own worth - I’m a sucker for this kind of story with themes of redemption and bravery and self-acceptance. I think the themes of generational history and responsibility was powerful and unique, and the rich cultural component of this book created a lush world to be sucked into. Soraya's relationships with her family were complicated, and I loved that she wasn't a character that wasn't perfect. She had flaws, and made mistakes, but the ideas of accountability, forgiveness, and redemption were so important to her character and this story. I also really loved her relationship with Parvaneh, and how they shared twin experiences of making mistakes, but holding themselves accountable, and doing what they had to do to fix things. Their romance, although not a strong focus of the book, added a more tender side to a story about revenge - and the *yearning* was so good. Overall, a really compelling story of redemption and being brave enough to be yourself and take all that comes with being human - mistakes and moments of fear, but the ability to forgive and love.

Consider me in love! Girl, Serpent, and Thorn was just the fairy tale read I needed. It was dark and enchanting and the type of story you will happily lose yourself into. (And it features a Sapphic Romance + Persian Mythology! ♥)

This book is about a young princess cursed with a poisonous touch. Soraya is the mysterious sister of the shah of Atashar, whose royal court and family have kept hidden in order to not affect her brother’s rule. Soraya has never been able to touch anyone, for her single touch immediately kills. And due to this curse, her only companions have been roses and the hidden tunnels of the palace. Until she meets a young soldier, who she is inexplicably drawn for he sees her for who she truly is, and who presents her with the opportuniy to meet a Div (one of the demons who cursed her) that can possibly bring an end to her curse.

I am not even scratching the surface of what this story is about but I can certainly say it is full of plot twists and it is such an achingly beautiful journey from start to finish. The feels for Soraya and the injustice of being cursed. How her family, in order to “protect her”, alienated her all her life. Her loneliness. The need for human contact and to not be afraid 24/7 of hurting the few people she loves. For being a burden for her family. And in the end, alienating and loathing herself and who she is.

Soraya is amazing. She’s thoughtful and smart, and all of her hurt feelings and insecurities are so valid. When she meets Azad, the young soldier who captures the div, she gets the first slivers of hope. Of maybe ending her curse and her suffering. And maybe having someone care enough for her, thorns and all.

But when she meets the div, Parvaneh, who turns out to be a parik (one of several div races), she soon realizes that there are more layers to the tales and stories she grew up hearing about, including her own. (And Parvaneh is someone you REALLY want to meet! ♥)

Will not spoil anything further but this fairy tale based on Persian mythology about curses and old tales is a new spin you will want to dive into. With beautifully complex characters full of flaws & desires plus a magical world to explore, Girl, Serpent, Thorn is a must read!

"Stories always begin the same way. There was and there was not. There is a possibility in those words, the chance for hope or despair."

Soraya is a princess but she has spent her life in fairytales and hidden away because of her deepest, darkest secret.

"...the div cursed her firstborn daughter, making her poisonous, so that anyone who touched her would die."

After a lifetime without touch, Soraya finds herself yearning ever-more for someone - anyone - to break her isolation.

When a div (demon) is taken into the dungeons, she finally realizes that she might have a chance to learn more about her curse and possibly break free...but she knows demons lie.

Is she willing to risk it all for a chance at freedom?

"Do you see now why I recognized you? You're my favorite story. I feel like I've known you for a long time."

First of all - GORGEOUS cover on this one. I absolutely LOVED the color scheme, the roses, thorns and snakes. Really eye-catching.

I loved the concept of this book - the poisoned princess, the demon-in-the-dungeon, and the mysterious stranger who loves her.

The three major characters played well off of each other and had a pretty good balance between the three of them. There were a few moments that felt a bit predictable but overall I was entertained by the direction of the book.

The plot was interesting but it was missing a little sparkle. I think it's because we spend a lot of time inside or hiding, which is confining to astory.

The pacing felt a bit slow as Soraya waffled about whether she should take a plunge or stay in safety (which got...a little annoying after a bit) but once she finally made up her mind, the plot took off like a rocket.

All in all, I quite liked this one and I'm looking forward to what the author writes next!

3.5 stars! This book is totally something different than I thought it would be. It is set in a magical and dangerous world with Persian influences in which a girl is poisonous so she touches nothing or no one. She is sad and lonely and longs to be free. The characters are complex and interesting and the plot twists just keep the pages turning.

I loved it! The romance was fantastic, the world really interesting with all the Persian mythology/influence. It had a lot of twists and turns I didn't see coming. Halfway through this I was questioning how it could possibly be a standalone with so much to wrap up (but I thought the ending was good.)

A poisonous girl threatens the people’s lives who dare to touch her (intentionally or accidentally) Poor Soraya suffers from loneliness, is exiled from her inner circle, living in the shadows because poison flows through her veins and she can kill somebody anytime. But a mysterious boy gets interested with her situation and he seems like he is not afraid of her.

You may think what a great pilot, the boy will break the curse, fight with the demons and ride to the sunset singing “take my horse to the Old Town Road, duct taping Billy Ray Cyrus’ mouth not to join him singing! Nope, when you reach half of the book, you just say “oh, I didn’t see it coming, it just moved to the different direction! Actually this book makes you feel like you read more than one books (I think a trilogy is hidden inside of this story and I wish the author told Soraya’s beautiful, emotional, awakening, self-discovery story in more than one book.)

So this fairy tale mixed with Persian culture and magical elements kind of story. A girl does not want to use her curse to gain power and threat people’s lives. She accepts her unfair faith and we catch glimpses from her early life and witness that she had a crush to a girl which is reciprocated. (Yes, we have a bisexual heroine on the board which is a different and unique touch) And yes, Soraya loves to see the roses’ growing because instead of killing or hurting any living thing, she wants to give them live and see them grow.

Second part, we just realize, main love interest of this story is f/f relationship. But as I said from the beginning, this is not romantic fantasy about a girl who needs to love for breaking her curse and having her HEA! When we learn more about both of their skeletons they hid in their closets, we may see they are so flawless, pure, golden-hearted characters. So we have two realistically developed female characters’ uniquely developed story, are ready to atone their sins because they are not the villanelles. They are just humans who made mistakes and wrong choices in their pasts and now they want to correct them.

Overall this book is definitely not only a love story, it’s about a girl’s evolution, learning from her mistakes, choosing what she wants from her life, discovering her own strengths, sensibilities and forming her own path story . World building with Persian cultural elements and magical touch is also one of the best parts I truly enjoyed about the book.
I have to admit longevity of this book made me a little hesitated before I decided to start it. I still wish the story could have told in more than one book because the writing is intriguing, characters are easy to connect, pacing is balanced ( not too fast or slow).If you keen on reading some original, different approach with feminist vibes to the fairy tales, this book is definitely a great choice.

Friends, no matter how excited I was to read this gorgeous Persian fairytale retelling with queer girls and demons — a description that had all of my interests piqued entirely on its own — and no matter how many rave reviews I'd already seen, nothing could have prepared me for how utterly captivating and entrancing and gorgeous Girl, Serpent, Thorn was.

First of all, the entire atmosphere and aesthetic of this story — please, this has to be made into a film, because I think it would be breathtaking. And the characters? They're genuinely complex, even some of the minor roles we don't see often, but don't even get me started on Soraya and Parvaneh, and how dear these two women are to my heart. Soraya is an incredibly three-dimensional protagonist with flaws and values, fears and desires, and my heart absolutely ached for her, all of the time — but don't get me wrong, she's tough as nails and a fierce protector, too. And Parvaneh? What I wouldn't give for a prequel novella about her before meeting Soraya! I'm such a sucker for demons as characters in the first place, but when you add in the complexities of the div types and the sisterhood of the parik, on top of Parvaneh's charm and general existence as a total badass? I, like Soraya, was doomed from the start.

As far as the plot goes, while the characters shone for me, I loved the entire storyline, too. I felt like Melissa Bashardoust took an arc that could've been dragged out into 2 or 3 books easily, yet she slimmed it down into just a few hundred pages without leaving me feeling as though anything was missing, and that's an incredible talent in my eyes. I couldn't get enough and the pacing kept me interested from cover to cover. I loved the exploration of Soraya's curse, but even more, I loved the familial aspect to it and her gradual understanding of why these things came into being. Nobody is innocent here, but everyone has a genuine motive, and it makes it hard to dislike any of these characters — even the villain.

I also have to mention one particular plot point about three-quarters through that I won't spoil, but if you've read it, I'll just say a character is introduced who absolutely broke me. Watching Soraya reach this depth in understanding her ancestry, and the connection she is granted... It's hard to be vague here, because all I want to do is weep incoherently about how powerful the entire final act of this book was and how beautifully it all wrapped up.

I'll wrap this up in a moment, but finally, the discussion of betrayal and manipulation in Girl, Serpent, Thorn is so subtle and eloquent. Too often, we see princesses in fairytales who are tricked by wicked men and blame themselves, or are blamed by others; finally, Melissa Bashardoust has given us a princess who has been tricked and grows to recognize that she didn't deserve this behavior, and that if her only fault was trusting a cruel man, the blame resides in his cruelty — not her kindness. Truly, what an empowering story of hope and strength, and I know this one will stick with me for a long time to come.

Are monsters born or made? Princess Soraya is watching from her room, hidden from the rest of her country, as her twin brother is about to be married. Born with a curse to where a simple touch could kill, a mysterious man aids her in removing what has been placed upon. Soraya must either believe this man or a demon that hides in the dungeon with more knowledge about the curse. Bashardoust takes the common fairy tale princess to a new perspective where the monsters of the story can often be found in the most unluckily places. For fans of Girls of Paper and Fire, readers will enjoy this story of finding acceptance when being different from others around them.

This was a good fantasy book. I enjoyed that a girl helps to save the day & that two female characters fall in love! I enjoyed how Soraya embraces her thorns in the end and how this supports self-love. I do feel like the world building was a little lacking for my taste & did feel like the plot was a little slow at times. Overall though I did enjoy this one and would recommend it to other fantasy readers. This one gets 3.75 stars rounded to 4.

Originally posted on Forever Young Adult on 7/10/2020: http://foreveryoungadult.com/2020/07/10/girl-serpent-thorn

BOOK REPORT for Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust

Cover Story: Beautiful But Deadly
BFF Charm: Yay
Swoonworthy Scale: 5
Talky Talk: Unfamiliar Yet Familiar Fantasy
Bonus Factors: LGBTQ+, Secret Passageways
Relationship Status: Casually Dating

Cover Story: Beautiful But Deadly

The pale pink, green, and white color palette of this cover is so pretty and eye-catching! The intertwined roses and snakes are gorgeous and completely representative of two big aspects of the book itself, which I appreciate. The only thing that my eyes snag over is the typeface of the title, which feels a bit plain…though, at the same time, to make it overly frilly would then compete with the intricate background, so what do I know?

The Deal:

There was and was not a shahzadeh no one in Atashar could touch. The very blood in her veins can release a toxin deadly to any living creature, all thanks to a div’s curse placed on her mother when she was young and foolish. In order to keep her people’s faith in the shah, who also happens to be her twin brother, Soraya stays so far removed from the palace life to the point where her mere existence is more rumor than fact.

When her brother’s engagement to their mutual childhood friend is announced; a div is captured and held in the dungeon; and, a young man who really sees Soraya joins the palace guard, Soraya begins to question the quiet life she’s been living. If she could speak to the div, could she learn of a way to remove her curse? Would the freedom of knowing another's touch be worth the potential cost?

BFF Charm: Yay

Soraya is, obviously, very sheltered and very frustrated when we meet her. It’s custom for the shah and his entourage to rotate through the kingdom's four palaces, so she really only ever sees her family once a year in Spring as she stays in the capitol. Soraya hasn’t spoken to Laleh, the shah’s betrothed and her oldest friend/crush, in four years, and rarely interacts with anyone but her attendants. The only true comfort Soraya gets is from her rose garden, where she learned at a young age that plants are the only “living” things she can freely touch.

So in her desperation and ignorance, Soraya makes some bad decisions. And I always understood why she made those choices with the information she had, as I was kind of on her side at first? Because while Soraya can be very dangerous to be around…you can still talk to a person and not touch them, right? I think back to all of my interactions with friends (some who are more touchy-feely than others) and even my coworkers I (used to) see constantly, and I’m pretty confident there’s people I’ve known for years and never touched. So it’s not just the curse that has made Soraya such an outcast in her family, as their own reactions to her are important, and this distance definitely plays a role in her choices throughout the novel.

Swoonworthy Scale: 5

I have to be fairly vague here, since I don’t want to give too much away. The romance aspects of the book were a touch instalove for me personally, but mostly fine and uncomplicated. I could’ve used a bit more as the relationship didn’t really stand out as particularly...memorable, but I do get that it wasn’t the main focus of the story, so I was okay when the action moved on to more important things.

Talky Talk: Unfamiliar Yet Familiar Fantasy

So there is a LOT to this book that I didn’t want to give away in “The Deal” because it’s not stated in the synopsis, and it’s always nice when books have surprises in store for you! While some plot beats will be familiar if you’re an avid fantasy reader, the setting and details may be less so if you aren’t familiar with Persian mythology. The author has a nice summary at the end of the book about what famous stories/parables she pulled from and the elements of Zoroastrianism she adapted. Looking back a few days later, I don’t think this will be a book I will need to revisit over and over again, but the writing and the story kept me engaged the entire time I was reading, so I consider that a win!

Bonus Factor: LGBTQ+

Soraya’s sexuality isn’t explicitly labelled or discussed because it just is a part ofher. She's attracted to both women and men, full stop. While there's always room, especially within YA, to explore all the spectrums of sexuality with a nuanced hand, it also feels important to have these sorts of books where the character’s sexuality isn’t an Issue-with-a-capital-I and is just one more normal thing about them.

Bonus Factor: Secret Passageways

Being that Soraya has to avoid contact with everyone, she frequently uses the hidden passages built throughout the palace by a paranoid and clever shah years ago as a way to get from point A to point B. Why are secret ways to sneak around or concealed entrances in like, fireplaces, so freaking cool?? (I blame Nancy Drew. There was a secret compartment in that darn old clock!)

Relationship Status: Casually Dating

Book, I’m not sure if we have an eternal bonded love connection, but you’re fun and complex and we have fun together. I'm totally down to just hang out and see where this goes.

Ugh what can I say about this book! You think you know where it's going and boom one surprise twist after another. Really not your average "fairy tale" so to speak, but a good one none the less. I really liked the character development of Soraya and her path to learning to love herself as she is/becomes. I am definitely recommending this one, definitely couldn't put it down.

If you’re a fan of retellings or YA fantasy, just go order this book right now. I can’t say enough really good things about it. The characters were really well thought out, they were relatable and vulnerable. ⠀
⠀
There were so many twists that made it almost impossible to put this book down. I may have canceled date night because I needed to finish it. You can tell that the author Melissa Bashardoust spent a lot of time researching Persian epics and Empires. ⠀

Title: Girl, Serpent, Thorn
Author: Melissa Bashardoust
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Rating: 4 out of 5

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.
I liked the premise of this: a princess who has never had human contact because her skin is poisonous makes a terrible mistake, endangering her family and her kingdom and putting them at the mercy of evil…but a sort of charming evil.

It was cool to see a fantasy culture like this—I thought it was very well-done—and I enjoyed the layers of details, like the stories from the past and the legends from Soraya family. Deception and secrets are threads running throughout the entire novel, and sometimes the reader is deceived just as much as Soraya is.

Melissa Bashardoust lives in California. Girl, Serpent, Thorn is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Flatiron Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Initial Thoughts

I saw physical ARCs of this book floating around at YALLFEST last year and I was trying to grab one. I was not lucky that day but I actually won a contest online for which the prize was an e-ARC of this book. As much as I love a physical book, an e-ARC on NetGalley was actually better.

Some Things I Liked

Persian mythology and inspiration. This was a unique element that really haven’t seen in many, if any, books.
Morally grey main character. Soraya was morally grey at the absolute best. She was actually kind of a bad person at times. I thought she had great character growth throughout the story.
Plot twists. The twists and deception in this story were insane! I really didn’t see some of them coming. I loved that this story kept me on my toes and I never really knew who to trust.
Beauty and the Beast elements. This is by no means a retelling of Beauty and the Beast but I really liked that elements of that story were woven into this one.

One Thing I Wasn’t Crazy About

The story was not paced very well. It was very slow in the beginning and took me a while to get into it. Then, the ending felt rushed. I thought the pace could have been better.

Series Value

This book felt like a standalone. However, I liked the world Melissa Bashardoust created. I’d like to revisit it in the form of spin-offs.

Final Thoughts

I liked this book. I’m glad I was able to get my hands on an ARC. I’m not sure if I would have picked it up on my own if I hadn’t won the ARC because the synopsis didn’t grab me right away. This story had a lot of character growth and some really interesting morally grey characters.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommendations for Further Reading

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas – if you enjoyed the Beauty and the Beast elements as well as the morally grey characters and secrets, try this series.
Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim – if you liked the mythological elements as well as the idea of demons, check out this duology by Elizabeth Lim.