The Thorns was a beautifully dark and haunting read that stayed with me long after I finished it. I loved the atmospheric tension and the way the story blended emotional depth with suspense—it kept me on edge while still connecting me to the characters. Some moments felt slightly rushed, but the intricate world-building and the bittersweet undertones more than made up for it. Overall, it was a gripping, memorable read that I really enjoyed.

Visceral and deeply personal, The Thorns is a heartbreaking story that sheds some light on the author’s inspiration to write horror novels. I truly hope that the most brutal parts of this plot are fiction. Kurtagich grabs ahold of the reader and doesn’t let go until the shocking twist is revealed at the very end. This would have been a five star read, but I was left wanting a bit more from the ending. Perhaps this was done on purpose, as I just learned The Thorns is part of a two book deal and a sequel is forthcoming!

ARC provided by Thomas & Mercer

The Thorns is a rich, layered, and deeply eerie novel that lingers in your mind long after you close the final page. Dawn Kurtagich delivers a haunting tale that blurs the lines between reality and delusion, grief and possession, love and horror.

At its heart, this is a story about pain—personal, generational, and psychological. It’s about what we inherit, willingly or not, and how trauma plants itself like roots, waiting to bloom into something beautiful or monstrous. The writing is lyrical and immersive, wrapping around you like ivy, drawing you into a gothic atmosphere that’s as emotionally charged as it is terrifying.

Kurtagich is masterful at making you question everything. Is what’s happening supernatural, or is it the breakdown of a mind pushed too far? That tension is sustained beautifully throughout, making the story all the more unnerving. The pacing is steady, allowing the dread to build slowly, tightening its grip.

The characters are flawed and fragile in believable ways, and their relationships—particularly familial ones—form the emotional core of the book. There’s darkness here, yes, but also a thread of hope and resilience beneath the decay. It’s an exploration of what it means to face your past when it refuses to stay buried.

Creeping, psychological, and gorgeously written, The Thorns is for readers who love their horror poetic, their mysteries messy, and their emotions raw. Dawn Kurtagich has crafted a beautifully tragic nightmare I won’t soon forget.

Dawn Kurtagich has once again proven she’s a master of psychological horror (and my heart) with The Thorns. From the very first page, I was completely ensnared by her lush, eerie prose and the slow, skin-crawling unraveling of the mystery. This isn’t just a book you read—it’s one you feel creeping under your skin, it engulfs you. I could not look away, and when I had to look away, I couldn't stop thinking about it.

The atmosphere is gothic, grief-soaked, and dreamlike. The way reality and hallucination blur made me question everything, and I loved every chilling minute of it. Kurtagich doesn’t just tell a ghost story—she builds a living, breathing trauma-laced world where every shadow hides a secret. And there is nothing I am here for more than Dawn. The Thorns is Kurtagich at her absolute best.

Highly, highly recommended for fans of gothic horror, twisted minds, and stories that stick with you long after you’ve turned the last page. 10/5 stars. This book will become my personality.

I am.... still unsure about what I felt with this book.

We'll start with the good: I LOVE a multiple timeline, especially when it's between teens and adults. I love when something happens in a teen timeline and we get to read that story PLUS the present day. Heck yes.

I also LOVE a good boarding school story. I personally grew up in public schools, but one of my favorite books series from when I was a kid was the Pen Pals series (anyone else?) and so any time I see a book about boarding school I have a want to read it.

I also love a good urban legend, so when I read that this was about one called The Glass Man, I was hooked.

Now. The bad: Although I love multiple storylines, sometimes I had a hard time figuring out which timeline I was in. The author did put 'now' for the present day, but did not put 'past' for the past, and somehow I just couldn't make a good connection.

I also felt like this book really didn't feel like it actually included much of The Glass Man. Maybe because I skimmed some of this, but I just assumed it would be all about the urban legend, but honestly? It could have been left out and the story still would have been there. Considering that this seemed to be a major plot point in the decryption, I found this really disappointing.

This book reminded me of a much more violent and psychological version of Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld. That book is one of my favorites, and I kind of wanted this to be like that. But I could not get over all the insane violence. Usually that doesn't deter me but... in this it just did not do it for me.

It was a great idea that just fell flat for me. Maybe next time.

𝕋ℍℝ𝕀𝕃𝕃𝔼ℝ 𝔹𝕆𝕆𝕂 𝔽𝔼𝔸𝕋𝕌ℝ𝔼

Special thanks to @amazonpublishing @dawnkurtagich & @netgalley for the #gifted eARC.
This cover just pulls you in and pricks your skin like real thorns. This one deals with some heavy topics, but is sure to be so disturbingly good.

𝙎𝙔𝙉𝙊𝙋𝙎𝙄𝙎
Touch a line, you break your spine.
Stacey is the dusty air, the cracked soil, the drought. To thirteen-year-old Bethany Sloane, she’s everything.
Abandoned by her mother at a remote African boarding school, Bethany will do anything to stay in Stacey’s good graces. And that means learning the rules of each twisted game.
Touch a crack, you break your back.
Years later, Bethany is a bestselling author. Disabled now, she can’t remember what happened back in the bush. But there’s no mistaking Stacey Preston’s name in her inbox.
Glassy, glassy, cut my arsey.
That email brings Bethany’s childhood rushing back. The Glass Man was just a story the Thorns invented, a game of wits. But every game has its rules—and consequences for breaking them. To stay alive this round, Bethany needs to play right into Stacey’s hands.

Please check trigger warnings ⚠️

𝙋𝙐𝘽 𝘿𝘼𝙔:


ℚ𝕆𝕋𝔻❓️⁉️❓️ Did you have any quippy sayings from your childhood that you remember?

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#mysteryandthrills #thrillersandsuspense #thrillerfriendsunite #thrillerlover #thrilleraddict #thrillerjunkie #thrillergirlie #bookbuzz #thethorns #dawnkurtagich #amazonpublishingpartner #amazonpublishing #netgalley
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The Thorns grabbed my attention with its dark, atmospheric storytelling and kept me hooked throughout. Dawn Kurtagich has a unique voice that makes the eerie elements feel really vivid. It wasn’t perfect for me, but I enjoyed the ride and would recommend it for fans of unsettling, thoughtful reads.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this early copy.

Okay, this blew my mind. I wasn't expecting the ending. It was so fucking good! This story primarily made me feel three things- hopeless, angry and disgusted. And I mean that in the best and the worst way possible. I had to put it down multiple times just to pace around the room and stop myself from not gauging my eyes out is quite high. The only time I smiled and felt happy lasted for like 30 seconds before I felt hopeless again.

Bethany’s obsession with Stacey was absolutely fascinating to read. The dual timelines added so much depth, and by the end, everything clicked into place. You understand why adult Bethany is the way she is. Honestly, I just felt so bad for her. What she went through at such a young age was both horrifying and heartbreaking. I wanted nothing more than to reach into the book and give her a hug. (Why is that not possible yet?!)

And the unpredictability? Impeccable. Nothing about this story was cliché or expected. It kept me on edge the entire time.

Also, shoutout to the short chapters. Absolute lifesaver. More books should take notes. I really hope this book gets the recognition it deserves. Because wow... just, wow.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dawn Kurtagich for the opportunity to read this.

WOW. I absolutely LOVED this book! I was hooked immediately, and I devoured it in one sitting, I honestly couldn't put it down.

Bethany and Stacey were great main characters. They were both interesting, charismatic, smart, and complex.

The Thorns was full of drama, emotion, friendship, betrayal, and crazy twists I didn't see coming at all. I was riveted throughout. I found some parts hard to read because of Bethany's young age. Although I thought Dawn handled these parts sensitively, and she wasn't overly descriptive, which was well done.

This is the first book I've read from Dawn Kurtagich. She is a very talented writer, and I'll definitely be looking up all her previous books while waiting impatiently for her next.

I very highly recommend.

5 well deserved stars from me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The premise attracted me due to the main character having writer's block and hatred for the character that made her famous.

And from there, the plot completely lost me.

I thought the toxic friendship was interesting and that's a topic that is not explored enough in fiction AND non-fiction.

However, the story and rotating timelines became confusing and I ended up skimming the last quarter of the book. I still am unsure what really happened to the main character and the "friends."

This story has a lot of potential triggers for people and the author did specify this at the beginning of the story.

I just did not like at all the 13-year-old's relationship with the nearly 30-year-old.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an e-copy of THE THORNS to review.

I rate THE THORNS one out of five stars.

Dawn Kurtagich is one of the bravest authors I know. And with The Thorns, she does not flinch away from the darkness, but pulls it out into the light. Be prepared. This novel tackles some difficult subject matter, which Kurtagich mentions in her author's note at the beginning of the book. And while there were times I had to take a break and put the book down to catch my breath, Kurtagich's lyrical voice and her taut, fearless storytelling kept bringing me back. This is a deeply affecting story--raw and visceral.

Taken to a remote boarding school in the South African bush, Bethany Sloane is abandoned by her newly remarried mother, and forced to confront her deepest fears and vulnerabilities when she befriends Stacey, a bold, charismatic girl whose approval she covets. Things get toxic. Dangerous. Stacey is a force of nature, and she pulls Bethany into her orbit completely.

Fast forward years later. Bethany is now disabled, and a bestselling author, who's trying her best to put the scars from her troubled girlhood behind her. And then, she receives an email from Stacey, who longs to reconnect. What happens next will have your head spinning and your emotions ratcheting up and down as the secrets in Stacey's and Bethany's past unravel, layer by layer.

If you enjoyed novels like Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood (my personal favorite of hers), The Lord of the Flies, and White Oleander, you will appreciate the brutal beauty of this brave coming-of-age story. The Thorns did nothing but increase my admiration for an author I already respect greatly--it is a masterful, important work of fiction.

I don't usually give feedback on a book that I did not finish, but I think I have to. The characterization of an adult man having sexual intimacy with a child, told from the child's perspective, was very difficult to read. The relationship between the main character and the "best friend" is so toxic that it was extremely uncomfortable. I could not see a path to this becoming enjoyable at all. And I would have had to slog through the entire book of these pieces to come to any conclusion or payoff, and I just couldn't do it. I would not recommend it, or at the least, I think readers should be aware of its challenging content.

Okay, this was my second book by Dawn Kurtagich and I jumped at the chance to read it because I absolutely ADORED her previous book, The Madness.

This one - completely different vibe! And I LOVED it!

We've got a bit of a slow burn here, swapping between timelines from childhood to adulthood, and we all know that's right up my alley (or if you didn't, now you do). And while I won't spoil it....THE REVEAL?! Absolutely blew my mind.

The one absolutely touches on some heavy subjects, but it was done so well and with such purpose and it really shines a light on trauma and mental health. A perfect read for May!

This was an unsettling fast paced story! I really liked the writing style and the ending was good. I would highly recommend this! Special Thank You to Dawn Kurtagich, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a traumatic read that one way or the other will leave its mark with its reader. Exploring toxic friendships and obsession, this felt a little too real in the world of teenagers and the struggles they face. As the pages were turned, this became unsettling but hard to look away from. This author has a unique talent for telling a tragic story that will stay with you long after the last page is turned. Four stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer, for this ARC.

This book was really good, but also disturbing in that it explores how teens fall prey to abusive friendships.
I really enjoyed the storyline, and was happy with how it ended.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC

first off: MAJOR WARNING FOR CSA.

i'm a fan of dawn kurtagich's previous work, so picking this one up felt like a no-brainer. what appealed to me the most about the prospect of reading this is kurtagich often writes her horror experimentally - through prose, but also sometimes documents and so on. the thorns subverts her standards and we're given a past/present narrative into the life of bethany sloane, both at age 13 in boarding school and in her present day as a writer who hates her main character.

at the crux of this story is a toxic relationship between bethany and her "twin" from school, stacey, who can best be described as a but she's a bit of a baby psychopath. toxic female friendships are something that seem to be taking place in a lot of books lately, but i don't know that i'd say this book did it any better or worse than others. mostly, i was just frustrated by our main character's neediness and i never quite understood why she was so specifically obsessed with validation from stacey who was always constantly in another scheme to hurt her friends.

i really hoped the "glass man" this book talks about would turn into a larger narrative streak, but at the end of the book i'm not really sure why it was even included in this. i wanted a bigger paranormal slant, but mostly there were these threads of this "glass man" and the thorns skewed throughout the story but they never really fit into it.

i really didn't love the twist at the ending. i suspect it'll be pretty divisive with most readers. but it's a pretty lazy trope, in my opinion. i wish i'd enjoyed this more!

My perception is that this is a book about trauma and the long-lasting mental health effects, rather than any supernatural game or horror story. Towards the end this is treated more explicitly, but it is a very superficial treatment. The portion of the book allocated to it felt rushed and superficial.

I felt that there was nothing supernatural or suspenseful about the book and, although that doesn't bother me personally, the addition of elements that are meant to bring that layer into it was a complete from the story that is actually present. There is no 'game', only manipulation of two friends by the third. I will say, the toxicity of this friendship is the part of this book which is very well done in my opinion and I wish this had been the focus of the book.

Finally, though the tension certainly builds towards the end, the final confrontation is not a shocking twist but is extremely confusing to me, and deeply unsatisfying. The end needed more foreshadowing to be believable, or less foreshadowing to be a twist.

Reading The Thorns was like watching someone open old wounds.


I had to sit with my thoughts for some time before sharing.

**I’ll be vague in my review about the particulars of this book. I’ll mention one of the things that the author put in her trigger warning and one element of the story which I expected but wasn’t included.
If you’d like to go in knowing as little as possible, just know I liked this book. The story was captivating and upsetting at times. The subject matter can get dark so just keep that in mind if you decide to read this.

Full review:

Once I heard about this book, I was intrigued. Far from finding it boring, I found some parts to be unsettling. I’d highly recommend reading the author’s trigger warning at the beginning of the book.

I’ve previously read two other books by the same author (And the Tress Crept In and The Madness) both of which I really enjoyed. Although this book wasn’t quite what I was expecting, I’d still say it was a good book. Based on the description, I thought the story would have supernatural elements (it had none). The author mentioned in her author’s note that SA would be involved. Although it’s not described graphically, it plays a significant part in the narrative.

This is one of those books where terrible things happen to the main character. It’s well written but I’ll say again, some parts are definitely hard to read.

I don’t know if I can say I enjoyed reading every part of this book. I definitely enjoyed some parts. Especially those dealing with toxic female friendships, complicated relationships between mother and daughter, and the perils of being a teenage girl. Like the song says, “hell is a teenage girl”.

After finishing this book, I felt like I’d been sucker punched. Then I immediately wanted to read it again. Which I’ll absolutely be doing at some point because, and I can’t stress this enough, that ending was a lot. If I’m honest, I would have preferred a slightly different ending. In my mind, I see things working out in another way.

As far as the audio book goes, I’d highly recommend listening to it. The narrator does an excellent job in creating different voices for the characters. The narrator handled all the disturbing scenes so well. I can still hear the way they did one particular voice. Kudos for the creepy voice acting, it paired perfectly with this book.

Overall, I enjoyed The Thorns. I’d recommend to those who love thrillers, those who love or are new to horror, and those who enjoy stories about toxic friendships. In some ways this book reminded me of the movie Heathers, just more horrific.

Thank you so much to Thomas & Mercer, Brilliance Audio, NetGalley, and the author for providing me with an eARC and audio book for review.

Prepare to be utterly captivated and deliciously disturbed by "The Thorns" by Dawn Kurtagich! This isn't just a book; it's an experience that will burrow under your skin and linger long after you've turned the final page. Kurtagich weaves a darkly enchanting tale that blends psychological thriller with gothic horror, creating a narrative so immersive and unsettling that you'll question the very nature of reality.

The story of the haunted Thorn siblings is a masterclass in atmosphere and suspense. Each page drips with a sense of foreboding, drawing you deeper into their twisted world. The writing is lyrical yet sharp, painting vivid and often unsettling images that will both mesmerize and haunt you. The characters are complex and deeply flawed, their secrets and motivations unfolding like petals of a thorny rose, beautiful yet dangerous.

What truly sets "The Thorns" apart is its ability to evoke genuine unease. Kurtagich doesn't rely on cheap jump scares; instead, she crafts a slow-burning dread that seeps into your bones. The psychological tension is palpable, and the blurring lines between sanity and madness will leave you questioning everything. This is a book that will challenge you, provoke you, and ultimately, leave you utterly spellbound. If you crave a read that is both intellectually stimulating and viscerally thrilling, "The Thorns" is an absolute must-read.