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.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

I'd read Dawn Kurtagich's grocery list, if we're being honest. This book was tense, dark, disturbing, and disquieting. I HIGHLY recommend you check it out!

2.5 rounded up. I usually like obscure, read-between-the-lines fiction but the writing style and execution pulled me out of this way too often. Around the 30% mark, I either got used to it or it was used more effectively, but then the drawn-out conclusion was disappointing.

Energy: Messy. Bold. Interrupted.

🐺 Growls: The flowery, obscure writing style was too distracting. The similes and metaphors are so densely packed, it lost impact and was kinda annoying.

🐕 Howls: Plot-wise the premise didn’t land; I had a lot of questions about the plot holes. Abrupt shifts and vague references to things we don’t know about.

🐩 Tail Wags: The pit-in-your-stomach discomfort around the characters’ adolescence and relationships. How it portrayed the inner world of a vulnerable teenage girl navigating trauma, sexual awakening, and abandonment. The raw realism (mostly).

Scene: 🇿🇦 Settlers, South Africa. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 London, England.
Perspective: An action-adventure secret spy novel author – as an adult when a former schoolfriend reaches out to catch up, and back when they were with the schoolfriend at a remote boarding school.
Timeline: Then & Now. ☀️ Hot and dry season.
Fuel: Learning about the main character and her past. Why doesn’t Bethany like to be looked at? Why doesn’t she remember much of her childhood? Is her husband worried about her or being too controlling? Was her bff a loyal friend or toxic and manipulative?
Cred: Unbelievable to nonsensical

Mood Reading Match-Up:
Devil’s thorn. Tractor tire. Taste of peanut butter. Corn tower. Glassman. Dry sandpaper air. Alcopops. Deep sorrow and furious rage.
• Deep in their minds, almost like overhearing confessions, observing from afar (first person)
• Flowery, convoluted, maximalist writing with lots of metaphors
• Morally grey, naïve, emotionally chaotic characters
• Dark boarding school fairy tale vibes and high school drama
• Unreliable memory and distorted reality
• All-show-no-tell storytelling
• Heavy mix of longing, neglect, trauma, desire, and jealousy
• Twisted friendships, “I can change for them”, and predatory relationships
• A little obsession, a lot of angst
• Dark, messy, literary coming-of-age

Content Heads-Up: Adult/minor relationship (grooming, predatory, pedophilic). Animal death (snake). Alcohol use, intoxication. Death. Fire, fire injury (burns, scarring, deaths). Nicotine (cigarettes). Parental distancing, rejection, abandonment. Psychiatric break. Rape (first time, adult with minor). Separation anxiety. Sexual assault and harassment (of teen). Sexual content (make outs; consenting).

Rep: South African. South African British. British. Cis. Hetero. Queer. Pale, cement grey, brown, lobster red, and milky skin tones. Wheelchair and walking aids user.

📚 Format: Advance Reader’s Copy from Thomas and Mercer and NetGalley.

Everything Dawn Kurtagich writes is sheer perfection. Reading the author's note in the beginning gives you a LOT to think about in this story while the characters go through what they do. This was something that I could pick up and be fully invested in until I'm finished. I don't know how quickly I did it, but I flew through this baby. After reading a lot of flops, this one was a great story with a satisfy ending.

Obsession, manipulation, toxicity. These are the horrors in this book and they felt extremely horrific to me. I had to slow my reading down and put this down several times because it was so much to take in emotionally. The audiobook was exceptional! So I would really recommend reading it that way. It also made Bethany feel very close to me and very real. The ending was well done, but not the ending I wanted. I have seen it done in other horror novels and I didn't like it then either, but the ending sticks with me. I hesitate to say I enjoyed this because there is a lot to not enjoy, but it was a haunting story that was very well told and will stick with me.

The book starts with a trigger warning and I honestly wasn't sure if I wanted to continue. I generally like thriller and suspense novels, but knowing some of the dark themes that lay ahead, I had to stop and really consider if I wanted to go on this journey.

The story is dark and disturbing in parts. It's hard to read in places but also compelling. It's not for the faint of heart, but I still enjoyed it and would encourage anyone interested in it to read the trigger warning.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me. I found it a bit confusing and boring. I just didn’t really get into the story either.

I hope others love this one but it wasn’t for me!

This was such a well written and intense read. Past and present view points are my absolute favorite way to read a book, and we explore Bethany's adolescence years and the abuse and trauma she not only suffered from the hands of an adult, but also the controlling relationship with her best friend. It's sad to see how Bethany suffered as an adult with what happened in her younger years, but honestly the ending was such a twist and shock that I actually smiled because that was probably the one happy part in everything she went through. There's some definite trigger warnings so make sure you read those, but I definitely recommend this one!

I love this author. I am a huge fan.
I was just not fully into this book. It is probably better for a younger person. I am an old school marm.

I was hooked from the beginning!!
It was amazing and engaging.
I was instantly sucked in by the atmosphere and writing style.
The characters were all very well developed .
The writing is exceptional and I was hooked after the first sentence.

3.75 stars

Bethany Sloane is a very young teen, stranded by her English mother several years earlier at a remote boarding school in South Africa. Her only lifeline seems to be her best friend Stacey, a girl a year older than her and to Bethany, Stacey is the air that she breathes, she is life itself. However, Stacey demands total obedience and complete love from her "friends", requiring tests and rituals to prove their worth, and Beth is all too eager to provide it. One time, Stacey is sick in the hospital wing and so Beth has to determine what she's going to do all by herself. Several bad choices later, she is damaged, both emotionally and physically, but can't let Stacey know that anything is wrong or that she now has feelings for anyone but her. Total subservience, remember? The story tracks back and forth between "Then" and "Now", into an amorphous future where Beth is now a famous writer, critically successful but wracked with debilitations both physical and mental. When Stacey enters her life again at a crucial crossroads in her career, can Beth preserve her sanity long enough to stand up to her former antagonist?

The level of pure obsession in this story was so overwhelming. I can't say I overly enjoyed reading this because honestly some parts were really difficult to process as a reader. Beth made some seriously egregious choices as a young teen and never learned how to manage the fallout. She spiraled deeper and deeper, whilst still trying to win the unwavering love and friendship of Stacey. But the book itself is well written and even though it was difficult, I had to know how the story ended. As it wound its way to a rather unexpected (and frankly jaw-dropping) conclusion, there were a couple of big reveals that threw wrenches into everything I thought I'd figured out. So, if you can make it all the way to the end of the book you will be rewarded.

Thanks to NetGalley, author Dawn Kurtagich, and Thomas & Mercer for giving me access to a free digital ARC of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own and are provided here voluntarily.

Dawn Kurtsgich includes a note that the plot was based on many of her own experiences at boarding school and includes trigger warnings. The Thorns is full of potential triggers: abandonment, gaslighting, bullying, self-harm, toxic relationships, sexual violence, underage alcohol/drug abuse, animal harm & mental health crises.

The Thorns was very disturbing and often times confusing. I guessed most of the twists. The book is told in duel timelines - then & now.

Thank you to NetGalley & Thomas & Mercer for letting me read this ARC.

ABOUT
This book is from the point of view of Bethany, a London based, successful author. She is struggling through writer’s block while under pressure to deliver the concluding novel to her major hit series when all of a sudden she starts to rekindle a childhood best friendship when that friend is suddenly back in her life.

The timeline jumps back and forth between the present day Bethany and 13 year old Bethany. Young Bethany’s setting is the boarding school that her mother and new step father abandoned her to in the desert of South Africa.

There are some major trigger warnings on this one so please do check

REVIEW
The Thorns is an intriguing, haunting story that kept me coming back. There were absolutely brutal scenes that were important to the story, but I had to step away and take breaks.

I had some moments of feeling like the writing style was taking me out of the story, particularly the use of “you” when the main character was thinking about or interacting with her childhood friend. But this is just personal preference!

**3.5-stars**

The Thorns follows our MC, Bethany, through both Past and Present perspectives. Present Bethany is a successful author, wife, and a bit of a recluse. Bethany is the author of a popular series, who is now struggling to write the final book, in which her beloved protagonist, Sally, is slated to be killed. She just can't seem to get it right, causing her a lot of inner turmoil.

Past Bethany has been shipped off to a remote boarding school by her mother. Feeling abandoned and alone, Bethany befriends a fellow classmate, Stacey, who she comes to idolize, shall we say, to an unhealthy degree.

In the Present, Bethany is thrown for a loop when she receives an email from Stacey out of the blue. You can tell they haven't been a part of each other's lives for quite some time, but why? What happened?

The Past clues us in to their complicated friendship, taking us through the various uncomfortable circumstances they got themselves into while at school together. Eventually, Past and Present merge revealing the truth behind Bethany and Stacey's relationship.

This is a tough on for me, because I Love Dawn Kurtagich's writing and daring imagination. The Thorns has a solid ominous feel to it, which I thoroughly enjoyed, but it also had its issues that sadly brought down my rating. For me, it's one of those stories where a lot is happening, but simultaneously, it feels like nothing is happening. I was constantly waiting for something big to be revealed, and then when it was, I had predicted it from very early on and it didn't end up being as satisfying as I would've hoped.

It also felt too drawn out and I didn't enjoy the 2nd-person narration style of the Present perspective. Nevertheless, Kurtagich gets full marks for her creativity and follow-through on ideas, and this is still a good book, which just happened to fall a little flat for me. I was hoping for a deeper connection and to be more compelled by the narrative than I was. The middle portions felt quite General Fiction as opposed to the dark-intrigue that I was expecting.

With all this being said, I know so many Readers are going to love this. The back-and-forth does build up some anticipation, and I feel like the topics explored are strong and well-executed. Thank you to the publisher, Thomas & Mercer, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm looking forward to more from Kurtagich!

This book is not going to be for everyone. It is super dark and incredibly heavy. The story is full of toxic relationships, unthinkable traumatic events, teenage angst, and the results of trauma. In my opinion, it’s the fact that the traumatic events could realistically occur that makes this book horrifying and scary. The twist at the end completely blew my mind and I did not see it coming.

Please make sure to read the trigger warnings before picking up this book. If you love dark books with dual timelines and shocking endings, then check this one out.

I loved this author’s previous book, but I was not a fan of this one. This story deals with heavy topics that I was not prepared for. The author lists some trigger warnings at the beginning of the book, but I was still not prepared for the CSA in the book. It made me uncomfortable. I would recommend checking all the trigger warnings before reading this one.

The story was very different than I thought it was going to be. The premise made this sound like a thriller/horror story, but this was more of a.coming of age drama, with some mystery elements. The horror in the story is more about what the main character went through at a young age.

I will continue to read books by this author since I loved her previous book so much, but this book was not for me.

I had high hopes for this, but it just fell flat for me. First of all, if you have any trauma in your childhood, maybe check yourself before reading this book. Granted, there are trigger warnings available, I felt that the story moved more away from horror, and I ended up struggling to get through the entire book.