Rating: 4 hoots out of 5 hoots
Published: July 7 2020
Number of pages: 336
Format: electronic advanced reading copy
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Genre: fantasy, romance
Audience: young adult
Get it at: Chapters Indigo
Shelve it at: Goodreads
Summary:
Soraya has lived her life hidden away, apart from her family, safe only in her gardens. She is cursed to be poisonous to the touch and she must decide if she’s willing to step outside of the shadows for the first time.
A demon is inside the dungeons and holds the knowledge that she craves, the answer to her freedom. And above is a young man who isn’t afraid of Soraya 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 wonders who she is and who she is becoming.
My Review:
I received an advanced reading copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Quick note: I received the advanced reading copy late and I took my time reading it because July was a weird month for me. A lot of things were happening to me for the past two months that it was hard for me to focus on reading and writing this review.
Melissa has outdone herself in Girl, Serpent, Thorn as she rewrites Sleeping Beauty and adds major influences from a Persian epic called the Shahnameh. Everything from the language, the mythical creatures, and the history and belief system are all inspired by ancient Persia, and I absolutely love how Melissa uses them to create this unique world where the princess turns into a monster but regains her identity and learns how she can save her people from a demon.
There is one reason why reading this was so much fun and that’s the characters. Soraya, a princess of Atashar carries a curse that is also her family’s secret and her mother’s shame. Her veins are filled with poison that one touch or brush of her skin is enough to instantly kill someone. She is alone, sheltered, and is filled with shame and embarrassment that she doesn’t want to keep living like this. Soraya is desperate to find a cure and when she does, she makes the ultimate choice to free herself but with serious consequences. Soraya’s character is one of the primary reasons why I couldn’t stop reading this. She changes from a helpless princess to a heroine determined to fix her mistakes, while struggling with her identity: is she a royal princess or a demon? On top of that, Soraya starts an unexpected relationship with Parvaneh, a beautiful winged women called a Parik.
Soraya and Parvaneh’s relationship begins on a slippery slope as they have a hard time trusting each other. Both have different motives and as Soraya was raised to never trust demons, she even has a harder time believing in Parvaneh. After they bypass their differences though, they develop a very close bond, but after Azad jumps between them things get really intense. At this point, they already built enough confidence in each other to pass through various trials and achieve their goal to save Soraya’s home and her family. In the end, I think everyone found their own happiness where things worked out for the best. I really loved this book and I will definitely buy it! I also recommend reading her other book, Girls Made of Snow and Glass.
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