More Reviews

Reminder: Book Giveway #3 is going on right now! This is the last one, so consider entering to win one of the last two copies of The Thorn and the Blossom that I can give away (and a copy of In the Forest of Forgetting). If you want to enter, answer the following question in a paragraph or a couple of paragraphs in the comments section to Book Giveaway #3 below:

How would you describe true love? It doesn't have to be romantic love. There are many kinds of love: for a romantic partner, a parent or child, a friend, an animal, a house, a place, even the planet. But it should, in some sense, be "true."

(I was thinking about that question myself, and realized that my true loves include all sorts of things. Like the city of Budapest and my grandparents' apartment, where I spent the first few years of my life; and my love for the stories of Isak Dinesen, which taught me so much about who I am; and my deep and abiding love for the ocean.)

I'm afraid you're going to get sick of hearing about The Thorn and the Blossom, but I have to write about it today, because the book came out on Tuesday! It's out there in the world, and people are getting their copies, and I very much hope they like them. When you write a book, you know that you're never going to please everyone, and that you shouldn't even try. If you try, you're not being true to yourself. But what you hope is that the book will please some people – will mean something to them, be special to them. That it will give them pleasure, comfort, solace, a little magic.

I'm going to post links to some more reviews here, because there have been many lovely ones (although I can't include them all), and then I'm going to stop talking about the book for a while and go back to blogging about other things. But first, here is an interview with me that came out in the last few days with Westword, a paper in Denver: "The Thorn and the Blossom's Theodora Goss on Creating a Double-Layered Story."

The book received a lovely review from the School Library Journal: Evelyn and Brendan's story is told twice, once from each perspective, in this intriguing production. [ . . . ] Teens who enjoy a romantic tale will be enchanted by the clever packaging and the fanciful, touching story of young people thwarted in love.

And here are some of the reviews on book blogs:

Unabridged Chick: This is a romance with academics, sort of A.S. Byatt-lite (in a good way!): Oxford scholars turned medieval professors, a kiss, a misunderstanding, some magic. [ . . . ] I read Evelyn's story first, and let out a serious sigh upon finishing, then quickly flipped the book to gobble up Brendan's story. (Who, by the way, needs to be my boyfriend. Hello, Mr. Dreamy.)

Tutor Girl Reads: This book was a really magical experience for me. I always have an intense interest in how academics do things, and there were just enough details about the researching, publishing, etc. process to keep me interested, but not enough that others not interested in such processes would get bogged down. That aside, this book was really a love letter to the stories that bring us together and the stories that last for generations.

The Introverted Reader: I got it in the mail, ripped it open, and fell in love. It is just a gorgeous book. There are a few illustrations and I loved those. The covers (Evelyn's, Brendan's, and the box that holds the book together) are well-matched and elegant. [ . . . ] Highly recommended, primarily because of the unique format of the book, but also for an enjoyable story of star-crossed lovers.

The Quillery: The Thorn and the Blossom is a very quick read weighing in at only 82 pages, but it really is amazing how much Theodora Goss packs into those pages. [ . . . ] The Thorn and the Blossom is beautifully written, enchanting and gorgeous inside and out. I suggest that you pick up the printed copy of this book to appreciate how special it is.

Misfit Salon: The Thorn and The Blossom has Goss's trademark style: subtle, layered writing with unexpected fantastical touches. Goss expands upon the Arthurian legend of Gawain and the Green Knight and the Green Man folklore to tell the star-crossed love story of modern day Evelyn and Brendan. The parallels between the myths and the present day are not broad or obvious; I love the depth of Goss's literary interpretation.

Wordsmithonia: This is one of those books that you need to read for the experience of reading it alone. It's a two sided book without a spine. There are two covers and the pages are done like an accordion between then. When you finish one story, you flip it over and read the other. It's a fairly short book either way you count the pages, but what's inside was a pure joy to read.

I Just Want to Sit Here and Read (and you can also read an interview I did with this blog): The Thorn and the Blossom, by Theodora Goss, is a unique book with a lovely romance.  The book is accordion style in which you can start reading Brendan or Evelyn's side of the story first then when you are finished, flip it over and read the other. [ . . . ] There is no actual spine but I found myself really digging the layout. Overall, the story is very romantic with some magical elements sprinkled in.

Sophistitakied Reviews: Overall, The Thorn and the Blossom was definitely a unique reading experience. I enjoyed Brendan and Evelyn's relationship and I loved that so much of the book was based around Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. And getting into the heads of both characters as they tell the same story was an unfamiliar feeling, but it was really insightful and cool. I can only hope that more authors/publishers take notice of this creative way to bind a book and jump on the bandwagon; I'd love to read more novels like this!