Can’t Wait Wednesday: The Thorns

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released.

The Thorns by Dawn Kurtagich

Adult, Horror/Thriller, Standalone

eBook, Paperback, 383 Pages

March 4, 2025 by Thomas & Mercer

Blurb:

In this hauntingly twisted tale, an author reconnects with an old boarding school friend, forcing her to reckon with their shared past and the imaginary creature she thought they left behind.

Touch a line, you break your spine.

Stacey is the dusty air, the cracked soil, the drought. To fourteen-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.

Seventeen 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.

Dark and disturbing, The Thorns explores the horrifying world of adolescent abuse, controlling friendships, and blinding obsession.

Why I Want to Read This Book:

Dawn Kurtagich is my favorite author and I’ll gobble down anything she writes. I actually have an eARC of The Thorns on my Kindle judging me for not pushing it ahead of my fall ARCs and starting it immediately. I believe Dawn said this will be her scariest book yet and I’m so excited!

Will you be checking this book out? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to?