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Girl, Serpent, Thorn
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A captivating and utterly original fairy tale about a girl cursed to be poisonous to the touch, and who discovers what power might lie in such a curse...
There was and there was not, as all stories begin, a princess cursed to be poisonous to the touch. But for Soraya, who has lived her life hidden away, apart from her family, safe only in her gardens, it’s not just a story. ...more
There was and there was not, as all stories begin, a princess cursed to be poisonous to the touch. But for Soraya, who has lived her life hidden away, apart from her family, safe only in her gardens, it’s not just a story. ...more
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Community Reviews
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Start your review of Girl, Serpent, Thorn
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find this review & others on my blog
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The story of the Shah’s twin sister came to the people of Atashar as most rumors do, as a drifting set of jokes and have-you-heards that combined and recombined themselves slowly into a single tale: a poisonous girl with the blood of a div moving in her veins, a burden to her family, living in the shadows, cursed and reviled.
But unlike most rumors, this one is true.
Soraya knows fear in the shape of her own face. She felt it in her poisonous blood, an ...more
The story of the Shah’s twin sister came to the people of Atashar as most rumors do, as a drifting set of jokes and have-you-heards that combined and recombined themselves slowly into a single tale: a poisonous girl with the blood of a div moving in her veins, a burden to her family, living in the shadows, cursed and reviled.
But unlike most rumors, this one is true.
Soraya knows fear in the shape of her own face. She felt it in her poisonous blood, an ...more
A simple Persian fairytale based on Sleeping Beauty. My favorite part about this was the sapphic romance; this was the main thing driving me to keep reading because I was like "wait... is it...?!" I wish the protagonist wasn't so wishy-washy though; this dragged the story a lot and made it hard to believe her struggle with being "monstrous" (nothing about her really was evil or monstrous; she's just very indecisive lol).
...more
A poisonous girl threatens the people’s lives who dare to touch her (intentionally or accidentally) Poor Soraya suffers from loneliness, is exiled from her inner circle, living in the shadows because poison flows through her veins and she can kill somebody anytime. But a mysterious boy gets interested with her situation and he seems like he is not afraid of her.
You may think what a great pilot, the boy will break the curse, fight with the demons and ride to the sunset singing “take my horse to ...more
You may think what a great pilot, the boy will break the curse, fight with the demons and ride to the sunset singing “take my horse to ...more
**4.5-stars**
‘Sometimes the Princess is a monster.’
Girl, Serpent, Thorn is Melissa Bashardoust's sophomore novel; one I have been greatly anticipating.
Her debut, Girls Made of Snow and Glass, a wildly creative reimagining of Snow White, blew me away when I read it back in 2018.
I was astounded by her vivid imagination and ability to uniquely recreate a well-known tale.
This latest story is an original fairy tale following a princess, Soraya, who due to a curse is poisonous to the touch.
Because o ...more
‘Sometimes the Princess is a monster.’
Girl, Serpent, Thorn is Melissa Bashardoust's sophomore novel; one I have been greatly anticipating.
Her debut, Girls Made of Snow and Glass, a wildly creative reimagining of Snow White, blew me away when I read it back in 2018.
I was astounded by her vivid imagination and ability to uniquely recreate a well-known tale.
This latest story is an original fairy tale following a princess, Soraya, who due to a curse is poisonous to the touch.
Because o ...more
Jun 24, 2020
may ➹
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
arc,
diverse,
rep-lgbtqiap-author,
fantasy,
rep-bipoc-asian-author,
ownvoices,
3-star,
pov-3rd,
pov-female,
rep-lgbtqiap-wlw
[slams hand on table] I wanted more GAY.
—★—
Girl, Serpent, Thorn is an enthrallingly written fantasy drawing inspiration from Persian mythology and Sleeping Beauty. Soraya, the twin sister of the Shah, should be able to walk the streets of her country freely and touch anything without the worry that it will wither away. But for her entire life, she has been cursed with a poisonous touch, with the blood of a div (demon) coursing through her. When a div is captured in a local village, Soraya may fi ...more
—★—
Girl, Serpent, Thorn is an enthrallingly written fantasy drawing inspiration from Persian mythology and Sleeping Beauty. Soraya, the twin sister of the Shah, should be able to walk the streets of her country freely and touch anything without the worry that it will wither away. But for her entire life, she has been cursed with a poisonous touch, with the blood of a div (demon) coursing through her. When a div is captured in a local village, Soraya may fi ...more
The Written Review
A new BookTube Video is Up all about whether you should buy, borrow or burn 2020 YA books! Let me know what you think!
Soraya is a princess but she has spent her life in fairytales and hidden away because of her deepest, darkest secret.
Stories always begin the same way. There was and there was not. There is a possibility in those words, the chance for hope or despair.
...the div cursed her firstborn daughter, making her poisonous, so that anyone who touche...more
Dec 09, 2019
Chelsea Humphrey
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Chelsea by:
Flatiron Books
Shelves:
from-publisher,
netgalley
"I am both the Sleeping Beauty and the enchanted castle; the princess drowses in the castle of her flesh."
-Angela Carter, Vampirella
As someone who is new to Melissa Bashardoust's novels, I can't really say how this novel compares to her previous one, but what I can say is that Girl, Serpent, Thorn is a delightful breath of fresh air in the YA fantasy genre. I'm always on the search for fairytale retellings that incorporate non-Western stories, and this Persian inspired spin on "the poisonous gir ...more
-Angela Carter, Vampirella
As someone who is new to Melissa Bashardoust's novels, I can't really say how this novel compares to her previous one, but what I can say is that Girl, Serpent, Thorn is a delightful breath of fresh air in the YA fantasy genre. I'm always on the search for fairytale retellings that incorporate non-Western stories, and this Persian inspired spin on "the poisonous gir ...more
Dark, Unexpected and Completely Original!
This book was totally different than I thought it would be. I expected something along the lines of Rapunzel, with a princess locked away in a castle only to be rescued by a prince who is able to see who she really is despite her differences. However what I got was a girl who didn’t just sit in her room locked away and waiting to be rescued, but one who did what she could to rescue herself and she didn’t always do what was right or proper. She makes mista ...more
This book was totally different than I thought it would be. I expected something along the lines of Rapunzel, with a princess locked away in a castle only to be rescued by a prince who is able to see who she really is despite her differences. However what I got was a girl who didn’t just sit in her room locked away and waiting to be rescued, but one who did what she could to rescue herself and she didn’t always do what was right or proper. She makes mista ...more
Jul 15, 2020
Melanie
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
lgbtqiap,
subscription-box-fairyloot,
buddy-reads,
read-in-2020,
maëlys,
fantasy,
romance,
quarantine-reads,
f-f
Fairyloot's May 2020 Box - DESERT DREAMS 🖤
My Rep Code: MELANIE5 ❤️
Oh, I wanted to love this one so very badly! Sadly, most of the characters just felt so insufferable and their actions felt so convenient and questionable. This is ownvoices for the Persian mythos, and does star a bi MC (the author is queer, but I’m not sure what they ID as!) But this is a story about a princess who is cursed with a poisonous touch, and because of that she is constantly alone and locked away by her family because ...more
![destiny ♡⚔♡ [howling libraries]](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1557144778p2/15335689.jpg)
She had read enough stories to know that the princess and the monster were never the same. She had been alone long enough to know which one she was.
Friends, no matter how excited I was to read this gorgeous Persian fairytale retelling with queer girls and demons — a description that had all of my interests piqued entirely on its own — and no matter how many rave reviews I'd already seen, nothing could have prepared me for how utterly captivating and entrancing and gorgeous Girl, Serpent, Tho ...more
4.5 Stars
This book wasn’t on my radar but it came today in my MAY FairyLoot (yes, still covid late)
Here’s a pic of the stuff with the exception of the bath salts. I tossed them off to the side and forgot to add them. Anyhoo...
1. Bookish Tin inspired by We Hunt The Flame
2. Bookish Wooden Spoon with a quote from Hero Of The Fall
3. Tea Towel inspired by The City Of Brass
4. Desert Bath Salts
5. Tribal Desert Candle inspired by An Ember In The Ashes
6. Sunglasses Pouch with quote from The Forbidden W ...more
This book wasn’t on my radar but it came today in my MAY FairyLoot (yes, still covid late)
Here’s a pic of the stuff with the exception of the bath salts. I tossed them off to the side and forgot to add them. Anyhoo...
1. Bookish Tin inspired by We Hunt The Flame
2. Bookish Wooden Spoon with a quote from Hero Of The Fall
3. Tea Towel inspired by The City Of Brass
4. Desert Bath Salts
5. Tribal Desert Candle inspired by An Ember In The Ashes
6. Sunglasses Pouch with quote from The Forbidden W ...more
”You could kill me with a single touch. Why should you ever be afraid of anyone?”
4.5****
This book was captivating and unexpected, filled with Persian mythology and culture. Our main protagonist, Soraya, the sister of the Shah, is cursed- she is poisonous to the touch causing almost instant death to most living and breathing things she touches. Living a life of exile in the palace, we witness her loneliness, jealousies and fear of her own power.
When Soraya hears that a Div has been captured, she ...more
4.5****
This book was captivating and unexpected, filled with Persian mythology and culture. Our main protagonist, Soraya, the sister of the Shah, is cursed- she is poisonous to the touch causing almost instant death to most living and breathing things she touches. Living a life of exile in the palace, we witness her loneliness, jealousies and fear of her own power.
When Soraya hears that a Div has been captured, she ...more
May 02, 2020
✨ jamieson ✨
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2020-reads,
favourite-covers,
owned-books,
f-f,
lgbtqiap,
mythology,
fantasy,
young-adult,
retelling,
bi-mc
inspired by Persian mythology, has a morally grey bi mc who is spending the book teetering on the edge of villainy, monster girlfriends, transportive writing that sucks you directly into the world and SO many twists and turns, please add it to your pre-order lists
full review to come
full review to come
did someone summon me? I heard the magic words . . . antiheroine arc and f/f and bisexual mc.
The first thought I had immediately after finishing this (and throughout, really) is that I think it would have thrived as a duology. That is not to say it does not make a satisfying standalone (it does), but there are two identifiable parts to the book and I felt like the antiheroine arc could've been really good if pulled over two books, as would the development of the romance with Parvaneh.
The other ...more
The first thought I had immediately after finishing this (and throughout, really) is that I think it would have thrived as a duology. That is not to say it does not make a satisfying standalone (it does), but there are two identifiable parts to the book and I felt like the antiheroine arc could've been really good if pulled over two books, as would the development of the romance with Parvaneh.
The other ...more
Aug 20, 2020
Emetis
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-in-2020,
all-time-favorites
Buddy read with the amazing @Naomi Waters!!! I loved reading this book with you!
There was and there was not. A girl living in a castle hidden away like a secret or a treasure. Most people didn’t know about the Shahzadeh, the Shah’s twin sister. And there was a good reason for that, for the girl was cursed. Everything she touched was meant to die, for she was poisonous.
I’m so emotional right now. This book means everything to me. As someone who comes from Iran reading a book about my own cultur ...more
There was and there was not. A girl living in a castle hidden away like a secret or a treasure. Most people didn’t know about the Shahzadeh, the Shah’s twin sister. And there was a good reason for that, for the girl was cursed. Everything she touched was meant to die, for she was poisonous.
I’m so emotional right now. This book means everything to me. As someone who comes from Iran reading a book about my own cultur ...more
I received an earc of this book from the publisher in exchange of an honest review
CW: manipulation, murder, death, battle, intrusive thoughts.
Since the day I finished Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust, I have been looking forward to whatever book she’ll be putting out next. So knowing the premise of Girl, Serpent, Thorn combined with how much I adore her writing I really couldn’t see how anything could go wrong with this book. And I was 110% right, Girl, Serpent, Thorn sucked m ...more
CW: manipulation, murder, death, battle, intrusive thoughts.
Since the day I finished Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust, I have been looking forward to whatever book she’ll be putting out next. So knowing the premise of Girl, Serpent, Thorn combined with how much I adore her writing I really couldn’t see how anything could go wrong with this book. And I was 110% right, Girl, Serpent, Thorn sucked m ...more
This is a whimsical and fantastical Persian inspired fantasy and after finishing it, I totally get the cover now. The whole book is this balance of bloody thorns and monstrous hearts, mixed together with beauty and innocence and aching loneliness. It's based on quite a few threads of mythology like Rappaccini's Daughter, the Persian epic Shahnameh, and a bit of Sleeping Beauty mixed in. It also felt a lot like the Ballad of Tamlin I think? (Basically if you liked ACTOAR but wished it was gay; th
...more
Aug 13, 2020
Chelsea (chelseadolling reads)
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
queer
This was fun! I didn't have super high expectations going in because YA fantasy isn't typically my favorite genre, but this was pretty fun to read. It wasn't a perfect story, and I do think that A LOT of the conflicts had very convenient and easy solutions, but overall this was a fun time and I'm happy that I spent the last few days in between these pages. I did end up listening to this one as an audiobook while reading along in the physical book and I think that added to the experience for me.
...more
This was so. Good. If you love queer fairytales, especially of the non-Western variety, do not do not do NOT miss this Persian-influenced bisexual one.
i would do anything for these monster girlfriends
imagine not having the attention span of a goldfish and being able to actually follow a storyline while listening to an audiobook,,, lmao I could never
I'm also a book blogger: Vee_Bookish
(ARC provided by NetGalley, my opinions are unbiased)
This was one of two books I read at the same time, that I found difficult to finish because I was just so incredibly bored (the other one was Havenfall). Originally I thought that this may because we've just hit the Coronavirus epidemic, but after finishing the books I realised that they both have major issues that affected my reading.
This book sounded so, so good with hella Medusa vibes. It's based around P ...more
(ARC provided by NetGalley, my opinions are unbiased)
This was one of two books I read at the same time, that I found difficult to finish because I was just so incredibly bored (the other one was Havenfall). Originally I thought that this may because we've just hit the Coronavirus epidemic, but after finishing the books I realised that they both have major issues that affected my reading.
This book sounded so, so good with hella Medusa vibes. It's based around P ...more
Soraya was cursed by a demon when she was only a baby: anyone who touches her dies instantly. She has spent her life hidden away so she wouldn't tarnish the royal family's reputation (she is the Shah's twin sister after all) or accidentally kill someone and now more than ever, she yearns for warmth and touch. She wants more than this sad isolated life where even her family does not really know her or talk to her. It all seems hopeless until a div (demon) is taken prisoner and brought to the pala
...more
4.5 stars
Star Rating: —> 4.5 Stars
Well, I have to say I was a bit nervous going into this, given the mixed reviews and total GR rating being just under 4 stars (which btw this confounds me— I truly believe this deserves AT LEAST 4 solid stars, but 🤷🏼♀️) ...
I have to say, though, that this was absolutely magical, fantastic & everything my mythology/folklore loving heart could’ve asked for! Such an awesome look into Persian mythology, which is one culture whose folklore tales I was not at all familiar wi ...more
Well, I have to say I was a bit nervous going into this, given the mixed reviews and total GR rating being just under 4 stars (which btw this confounds me— I truly believe this deserves AT LEAST 4 solid stars, but 🤷🏼♀️) ...
I have to say, though, that this was absolutely magical, fantastic & everything my mythology/folklore loving heart could’ve asked for! Such an awesome look into Persian mythology, which is one culture whose folklore tales I was not at all familiar wi ...more
I liked the message, and mythology, of this, but I still felt like I wanted more from the story itself for some reason. Full RTC
Sweet and beautiful like a rose on the outside, prickly thorns line the inside. This is a fairytale gone rogue. She is a princess, she is a monster...
GIRL, SERPENT, THORN is a queer (female/female/bi) YA fantasy inspired by Persian mythology, the American fairytales- SLEEPING BEAUTY, RAPUNZEL, and RAPPACCINI'S DAUGHTER, and the author's exploration of legends and myths of her own culture and heritage, with particular attention tributed to the Persian- Sasanian era.
All of the historical words for ...more
GIRL, SERPENT, THORN is a queer (female/female/bi) YA fantasy inspired by Persian mythology, the American fairytales- SLEEPING BEAUTY, RAPUNZEL, and RAPPACCINI'S DAUGHTER, and the author's exploration of legends and myths of her own culture and heritage, with particular attention tributed to the Persian- Sasanian era.
All of the historical words for ...more
rep: Persian cast & settings, bi mc, sapphic li
Review also on my blog. ARC provided by the publisher.
Girl, Serpent, Thorn is revolutionary in more than one respect and for that we should all be grateful. It’s a feminist fairy tale for the modern times, even though it’s set in ancient Persia, even though it’s full of magic and monsters.
The plot is influenced by Sleeping Beauty, but at every turn twists the the well known story into something new and unexpected, and extraordinary. The princess is ...more
Review also on my blog. ARC provided by the publisher.
Girl, Serpent, Thorn is revolutionary in more than one respect and for that we should all be grateful. It’s a feminist fairy tale for the modern times, even though it’s set in ancient Persia, even though it’s full of magic and monsters.
The plot is influenced by Sleeping Beauty, but at every turn twists the the well known story into something new and unexpected, and extraordinary. The princess is ...more
A fairy tale that takes inspiration from ancient Persian/Zoroastrian mythology. A princess is cursed to be poisonous to the touch and explores what inherent power might lie in such a curse. thanks for saving the YA retelling genre Melissa Bashardoust
Aug 01, 2020
Travel.with.a.book
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2020-best-books
One of the most mind-blowing mixed novel I've ever read, GST is a retelling story of a Persian fairytale merged with demons and queer girls! Bashardoust has written one of the most captivating story which has amazed me and not that I liked the whole story but it definitely is in my top 5 YA reads of all time!
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The background structure of the World is intriguing filled with many fascinating details that will drown you into imagination! Soraya is the main character who is a three dimensional chara ...more
.
The background structure of the World is intriguing filled with many fascinating details that will drown you into imagination! Soraya is the main character who is a three dimensional chara ...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Bookish Adventu...: Girl, Serpent, Thorn | 5 | 13 | Oct 23, 2020 08:51PM | |
| FLASHLIGHT READERS: Girl, Serpent, Thorn | 1 | 4 | Oct 14, 2020 04:19AM | |
| YA Buddy Readers'...: Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust - Restarting September 13th 2020 | 61 | 54 | Sep 18, 2020 01:01PM | |
| Booktalk in PJs: Wer liest mit? | 33 | 33 | Sep 15, 2020 12:11AM |
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Melissa Bashardoust (pronounced BASH-ar-doost) received her degree in English from the University of California, Berkeley, where she rediscovered her love for creative writing, children’s literature, and fairy tales and their retellings. She currently lives in Southern California with a cat named Alice and more copies of Jane Eyre than she probably needs. Girls Made of Snow and Glass is her first
...more
Articles featuring this book
Melissa Bashardoust is no stranger to writing queer feminist retellings of popular fairy tales. Her first novel, 2017’s
Girls Made of Snow and...
63 likes · 9 comments
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“Stories always begin the same way: There was and there was not. There is possibility in those words, the chance for hope or despair.”
—
28 likes
“Very well, then. Be angry. Be violent. But not for his sake. Not to do as he commands. Be angry for yourself. Use that rage to fight him.”
—
12 likes
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