Girl, Serpent, Thorn

Girl, Serpent, Thorn

Melissa Bashardoust's Girl, Serpent, Thorn is ?an alluring feminist fairy tale? (Kirkus Reviews) 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. As the day of her twin brother?s wedding approaches, Soraya must decide if she?s willing to step outside of the shadows for the first time. Below in the dungeon is a demon who holds knowledge that she craves, the answer to her freedom. And above is a young man who isn?t afraid of her, whose eyes linger not with fear, but 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 begins to question who she is and who she is becoming...human or demon. Princess or monster. Review Named a must-read book of the year by BookPage, BuzzFeed, Bustle, Harper?s Bazaar, Hypable, The Nerd Daily, and more!Junior Library Guild selection?Bashardoust draws from the myths and religions of her own Persian culture to create a world simmering with magic and treachery where no one is quite what they appear to be. With crystalline, sometimes sensuous prose, Bashardoust digs into her characters? motivations and manipulations, deftly keeping readers on the hook until the final, stunning turn.? ?Booklist, starred review?Bashardoust again draws elements from multiple folkloric and literary precursors for a relationship-driven tale in which sexual undertones are no less intense for being kept between the lines. Alert readers will spot nods to other classics as events whirl to a climatic close amid cascades of poisoned thorns, just deserts, and self-acceptance. Surefire for readers fond of princesses capable of embracing actual demons as well as the inner sort.? ?SLJ, starred review?Girl, Serpent, Thorn is YA literature at its best. A richly metaphorical story of a teen claiming her identity and her place in the world.? ?BookPage?A compulsively readable modern queer fairy tale that is part fantastical adventure and part allegory.? ?Horn Book Magazine?Scenes are lavishly detailed, Soraya?s inner turmoil is rendered with drama as she chooses whether to be a mouse or a viper, and the connection between Soraya and Parvaneh is stirring. Bashardoust?s exceptional attention to folktale structure and Soraya?s hard-won acceptance of herself make for a lyrical, inspiring read.? ?Publishers Weekly?Bashardoust draws from Persian mythology and fairy tales to portray this morally complex biromantic heroine?s quest for identity, with support from strong female allies. An alluring feminist fairy tale.? ?Kirkus Reviews?A lovely entwining of Persian culture and myth with well-known fairy tales. One of the best books of the year, hands down.? ?BuzzFeed?Captivating.? ?Harper?s Bazaar?Not only does this story combine some beautifully dark fairy-tales, but does so with such a talented hand. I finished this story and was desperate for more from Melissa Bashardoust. This is a dark fairytale you won?t want to miss out on.? ?The Nerd Daily?Girl, Serpent, Thorn is a deliciously lush fairy tale of a novel. I was swept away by Bashardoust?s prose and found myself losing track of time as I read, turning every page, sinking into her magnificent world, wishing it would never end. At its heart, it?s a book about a girl who may be monstrous claiming her own power, filled with twists and a fascinating queer romance that stole my own heart.? ?Patrice Caldwell, editor of A Phoenix First Must Burn: 16 Stories of Black Girl Magic, Resistance, and Hope?Gorgeously written and quietly powerful, Bashardoust?s latest is an enthralling tale of family, monsters, and the things we do for love.? ?S. A. Chakraborty, author of City of Brass?Every passage is a