Girl, Serpent, Thorn

 

Book: Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust

Reviewer: Yasmin, Grade 11

Rating: 3 stars

 

Soraya has been hidden away her whole life, locked behind palace doors because of her dangerous curse: anyone who touches her will instantly die. Cursed before she was even born by one of the magical “divs”, Soraya has lived her whole life in hiding, longing for a way to end her curse and her loneliness. When one of the notorious magical creatures is brought in as a prisoner after a sudden attack, she can’t help but seek her out to find answers, despite being forbidden to do so. But divs are manipulative creatures, and Soraya quickly finds herself betrayed, forming unlikely alliances, and embroiled in an outright war.

This story follows a unique, well-crafted character and features impressive world building through a clever inclusion of various mythological tales specific to the book’s universe. Though the plot was at times predictable and the characters at times less engaging, the story was interesting as it took a different approach to the stereotypical tale of the princess locked away: not to protect her from the world, but to protect the world from her. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a quick fantasy read without having to commit to a full series while still experiencing a fun twist on a traditional fairytale.