Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust

Book Review by Allie

Melissa Bashardoust has beautifully combined Perisan Mythology with beloved fairy tales. This wonderful blend of past and present has created a compelling storyline, reminiscent of fairy tales such as Sleeping Beauty and Rapunsel. It was a fun read that left me wondering what’s going to happen next at every turn. 

Girl, Serpent, Thorn follows the life of a young princess named Soraya. Soraya, though, is no ordinary princess for she was cursed from birth to be poisonous to anyone who touches her bare skin. The wedding of her twin brother is swiftly approaching and after the royal procession returns to the palace Soraya lives in, she notices a young man who looks at and sees her for who she is beneath the poison. Soraya feels that, despite the attention of that man, she has found her place among the shadows hidden away from everyone for she is dangerous. Her worldview is then turned on its head when she makes a grave mistake. This mistake as terrible as it is makes Soraya begin to question whether she is the monster or the princess in this story.

I absolutely adored reading the progression of Soraya’s story and the way her character changed and grew due to adversity and events in the novel. I felt that Soraya was an adequate protagonist as her choices and mistakes were relatable. Also, as a fan of Grimm’s fairy tales, this was an amazingly different take on some of the old stories and it was fun to pick out pieces that corresponded with each respective fairy tale. 

Overall, I absolutely loved this novel and I would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of modern, romantic, fantastical novels that make you laugh, cry, and smile at the same.