Girl, Serpent, Thorn

By: Melissa Bashardoust

Narrated by: Nikki Massoud

Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books

"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)

©2020 Melissa Bashardoust (P)2020 Macmillan Young Listeners

Great book

This story truly comes to life. Many twists and turns are added that are truly unexpected that make for such a fun read

A beautiful fairytale

WOW. I absolutely adored this book, so much so that I dreamt of it. The story was so captivating, and I love to see main characters that have deeply rooted flaws and faults that are never wholly resolved. There's so much depth to the characters in this book. I wish I could listen to it over and over again and experience it for the first time.

Very Good

This was a really good book. I read it prior to listening and the performance was incredible. Experiencing a fairy tale from another ideology was quite different. The world the author creates is vibrant and exciting while the reader is the key to entering the world within.

surprised

I normally don't like fantasies, however this was well written and performance was great. enjoy

Good interesting story line

dragged at times. didn't care for one of developing relationships. overall well narrated interesting story.

This is great, but…

Calling this book “gay” and focusing on the main character’s sexuality does this book a HUGE disservice. Unlike many YA books, this story is not about romance. That’s a subplot at best. The author has clearly put a lot of time and thorough research into this book. She created deep characters with distinct flaws and personalities, and the least important or notable thing about the MC is who she’s attracted to. Shame on the other reviewers.

Anyone who doesn’t want to read this because they aren’t interested in a homosexual love story, don’t worry. This really isn’t.

This story was amazing. I agree with another review about there being “Elsa Vibes” or “Elsa Energy”, something like that. Our MC is not defined by others or romantic interests. She’s strong and brave. And I very much enjoyed her struggles and transformation. The pacing is good and creates the perfect amount of suspense and anticipation. I was gripped from the beginning. BUT I will say I saw the villain coming from a mile away. Maybe because I knew a villain just like them in my own life so I recognized the signs. But even though it was a touch predictable, it still had me hanging on just to see if I was right. Then I was hanging on in hopes of a redemption arc.

PLUS, the narration is one of the best. Nikki’s voice, oh my gosh, I want to listen to it forever. I appreciate her accent and pronunciations. She has a wide range so all the characters sound different. And, talent aside, her voice is soooo sexy. I’d listen to this book again just to hear her speak. Great job.

Don’t read this because the character is bisexual. Read this because it’s a great story and has a valuable message.

beautiful & artful retelling of Persian stories

Content warnings: kidnap, torture, murder

I fell in love with Bashardoust’s writing and Massoud’s narration.

Girl, Serpent, Thorn is about three outcasts of their own respective families. Soraya, Parvaneh, and Azad are all haunted by their past, their present, and each other. Each of them a monster in their own way, all very conflicted characters who embody good and evil simultaneously.

Apart from the prologue, the story was told exclusively in Soraya’s third-person limited point of view. With the many deceptions and omissions of truths, we never really know where anyone’s loyalties lie nor who is trustworthy, who is not. We continue to question the truth as each character has their own warped version of it, each believing in their own righteousness. It is as easy to love the villain as it is the protagonist. With Soraya, Parvaneh, and Azad all carrying regrets and suffering from the consequences of their own past actions, they are all so human and monstrous at the same time, asking for forgiveness, love, and acceptance from each other, which in turn means seeking self-forgiveness, self-love, and self-acceptance.

Bashardoust vividly describes scenes, emotions, and thoughts through similes. Her words are precise, beautifully haunting, and hauntingly beautiful. There are also a lot of hidden rhetoric questions within the story. How do you forgive others and yourself when damage is done? What is freedom when the price is the people you love?

Massoud’s narration made the whole reading experience perfect. Her breathing is on point, accent and voice for each character clear and distinctive; her own voice is calming and almost hypnotizing. I love that Soraya’s voice always sounds a little scared, Parveneh’s sing-songy, and Azad’s calm and gentle. As a book with borrowed Persian words, the audiobook also provides great pronunciation references in addition to more noticeable rhyming and alliterations that are occasionally present.

Girl, Serpent, Thorn has rocked me in a wonderful way. This book depicts the complexities of being an individual, and what it means to trust, love, and forgive.

Surprisingly Delightful

This book starts slow, but stick with the first bit, because it quickly picks up and I just listened to the whole thing in almost one sitting. It's so good and it's hard to stop listening once it gets good. There are so many clever twists and surprises, and the characters feel more like real people than characters in a book, with complex feelings, motivations and flaws. I can not recommend this book enough.

Great story! Great Lesson

I especially love the author’s notes. I liked learning all of background information and inspiration for various elements in the book.

More Persian fantasy please!

Beyond beautiful story.

I rarely write reviews for books here. I rarely love them as much as I loved this. It isn’t the genre I usually read nor have I read anything else by this author but I can NOT put into words how absolutely breathtaking this story is. The culture, the verbage, the twists, the struggles. All relatable but also played with wonder, imagination and…well, magic. Highly recommended.