Girl, Serpent, Thorn

Girl, Serpent, Thorn

Girl, Serpent Thorn
Girl, Serpent, Thorn Closer Look

Girl, Serpent, Thorn
Author: Melissa Bashardoust
Genre: Young Adult, fantasy
Amazon Paperback, Kindle

This is a lovely cover with the promise of a great coming of age story for young girls of all ages. It tells of Soraya, a girl with a deadly touch. If she wasn’t a Princess, it would have been fine, I’d gather that she can probably find a job as an assassin. Alas, Soraya is royalty with a deadly secret.

The story starts beautifully, a melancholic start with her mother telling her a story about a girl cursed with a deadly touch. She yearns for that intimacy as the twin sister of the Shah in the kingdom of Atashar. Yes, she craves some contact, not just a physical one.

When a man takes an interest in her, Soraya feels like she is no longer invisible, thus begins a new journey.

Story

Since I read this book a while ago, details are on the fuzzy side. But the feeling of betrayal lingers, and the sense of longing Soraya has to be a normal person. While she accepts that she might kill someone or something accidentally, Soraya’s dream of becoming normal intensifies when she meets someone whom she might fall in love with.

Much like The Bone Witch series, Soraya and Tea both have deadly powers. Unlike Tea, Soraya keeps hers under wraps, while Tea’s ability is famous in her story. But both story talks about being comfortable with your own ability, in different ways.

Betrayal is a common theme when it comes to power and family, you can’t have a good coming of age without a few sweet betrayals. Some comes as a surprise, though it ties in well with the story. Soraya usually has a good head on her shoulders. Being a Princess means that you can’t always be reckless, so watching her transition to all careful to F it, I’m going ahead speaks volumes about her growing as a person.

Verdict

While I love the first half of the book, the second half makes me wonder. Soraya gets what she wants after a lot of effort, only to find that it is not what she wanted at all. Oh, we have all been there, haven’t we? Perhaps it should have been a better idea to make her regret, but she’s a heroine, right? Why can’t she have it all?

Hence, I feel that decision to make her turn back changes the book into more fantasy and less young adult. Sure, we all have regrets, that is part of growing up. But changing the story also changes the moral theme behind it. If the author wants a wonderful fantasy, she has it. However, if she was aiming for a life lesson for young adults, she missed the mark.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read. Soraya takes me on a journey around her country, Atashar, and teaches me about the history of her country. I love her as a flawed character, and will remember her always.

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