Juniper & Thorn: The Sunday Times bestseller

The last magic performers in their small town, and living in a house filled with monsters, Marlinchen and her family are both loved and reviled by the townsfolk they work to cure. Their father, cursed to never be satisfied, keeps a tight grip on his daughters; their freedoms, virtues and powers are under his control. Fed up of his restrictions, the sisters sneak out to attend the theatre and hear of two men found dead, rumoured to have been brutally ripped apart. Marlinchen is soon drawn into a situation she could never have imagined, and that will reveal secrets she’ll wish she never discovered. After all, can you ever be free from a monster that lives inside yourself?I absolutely loved this. The setting was very interesting, and the characters were all very well written. I really liked Marlinchen, but her father and one of her sisters were despicable. I don’t usually care for a lot of romance in books, but I rooted Marlinchen and Sevas; the life she had led up to this point was horrific and traumatic and I just wanted her to get her happy ending. At times this book was very hard to read - it was incredibly sad and several scenes were extremely disturbing, and I think Ava Reid did an excellent job of writing characters that had dealt with severe trauma.All in all, a brilliant book that I really enjoyed. There was so much sadness in its pages that I think I’m going to be thinking about it for a long time.

What a breathtaking tale. The description, the story line, the characters. I absolutely adored this novel. It is about a young woman growing up in a family home to an abusive father and horrible sisters. One night she sneaks out of her house for the first time and her life changes forever. If you’re looking for a fairytale with a touch of darkness, then look no further this is the book for you

I really enjoyed this story. It's Arkansas twisted and read just like a fairy tale. It was just what I wanted.

Juniper and Thorn was a massively anticipated read for me, as Ava’s debut The Wolf and the Woodsman was a huge success last year, making its way into my top ten reads of 2021.This one is definitely for fans of gothic horror. There is a sinister undercurrent slivering it’s way throughout, which you’ll absolutely adore if that’s your thing.I found Juniper and Thorn just as well thought out as TWATW. I cannot fault Ava at all, their writing style is fabulous. Their characters are well fleshed out, with full personalities and are so vivid they jump off of the page. She incorporates some really heavy topics and I praise them for being brave enough to include these unsavoury themes. They’re important, as we live in a world where these things unfortunately happen and we shouldn’t have our heads in the sand. That being said, PLEASE check the trigger warnings before reading!A brutal, classical style fairytale that will have you rooting for the main protagonist, a defiant and compassionate young woman who desires to be free from the bonds of her life.🐍 Brutal gothic horror🐍 Inspired by Grimms’ The Juniper Tree🐍 Dark Fairytale🐍 SurvivorshipRating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Again, please check the trigger warnings before you read.

So good that I could not put it down. Great read, if gory at times! Can’t wait to read more by this author.

This book was not what I expected. I knew it was a dark book but didn’t expect it to turn out like it did. It definitely had a very gothic feel.I really felt for the daughters, all of them really, but did get a little annoyed at the naivety of Marlinchen. She redeemed herself in the end!Great book by Ava.

I enjoyed the twist but i found it hard to read

Was so pleased with this book, sat down to read it and didn’t put it back down x

I don’t even know how to find words that feel like enough to express how absolutely, deeply this story has my heart. It was far and away, without question my favorite read in YEARS.Swept away into what feels like a dark, mysterious fairytale full of poetic melancholy, I didn’t want it to ever end and kept stalling reading the last 10% of the book because the thought of it being over was just unacceptable. It is both heartbreakingly sad yet also somehow feels impossibly like home. One of those stories that seems to be simultaneously seeping into and out of my heart, my bones, my soul…speaking to my inner despair, calling to all the dark shadowed parts of myself in a way that made me feel seen and less alone in the world.I read and enjoy many different genres and types of stories but in the end what I want from a book is to feel *something*…and this story absolutely made me FEEL, all the way to the very core essence of my being. It’s a stunning work of art and an absolute must-read for anyone who likes dark, gothic horror, I cannot recommend it enough!I received a copy of this book from the publisher. Opinions and review are my own and provided voluntarily.

Weird and wonderful story, really enjoyed it and have read more of the authors work since and this is still my favourite.

Super état

Really loved the author's first book The Wolf and the Woodsman so automatic preorder. Tackles some very dark and taboo themes well and feels very emotional/close to the heart and overall good.3/5 :)

This book was weird and crazy in a good way. I could not anticipate what came next and I found the world and characters interesting. The mood is haunting, like a spooky ghost story, and the settings were vivid despite the mysteriousness surrounding them.I loved Marlinchen and Sevas together. They both had such tragic upbringings but brought out the courage in each other and that was magical. The support they have for each other is serious goals.The gore was a bit too much for me and it was definitely more of a horror than I expected after having read other books by this author. Definitely check the trigger warnings on this one. It's definitely well written and the ending was beautiful but this is one of those times I really wish I had read reviews before picking up the book because the gruesomeness depicted was a lot.