DNF Review - Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust

 

 

Title: Girl, Serpent, Thorn

Author: Melissa Bashardoust

Pages: 336

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Release Date: 7th July 2020

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

SOMETIMES THE PRINCESS IS THE MONSTER

From the author of Girls Made of Snow and Glass, this captivating and utterly original Persian-inspired fairy tale about a girl cursed to be poisonous to the touch is perfect for fans of Natasha Ngan and Naomi Novik.

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.

Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US

My Review:

 *I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley*

DNF @39%

 

Princess Soraya lives an isolated life, removed from the rest of the royal court, even apart from her twin, the ruler, and their mother, for most of the year.
Soraya's touch is deadly, so she is hidden away, most of her people unaware of her existence.
Soraya gains an ally in a young man who isn't afraid to be near her and who wants to help her.
Soraya was cursed by a div, so when one is captured and locked in the dungeon she decides to talk to the div and find out if there is a way to get rid of the curse.
Soraya's quest to be free of the curse will strain her relationships with her family and may put Soraya on a path more suited to a monster than a princess . . .

Having heard good things about this book, and being intrigued by the Persian elements, I was looking forward to reading Girl, Serpent, Thorn. However, it unfortunately ended up not being for me.
Soraya was a protagonist who it should have been easy for me to sympathise with, given the way she was treated, but the more I read the less I liked her. I ended up finding Soraya rather frustrating and I couldn't connect with her at all. I actually felt more sorry for her brother, who was busy trying to rule, than I did for Soraya.
In the 39% of the book that I did read, barely anything happened and I struggled to stay interested in the little that did happen.
The writing style wasn't one of my favourites and I feel like it would have been easier for me to relate and connect with Soraya if the novel had been written in first person instead of third person.
In the end, I decided to stop reading because I wasn't enjoying the novel and I was frustrated by Soraya's actions.
This is a novel where the concept was intriguing, but the execution didn't work for me.

 

Unfortunately, this wasn't for me.