Juniper & Thorn

This was ok for me. I read it just to see if it was worth the hype it's been getting - I honestly didn't expect to love it. To be fair, this is the author's retelling of an already existing tale. I haven't read the original, so I can't speak to how good her changes were. The book definitely has it's weird parts. I only felt particularly attached to one of the characters, and maybe that's why I don't love it. I like to be very invested in at least a few people in the book. But I was very eager to see how things turned out in the end, so I guess overall it's a good book. The writing style also just isn't for me, so I won't read it again. But it's probably better for teens.

ava reid has a very distinct voice and is very good at creating a sense of a character jusy barely holding it together. this story feels familiar like your parents told it to you as a child (which no this is not a kids book don't give it to a kid) but there's something about it, like you missed a step. it's circular and dizzying and a really good read. why bring up naomi novik? ava reid's other book was compared to it and idk i just don't like novik's writing. feels a bit juvenile especially when compared with this. and i feel like reid is good enough to stand on her own merit without comparison