Juniper & Thorn is a glorious fever dream of a book. Gilded with hints of well known-tales, but rotten to the core underneath the glamour, Juniper & Thorn grabs you by the throat and pulls you along for the ride. Unlike any fairy tale you’ve heard before, Ava Reid artfully mixes horror and fantasy to deliver a grotesque and aching tale. This is the type of story where you will absolutely not be able to look away as it unfolds and will still be thinking of it after it ends. 

I highly recommend Juniper & Thorn! Ava Reid writes very lyrically, with vivid images and sensory details. I would recommend you check content warnings, as there is some very heavy and graphic material. Ava Reid handles it well, intrinsically weaving it into the gruesome tale and not using the material for shock value. This would be a great book for fans of Allison Saft (Down Comes the Night) and Lauren Blackwood (Within These Wicked Walls). But make no mistake, this is an adult fairy tale with plenty of painful lessons along the way and no guarantee of a happy ending. Fans of dark sisterhood, twisted retellings, magic demanding painful prices, and lyrical writing will enjoy Juniper & Thorn!  

Thank you to Ava Reid, Harper Voyager, Avon and Harper Voyager, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.