BOOK REVIEW: Thorn by Intisar Khanani

By Yuli Atta

GOODREADS

Thank you to Readers First and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of the book.

Soooo, I don't know how to review this book. I didn't expect to like it at all but I actually fell in love with it. It's certainly on the 3.75 side rather than a solid 4-star rating but still. I enjoyed it a lot.

This is what I'd call a cosy read. I saw somebody use the word "cosy" to describe a slow-moving drama about two people getting closer and falling in love and while this book can't be further from that, it was a slow read about a princess trying to find her role in the world and figuring out where she stood in all of it.

And I liked it. I don't know if I liked it because it was a very introspective book or because it was simply what I needed at that moment. I didn't expect to like it but I did.

This is a retelling of the Goose Girl. I've no idea what this is, so I can't really say how accurate a retelling it is or how much has been changed. I loved it.

It's slow, it doesn't have a particular plot (hence why I didn't think I'd like it) and it's YA. However, while most YA books make me roll my eyes and sigh with exasperation bc of how cliche they are (especially the writing usually) this one wasn't like it. I think it's because it's an old book which used to be a self-published one. The author clearly doesn't try to conform to a stereotype or a certain checklist most YA novels seem to have these days; it's not trying to be feminist for the sake of it, it's not trying to show you a badass character, it's simply telling you Alyrra's story. And I liked it.

I'd say this is something of a self-discovering journey, Alyrra is trying to just make a life for herself after her identity has been stolen and during that time she makes friends and grows as a person. She is also a very good person and it can be clearly seen through her deeds, the friends she helps and makes. I really liked the writing as well. It is rare I enjoy books written in the present tense but I think it suits this one, it certainly gave me a feeling for it that would stay with me and I would remember it every time I look at this book the way I do when I look at The Final Empire and remember how I felt while reading it. Does this even make sense?

Thorn is definitely not for everybody but I really enjoyed it.

Some of my favourite characters are Falada, the Red Hawk and Alyrra herself.

I really don't know what else to say. It captivated me.

I also liked the way the villains were written. They weren't redeemed and I liked that. I would've liked to see more of the people in the castle but obviously, they weren't all that important given that it was focused more on the stables.

I also really like the cover.