Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Disclaimer: The amazing humans at Harper Collins Canada were kind enough to send me an arc of Thorn in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions below are my own.

“For every girl who has ever doubted she has what it takes.”

^ this is the author’s dedication and honestly, this is when I fell in love with the book.

Thorn has officially been added to my all-time favorite books EVER list. It is so wonderfully written, has some of the most pure characters ever, and will literally captivate you from the start.

Apparently, this story is a retelling of The Goose Girl fairy tale, but as I had never heard of that story (ya, ya, don’t yell at me), that aspect of the story was completely new to me. That being said, the entire story felt new! It has some elements of other YA stories, but this Middle East-inspired fantasy has that something extra that makes it simply riveting.

“Still, this I will fight for: a future free of fear and a life I wish to live, away from the court.”

In Thorn, we meet Princess Alyrra whose mother, the queen, and brother are horrible to her, but she finds friendship and kindness with the servants in their small palace. One day, the King of a larger neighbouring kingdom comes to visit and we discover that he is actually seeking a bride for his son, Prince Kestrin – who chose Alyrra, specifically.

Alyrra agrees, but while travelling to her new home, a curse is cast and she is forever changed. The curse robs Alyrra of her identity, but she takes it as an opportunity to create a new life for herself. She starts to build a simple life as a goose girl, but her past keeps finding new and unexpected ways into her life.

Khanani’s story will literally grip you from the start and won’t let go until the last page. Things start happening in the story very quickly, and don’t really stop. I expect this is because the book seems to be a standalone novel, so everything needs to happen and get wrapped up – and this makes it fast-paced and exciting. I actually read this in one sitting because I was so immersed in the story.

“What would you have given to be valued and protected?”

Princess Alyrra is a wonderful character. She is kind and loyal, and she truly wants to do what is right. She struggles, of course, because that is human nature, but she does her best. The only thing I didn’t love about her (and the rest of the characters, I suppose) is her age – 15. That just didn’t feel truly believable to me. I think it is only mentioned once though, so I’ll admit, I kind of ignored that and imagined her (and everyone else) to be slightly older.

I love that Alyrra is a “quiet” character. She doesn’t want to cause any problems for anyone and is a rather passive person. And that is wonderful. Not every “strong female character” needs to be “strong” in the stereotypical way. Alyrra is strong in different ways. She shows strength in her kindness and love, in her commitment to justice, and in her understanding.

Prince Kestrin is a curious character that we learn about slowly, but who has a pretty huge reveal near the end. I did find him a little frustrating because he wants others to communicate openly with him, but he isn’t willing to communicate openly with them. However, he is kind and he makes an effort when it matters.

Falada is amazing and wise and witty and kind. I won’t say much more about him though because it’s a pretty fun reveal who he is. I will say I adored Falada, probably the most in the book.

“Can you live with the choices you are making now? Or will they end up destroying you?”

In her new life, Alyrra takes on the name Thorn and I love the way that happened. The workers that Thorn befriends are so wonderful and genuine, and they make you believe in the good in the world. The way they all introduce themselves is the most pure and wholesome moment. I was smiling from ear to ear and had an audible “awwww” moment.

There is not a lot of romance in this book, but I didn’t really notice. The story is enough to keep you captivated. There are some hints to a slow burn romance, but I’d say it’s more of a slow burn friendship. Which is kind of lovely in its own way.

“There are more ways than one to hurt.”

There are quite a few triggers in this book (listed at the end of this review), so I definitely recommend being in a good place before reading it. In case you’d like to skip it, I’m going to talk about one of them below. The next quote will mark the end of this section.

Alyrra is emotionally, mentally and physically abused by her mother, brother and several others. We learn that there is a specific moment that causes this, but what I really appreciate about the way the author handles this, is that Alyrra does not blame herself.

One of the biggest messages in this book is that your actions are your choice and the actions of others are their choices. You do not have to blame yourself for the actions of others. This can be so difficult, especially for victims of abuse, but please know, it is never your fault.

There are several people who blame Alyrra for the specific incident, but the author outright has Alyrra say it was the actions of someone else that caused it, not her. I know that sounds a little odd because I’m trying not to spoil the story, but I appreciated that Alyrra knew she was not to blame.

“‘There’s so much that needs doing.’
“‘Start somewhere and keep going,’ she suggests practically.
I nod, wishing it were as easy as that. And perhaps it is.”

Because I don’t want this review to become too long (is it already too late for that?), I’ll quickly mention some other themes this book focuses on, including becoming your own person at your own pace, appreciating the people and moments in your life instead of material things, being kind to others and being kind to yourself, and understanding that not everyone is as they seem.

Yes, it has ALL of that in it and SO much more, and it handles them all in such an amazing way. There are some truly heartbreaking moments – I’ll admit, I cried at one part – but it also has so many amazing moments of genuine kindness, fun and joy. Also, talk about relatable:

“‘You can’t possibly be hungry. You’ve been eating all day!’ I say as he goes straight to his food.
He throws me an amused glance. ‘Think of it as dessert,’ he suggests.”

Intisar Khanani is officially an auto-buy author for me, and I can’t wait to read all of her books! I truly believe that this book will help young girls learn to be kinder to themselves. It will help them realize they can want different things and that they deserve to be happy.

Thorn is an amazing book and I will cherish it forever. When you read the same genre a lot, it can feel like there’s nothing new. But this story is unique and wonderful, and the author’s writing is absolutely magnificent. I highly recommend it, and if you pick it up, I hope you love it as much as I do!

I am so thankful to Harper Collins Canada for sending me an arc to review.

Trigger/content warning: physical/emotional/verbal abuse, rape, assault, murder, execution, identity theft, torture.