Girl, Serpent, Thorn

March 23, 2020
Bashardoust (Girls Made of Snow and Glass) combines Persian language and tales, particularly “The Shahnameh,” with European fairy tales and Zoroastrianism to create a world replete with deadly gardens, mothlike beings, and haunting burial grounds. Cursed with poisonous skin by a div, one of the Destroyer’s “demonic servants,” Soraya has hidden within her
family’s palace walls for 18 years, fearful of staining the reputation of her twin brother, the shah of Atashar. When female div Parvaneh is captured, Soraya seeks a way to end her own poisonous curse and live freely with Azad, one of her brother’s soldiers. But after learning that her cure requires the elusive, magical bird that protects the kingdom, Soraya finds herself in a perilous situation that challenges everything she knows about her family and herself. Scenes are lavishly detailed, Soraya’s inner turmoil is rendered with drama as she chooses whether to be “a mouse or a viper,” and the connection between Soraya and Parvaneh is stirring. Though weighty foreshadowing mars plot twists, Bashardoust’s exceptional attention to folktale structure and Soraya’s hard-won acceptance of herself make for a lyrical, inspiring read. Ages 12–up. Agent: Meredith Kaffel Simonoff, DeFiore & Co.

Nikki Massoud gives an engaging performance of this fairy tale about what makes a monster. Soraya has spent most of her life in isolation, thanks to a curse she received as a baby that makes her skin deadly to anyone who touches her. When one of the divs who cursed her is imprisoned in the palace, it provides Soraya an unexpected opportunity to uncover the truth about her past. Massoud excels at voicing every character in this continually surprising story. She captures Soraya's youthful pining; the seductive danger of the throaty, low-voiced div; and the easy charm of the young man who offers Soraya the respect she's always craved. Massoud's range of unique accents, not traceable to a specific place, enhances the novel's superb world-building. L.S. � AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine