TLDR/OPinion: 6/10
Hosseini's harrowing microcosmic tale of ​the wider degeneration of his native country, Afghanistan, tells the story of its oppression and corruption at the hands of other nations and terrorists groups from the unique perspective of 2 children. The book travels through history and across countries, a tale of betrayal, heartbreak, inequality and redemption.
Book Reviews and Analysis
Girl, Serpent, Thorn
Author
Melissa Bashardoust
Score
8/10
Wix Image
Girl, Serpent, Thorn
BLURB: Soraya is untouchable. There was and there was not a curse to make her so. A regenerative demon, descended from the Destroyer, aware of the curse knows how to undo it - but at what cost? Will Soraya cut her family ties for the sake of personal liberation or can they even be called family when she is the shame of the royal lineage. A tale of love, loss and personal discovery.
REVIEW: The recurring theme of the previous 3 books I have read focuses on 'invisibility'. The desire for it, the rejection of it, the cloying nature of having it anyway. Being noticed and how you are perceived appears to be the focal point of protagonists and a desire echoed in the generations of today all of whom fight to be seen or not seen to whatever degree they wish.
Upon an apocryphal stage we see the same personal challenge played out this time by the richly complex and not always likeable character Soraya. An English professor once taught me the lesson that sometimes the most empowering moves a person can make are the ones other people do not like which is where Bashardoust succeeds in creating such a class-A characterisation.
I thought this book was great. Not only did I read it in single afternoon (I couldn't put it down) proving an engaging plot, but it surprised me. Straying from an ordinarily formulaic and heteronormative fantastical plot framework, it subverts expectations; however, in doing so, makes the book richer for it.
I would loved to have seen a deeper engagement with Sorush and Soraya's relationships - the nature of their being twins seems to betray such a close connection and despite not expecting kinship and love I didn't get the depth of their distance portrayed either.
ANALYSIS:
SPOILERS:
The final transformation - although cathartic and much needed given the hollow feeling I felt thinking Soraya would just remain plainly human forever, was logistically impractical and I can't help but wrack my brains thinking how touching people - her highest priority throughout - would be impeded indefinitely (especially if her relationship with Parveneh wants to diverge from platonic. Perhaps a cool retractable switch?
THEMES:
Fantasy
Outsider
Family
Royalty
Obligation to collective vs. self
Power
Love
Sexuality