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The Thorns
In this hauntingly twisted tale, an author reconnects with an old boarding school friend, forcing her to reckon with their shared past and the imaginary creature she thought they left behind.
Touch a line, you break your spine.
Stacey is the dusty air, the cracked soil, the drought. To fourteen-year-old Bethany Sloane, she’s everything.
Abandoned by her mother at a remote African boarding school, Bethany will do anything to stay in Stacey’s good graces. And that means learning the rules of each twisted game.
Touch a crack, you break your back.
Seventeen years later, Bethany is a bestselling author. Disabled now, she can’t remember what happened back in the bush. But there’s no mistaking Stacey Preston’s name in her inbox.
Glassy, glassy, cut my arsey.
That email brings Bethany’s childhood rushing back. The Glass Man was just a story the Thorns invented, a game of wits. But every game has its rules—and consequences for breaking them. To stay alive this round, Bethany needs to play right into Stacey’s hands.
Dark and disturbing, The Thorns explores the horrifying world of adolescent abuse, controlling friendships, and blinding obsession.
Touch a line, you break your spine.
Stacey is the dusty air, the cracked soil, the drought. To fourteen-year-old Bethany Sloane, she’s everything.
Abandoned by her mother at a remote African boarding school, Bethany will do anything to stay in Stacey’s good graces. And that means learning the rules of each twisted game.
Touch a crack, you break your back.
Seventeen years later, Bethany is a bestselling author. Disabled now, she can’t remember what happened back in the bush. But there’s no mistaking Stacey Preston’s name in her inbox.
Glassy, glassy, cut my arsey.
That email brings Bethany’s childhood rushing back. The Glass Man was just a story the Thorns invented, a game of wits. But every game has its rules—and consequences for breaking them. To stay alive this round, Bethany needs to play right into Stacey’s hands.
Dark and disturbing, The Thorns explores the horrifying world of adolescent abuse, controlling friendships, and blinding obsession.
395 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2025
1696 people are currently reading
9664 people want to read
About the author
Dawn Kurtagich
11 books1,641 followersDAWN KURTAGICH IS AN AWARD-WINNING HORROR AUTHOR.
Her debut novel, THE DEAD HOUSE, was a YALSA Top 10 Pick, An Audie Award Nominee and an Earphone Award Winner. It has been optioned for TV by Lime Productions. She is also the author of THE CREEPER MAN / AND THE TREES CREPT IN, NAIDA and TEETH IN THE MIST, and BLOOD ON THE WIND. Her adult debut novel, THE MADNESS, was pre-empted in a two book, six-figure deal and was published in August 2024. Her next adult novel, DEVIL’S THORN, was announced in 2024, another two-book, six-figure deal, forthcoming in 2025.
By the time she was eighteen, she had been to fifteen schools across two continents. The daughter of a British globe-trotter and single mother, she grew up all over the place, but her formative years were spent in Africa—on a mission, in the bush, in the city and in the desert.
She has been lucky enough to see an elephant stampede at close range, a giraffe tongue at very close range, and she once witnessed the stealing of her (and her friends’) underwear by very large, angry baboons. (This will most definitely end up in a book . . . ) While she has quite a few tales to tell about the jumping African baboon spider, she tends to save these for Halloween!
When she was sixteen, she thought she'd be an astronomer and writer at the same time, and did a month-long internship at Cambridge's prestigious Cavendish Laboratories. At the age of 25, she received a life-saving liver transplant. Her doctor’s still have no idea why her original liver (Leonard) failed. She is enjoying life with her new liver, Lucy.
She leaves her North Wales crypt after midnight during blood moons. The rest of the time she exists somewhere between mushrooms, maggots and mould.
Her debut novel, THE DEAD HOUSE, was a YALSA Top 10 Pick, An Audie Award Nominee and an Earphone Award Winner. It has been optioned for TV by Lime Productions. She is also the author of THE CREEPER MAN / AND THE TREES CREPT IN, NAIDA and TEETH IN THE MIST, and BLOOD ON THE WIND. Her adult debut novel, THE MADNESS, was pre-empted in a two book, six-figure deal and was published in August 2024. Her next adult novel, DEVIL’S THORN, was announced in 2024, another two-book, six-figure deal, forthcoming in 2025.
By the time she was eighteen, she had been to fifteen schools across two continents. The daughter of a British globe-trotter and single mother, she grew up all over the place, but her formative years were spent in Africa—on a mission, in the bush, in the city and in the desert.
She has been lucky enough to see an elephant stampede at close range, a giraffe tongue at very close range, and she once witnessed the stealing of her (and her friends’) underwear by very large, angry baboons. (This will most definitely end up in a book . . . ) While she has quite a few tales to tell about the jumping African baboon spider, she tends to save these for Halloween!
When she was sixteen, she thought she'd be an astronomer and writer at the same time, and did a month-long internship at Cambridge's prestigious Cavendish Laboratories. At the age of 25, she received a life-saving liver transplant. Her doctor’s still have no idea why her original liver (Leonard) failed. She is enjoying life with her new liver, Lucy.
She leaves her North Wales crypt after midnight during blood moons. The rest of the time she exists somewhere between mushrooms, maggots and mould.
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April 1, 2025
HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY!
“She makes things out of other things—she turns them into something better. I wonder if that’s what she did with me. Took what I was and made me better.”
I’ve said this before, but if you are a fan of psychological horror, Dawn Kurtagich is the author you NEED to read. I’m not sure why she floats under the radar, as all of her books are creepy, disturbing, and oh so DARK!
The Thorns begins with a note from the author that the plot for this book is written from many of her own experiences at boarding school. It includes trigger warnings for the reader, so I will include them for you before my review:
Trigger Warnings: Darker themes, specifically bullying, sexual violence, gaslighting, self-harm, chronic pain, minor alcohol and drug abuse, reference to animal harm, and mental health crises.
Bethany is an award winning author of the Sally Chronicles. She is struggling to write the last book in the series to make her deadline when her husband is unexpectedly called away for business in South Africa. Despite the fact that she relies on his constant help to remember to take her pills and to get around on crutches and a wheelchair, she tells him she will be fine while he is away.
However, as soon as he is gone, she stops taking her pills and begins to remember her experiences at boarding school seventeen years ago.
Told in alternating perspectives between past and present, Bethany is forced to confront the truth about her obsessive and abusive friendship with Stacey, the inspiration for her FMC in the Sally Chronicles.
Visceral and deeply personal, The Thorns is a heartbreaking story that sheds some light on the author’s inspiration to write horror novels. I truly hope that the most brutal parts of this plot are fiction. Kurtagich grabs ahold of the reader and doesn’t let go until the shocking twist is revealed at the very end. This would have been a five star read, but I was left wanting a bit more from the ending. Perhaps this was done on purpose, as I just learned The Thorns is part of a two book deal and a sequel is forthcoming!
Highly recommend!
4.5/5 stars rounded down
Expected publication date: 4/1/25
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer publishing for the ARC of The Thorns in exchange for an honest review.
“She makes things out of other things—she turns them into something better. I wonder if that’s what she did with me. Took what I was and made me better.”
I’ve said this before, but if you are a fan of psychological horror, Dawn Kurtagich is the author you NEED to read. I’m not sure why she floats under the radar, as all of her books are creepy, disturbing, and oh so DARK!
The Thorns begins with a note from the author that the plot for this book is written from many of her own experiences at boarding school. It includes trigger warnings for the reader, so I will include them for you before my review:
Trigger Warnings: Darker themes, specifically bullying, sexual violence, gaslighting, self-harm, chronic pain, minor alcohol and drug abuse, reference to animal harm, and mental health crises.
Bethany is an award winning author of the Sally Chronicles. She is struggling to write the last book in the series to make her deadline when her husband is unexpectedly called away for business in South Africa. Despite the fact that she relies on his constant help to remember to take her pills and to get around on crutches and a wheelchair, she tells him she will be fine while he is away.
However, as soon as he is gone, she stops taking her pills and begins to remember her experiences at boarding school seventeen years ago.
Told in alternating perspectives between past and present, Bethany is forced to confront the truth about her obsessive and abusive friendship with Stacey, the inspiration for her FMC in the Sally Chronicles.
Visceral and deeply personal, The Thorns is a heartbreaking story that sheds some light on the author’s inspiration to write horror novels. I truly hope that the most brutal parts of this plot are fiction. Kurtagich grabs ahold of the reader and doesn’t let go until the shocking twist is revealed at the very end. This would have been a five star read, but I was left wanting a bit more from the ending. Perhaps this was done on purpose, as I just learned The Thorns is part of a two book deal and a sequel is forthcoming!
Highly recommend!
4.5/5 stars rounded down
Expected publication date: 4/1/25
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer publishing for the ARC of The Thorns in exchange for an honest review.
December 28, 2024
I picked this up because the synopsis sounded really interesting; it gave off strong urban legend vibes (an entity called "Glass Man," invoked through a mostly made-up game, starts haunting two schoolgirls), it involved supernatural shenanigans of the kind made popular by well-known authors such as Stephen King (the two girls meet again in adulthood, one is an author, and they have to face the entity again), and it promised some nice moments of friendship, several instances of coming-of-age situations, and warned of some "adolescent abuse".
The book does not deliver any of those things. Nothing of what I said is vital to the plot. "The Thorns" is simply not the book the synopsis describes. First of all, there's no "Glass Man," not in any meaningful way - forget games and hauntings; the (very rarely mentioned - four or five times?) words "Glass Man" name simply a vague threat which plays absolutely no role in the novel. Second, there's nothing supernatural in the book: there's just plain old girl angst, girl cliques, and lots of bullying. Third, what happens in adulthood has nothing to do with any "Glass Man" or whatever happened in the school: the 'friendship' is purely toxic and destructive, it involves mental issues (NB: not psychological horror!), and the fact that one of the women is an author, is nothing but mere lip service to standard literary tropes - to spice things up a bit in an otherwise dull story of female infighting. Finally, and far more serious than anything else, the book's "adolescent abuse" is the extended descriptions of intimate sexual relations of a 28-year-old man with a thirteen year old girl. The descriptions are not graphic or violent - but they are disturbing, mostly because the author takes great care to portray the girl as giving consent. Those moments were chilling and really horrific: the girl is no Lolita, she's a traumatized, intelligent and caring little girl (her body hasn't even matured fully) who allows herself to be manipulated into (yes, I see the contradiction as well) a very sick sexually abusive relationship. She's also confused enough to start a sexual relationship with a boy at the same time, but I won't go into that. Perhaps this kind of experiences explain why the same girl, as a woman, never sounds any different in adulthood: she's always acting and speaking as if she's mentally stuck in early adolescence, sounding like a 13yo girl throughout the book.
So what's the book about? It's about mental instability and toxicity among women. The ending has a very predictable 'twist' about the relationship between the two girls, a turn of events not worth the investment (this is a big book, after all!). Noone who's read a healthy number of psychological thrillers is going to be shocked by the ending. So be warned: unless you enjoy sentimentalist displays of adolescent confusion, on multiple levels, don't pick up this book.
The book does not deliver any of those things. Nothing of what I said is vital to the plot. "The Thorns" is simply not the book the synopsis describes. First of all, there's no "Glass Man," not in any meaningful way - forget games and hauntings; the (very rarely mentioned - four or five times?) words "Glass Man" name simply a vague threat which plays absolutely no role in the novel. Second, there's nothing supernatural in the book: there's just plain old girl angst, girl cliques, and lots of bullying. Third, what happens in adulthood has nothing to do with any "Glass Man" or whatever happened in the school: the 'friendship' is purely toxic and destructive, it involves mental issues (NB: not psychological horror!), and the fact that one of the women is an author, is nothing but mere lip service to standard literary tropes - to spice things up a bit in an otherwise dull story of female infighting. Finally, and far more serious than anything else, the book's "adolescent abuse" is the extended descriptions of intimate sexual relations of a 28-year-old man with a thirteen year old girl. The descriptions are not graphic or violent - but they are disturbing, mostly because the author takes great care to portray the girl as giving consent. Those moments were chilling and really horrific: the girl is no Lolita, she's a traumatized, intelligent and caring little girl (her body hasn't even matured fully) who allows herself to be manipulated into (yes, I see the contradiction as well) a very sick sexually abusive relationship. She's also confused enough to start a sexual relationship with a boy at the same time, but I won't go into that. Perhaps this kind of experiences explain why the same girl, as a woman, never sounds any different in adulthood: she's always acting and speaking as if she's mentally stuck in early adolescence, sounding like a 13yo girl throughout the book.
So what's the book about? It's about mental instability and toxicity among women. The ending has a very predictable 'twist' about the relationship between the two girls, a turn of events not worth the investment (this is a big book, after all!). Noone who's read a healthy number of psychological thrillers is going to be shocked by the ending. So be warned: unless you enjoy sentimentalist displays of adolescent confusion, on multiple levels, don't pick up this book.
October 6, 2025
**3.5-stars**
The Thorns follows our MC, Bethany, through both Past and Present perspectives. Present Bethany is a successful author, wife, and a bit of a recluse.
Bethany is the author of a popular series, who is now struggling to write the final book, in which her beloved protagonist, Sally, is slated to be killed. She just can't seem to get it right, causing her a lot of inner turmoil.
Past Bethany has been shipped off to a remote boarding school by her mother. Feeling abandoned and alone, Bethany befriends a fellow classmate, Stacey, who she comes to idolize, shall we say, to an unhealthy degree.
In the Present, Bethany is thrown for a loop when she receives an email from Stacey out of the blue. You can tell they haven't been a part of each other's lives for quite some time, but why? What happened?
The Past clues us in to their complicated friendship, taking us through the various uncomfortable circumstances they got themselves into while at school together. Eventually, Past and Present merge revealing the truth behind Bethany and Stacey's relationship.
This is a tough on for me, because I Love Dawn Kurtagich's writing and daring imagination. The Thorns has a solid ominous feel to it, which I thoroughly enjoyed, but it also had its issues that sadly brought down my rating.
For me, it's one of those stories where a lot is happening, but simultaneously, it feels like nothing is happening. I was constantly waiting for something big to be revealed, and then when it was, I had predicted it from very early on and it didn't end up being as satisfying as I would've hoped.
It also felt too drawn out and I didn't enjoy the 2nd-person narration style of the Present perspective. Nevertheless, Kurtagich gets full marks for her creativity and follow-through on ideas, and this is still a good book, which just happened to fall a little flat for me.
I was hoping for a deeper connection and to be more compelled by the narrative than I was. The middle portions felt quite General Fiction as opposed to the dark-intrigue that I was expecting.
With all this being said, I know so many Readers are going to love this. The back-and-forth does build up some anticipation, and I feel like the topics explored are strong and well-executed.
Thank you to the publisher, Thomas & Mercer, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm looking forward to more from Kurtagich!
The Thorns follows our MC, Bethany, through both Past and Present perspectives. Present Bethany is a successful author, wife, and a bit of a recluse.
Bethany is the author of a popular series, who is now struggling to write the final book, in which her beloved protagonist, Sally, is slated to be killed. She just can't seem to get it right, causing her a lot of inner turmoil.
Past Bethany has been shipped off to a remote boarding school by her mother. Feeling abandoned and alone, Bethany befriends a fellow classmate, Stacey, who she comes to idolize, shall we say, to an unhealthy degree.
In the Present, Bethany is thrown for a loop when she receives an email from Stacey out of the blue. You can tell they haven't been a part of each other's lives for quite some time, but why? What happened?
The Past clues us in to their complicated friendship, taking us through the various uncomfortable circumstances they got themselves into while at school together. Eventually, Past and Present merge revealing the truth behind Bethany and Stacey's relationship.
This is a tough on for me, because I Love Dawn Kurtagich's writing and daring imagination. The Thorns has a solid ominous feel to it, which I thoroughly enjoyed, but it also had its issues that sadly brought down my rating.
For me, it's one of those stories where a lot is happening, but simultaneously, it feels like nothing is happening. I was constantly waiting for something big to be revealed, and then when it was, I had predicted it from very early on and it didn't end up being as satisfying as I would've hoped.
It also felt too drawn out and I didn't enjoy the 2nd-person narration style of the Present perspective. Nevertheless, Kurtagich gets full marks for her creativity and follow-through on ideas, and this is still a good book, which just happened to fall a little flat for me.
I was hoping for a deeper connection and to be more compelled by the narrative than I was. The middle portions felt quite General Fiction as opposed to the dark-intrigue that I was expecting.
With all this being said, I know so many Readers are going to love this. The back-and-forth does build up some anticipation, and I feel like the topics explored are strong and well-executed.
Thank you to the publisher, Thomas & Mercer, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm looking forward to more from Kurtagich!
December 7, 2024
ARC for review. To be published April 1, 2025.
3.8 stars rounded to 4 for this story of toxic female friendship.
In a timeline split between “then” and “now” author Bethany Sloan who is disabled in some way we aren’t quite certain about and who is suffering from writer’s block is being lovingly tended to by husband Bruce when her old friend from boarding school, Stacey, re-enters her life. They’ve had no contact for many years but Bethany’s life is quite isolated and she is both thrilled and conflicted about having Stacey in her life again…
Because according to the “then” sections Bethany’s friendship with Stacey was obsessive; Bethany idolized Stacey who could be cruel to her as young girls so often are. We learn things adult Bethany may have blocked. Why is Stacey back now?
Oh, how I wish I had gone to boarding school! I think it would have been a TOTAL disaster for me and within two weeks I would have had no friends at all and would have ended up a pariah and likely far more psychologically damaged than I already am. I know myself well enough to know that I am best in small doses. But some books make it all look so very cool!
Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed this dark book of controlling friendship (I had some unhealthy friendships in my own young life) but I can see this might not be for everyone. The setting is quite interesting too; the author captures the thirsty, barren landscape well and it mirrors Bethany’s want. Good stuff.
3.8 stars rounded to 4 for this story of toxic female friendship.
In a timeline split between “then” and “now” author Bethany Sloan who is disabled in some way we aren’t quite certain about and who is suffering from writer’s block is being lovingly tended to by husband Bruce when her old friend from boarding school, Stacey, re-enters her life. They’ve had no contact for many years but Bethany’s life is quite isolated and she is both thrilled and conflicted about having Stacey in her life again…
Because according to the “then” sections Bethany’s friendship with Stacey was obsessive; Bethany idolized Stacey who could be cruel to her as young girls so often are. We learn things adult Bethany may have blocked. Why is Stacey back now?
Oh, how I wish I had gone to boarding school! I think it would have been a TOTAL disaster for me and within two weeks I would have had no friends at all and would have ended up a pariah and likely far more psychologically damaged than I already am. I know myself well enough to know that I am best in small doses. But some books make it all look so very cool!
Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed this dark book of controlling friendship (I had some unhealthy friendships in my own young life) but I can see this might not be for everyone. The setting is quite interesting too; the author captures the thirsty, barren landscape well and it mirrors Bethany’s want. Good stuff.
March 24, 2025
Holy guacamole that was the most shocking twist .. I am shook!!!!!
So I went in expecting a horror / thriller after reading (and loving) “the madness” by this author. I will say the only scary thing about this book is the prevalence of child SA.
If this is a major trigger for you then I’d recommend skipping this one.
This book is like one big fever dream..
The ending has left me reeling… I’m shocked and sad but also kind of relieved??? I can’t explain more without spoilers so if you read this please come back here and tell me your thoughts!!
Thank you to the author and Thomas & Mercer for the EARC!
Publish date: March 4th 2025
So I went in expecting a horror / thriller after reading (and loving) “the madness” by this author. I will say the only scary thing about this book is the prevalence of child SA.
If this is a major trigger for you then I’d recommend skipping this one.
This book is like one big fever dream..
The ending has left me reeling… I’m shocked and sad but also kind of relieved??? I can’t explain more without spoilers so if you read this please come back here and tell me your thoughts!!
Thank you to the author and Thomas & Mercer for the EARC!
Publish date: March 4th 2025
February 6, 2025
Thank you Thomas & Mercer for an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback!
Such a disturbing and confusing story with an absolutely explosive ending. Wanted to love it more but it was good!
Video review: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT2rKkxy3/
Such a disturbing and confusing story with an absolutely explosive ending. Wanted to love it more but it was good!
Video review: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT2rKkxy3/
October 25, 2024
*Thank you to the publisher for making this e-arc available to read on Netgalley*
I actually finished this a couple of days ago, but I was so angry by the end of it, I had to step away to recenter. This is for a number of reasons--some of them personal, some of them related to the way the book was written. Ultimately, this was both not a good book and not one I enjoyed.
This review isn't going to be extraordinarily detailed (despite my issues with it) because it's a horror/thriller and those are the types of books it's best not to spoil. There's only one spoiler I'll give and it's because I think it's one I would've appreciated having going into this. There is a content warning list at the start of the book, however, it doesn't give enough details, in my opinion. The author mentions there's sexual violence and abuse; what she doesn't mention is that a big portion of this is CSA. The protagonist, Bethany (and, oh, what a curse to have the same name as the protagonist of this novel), tells her story both in the present and the past, starting when she's about 13, at a boarding school. The CSA happens here and, despite the author saying that not only was it not gratuitous or graphic and necessary to the story, it was too graphic for me. Like the author states, it does play a big role in the story, however, there's absolutely no mention of it in either the summary or specified in the content warnings. So, if you're planning on picking this up, I greatly urge you to reconsider if you find CSA triggering.
Like I mentioned earlier, this story is told in 1st-person (part of what makes the above even more difficult to read). The problem is that the past sections barely read any different from the sections where Bethany is an adult. There's an attempt made, sure, but it mostly reads very much like "adult trying to write from the POV of the child" rather than a believable child protagonist. That, and the author seemed to favor one POV of the other, so much so that I honestly questioned why the adult POV was there in the first place, even after getting to the ending. There definitely needed to be more balance there in order to make that ending feel weightier and more impactful.
Also, the central conceit of the story is just... not well explained at all. The summary of this story gives a much different picture of what the bulk of the novel is going to be about. There are elements there, sure, but I don't think they were done to the fullest extent of what they could have been. Neither the "Thorns" or "the Glass Man game" were really explained well, which made them feel inconsequential, even though they were honestly pretty vital to the plot.
The characters, including the main character, are all very bare bones. There wasn't a lot connecting them to each other or the plot. I think it's largely because the writing is very central focused and not, I think, detailed enough to build the characters in a way that ends up satisfying.
Lastly, and I can't say anything more detailed because it would spoil the entirety of the plot, is that this book employs a trope that I absolutely can't stand in horror/thriller novels. It also doesn't do it well. So by the time the ending came around and all the pieces were put together, I was near ready to throw my phone at the wall. The way the author wrote it just didn't work and, honestly, left me mostly confused until the end.
Overall, I just didn't have a good time and I don't even think I can recommend this. Not just because of what I personally didn't like, but also because I don't really believe it's well-written.
I actually finished this a couple of days ago, but I was so angry by the end of it, I had to step away to recenter. This is for a number of reasons--some of them personal, some of them related to the way the book was written. Ultimately, this was both not a good book and not one I enjoyed.
This review isn't going to be extraordinarily detailed (despite my issues with it) because it's a horror/thriller and those are the types of books it's best not to spoil. There's only one spoiler I'll give and it's because I think it's one I would've appreciated having going into this. There is a content warning list at the start of the book, however, it doesn't give enough details, in my opinion. The author mentions there's sexual violence and abuse; what she doesn't mention is that a big portion of this is CSA. The protagonist, Bethany (and, oh, what a curse to have the same name as the protagonist of this novel), tells her story both in the present and the past, starting when she's about 13, at a boarding school. The CSA happens here and, despite the author saying that not only was it not gratuitous or graphic and necessary to the story, it was too graphic for me. Like the author states, it does play a big role in the story, however, there's absolutely no mention of it in either the summary or specified in the content warnings. So, if you're planning on picking this up, I greatly urge you to reconsider if you find CSA triggering.
Like I mentioned earlier, this story is told in 1st-person (part of what makes the above even more difficult to read). The problem is that the past sections barely read any different from the sections where Bethany is an adult. There's an attempt made, sure, but it mostly reads very much like "adult trying to write from the POV of the child" rather than a believable child protagonist. That, and the author seemed to favor one POV of the other, so much so that I honestly questioned why the adult POV was there in the first place, even after getting to the ending. There definitely needed to be more balance there in order to make that ending feel weightier and more impactful.
Also, the central conceit of the story is just... not well explained at all. The summary of this story gives a much different picture of what the bulk of the novel is going to be about. There are elements there, sure, but I don't think they were done to the fullest extent of what they could have been. Neither the "Thorns" or "the Glass Man game" were really explained well, which made them feel inconsequential, even though they were honestly pretty vital to the plot.
The characters, including the main character, are all very bare bones. There wasn't a lot connecting them to each other or the plot. I think it's largely because the writing is very central focused and not, I think, detailed enough to build the characters in a way that ends up satisfying.
Lastly, and I can't say anything more detailed because it would spoil the entirety of the plot, is that this book employs a trope that I absolutely can't stand in horror/thriller novels. It also doesn't do it well. So by the time the ending came around and all the pieces were put together, I was near ready to throw my phone at the wall. The way the author wrote it just didn't work and, honestly, left me mostly confused until the end.
Overall, I just didn't have a good time and I don't even think I can recommend this. Not just because of what I personally didn't like, but also because I don't really believe it's well-written.
March 26, 2025
3.5 stars!
"The Thorns" is a dark and twisted tale about an author who reconnects with an old boarding school friend and is forced to confront their shared past and the imaginary creature they thought they left behind. The story follows Bethany Sloane, who will do anything to stay in the good graces of her friend Stacey, including playing twisted games with dark consequences. Seventeen years later, Bethany receives an email from Stacey, bringing back memories of their traumatic past. As Bethany tries to navigate the dangerous game Stacey is playing, she must confront the horrifying world of adolescent abuse, controlling friendships, and blinding obsession.
This book was quite intense! It sheds light on how easily influenced young people can be and how much they crave approval in order to fit in. The content of this book made it challenging to read, primarily due to its manipulative nature, triggering themes, and almost obsessive behavior portrayed.
I found it difficult to fully immerse myself in this story. The characters, Bethany and Stacey, are both young and complex individuals who are not easy to connect with. Certain parts of the book were hard to digest, particularly the inappropriate relationship between a 13-year-old and a 28-year-old. It was disturbing to even consider that the young girl seemed to be accepting of it. Readers should be aware that there are many intense themes present in this book that may be triggering for some.
If you are drawn to stories about complicated, often toxic friendships, mental health struggles, and heart-wrenching narratives, then this book may pique your interest.
Thank you, Thomas & Mercer, for the digital ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
"The Thorns" is a dark and twisted tale about an author who reconnects with an old boarding school friend and is forced to confront their shared past and the imaginary creature they thought they left behind. The story follows Bethany Sloane, who will do anything to stay in the good graces of her friend Stacey, including playing twisted games with dark consequences. Seventeen years later, Bethany receives an email from Stacey, bringing back memories of their traumatic past. As Bethany tries to navigate the dangerous game Stacey is playing, she must confront the horrifying world of adolescent abuse, controlling friendships, and blinding obsession.
This book was quite intense! It sheds light on how easily influenced young people can be and how much they crave approval in order to fit in. The content of this book made it challenging to read, primarily due to its manipulative nature, triggering themes, and almost obsessive behavior portrayed.
I found it difficult to fully immerse myself in this story. The characters, Bethany and Stacey, are both young and complex individuals who are not easy to connect with. Certain parts of the book were hard to digest, particularly the inappropriate relationship between a 13-year-old and a 28-year-old. It was disturbing to even consider that the young girl seemed to be accepting of it. Readers should be aware that there are many intense themes present in this book that may be triggering for some.
If you are drawn to stories about complicated, often toxic friendships, mental health struggles, and heart-wrenching narratives, then this book may pique your interest.
Thank you, Thomas & Mercer, for the digital ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 30, 2024
Picked this up for the toxic friendship dark academia vibes and was just uncomfortable for the entire thing.
November 9, 2024
how horrifying can a story get?
!! please be mindful of the trigger warnings, i can’t stress this enough !!
thank you Thomas & Mercer for providing this book for review consideration via netgalley. all opinions are my own :)
this book is a deep dive into suffering, a light shining on the awfulness of the world and the torture of being trapped in your mind. how can one live under so much violence, inside and out? this is a story of it — quiet, loud, terrible, complex.
entering the mind of a tortured, deeply hurt young girl, living in a boarding school in africa, the author explores how obsession and abusive influence can ruin a life so, so easily. desperate to belong, bethany falls deeper and deeper into darkness, losing herself, finding it back, forced to stumble into the worst the world has to offer — and it tears her apart.
the writing was what struck me at first. unique, as metaphoric as it is clear, with words spinning around beautifully. it hurts, it catches you, holds your throat and makes you look. this isn’t just fiction.
this story hurt my soul, my heart, my mind. it’s amazingly well told, the double timeline playing with you easily. the characters are haunting, the images, too. the five stars came easily.
watch out for Glass Man, friends
!! please be mindful of the trigger warnings, i can’t stress this enough !!
thank you Thomas & Mercer for providing this book for review consideration via netgalley. all opinions are my own :)
this book is a deep dive into suffering, a light shining on the awfulness of the world and the torture of being trapped in your mind. how can one live under so much violence, inside and out? this is a story of it — quiet, loud, terrible, complex.
entering the mind of a tortured, deeply hurt young girl, living in a boarding school in africa, the author explores how obsession and abusive influence can ruin a life so, so easily. desperate to belong, bethany falls deeper and deeper into darkness, losing herself, finding it back, forced to stumble into the worst the world has to offer — and it tears her apart.
the writing was what struck me at first. unique, as metaphoric as it is clear, with words spinning around beautifully. it hurts, it catches you, holds your throat and makes you look. this isn’t just fiction.
this story hurt my soul, my heart, my mind. it’s amazingly well told, the double timeline playing with you easily. the characters are haunting, the images, too. the five stars came easily.
watch out for Glass Man, friends
November 25, 2024
This one was a little bit of a tougher read for me.
First of all, it's not horror. I'm not sure why it's even listed that way. Horrible? Absolutely. Horror? Nope.
It is a coming of age, if you like that sort of thing.
For me, the twisty bit was really kind of obvious early on. As a result, the reveal of that didn't really do anything for me.
As for our girls? Did not like. I definitely felt for our main character (my God, how we hurt our girls in this world), but I never, ever grew to like her.
Overall, it did keep me reading, but it wasn't truly for me.
First of all, it's not horror. I'm not sure why it's even listed that way. Horrible? Absolutely. Horror? Nope.
It is a coming of age, if you like that sort of thing.
For me, the twisty bit was really kind of obvious early on. As a result, the reveal of that didn't really do anything for me.
As for our girls? Did not like. I definitely felt for our main character (my God, how we hurt our girls in this world), but I never, ever grew to like her.
Overall, it did keep me reading, but it wasn't truly for me.
December 2, 2024
I was really excited to read this book because it had a lot of story elements that appeal to me. Like overly dependent friendships between young girls, explorations of trauma, and characters reuniting as adults to reckon with something that happened in their youth. The story of Bethany and Stacey when they were young girls at a boarding school in South Africa definitely kept me engaged. However I ended up not being too keen on the present day storyline.
The setting of the school and the land where Bethany and her friends played was richly described. It really helped that portion of the story to come to life. There are some horrific things that go on in Bethany’s childhood that are explored in depth, such as sexual assault. The past sections of the book were so visceral, I felt like I was deeply immersed in Bethany’s life.
However, I never ended up feeling that connected with what was happening in the present storyline when Bethany and Stacy reconnect. The way that storyline was written kept me feeling like I was at arm’s length from the characters and their inner feelings. Perhaps that’s because the author was having to keep the reveals of what happened between them and others in the past. Everything in the past felt so real and grounded while everything in the present felt nebulous. I can see why it was written that way, but it held me back from feeling like I was fully invested in the story. Also, some of the reveals just felt extremely obvious.
I’m definitely open to reading more from Dawn Kurtagich in the future. The friendship she crafted between Bethany and Stacey was extremely compelling. And I enjoy writers who don’t shy away from covering difficult subjects in their stories. I think if this book sounds interesting then you should give it a shot. The past storyline offers up something very interesting.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
The setting of the school and the land where Bethany and her friends played was richly described. It really helped that portion of the story to come to life. There are some horrific things that go on in Bethany’s childhood that are explored in depth, such as sexual assault. The past sections of the book were so visceral, I felt like I was deeply immersed in Bethany’s life.
However, I never ended up feeling that connected with what was happening in the present storyline when Bethany and Stacy reconnect. The way that storyline was written kept me feeling like I was at arm’s length from the characters and their inner feelings. Perhaps that’s because the author was having to keep the reveals of what happened between them and others in the past. Everything in the past felt so real and grounded while everything in the present felt nebulous. I can see why it was written that way, but it held me back from feeling like I was fully invested in the story. Also, some of the reveals just felt extremely obvious.
I’m definitely open to reading more from Dawn Kurtagich in the future. The friendship she crafted between Bethany and Stacey was extremely compelling. And I enjoy writers who don’t shy away from covering difficult subjects in their stories. I think if this book sounds interesting then you should give it a shot. The past storyline offers up something very interesting.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
April 13, 2025
First of all, thanks to Thomas and Mercer for the opportunity to read this book! (And I had a wonderful buddy reader to read it with; I don't think you can tag other reviewers, but thanks to megs_bookrack!)
The Thorns is a standalone horror/thriller/mystery by Dawn Kurtagich, the first book I've read by her - always fun to read a new author!
I'll start by saying that I think it's slightly mislabeled in my opinion; I would probably call this 'psychological thriller' but I wouldn't necessarily deem it horror... more on that later!
The Thorns is about Bethany Sloane, and told in two timelines: 'THEN', when she was a 14-year-old at boarding school in remote South Africa; and 'NOW', seventeen years later when Bethany is a successful author, married and living in London, mostly happy but hampered by her disability. All that changes for her when she receives an email from Stacey Preston, a 'friend' of hers from boarding school - her repressed childhood comes trickling back, and Bethany spirals into obsession, fear and turmoil... Previously, her biggest problem had been how to kill off the central protagonist of her long-running series because she's just sick of her! Now, her problems become, shall we say... more complex...
I sped through the beginning of this book, and was desperate to understand who Stacey was, why she was so significant to Bethany, why they had been out of contact for so long - lots of questions, and lots of room for wild guesses!
So, some of predictions were way off - which is fun! Others were right on the money - but isn't it always a bit disappointing when things are too predictable? The timelines end up merging, and Kurtagich's writing is suitably creepy; she has a great way of creating atmosphere!
That being said, I don't think the 'horror' aspect of this was actually necessary. If you'd taken out the 'imaginary creature' (that's from the blurb), I think this would have been a better story for me. It just wasn't needed - there was enough going on with the disturbingly obsessive and toxic relationships between the young characters. The horror aspects were a bit feeble and underdeveloped; it would have worked better for me to focus on the adolescent abuse (interpersonal and institutional!), and Bethany's interiority.
I think lots of people will love this, though, so don't just take it from me! I'd give this a 2.5 sadly, for the disappointment. It promised a lot, but didn't live up to its promises. For me. If it sounds like your jam, then please go for it!
The Thorns is a standalone horror/thriller/mystery by Dawn Kurtagich, the first book I've read by her - always fun to read a new author!
I'll start by saying that I think it's slightly mislabeled in my opinion; I would probably call this 'psychological thriller' but I wouldn't necessarily deem it horror... more on that later!
The Thorns is about Bethany Sloane, and told in two timelines: 'THEN', when she was a 14-year-old at boarding school in remote South Africa; and 'NOW', seventeen years later when Bethany is a successful author, married and living in London, mostly happy but hampered by her disability. All that changes for her when she receives an email from Stacey Preston, a 'friend' of hers from boarding school - her repressed childhood comes trickling back, and Bethany spirals into obsession, fear and turmoil... Previously, her biggest problem had been how to kill off the central protagonist of her long-running series because she's just sick of her! Now, her problems become, shall we say... more complex...
I sped through the beginning of this book, and was desperate to understand who Stacey was, why she was so significant to Bethany, why they had been out of contact for so long - lots of questions, and lots of room for wild guesses!
So, some of predictions were way off - which is fun! Others were right on the money - but isn't it always a bit disappointing when things are too predictable? The timelines end up merging, and Kurtagich's writing is suitably creepy; she has a great way of creating atmosphere!
That being said, I don't think the 'horror' aspect of this was actually necessary. If you'd taken out the 'imaginary creature' (that's from the blurb), I think this would have been a better story for me. It just wasn't needed - there was enough going on with the disturbingly obsessive and toxic relationships between the young characters. The horror aspects were a bit feeble and underdeveloped; it would have worked better for me to focus on the adolescent abuse (interpersonal and institutional!), and Bethany's interiority.
I think lots of people will love this, though, so don't just take it from me! I'd give this a 2.5 sadly, for the disappointment. It promised a lot, but didn't live up to its promises. For me. If it sounds like your jam, then please go for it!
August 3, 2025
Oh wow. This is the first book I have read by this author and it was quite a wild ride. This book ventures into the challenges of coming of age while also touching on trauma, mental illness, love, loss, obsession and heartache. I wasn't sure what to expect and when starting this book, I worried if it wasn't going to be what I was looking for. The beginning was somewhat slow and unassuming, but the authors prose and the characters dynamics had me wanting to figure out where the heck this plot was going. 100 pages in and things started to get more interesting, but I still had no clue where the plot was going. It wasn't until the last 70% that I found myself fumbling, gripping my kindle, biting my lip in intense anxiety and completely unable to take my eyes away from the pages. The imagery in this book was imaginavite, devastating, gorgeous and heart wrenching. The conclusion was not one I was anticipating. It slapped me in the face and whipped my head around 360! It jumped out of the insane depths of a twisty and creative mind. I did not see the ending and I love books and authors that can do that to me! I highly recommend this book if youre looking for a psychological thriller that will have you reeling and gasping!
March 17, 2025
I truly don’t think I’ve ever read a book like this. Oh my god. This story is going to haunt me for a long, long time.
This is a dark, sick and twisted fever dream of a book and I couldn’t look away. The twists and turns had my head spinning. At no point will you know where the story is going.
Loved it so much. Dying to go read Dawn Kurtagichs back list now while I wait for her brain to come up with some more horrifying stories for me to love.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!
This is a dark, sick and twisted fever dream of a book and I couldn’t look away. The twists and turns had my head spinning. At no point will you know where the story is going.
Loved it so much. Dying to go read Dawn Kurtagichs back list now while I wait for her brain to come up with some more horrifying stories for me to love.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!
March 17, 2025
Mini blurb: A disabled bestseller author reckons with her painful experiences as a thirteen y.o. in boarding school when her abusive friend from back then reenters her life, causing her to risk everything she's built.
***
Rated 3.5 really.
First off...DISCLAIMER: this title was up for grabs on NetGalley (in the Read Now section). Thanks to Thomas & Mercer for providing a temporary ecopy. This didn't influence my review in any way.
As usual with Kurtagich, it's a challenge to write a review - or even a simple blurb - without spoilers. One has to dance around the truth and to use words in a clever manner, which I hope is what I'm doing...
Told in a double-timeline narrative, The Thorns is a well-written, brutally honest, disturbing book. I'm glad I read it, and at the same time, it left a bad taste in my mouth. I thought I was in for a mostly contemporary story with a supernatural thread woven in, but Glass Man and the titular thorns mythology turned out to be inconsequential (this is not the spoiler you may think it is, and I feel like it's right to include it in order to prevent false expectations). On the other hand, the abuse, obsession and manipulation were very real. The author lists "bullying, sexual violence" (not of the graphic kind), "gaslighting, self-harm, chronic pain, minor alcohol and drug abuse, reference to animal harm, and mental health crises" as triggers, but even those fail to prepare the reader for the relationship between a 13 y.o. girl and a 28 y.o. man and the level of toxicity it entails - or for the equally toxic female friendship. The Thorns has a lot to say about a young girl's desperate need to belong, and how the world (sometimes even her peers, sometimes even other GIRLS for goodness' sake, but mostly older men) preys on it while casting HER in the role of the villain. This is praiseworthy, but not something that makes a book enjoyable in the strict sense of the word. I have to say the main twist didn't caught me by surprise, because early reviews had me on the lookout for one, but I only figured half of it (on the other hand, there's a scene that doesn't make sense, in retrospect, even taking delusions into account), and the ending left me speechless, though I feel like it sacrifices good mental rep for a last shock (then again, that can be said for premise of The Dead House as well, and I loved that one...).
Note: definitive review (I don't have enough to say to justify writing a full-length one later).
***
Rated 3.5 really.
First off...DISCLAIMER: this title was up for grabs on NetGalley (in the Read Now section). Thanks to Thomas & Mercer for providing a temporary ecopy. This didn't influence my review in any way.
As usual with Kurtagich, it's a challenge to write a review - or even a simple blurb - without spoilers. One has to dance around the truth and to use words in a clever manner, which I hope is what I'm doing...
Told in a double-timeline narrative, The Thorns is a well-written, brutally honest, disturbing book. I'm glad I read it, and at the same time, it left a bad taste in my mouth. I thought I was in for a mostly contemporary story with a supernatural thread woven in, but Glass Man and the titular thorns mythology turned out to be inconsequential (this is not the spoiler you may think it is, and I feel like it's right to include it in order to prevent false expectations). On the other hand, the abuse, obsession and manipulation were very real. The author lists "bullying, sexual violence" (not of the graphic kind), "gaslighting, self-harm, chronic pain, minor alcohol and drug abuse, reference to animal harm, and mental health crises" as triggers, but even those fail to prepare the reader for the relationship between a 13 y.o. girl and a 28 y.o. man and the level of toxicity it entails - or for the equally toxic female friendship. The Thorns has a lot to say about a young girl's desperate need to belong, and how the world (sometimes even her peers, sometimes even other GIRLS for goodness' sake, but mostly older men) preys on it while casting HER in the role of the villain. This is praiseworthy, but not something that makes a book enjoyable in the strict sense of the word. I have to say the main twist didn't caught me by surprise, because early reviews had me on the lookout for one, but I only figured half of it (on the other hand, there's a scene that doesn't make sense, in retrospect, even taking delusions into account), and the ending left me speechless, though I feel like it sacrifices good mental rep for a last shock (then again, that can be said for premise of The Dead House as well, and I loved that one...).
Note: definitive review (I don't have enough to say to justify writing a full-length one later).
April 5, 2025
3.5 stars
The Thorns by Dawn Kurtagich is a horror novel about a girl sent to a boarding school.
First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Harlequin Trade Publishing | Graydon House, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Okay. I'm not sure how to proceed with this review. I think I hated it 50% of the time, but was just compelled to keep going. The writing is good, even when the topics were so dark.
It is told through Bethany's eyes, in the Then (school) and Now (a disabled author). This worked really well. I wish there had been something likeable about Stacey, or Bethany, or even Bernie. I liked Rowan and Gert, but other than that....where were the adults in this book?
The book looked at childhood friendship and naivety. But it also looked at dependency, bullying, and abusive, controlling relationships during childhood, as well as sexual abuse. Ultimately, it looked at mental illness.
Bottom line, this was an uncomfortable read. It is dark, disturbing, and somewhat depressing psychological horror. If you are looking for light-heartedness and a happy ending, look elsewhere. The book was really sad. It is hard to rate a book that didn't sit well with me. I love horror, but this was horrific. However, the suspense kept me turning those pages, waiting for Bethany to stand up for herself, waiting for her to let Stacey go. In the end, the book kept me interested, kept me there. Even though I couldn't really connect with the characters, I really wanted to know what finally happened to Bethany, but was afraid to ask. I still am.
For a more complete review of this book and others (including the reason I chose to read/review this book, my own synopsis of the book, and its author information), please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
April 5, 2025
This is a heavy, complex novel whose characters are teenage girls at boarding school, which deals with some very adult issues. Many readers will know Dawn Kurtagichfrom her previous novels (And the Trees Crept In, Teeth in the Mist, The Dead House, The Madness) which are primarily in the young adult category, so I expect many admirers of her writing will seek this book out but should be aware of the content. Kurtagich includes a detailed trigger warning at the start of the book, explaining she was inspired to write it from personal experience. In that context, this isn’t traditional horror compared to her prior novels; instead, it depicts personal horrors that I’m shocked she has been able to write about in a way that is with her usual literary eloquence. I applaud her ability to do so.
Some readers will find the novel very triggering; it includes themes of emotional and physical abuse, self-harm, mental illness, molestation, and underage sex.
The Thorns is the harrowing story of Bethany, who once attended boarding school in remote, desert South Africa, but begins in present-day London with an email from her long-lost school friend Stacey. Friendship is a confusing word in The Thorns, especially for thirteen-year-old Bethany, who is elated when Stacey first says she's her best friend, and hears "aren't you two the pair of twins?" But dominant, fearless Stacey dictates everything about their relationship, and Bethany constantly seeks her approval, forcing herself to be braver, bolder, talking her into doing things--playing Stacey's dangerous physical and psychological games--that she wouldn't otherwise, sometimes to the point of physical torture and degradation. The email from Stacey jumpstarts a reckoning for thirty-two-year-old Bethany--now disabled but married with a successful career as an author--with her traumatic and abusive past. It's clear that Stacey stirs up old emotions and memories, and she reverts to feeling like a child, which causes her to stop writing, feel differently about her husband, and evaluate her entire life.
Bethany's childlike desire for attention and love, spurred on by feelings of abandonment (from being left at boarding school at an early age), leads her to seek out negative connections, and she has a constant need for approval. Her lack of self-esteem allows Stacey to take advantage of her, and her naivety and innocence lead her into some of the more alarming situations in the novel. Bethany has no understanding of how morally wrong and abusive the behavior that is being committed upon her, due to her confused feelings and immaturity (and it's unclear whether Stacey does or if she is mentally unstable). Bethany's need to connect with her closest friend is pathological; she constantly wrestles with the obsessive nature of her friendship, and her story reflects how this adolescent desire to fit in can have such terrifying consequences.
In The Thorns there is little recognition from authority or parental figures of the harm done (barely any acknowledgement of what’s happening at all), so this adds to the feelings of uneasiness and discomfort, certainly frustration. Although the two timelines are intertwined, the chapters set at the boarding school need so much psychological energy and attention that they are the overwhelming focus of the book. There's no break from the heaviness and darkness of the material, despite the sun-drenched desert setting.
This is an emotional read about a toxic friendship enveloped in indescribable trauma in a unique setting. I think it will be hard for any reader to come away from such an intense story without some visceral reaction.
Thank you to Thomas & Mercer for my digital review copy.
Some readers will find the novel very triggering; it includes themes of emotional and physical abuse, self-harm, mental illness, molestation, and underage sex.
The Thorns is the harrowing story of Bethany, who once attended boarding school in remote, desert South Africa, but begins in present-day London with an email from her long-lost school friend Stacey. Friendship is a confusing word in The Thorns, especially for thirteen-year-old Bethany, who is elated when Stacey first says she's her best friend, and hears "aren't you two the pair of twins?" But dominant, fearless Stacey dictates everything about their relationship, and Bethany constantly seeks her approval, forcing herself to be braver, bolder, talking her into doing things--playing Stacey's dangerous physical and psychological games--that she wouldn't otherwise, sometimes to the point of physical torture and degradation. The email from Stacey jumpstarts a reckoning for thirty-two-year-old Bethany--now disabled but married with a successful career as an author--with her traumatic and abusive past. It's clear that Stacey stirs up old emotions and memories, and she reverts to feeling like a child, which causes her to stop writing, feel differently about her husband, and evaluate her entire life.
Bethany's childlike desire for attention and love, spurred on by feelings of abandonment (from being left at boarding school at an early age), leads her to seek out negative connections, and she has a constant need for approval. Her lack of self-esteem allows Stacey to take advantage of her, and her naivety and innocence lead her into some of the more alarming situations in the novel. Bethany has no understanding of how morally wrong and abusive the behavior that is being committed upon her, due to her confused feelings and immaturity (and it's unclear whether Stacey does or if she is mentally unstable). Bethany's need to connect with her closest friend is pathological; she constantly wrestles with the obsessive nature of her friendship, and her story reflects how this adolescent desire to fit in can have such terrifying consequences.
In The Thorns there is little recognition from authority or parental figures of the harm done (barely any acknowledgement of what’s happening at all), so this adds to the feelings of uneasiness and discomfort, certainly frustration. Although the two timelines are intertwined, the chapters set at the boarding school need so much psychological energy and attention that they are the overwhelming focus of the book. There's no break from the heaviness and darkness of the material, despite the sun-drenched desert setting.
This is an emotional read about a toxic friendship enveloped in indescribable trauma in a unique setting. I think it will be hard for any reader to come away from such an intense story without some visceral reaction.
Thank you to Thomas & Mercer for my digital review copy.
March 25, 2025
I got this as a free Amazon First Reads book, and... I did not like it. The book tells a story between past and present tense, but feels muddled and disjointed. The bulk of the story takes place in the past, and unfortunately the main character is extremely unlikeable and frustrating to follow. The major twist brought in near the end of the book seems easy to see coming and yet still feels confusing to understand prior to the point the twist reveals. The book also includes and drags out an extremely abusive sexual relationship between a literal child and a grown man - and then after all is said and done - the characters make excuses for the grown man and nothing else happens. I went into this expecting a horror story as it was advertised to me, and instead I got a weird, pervy mess full of varying degrees of abuse and a pedophile character who experiences zero consequences. The only positive thing I can say is that the author's writing is very easy to read and at least the plot was fast-paced. Otherwise, feel free to pass on this one!
April 1, 2025
3.5 stars. I was impressed with The Thorns, even if I found the execution a bit messy and predictable.
Using a dual timeline structure, Dawn Kurtagich introduces readers to Bethany Sloan. In the “now” chapters, Bethany is a successful writer living with her loving husband Bruce in London. She’s struggling with writer’s block, agonizing over how to finish her award-winning series of novels, when her school friend Stacey re-enters her life. As teenagers, Stacey and Bethany met at a remote boarding school in South Africa, and in the “then” chapters it swiftly becomes clear that their friendship was far from healthy. In fact, it was toxic: marked by obsession, bullying, and abuse. With Stacey back in her life, Bethany is forced to confront the trauma of her adolescence once and for all.
The Thorns is an incredibly dark book, dealing overtly with themes like abuse of all kinds (physical, sexual, emotional, substance), self-harm, and mental health crises. Through the characters of Bethany and Stacey, Kurtagich reveals the dark heart of girlhood, in all its cruelty and vulnerability. The narrative, inspired by Kurtagich’s own experiences at boarding school, feels intensely personal. She completely captures the mindset of a teenage girl struggling with self-worth and how to relate to an expanding world of increasingly adult experiences. Bethany is one of those characters who you want to both hug and lecture about making better choices, but she is sympathetic all the way through. And The Thorns is an incredibly atmospheric book, with an arid, desolate setting that perfectly complements the book’s overarching themes.
I was intrigued by the “urban legend” feel of the description – the frightening “Glass Man” and his cruel games – but sadly, he barely makes an appearance in the book. In fact, the Glass Man references have no bearing on the plot at all, and I’m not sure why they were even included…maybe to add a horror element? But this isn’t a scary book, and while it’s deeply psychological and incredibly dark, it doesn’t really read like a thriller. It’s a coming-of-age novel more than anything else, about how every emotion is experienced in the extreme, how everything feels simultaneously confusing and upsetting and glorious, and how the mind copes and seeks to protect itself when dealing with trauma at such a pivotal point in a young woman’s development. The book feels a bit crowded with all of this going on, somewhat hectic and overwrought. I predicted the final twist very early on, and I think many readers will.
This won’t be a book for every reader, but if you are willing to travel with the author into some incredibly dark corners of the human psyche, it’s a worthwhile, meaningful read in the end, despite a few hiccups. Thank you to Thomas & Mercer for the early reading opportunity.
Using a dual timeline structure, Dawn Kurtagich introduces readers to Bethany Sloan. In the “now” chapters, Bethany is a successful writer living with her loving husband Bruce in London. She’s struggling with writer’s block, agonizing over how to finish her award-winning series of novels, when her school friend Stacey re-enters her life. As teenagers, Stacey and Bethany met at a remote boarding school in South Africa, and in the “then” chapters it swiftly becomes clear that their friendship was far from healthy. In fact, it was toxic: marked by obsession, bullying, and abuse. With Stacey back in her life, Bethany is forced to confront the trauma of her adolescence once and for all.
The Thorns is an incredibly dark book, dealing overtly with themes like abuse of all kinds (physical, sexual, emotional, substance), self-harm, and mental health crises. Through the characters of Bethany and Stacey, Kurtagich reveals the dark heart of girlhood, in all its cruelty and vulnerability. The narrative, inspired by Kurtagich’s own experiences at boarding school, feels intensely personal. She completely captures the mindset of a teenage girl struggling with self-worth and how to relate to an expanding world of increasingly adult experiences. Bethany is one of those characters who you want to both hug and lecture about making better choices, but she is sympathetic all the way through. And The Thorns is an incredibly atmospheric book, with an arid, desolate setting that perfectly complements the book’s overarching themes.
I was intrigued by the “urban legend” feel of the description – the frightening “Glass Man” and his cruel games – but sadly, he barely makes an appearance in the book. In fact, the Glass Man references have no bearing on the plot at all, and I’m not sure why they were even included…maybe to add a horror element? But this isn’t a scary book, and while it’s deeply psychological and incredibly dark, it doesn’t really read like a thriller. It’s a coming-of-age novel more than anything else, about how every emotion is experienced in the extreme, how everything feels simultaneously confusing and upsetting and glorious, and how the mind copes and seeks to protect itself when dealing with trauma at such a pivotal point in a young woman’s development. The book feels a bit crowded with all of this going on, somewhat hectic and overwrought. I predicted the final twist very early on, and I think many readers will.
This won’t be a book for every reader, but if you are willing to travel with the author into some incredibly dark corners of the human psyche, it’s a worthwhile, meaningful read in the end, despite a few hiccups. Thank you to Thomas & Mercer for the early reading opportunity.
April 3, 2025
i have so many thoughts and reactions. part thriller that i couldn’t put down. part disgusting preyed upon people. part twisted psychopathic people. part redemption through therapy and healing. but how does anyone recover from it all.
side note. my cousin did the cover!! it’s so cool!!
side note. my cousin did the cover!! it’s so cool!!
May 15, 2025
This was an unsettling fast paced story! I really liked the writing style and the ending was good. I would highly recommend this! Special Thank You to Dawn Kurtagich, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
April 21, 2025
“ I don’t know the rules”
And for the 60 or 70 pages that I read, I still have no F***ing idea what the rules are or what this is supposed to be about. I think I gave it enough time to at least vaguely introduce me to what the heck is going on.
I’m done !
And for the 60 or 70 pages that I read, I still have no F***ing idea what the rules are or what this is supposed to be about. I think I gave it enough time to at least vaguely introduce me to what the heck is going on.
I’m done !
March 11, 2025
When Bethany’s mom is essentially abandons her at a South African boarding school, she feels lonely and unwanted. But she finds solace in her friendship with Stacey, someone she develops and almost codependent relationship with. At some point, Bethany returns to her native England, and 20 years later is a successful writer. But the past doesn’t stay in the past, when Stacey returns into her life for the first time in years. Suddenly, Bethany’s questioning her life choices. But is it a good thing?
TW: sexual assault (it’s not necessarily graphic, but very physiologically twisted, which makes it very difficult to read, especially so if it’s something you have been through, I imagine.)
This book is told along two timelines: the past, when Stacey and Bethany are in boarding school, and in the present day.
Ok, onto the book itself:
This book was a creepy, suspenseful, wild ride through both the past and the present as we, the readers, watch two friends fall apart through a toxic mixture of obsession and control. It’s both hard to stomach and fascinating. I had to really had to hold myself back from skipping ahead to see how everything ended. But I (just barely) held out. And man, it was worth it.
The twists and turns were amazing in this one. I think my jaw dropped like three times during the final chapters. I was so fascinated and taken by surprise. Trust me, Dawn Kurtagich knows how to craft a great story.
It’s best to go in completely blind, so I won’t say more, other than, you will get frustrated with the characters, but remember that they’re teen girls, so they make stupid decisions, like doing dangerous things to impress their friends. But in this book, everything is done for a reason. Ugh, it’s perfectly set up.
If you love thrillers, pick this up!
TW: sexual assault (it’s not necessarily graphic, but very physiologically twisted, which makes it very difficult to read, especially so if it’s something you have been through, I imagine.)
This book is told along two timelines: the past, when Stacey and Bethany are in boarding school, and in the present day.
Ok, onto the book itself:
This book was a creepy, suspenseful, wild ride through both the past and the present as we, the readers, watch two friends fall apart through a toxic mixture of obsession and control. It’s both hard to stomach and fascinating. I had to really had to hold myself back from skipping ahead to see how everything ended. But I (just barely) held out. And man, it was worth it.
The twists and turns were amazing in this one. I think my jaw dropped like three times during the final chapters. I was so fascinated and taken by surprise. Trust me, Dawn Kurtagich knows how to craft a great story.
It’s best to go in completely blind, so I won’t say more, other than, you will get frustrated with the characters, but remember that they’re teen girls, so they make stupid decisions, like doing dangerous things to impress their friends. But in this book, everything is done for a reason. Ugh, it’s perfectly set up.
If you love thrillers, pick this up!
March 26, 2025
Bethany is all grown up- an author who is married and currently struggling to finish a book series that has reached critical acclaim status many times over. As she falters between losing her creativity and vision of ending her book series, she finds herself reconnecting with Stacy. I can't even go into explaining Bethany and Stacy's friendship- it's genuinely so nuanced and double stacked that you'd just have to read this in its entirety to understand. Stacy attends an African boarding school with Bethany, and after being forced by her mom to attend a place she really didn't want to, the latter finds herself latching on to Stacy in the way all lonely fourteen year olds probably would. It's not very healthy nor are the girls old enough to understand the true duplicity that can come from such a relationship- but the games they play are just for the two of them. From the description alone, I'll fully admit I misidentified the role Glass Man and the thorns would play in this story- if you go into this one expecting a visual and visceral explanation of a fun childhood urban legend, you're apt to be quite disappointed. Dawn writes so beautifully in this one, and I loved everything that wasn't said as much as I did the things that were. I think it'll be fun to see everyone's interpretation of the grief, abuse, and malice intention in The Thorns- but unfortunately, I don't think everyone will understand the plot and what it took to reach such a conclusion. Bethany and Stacey shared beautiful moments within that end up so horribly ugly that I'll be hard pressed to forget such a thing anytime soon. Thank you so much to the publisher for approving me for the eArc, and even bigger thanks to the author herself for sending me a physical copy once the former fell through! All opinions are my own.
March 17, 2025
1.75 stars
I picked up this novel because the synopsis sounded interesting. It suggested a toxic friendship, a creature or entity called the 'Glass Man' and a game. While we did get toxic friendship (very much so), there wasn't really a game aspect. Also, the Glass Man was mentioned, but didn't play any part in the story. Those were pretty much the main aspects that made me excited about this book, so colour me disappointed.
I didn't mind the twist at the end, but it wasn't nearly good enough to make the rest of this book worthwhile. The characters weren't fleshed out enough for me to care and the POVs read kind of the same. You'd expect to see some type of difference between 13-year old Bethany and grown up Bethany. Looking back, I don't quite understand why the POV of adult Bethany was there in the first place.
While content warnings were included at the beginning of this ARC, I was caught a little by surprise. The author mentions sexual violence and abuse, but what she fails to mention is that this all happens when the MC is 13 years old, making it CSA. Despite the author mentioning it wasn't graphic and it's necessary to the story, I fail to agree on that first point. While it's not as graphic as it could be, it packs a punch. Especially because it's written in first person. So, definitely be aware before diving into this book.
TW: child sexual assault/pedophelia, sexual assault/rape, bullying, mental illness, self harm, toxic friendship
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I picked up this novel because the synopsis sounded interesting. It suggested a toxic friendship, a creature or entity called the 'Glass Man' and a game. While we did get toxic friendship (very much so), there wasn't really a game aspect. Also, the Glass Man was mentioned, but didn't play any part in the story. Those were pretty much the main aspects that made me excited about this book, so colour me disappointed.
I didn't mind the twist at the end, but it wasn't nearly good enough to make the rest of this book worthwhile. The characters weren't fleshed out enough for me to care and the POVs read kind of the same. You'd expect to see some type of difference between 13-year old Bethany and grown up Bethany. Looking back, I don't quite understand why the POV of adult Bethany was there in the first place.
While content warnings were included at the beginning of this ARC, I was caught a little by surprise. The author mentions sexual violence and abuse, but what she fails to mention is that this all happens when the MC is 13 years old, making it CSA. Despite the author mentioning it wasn't graphic and it's necessary to the story, I fail to agree on that first point. While it's not as graphic as it could be, it packs a punch. Especially because it's written in first person. So, definitely be aware before diving into this book.
TW: child sexual assault/pedophelia, sexual assault/rape, bullying, mental illness, self harm, toxic friendship
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 26, 2025
Reading The Thorns was like watching someone open old wounds.
I had to sit with my thoughts for some time before sharing.
**I’ll be vague in my review about the particulars of this book. I’ll mention one of the things that the author put in her trigger warning and one element of the story which I expected but wasn’t included.
If you’d like to go in knowing as little as possible, just know I liked this book. The story was captivating and upsetting at times. The subject matter can get dark so just keep that in mind if you decide to read this.
Full review:
Once I heard about this book, I was intrigued. Far from finding it boring, I found some parts to be unsettling. I’d highly recommend reading the author’s trigger warning at the beginning of the book.
I’ve previously read two other books by the same author (And the Tress Crept In and The Madness) both of which I really enjoyed. Although this book wasn’t quite what I was expecting, I’d still say it was a good book. Based on the description, I thought the story would have supernatural elements (it had none). The author mentioned in her author’s note that SA would be involved. Although it’s not described graphically, it plays a significant part in the narrative.
This is one of those books where terrible things happen to the main character. It’s well written but I’ll say again, some parts are definitely hard to read.
I don’t know if I can say I enjoyed reading every part of this book. I definitely enjoyed some parts. Especially those dealing with toxic female friendships, complicated relationships between mother and daughter, and the perils of being a teenage girl. Like the song says, “hell is a teenage girl”.
After finishing this book, I felt like I’d been sucker punched. Then I immediately wanted to read it again. Which I’ll absolutely be doing at some point because, and I can’t stress this enough, that ending was a lot. If I’m honest, I would have preferred a slightly different ending. In my mind, I see things working out in another way.
As far as the audio book goes, I’d highly recommend listening to it. The narrator does an excellent job in creating different voices for the characters. The narrator handled all the disturbing scenes so well. I can still hear the way they did one particular voice. Kudos for the creepy voice acting, it paired perfectly with this book.
Overall, I enjoyed The Thorns. I’d recommend to those who love thrillers, those who love or are new to horror, and those who enjoy stories about toxic friendships. In some ways this book reminded me of the movie Heathers, just more horrific.
Thank you so much to Thomas & Mercer, Brilliance Audio, NetGalley, and the author for providing me with an eARC and audio book for review.
January 9, 2025
This book was unlike any other I’ve read by this author. In a way it felt like she cut herself open and bled onto the page. Please, please be mindful and take seriously her trigger warning at the beginning of the book. Usually, as someone who often reads dark romance and obsessively watches horror movies, nothing sets me off. But this book did. I probably should have stopped reading at some point but the author (who is my favorite author and will remain so) has such a beautiful way of writing that draws you in that you don’t want to put it down. I’m not sure I’d call this horror exactly. Most of the present day sections are a little more psychological thriller than edge of your seat horror. The past timeline sections were the parts I found hard to read. There is a twist at the end, well rather several, that I found quite clever. One was quite sweet and the other one I had wildly thought earlier in the book “what if…” and was smugly satisfied to see that I was right. Overall, I would read anything this author writes… but this book definitely will not be for everyone. Again, be mindful of the trigger warnings and don’t lob them off like I did.
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