Juniper & Thorn

Ava Reid was born in Manhattan and raised right across the Hudson River in Hoboken but currently lives in Palo Alto. She has a degree in political science from Barnard College, focusing on religion and ethnonationalism.

"Reid fully embraces the darkness of the original tale while adding enough twists to make the story her own. Grimms' fairy tale fans-and those who like their fairy tales grim-will be thrilled." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"The Juniper Tree is as lovely as it is gruesome...Reid twists the familiar magic of fairy tales into gothic horror, telling a powerful story of surviving trauma that doesn't shy away from its ugliness, while giving Marlinchen the agency to carve a better life. Reid's intimate, visceral storytelling, veering at times into body horror, may make this a hard read for some; others will find themselves reflected in its pages with nuanced understanding." - Booklist (starred review)

"Sweeping, emotional descriptions and scenes of tightly wound suspense brings to mind both Eastern European ballet classics such as Stravinsky's "The Firebird" and Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake" and gothic horror like Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House-a juxtaposition that makes Juniper & Thorn an utterly compelling read." - BookPage (starred review)

"Utterly astonishing. This masterful, complex retelling conjures the pure horror of powerlessness as modernity crashes into tradition, and bodies are transformed and consumed. Juniper & Thorn is the dark fairytale brought to perfection: terrible, and true, and full of teeth."
- Shelley Parker-Chan, bestselling author of She Who Became the Sun

"In this baroque Grimm retelling, Reid proves again that theirs is a powerful and essential voice. Through Marlinchen-a layered and unforgettable heroine, brought to life with immense compassion-she tells a tale of fear and survival, hope and yearning and defiance, in timelessly elegant prose. It will enchant you, break your heart, and chill you to the very marrow." -