Violet Made of Thorns

violet made of thorns cover

Violet Made of Thorns
by Gina Chen

Genre: Fantasy

Reviewed by Maisha P., 9th Grade


Rating: 9/10


Violet Made of Thorns is a young adult novel written by Gina Chen. This novel takes place in a world where kings, queens, seers, beasts and witches exist. Violet is a seer with the power to dream about the future, talk to fates and see people's threads which show their past and future. The previous seer saw a downfall. The seer’s prophecy was whoever became the Prince's bride might save them from the destruction of a bloody war. It is up to the bride he picks to bring salvation or extinction. Prince Cyrus set out to look for a bride. One night, Violet dreams about how she should not have saved the Prince when she was a child. The fates tell her the Prince has to die before summer ends or else she will be burned alive. Violet is not sure what to do. Should she tell the king? The same king that tells her to give fake prophecies. Will she lie to the king? Should she save the Prince? The prince that is trying to get rid of her. When the evil witch prophesied to curse Cyrus appears, Violet realizes a true downfall is happening. What will she do? What will she choose? This is her perfect chance to gain control of her destiny.

The novel gave me an opening to a new world. A world where I like both the fantasy and its setting. This novel did not bore me from the moment I opened it, which was a huge part of me enjoying it. I appreciated seeing Violet's character develop  throughout the story, which made her really likable. How she stayed true to herself and tried her best till the end. Her personality was calm and strong minded, and she knew when not to cross the line, unlike the prince who was more short tempered and high powered, but not in the eyes of his father. I liked how Prince Cyrus tried finding someone he liked to be his bride, though things did not turn out the way he expected. What I did not like about him was that he could be a little annoying and a bit possessive.

This book gets you hooked quickly. For me it was the way the book started. As well as the sense of humor the female lead had at the beginning of the book. The problems in this book and the backstory of the female lead will help you understand the motives she had. I recommend this book to other teens because it welcomes you into a new world. 


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