A Hunger of Thorns

A witch? With a the power of storytelling? Tell me less, I'm already in.

A Hunger of Thorns by Lili Wilkinson is YA fantasy novel about a witch named Maude, who had a childhood filled with running wild through the forest with her best friend Odette at her side, while telling stories of girls and dragons. But as Maude grew up she lost her friend, and her magic. Older and wiser, Maude knows that magic is nothing spectacular. Instead it's been reduced to glamour patches and psychic energy drinks found in supermarkets and shopping malls. But unwilling to accept just how little magic there is Odette, went to find a source of dark magic, and hasn't returned since. And it's up to Maude to find her again.

The thing I liked most about this novel, was it's unique magic system. I've read plenty of fantasy novels that claim to have peculiar magic systems, like those that are based on colors of light or the amount of time that's held in one's blood. But A Hunger of Thorns stepped above all of these, with it's story telling magic. Though at times, I did find myself quite confused about just how it worked. But that's a natural part of being considered a novel of the fantasy genre.

The only thing I didn't quite like, was Wilkinson's lyrical writing style. At times, it was a bit too sweeping and metaphorical, to the point that the plot got a bit lost. But it was still appreciated, as it accurately matched the tone of the book. In being a novel about the magic of storytelling (literally).

The vibes were immaculate. I feel as though I might be re-reading this one come October. I would highly recommend this to anyone wanting a book with the perfect balance between a headstrong main character, and a magic system that will have you reeling for me. Also I'm going to need book two, like now.

A Hunger of Thorns is a wild ride about a girl obsessed with holding on to her best friend from childhood and a magical power plant filled with corrupted magic. It sounds like a wild ride, and I appreciated the nods to various fairy tales in this gothic wonderland, swan princess, and Bridge to Teribitha story. At the story's heart, we have two girls, Odette and Maude, who are potent friends with a childhood rich in imaginary play and magic. But like all childhood magic, things change, we grow, and sometimes we grow apart. A heart-wrenching event for Maude, but when Odette has gone missing for two weeks, she returns to their childhood playground of an old power plant to save her.
Maude and Odette are unique characters, and the relationship between the two is bittersweet. The world-building in this story feels wonderland-like as you are not sure what to expect as you explore the abandoned power plant you have been warned against exploring. There is an evil creature who wants to kill you, roses that create impenetrable walls, and mysterious mettle magic that has been corrupted. I walked away from this book in a bit of a fog, and I am sure I have to reread it before the sequel as it is one of those books you are sure you missed a thing or two the first time. A Hunger of Thorns is perfect for fans who like a little craziness with their fairy tales.

Lili Wilkinson has set up an enthralling magical world as the setting for her story. The story felt like it was two parts even though the events in the first half of the book directly led to the second. In the first half, our character, Maude is on a quest to find her former friend Odette that disappeared a few weeks ago. In a series of memories, we see why Odette is important to Maude and why she feels responsible for finding her and is the only one who can. During this portion of the story, I had a hard time connecting to Maude because Odette really used her and then abandoned her when she was no longer able to provide her with her deep sought desire for a connection to magic. Yet, Maude is loyal and true and put herself in true peril to rescue Odette who has a toxic personality.
The author did a fantastic job making Maude feel real while her magical constructs Ginger and Winnie felt one-dimensional and yet on the path to evolving into something more. Maude accidentally brought them to life when she was twelve and they have developed ever since at the abandoned plant. The feel of the characters reinforces the magical mistakes that Maude made as a child while also making her responsible for helping them as well.
Rufus is a gem in the story and I would have loved for him to have had a larger role. I loved that he defended Maude and told Odette that she was a terrible friend when Maude could not. Maude spends a long time dismissing him and it feels special when she finally sees him. I loved that he breaks through and gets Maude to go back and fix her mistakes leading to a truly awesome ending.
I enjoyed the layers in this story. Maude has a lot of work to do that she thought started and ended when she saved Odette. However, there are generational mistakes, magical mistakes, and ecological mistakes that she must face to set things on a better course.
Maude has great potential and I wonder if we will revisit her world in the future to fight the magical corporations and the oppressive government restrictions that also make this world a dystopia for magic users like herself. It feels wrong to leave her story with that power imbalance after she works so hard to fix one ecological/magical disaster created by these entities.
While this is a fantasy world, I liked the exploration of the ecological disaster that the government and witches artificially fixed and the way it was truly fixed. I think discussion and parallels can be made to our own ecological situations and inspire future generations to find a better path forward.