Bitterthorn: A sapphic Gothic romance inspired by classic fairytales

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Kat Dunn examines the power of loneliness and isolation and cruelty in making monsters of us, using a backdrop of a sweeping dark fairytale, but also the power of insistent, honest love that recognises the truths of each other. Bitterthorn tugged on the threads of my heartstrings until I had nothing left to give it but my soul. Mina is struggling to find a place she belongs and is determined to uncover the secrets in the castle. A queer haunting of a story about loneliness, loss, and love that has lodged itself firmly in my head and my heart.

I hear someone use a term "popcorn book" lately which I kind of like and think might fit this book as well. Join our community to get personalised book suggestions, extracts straight to your inbox, 10% off RRPs, and to change children’s lives. Mina is a rather unbearable character, but the real disappointment was the witch, the emblem of the misunderstood do-gooder. As every proper gothic this book is based on Terrible Secret that the protagonist tries to unearth while the witch doesn't want her to know, because she considers herself a monster. The book was set over a year, but because we spent weeks in passing where their relationship developed, it felt much shorter so the fear to lovers thing felt quicker than I would have liked.Bitterthorn by Kat Dunn follows Mina, grieving and lonely, who offers herself up to the town curse, and to the Witch to be her next companion. Bitterthorn is beautiful and haunting – the type of story that seeps into your bones and stays with you long after reading. Lush and hauntingly atmospheric, Kat Dunn’s breathtakingly vivid portrayal of love, loneliness and loss was an absolute pleasure to read!

This is the first book by Dunn I’ve ever picked up, but given how thoroughly I devoured this, it’s certainly not going to be the last! There were also a lot of books mentioned that the characters read and I always like to see that, especially since in this case it even more developed the atmosphere (even though you would guess that they'll read more German-language based literature).

Her longing for companionship (and a family that could actually love and care about her) had me absolutely livid on her behalf (especially when it came to her father) but her emotional journey was definitely worthwhile one and I’ll not be forgetting it anytime soon. There is a almost poetic and immersive feel to the writing of the book, the descriptions that are provided and the amount of detail that some aspects of it. Set in the imaginary German town of Blumwald and a mysterious castle hidden away in the depths of a mountainous forest, Bitterthorn was a truly mesmerizing and intimate story about love, companionship and how loneliness makes monsters out of all of us. When Mina is herself taken as the new companion, she finds herself living in a remote castle, strangely drawn to the Witch.

With book based on figuring out something there is always the risk of drawing it for too long (or not drawing it out enough), so you end up with a protagonist that seems stupid. But, I have to say I was completely taken by surprise by how emotionally invested I became in our protagonist’s life. At that point, her self-misery starts to match that of the witch (whose tragic fate we learn about)leading to a rather cheesy happy ending. It got better as the book progressed and things started happening, but overall, the way the story was told wasn't my favourite. It has a very fairytale-like feel to the story and I couldn’t help devouring Bitterthorn in a single sitting.

She’s written about mental health for Mind and the Guardian , and worked as a translator for Japanese television. The first woman to go with the Witch, on arriving at the castle, Mina feels “trapped in a prison of my own foolish making”. Kat you have outdone yourself on this one and I have to say this is your best writing and story yet, I don’t know whether at this point I want to cry or track you down in London and hug you. When the news comes that the Witch living above the city will come to claim another soul as her companion after fifty years, everyone is terrified. Everything about this book was perfection, the writing, the characters, the suspense/mystery, the romance, the plot twists.