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lancemama's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Abandonment, Child death, Death, Religious bigotry, Antisemitism, Colonisation, Grief, War, Xenophobia, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Racism, Violence, Hate crime, and Murder
ominousspectre's review against another edition
1.5
Prose: purple
Themes: heavy handed
I very much wanted to like this. If you showed the blurb to any of my friends, they'd immediately be like oh! This is so on brand for you, almost to a way that's borderline spooky. However, I hated the execution of this.
It's unfortunate because this is a very personal story to her as one side of her family is Jewish Ukrainian. She helps run the Lore podcast. Clearly she's done her research. There are good pieces in here (I loved the line from the villain that said, "I am not a what, I'm a when). But overall, I have a lot of issues with it.
The Longshadow man isn't even really an allegory for bigotry/white supremacy, because he just walks up to people and says alt right talking points at them for a few minutes until they commit a hate crime. I'm not kidding. It's very on the nose. Though the pipeline moves fast, it doesn't work THAT fast, so those scenes felt disingenuous.
What irked me the most was Baba Yaga reimagined as a Jewish Ukrainian in 1919. Nothing inherently wrong with that, I love folklore retellings or generally inspired things. But the connection of Baba Yaga basically stops at the name. She's just a woman who is sort of made fun of in town and given that nickname, and she thenexperiences horrible violence very common of the Jewish experience during that time period. No explanation needed.
Nothing inherently wrong with that either, but otherwise, there's no tie in to any of the actual themes of Baba Yaga the original myth. I was expecting some sort of reclamation of the name and how she's a social outcast, a villain arc, SOMETHING, but there's nothing there.
Weirder still is that it's then just a strange naming convention. I get that she never went by her real name, but you're telling me the only surname she passed on was Yaga???? If you're not familiar with Ukrainian naming conventions, this would make her kids stand out like a sore thumb.
Baba obviously means grandmother or more derogatorily, a hag
Yaga has no true consensus on what it means, but historians believe it comes from different possible Old Slavonic descriptors that are all again derogatory in nature. It's like giving your kids the possible surnames of Witch, Anger, Horror, or Disease. Like those are the possibilities they've come up with for what Yaga means.
I would've even accepted if we didn't know her name from the start, and it was revealed as the story went on as a sort of OH! That's why they inh rited the chicken leg house! But as with the rest of the themes, it must be heavy handed.
As a less serious aside: crazy how Isaac is a tit for tat self insert character I would've written in middle school. Not even kidding, younger me feels so called out. It's honestly very funny
Themes: heavy handed
I very much wanted to like this. If you showed the blurb to any of my friends, they'd immediately be like oh! This is so on brand for you, almost to a way that's borderline spooky. However, I hated the execution of this.
It's unfortunate because this is a very personal story to her as one side of her family is Jewish Ukrainian. She helps run the Lore podcast. Clearly she's done her research. There are good pieces in here (I loved the line from the villain that said, "I am not a what, I'm a when). But overall, I have a lot of issues with it.
The Longshadow man isn't even really an allegory for bigotry/white supremacy, because he just walks up to people and says alt right talking points at them for a few minutes until they commit a hate crime. I'm not kidding. It's very on the nose. Though the pipeline moves fast, it doesn't work THAT fast, so those scenes felt disingenuous.
What irked me the most was Baba Yaga reimagined as a Jewish Ukrainian in 1919. Nothing inherently wrong with that, I love folklore retellings or generally inspired things. But the connection of Baba Yaga basically stops at the name. She's just a woman who is sort of made fun of in town and given that nickname, and she then
Nothing inherently wrong with that either, but otherwise, there's no tie in to any of the actual themes of Baba Yaga the original myth. I was expecting some sort of reclamation of the name and how she's a social outcast, a villain arc, SOMETHING, but there's nothing there.
Weirder still is that it's then just a strange naming convention. I get that she never went by her real name, but you're telling me the only surname she passed on was Yaga???? If you're not familiar with Ukrainian naming conventions, this would make her kids stand out like a sore thumb.
Baba obviously means grandmother or more derogatorily, a hag
Yaga has no true consensus on what it means, but historians believe it comes from different possible Old Slavonic descriptors that are all again derogatory in nature. It's like giving your kids the possible surnames of Witch, Anger, Horror, or Disease. Like those are the possibilities they've come up with for what Yaga means.
I would've even accepted if we didn't know her name from the start, and it was revealed as the story went on as a sort of OH! That's why they inh rited the chicken leg house! But as with the rest of the themes, it must be heavy handed.
As a less serious aside: crazy how Isaac is a tit for tat self insert character I would've written in middle school. Not even kidding, younger me feels so called out. It's honestly very funny
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Racism, and Hate crime
carlyoc's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
"If a story does its job, it never ends--not really."
We have three main POV characters in this book: Isaac Yaga, his sister Bellatine, and Thistlefoot, a house that walks on chicken legs. The estranged siblings are brought together by a notice that they have inherited the house of their twice-great grandmother. But the house is pursued by a monster from its past, who we later learn is a very interesting portrayal of a dybbuk from Jewish mythology.
Magic is not the norm in this world, but nor is it mind-blowing. Isaac and Bellatine take their house on tour around the country, running a travelling puppet show like their family did when they were children. Isaac and Bellatine each have special powers, although only Bellatine's is known by the other sibling.
Isaac can mimic other people with inhuman accuracy to the extent that his body really seems to take on their shape. And Bellatine lives in fear of what her hands can do to inanimate objects that have too much life in them.
Although the novel takes place in modern times, there is something old-timey about the book, including Isaac's habit of jumping onto moving trains and speaking in classic rail rider slang. Adding to that feeling, was the narration of the audiobook by the excellent January LaVoy, whose voice will be very familiar to listeners of Libba Bray's The Diviners series.
We have three main POV characters in this book: Isaac Yaga, his sister Bellatine, and Thistlefoot, a house that walks on chicken legs. The estranged siblings are brought together by a notice that they have inherited the house of their twice-great grandmother. But the house is pursued by a monster from its past, who we later learn is a very interesting portrayal of a dybbuk from Jewish mythology.
Magic is not the norm in this world, but nor is it mind-blowing. Isaac and Bellatine take their house on tour around the country, running a travelling puppet show like their family did when they were children. Isaac and Bellatine each have special powers, although only Bellatine's is known by the other sibling.
Isaac can mimic other people with inhuman accuracy to the extent that his body really seems to take on their shape. And Bellatine lives in fear of what her hands can do to inanimate objects that have too much life in them.
Although the novel takes place in modern times, there is something old-timey about the book, including Isaac's habit of jumping onto moving trains and speaking in classic rail rider slang. Adding to that feeling, was the narration of the audiobook by the excellent January LaVoy, whose voice will be very familiar to listeners of Libba Bray's The Diviners series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Xenophobia, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, and Grief
Minor: Mass/school shootings and Racism
Depicts in some detail a pogrom in Eastern Europe.s_writes's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism and Racism
Moderate: Death, War, Violence, and Child death
Minor: Sexual content and Suicidal thoughts
cleot's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Engaging and devastating with a unique narrative style. I wept.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Genocide, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, and Antisemitism
Moderate: Xenophobia, Animal death, Murder, and Racism
readwriterobyn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
𝙏𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨: self-harm, suicide, death, PTSD, cross-generational trauma, genocide, infant/child harm
This book crushed me in all the right ways. I rarely, rarely read stories that are sad or heart-wrenching, as I prefer my fiction to be upbeat or dark (but not sad). This one takes the cake for me. I was sobbing the last few chapters–enough that it made my fiancé determined to read the book after me. He knows I don’t cry at books. But this one got me.
The story crossed generations, continents, and tragedies as it unfolded, mixing Jewish folklore with a modern urban setting. My favorite characters were the house (with the titular name of Thislefoot) and Winnie (no spoilers, but she’s a clear winner). Thistlefoot’s perspective was fascinating: every story it told us could be the truth, an utter fabrication, or somewhere between the two. And it blatantly tells you that multiple times over the course of the story. I haven’t read anything like it.
It was also a unique study in relationships–mothers/daughters, siblings, crowd/performers, townspeople/outsiders, civilians/military, past/present, self/others, ghosts/living, alive/inanimate (and what it means to be “alive”). There was so much packed within this book, that it’s hard to imagine it was a debut book.
Additionally, now that it’s sat on my shelf for a few weeks, I find myself thinking about the message of the story a lot. There’s a lot to say, but I loved (and believe in) the idea that history and its traumas transcend time, space, and distance to be heard; they demand to not be forgotten.
My only quibble about the story was that it was very thick, and I had to be entirely focused to read it. Otherwise, I felt I couldn’t absorb all of the information and themes presented. As a bedtime reader, this was challenging and it took me longer to read than other novels of similar size.
Overall, if you like descriptive writing with metaphors and symbolism, multiple POVs, emotional damage, cross-generational trauma and the stories that come with them, all with a dash of magic, then this is a must-read for you.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Self harm, Hate crime, Religious bigotry, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Antisemitism, Child death, Death, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, and Murder
therainbowshelf's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A friend recommended this delight of a book to me and I loved it. It explores myths and legends, cultural destruction, Russian Jewish heritage, and the role that stories play in both culture and heritage, all wrapped up in a fantasy-horror book with a fun cast of characters. I saw one reviewer characterized it as culturally apropriative to have non-religious characters with Jewish heritage as the main characters, but I enjoyed having characters like this because that’s my experience as well. I am not religious, but have Jewish heritage.
As an odd coincidence, the same day I started reading this book, a journalist I was working with told me about his family heritage. One side of his family came to the U.S. to escape the pogroms in the early 1900s. It was the first time I’d heard of the pogroms in Russia, and then this book centers them.
As an odd coincidence, the same day I started reading this book, a journalist I was working with told me about his family heritage. One side of his family came to the U.S. to escape the pogroms in the early 1900s. It was the first time I’d heard of the pogroms in Russia, and then this book centers them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Transphobia, Violence, Alcohol, Body horror, Grief, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Antisemitism, Blood, Hate crime, Murder, War, Death, Terminal illness, Genocide, Gore, Racism, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
Death of baby, death of family member, graphic Reanimation of dead animalblewballoon's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was a very creative blend of folk tales, the modern world, an exploration of generational trauma, and a story of family and magic. In some ways it reminded me of The City We Became, but with more subtlety with its messaging (despite still not being very subtle). The characters were flawed and interesting, they felt like people with layers, and it left me wanting to know more. This book is more grim than I originally anticipated, but it felt earned, and there was always an element of hope. Not sure how I feel about Bellatine's romance with a gravestone statue she brought to life by accident. I listened to this on audiobook and the narration was very good, I was impressed by how distinct some of the voices were. I do not think I would have liked the book as much without the audio, I think I would have gotten more frustrated with the characters and found them more flat.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Antisemitism, Vomit, Death, Racism, Body horror, Gore, Xenophobia, and Violence
owlieali's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Violence, Antisemitism, Blood, Gun violence, Racism, and Xenophobia
Minor: Sexual violence
jmcampbell57's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I have no idea if this was good or not because I spent the entire time absolutely hating the characters. Isaac was infuriating - I know characters are sometimes unlikable on purpose but I could not get past it. The chapters from the pov of the house were great, the themes were great, but the characters were frustrating.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Antisemitism, and Xenophobia