Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott

58 reviews

cj13's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Grief, Hate crime, Antisemitism, Xenophobia, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Child death

unboxedjack's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective 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

2.75

This was maybe more a 2.75 rounded up to 3 for me. While I enjoyed the theme of story as a witness to tragedy and the author does have some command of language, I found myself drifting periodically throughout the novel. It felt too long and that the author was trying too hard to be pithy at points. And while I enjoyed the difference in tone based on the narrative being shared, sometimes it felt like the author forgot which story she was writing and quickly adjusted in what felt like an abrupt shift. I could see this writer being an excellent poet, but novelist? She sort of falls short.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Antisemitism, Genocide, Xenophobia, Hate crime, and Violence

Moderate: Child death

dananana's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective

• 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Self harm, Xenophobia, Death, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, and Genocide

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

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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. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Antisemitism, and Xenophobia

zghutcheson01's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring reflective 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

4.5

The ending was a little rushed and cheesy but overall the book was wonderful. It has the winding, broken aspect of a tale told by your grandparents who are remembering new parts as the telling goes on and it's absolutely beautiful.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Antisemitism, Death, and Hate crime

Moderate: Gore, Animal death, Genocide, Racism, Body horror, Xenophobia, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, and Violence

lizgriffinwords's review against another edition

dark hopeful 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

4.5

Equal parts whimsical and sobering, Thistlefoot honors Jewish and Russian mythology, contains diverse and touching characters, and includes clever prose. A page-turning and promising debut standalone!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Death, and Xenophobia

displacedcactus's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

I wanted to love this book. I loved the concept, and the opening pages really pulled me in with Nethercott's almost lyrical writing. But y'all, this book is miserable. Sparks of joy are few and far between, quickly moved past so we can focus more on Isaac and Bellatine's intense self-loathing.

I didn't like Isaac at all as a character. I have no time or patience for smarmy men or people who steal from small businesses and others who can ill afford the loss.

Bellatine was a character I could have liked, but she was so closed off that I felt like she was even closed off to me as the reader, and it was hard to connect to her.

A story about hosting a traveling puppet show in Baba Yaga's chicken-legged hut should feel fun and adventurous, even if a dangerous enemy is chasing you. But no fun was to be had.

There is a final, beautiful, hopeful message at the end, but I had a miserable time getting there. I understand why others enjoyed this book, but I was the wrong reader at admittedly the wrong time in my life for something this heavy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Animal death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, and Antisemitism

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Xenophobia, Violence, and Self harm

Minor: Cannibalism and Vomit

There's a brief off-handed mention of necrophilia, somehow SG doesn't have a CW tag for that one. There are specific scenes of a pogrom and they're pretty disturbing.

rosyapple's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

i cried so much 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Child death, Animal death, and Blood

Moderate: Xenophobia

Minor: War and Self harm

epritchett's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-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

This book was absolutely enchanting, while being in sad and hopeful.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Genocide

Moderate: Xenophobia

Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Addiction