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ashtheaudiomancer's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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? No
4.75
I could swear this book was on my To Read list for longer than just two years. It feels like something that has existed for generations. Maybe that's the time dilation we're all experiencing with the pandemic, but in any case, this modern fable is well worth your time.
I've been intrigued by the Baba Yaga myth for as long as I can remember. Pieces of the story came to me in disarray, but I kept coming back, wanting to know more. Considering one of the themes here is the power of stories, especially how they evolve in the telling over the years, I find that interesting.
It's also the second book in as many years that to some degree is about the family puppeteering business, and the way it affects the adult children. (The other being "How To Sell A Haunted House" by Grady Hendix; this was much better.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Child death, and Antisemitism
Moderate: Abandonment
The backstory is about the pogram in Russia, so the content warnings are also central to the overarching theme.hey_al's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
fast-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
5.0
This story took me a while to get into, but it is worth the trek to the end. If you love spooky folktales and history of eastern European Jews, this one's for you. I don't reread books ever but I might reread this one. The way Nethercott writes about trauma is so beautiful and heartbreaking.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism and Animal death
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Alcohol, Colonisation, Death, Genocide, and Grief
loscamp4lyf's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
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
4.0
I really enjoyed it! The author is also a poet, which explains the more purpley prose, but for me (and the audio book) i thought it added to the story. My only true gripe is the yaga siblings parents - why were they not involved/informed of any of this?? i figured the mom would at least be helpful but instead they're weirdly distant/specifically not helpful. thought that was weird and that it mightve been better for the parents to have been dead than distant, but alas.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Xenophobia, Hate crime, Genocide, and Antisemitism
Minor: Self harm
hannah16's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Self harm, and Grief
Minor: Antisemitism
clynns's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Grief, Child death, Self harm, Xenophobia, Death, Genocide, and War
clairelisebella's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Very slow start for me, but the last 80 pages or so had me entranced. There were at least two chapters that are among the best chapters I ever read. I wish all of them were that strong!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Death, Genocide, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, War, Violence, Child death, Stalking, and Antisemitism
Moderate: Body horror
Minor: Vomit
spooky_simon's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
sad
fast-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
5.0
Anytime I read a good Jewish book, I wanna do shabbat more often
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Antisemitism, and Genocide
beetree's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
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
4.25
That got bone-deep and resonated. Oof. Yes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Violence, and Genocide
Moderate: Antisemitism
tiernanhunter's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
tense
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Alcohol, Antisemitism, Death, Deportation, Genocide, Xenophobia, Blood, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Vomit, and War
liv_easton's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.75
This book was one I've been meaning to read for a couple of years now, and I can confidently say I'm glad I did. The payoff was incredibly satisfying, and just what I would want from a book of folklore. That being said, I genuinely did not know how I was going to finish this book for about the first half. For me, there was just too much time spent on the set-up of the book, and it felt like Nethercrott was trying to build up a suspense around the magic system of the book that wasn't quite necessary, since the magic system either went mostly unexplained to make time for the other story elements (at worst) or was meant to be shrouded in mystery as part of the folklore/storytelling core (at best, and what I believe was the actual intention.
In either case, halfway through the story was a bit long to finally drop the curtain on what we needed to know about magic in the novel. Couple that with a POV that is often unappealing to read and also refuses to give the reader any information for a couple hundred pages (I'm looking mostly at you, Isaac, but occasionally at Bellatine), and I didn't think that this book would ever become a novel I was actually invested in. However, I'm happy to say that I was wrong on that count—once Bellatine's magic was revealed, the story and characters seemed to open up and get me invested in the story enough that I would have given the story a 3.5 stars (the last .25 coming from my affection for the type of ending the story ends up having).
The major highlight that kept me reading was every chapter the house told, as the house was by far and away the most compelling character and also the best storyteller of the lot by far. On the whole, I think this is a super worthwhile book to read, and if you need to skim some of the first 20 or so chapters to get through it, I get it.
In either case, halfway through the story was a bit long to finally drop the curtain on what we needed to know about magic in the novel. Couple that with a POV that is often unappealing to read and also refuses to give the reader any information for a couple hundred pages (I'm looking mostly at you, Isaac, but occasionally at Bellatine), and I didn't think that this book would ever become a novel I was actually invested in. However, I'm happy to say that I was wrong on that count—once Bellatine's magic was revealed, the story and characters seemed to open up and get me invested in the story enough that I would have given the story a 3.5 stars (the last .25 coming from my affection for the type of ending the story ends up having).
The major highlight that kept me reading was every chapter the house told, as the house was by far and away the most compelling character and also the best storyteller of the lot by far. On the whole, I think this is a super worthwhile book to read, and if you need to skim some of the first 20 or so chapters to get through it, I get it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Grief, Animal death, Genocide, Antisemitism, Death, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Hate crime, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Blood