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laurareads87's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
I liked a lot about this book. I found the writing beautiful, and I feel like the author has handled serious and difficult themes -- intergenerational trauma especially -- very well. I liked the last quarter of the book best, and found that while some questions were left unanswered, the ending was absolutely a satisfying conclusion. I am not the most versed in Jewish myth, but I appreciated how it was interwoven into the story from what I do know; the historically informed chapters of the story are at times difficult reading, but are very, very well done. What really didn't work for me was one of the two main contemporary characters (several other reviewers have gotten at why); I found Isaac a very frustrating character, and did not like the way the Isaac/Benji storyline in particular was written like it took place in a much earlier time period (Great Depression, perhaps?) than it did.
<i>Content warnings:</i> Antisemitism, genocide, murder, grief, self harm, blood, suicidal thoughts, animal death, animal cruelty, fire/fire injury, xenophobia, death, child death, violence
<i>Content warnings:</i> Antisemitism, genocide, murder, grief, self harm, blood, suicidal thoughts, animal death, animal cruelty, fire/fire injury, xenophobia, death, child death, violence
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Blood, Child death, Death, Grief, Murder, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Gore
Minor: Alcohol
nbreezy17's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
Moderate: War, Child death, Antisemitism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Xenophobia
elizabethgreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? No
3.0
A Dark and Modern Fairytale Retelling of Baba Yaga set in the us. The story gives a unique exploration into intergenerational trauma and the effects of grief. The writing was beautiful and full of analogies and metaphors. The story is told linearly and interspersed with stories that come together in the end. That being said it was predicable but the strength of the novel is the exploration of it themes. I enjoyed the novel is discussing how important stories are and how they can be told in multiple ways and how stories in a way provide a living history.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, Mental illness, Antisemitism, and Grief
mossgoblins's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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
5.0
This was hands-down the best story I’ve read in years. I might be a bit biased since my family history is not dissimilar to that of the Yaga’s, yet I believe anyone can appreciate the masterwork of GennaRose Nethercott in Thistlefoot. The plot is airtight, the characters complex and endearing, and the setting simply sparkling with life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism
Moderate: Death, Genocide, Grief, Abandonment, Murder, Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, War, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Xenophobia, Blood, Self harm, Violence, Hate crime, and Child death
Minor: Alcohol, Kidnapping, and Deportation
savvylit's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
5.0
"There is no such thing as a ghost of the dead. Yet suffering has a way of begging to be remembered. Sometimes, as a story. Sometimes, as a wraith."
Based on the Slavic folktale of Baba Yaga, Thistlefoot is a beautifully written and heartbreaking dark fairytale. The plot and the characters are compelling and not overly fantastical. Isaac and Bellatine are both perfectly imperfect protagonists with unique magical abilities. Thistlefoot, the house, is an enchanting setting AND a dynamic character all on its own. The Longshadow Man is a horrific antagonist. Hubcap, the cat, is the best character and deserved more love. The Duskbreaker Band members are all quite cool and their backstories are the one thing this novel needed to explore in more depth. Winnie is a delight. And Baba Yaga? She was a badass trying her best.
Beyond the deeply memorable characters and plot, the real power of Thistlefoot lies in its exploration of the legacy of suffering and the way that trauma echoes unseen throughout generations. Alongside Isaac and Bellatine, Nethercott invites readers to recognize the power of remembering historical atrocity. If we don't remember, we can't heal. If we don't remember, we can't honor those who have been lost.
This stunning saga is GennaRose Nethercott's debut novel. At first, this fact surprised me given the many achingly gorgeous passages in the novel. However, prior to Thistlefoot, Nethercott was most well-known for her poetry. Additionally, in the acknowledgments, she cites the prose of Angela Carter and Ray Bradbury as inspiration. That inspiration and her clear poetic skill both shine through so vividly in the magical, devastating world that Nethercott has created in Thistlefoot. I won't soon forget the Yaga family story.
Based on the Slavic folktale of Baba Yaga, Thistlefoot is a beautifully written and heartbreaking dark fairytale. The plot and the characters are compelling and not overly fantastical. Isaac and Bellatine are both perfectly imperfect protagonists with unique magical abilities. Thistlefoot, the house, is an enchanting setting AND a dynamic character all on its own. The Longshadow Man is a horrific antagonist. Hubcap, the cat, is the best character and deserved more love. The Duskbreaker Band members are all quite cool and their backstories are the one thing this novel needed to explore in more depth. Winnie is a delight. And Baba Yaga? She was a badass trying her best.
Beyond the deeply memorable characters and plot, the real power of Thistlefoot lies in its exploration of the legacy of suffering and the way that trauma echoes unseen throughout generations. Alongside Isaac and Bellatine, Nethercott invites readers to recognize the power of remembering historical atrocity. If we don't remember, we can't heal. If we don't remember, we can't honor those who have been lost.
This stunning saga is GennaRose Nethercott's debut novel. At first, this fact surprised me given the many achingly gorgeous passages in the novel. However, prior to Thistlefoot, Nethercott was most well-known for her poetry. Additionally, in the acknowledgments, she cites the prose of Angela Carter and Ray Bradbury as inspiration. That inspiration and her clear poetic skill both shine through so vividly in the magical, devastating world that Nethercott has created in Thistlefoot. I won't soon forget the Yaga family story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Physical abuse, Violence, War, Gun violence, Death, Grief, Child death, Murder, and Suicidal thoughts
abominablesnowaro's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Genocide, Gore, Child death, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Violence, and Abandonment
Moderate: Body horror, Self harm, Sexual content, Animal death, Blood, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Alcohol and Vomit
nichole_of_numenor's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I was really excited to read this book. I'm all about magical things and escapism. What can be more magical than a house walking on giant chicken feet? Plus the premise was so unique it had to be good. Connecting modern times with the Slavic folklore witch Baba Yaga was something I just couldn't pass up.
A brother and sister with a magical and troubled past inherit a house that travels on chicken legs. Bellatine and Isaac aren't close but this pulls them together for the first time in years. Soon after they revive the show they performed on the road as children, they discover a sinister creature is hunting them. (No spoilers here, just what's on the dust jacket).
I'll start with what I didn't like, since that happened first:
Unfortunately, this was a really hard book for me to get into. As the house was traversing all over America, it didn't really address how it walked everywhere without causing a huge media circus. It tried by regailing tales about magical houses in other major cities, but I just wasn't buying it. Tell me it was invisible to everyone unless it wanted to be seen. Tell me it traveled instictively in places where it knew it wouldn't be detected. Just tell me *something.* I can suspend almost any disbelief but it has to be addressed. Are you telling me that an enormous chicken footprint in a cemetary isn't going to get national media coverage? Right.
Bellatine has a special gift. For most of the book, she spends nearly all of her energy suppressing that gift, à la Elsa from Frozen (and becoming a huge stick-in-the-mud in the process, by the way.) I've been reading lots of books with that particular trope lately, so that irritated me. "Let it go." Be yourself. Love your abilities. I get it.
What I loved:
From the very beginning, I loved the beautiful sentences woven throughout the story. This author is primarily a poet and it shows. But they weren't overly complicated or too frequent; just enough to be a delight when they happened. That's what kept me reading. Here's an example: "Though it was well past noon, his people would be in bed still, sleeping off the sorrows they'd tried to drown the night before."
I also really enjoyed the multiple POV with which this story is told, including a very unique one.
As I hit the halfway point, I was convinced I was going to give this book 2 starts. So just powered through, trying to finish as fast as I could so I could get to something I would (definitely) like better. Then the tide turned and I ended up loving the last half of the book so much my 2 starts turned into 5. All of the magic is finally explained. Everything is tied together beautifully, linking the past and the present, tragedy and healing.
I'm glad I stuck it out.
There are definite trigger warnings in here: violence, anti-Semitism, pogroms, death, self-harm, murder, xenophobia.
A brother and sister with a magical and troubled past inherit a house that travels on chicken legs. Bellatine and Isaac aren't close but this pulls them together for the first time in years. Soon after they revive the show they performed on the road as children, they discover a sinister creature is hunting them. (No spoilers here, just what's on the dust jacket).
I'll start with what I didn't like, since that happened first:
Unfortunately, this was a really hard book for me to get into. As the house was traversing all over America, it didn't really address how it walked everywhere without causing a huge media circus. It tried by regailing tales about magical houses in other major cities, but I just wasn't buying it. Tell me it was invisible to everyone unless it wanted to be seen. Tell me it traveled instictively in places where it knew it wouldn't be detected. Just tell me *something.* I can suspend almost any disbelief but it has to be addressed. Are you telling me that an enormous chicken footprint in a cemetary isn't going to get national media coverage? Right.
Bellatine has a special gift. For most of the book, she spends nearly all of her energy suppressing that gift, à la Elsa from Frozen (and becoming a huge stick-in-the-mud in the process, by the way.) I've been reading lots of books with that particular trope lately, so that irritated me. "Let it go." Be yourself. Love your abilities. I get it.
What I loved:
From the very beginning, I loved the beautiful sentences woven throughout the story. This author is primarily a poet and it shows. But they weren't overly complicated or too frequent; just enough to be a delight when they happened. That's what kept me reading. Here's an example: "Though it was well past noon, his people would be in bed still, sleeping off the sorrows they'd tried to drown the night before."
I also really enjoyed the multiple POV with which this story is told, including a very unique one.
As I hit the halfway point, I was convinced I was going to give this book 2 starts. So just powered through, trying to finish as fast as I could so I could get to something I would (definitely) like better. Then the tide turned and I ended up loving the last half of the book so much my 2 starts turned into 5. All of the magic is finally explained. Everything is tied together beautifully, linking the past and the present, tragedy and healing.
I'm glad I stuck it out.
There are definite trigger warnings in here: violence, anti-Semitism, pogroms, death, self-harm, murder, xenophobia.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Gore, Racism, Genocide, Child death, Death, Murder, Religious bigotry, Violence, and Antisemitism
starrysteph's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
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
Thistlefoot is a story about generational trauma. But - perhaps more importantly - it’s also about the power of storytelling as memory, disruption, and defiance. It’s about the duty of the audience to bear witness. And it’s about the optimism of seeing the world … as it could be.
We follow the estranged Yaga siblings, Bellatine and Isaac. Bellatine is a woodworker struggling to distance herself from a strange power which allows her to bring objects to life. Isaac is a street performer & con artist with a fantastical mimicry skill: he can shift and adapt and truly become another person.
The two are brought together after receiving a mysterious call to pick up an inheritance from a Yaga ancestor: Thistlefoot, a sentient house that walks on chicken legs (and was once inhabited by THE Baba Yaga). But as the siblings use the home to take their family puppet show on the road, they soon discover they’re being chased by the Longshadow Man, an entity with powerful magic and a connection to Thistlefoot’s curious, dark history.
Each POV in Thistlefoot has its own charm. Isaac is cynical, distrustful of bonds and living through manipulation. Bellatine is level-headed and cautious, but lives in constant fear of giving objects life (ironically, her terror around imbuing objects with power … gives them power all the same). And finally, we have Thistlefoot, the cheeky, arrogant, very-Yiddish-sounding voice of the home who stores great depths of knowledge and tells us readers stories as it pleases.
Nethercott has a delightful way of writing for & to the readers. We are chastised and led astray and punched in the gut – but her lyricality and ease of storytelling is absolutely captivating. This was a hard book to put down.
“Trust. It is a meaningless word, precious only to kibitzers who think all business is their business. I reserve the right to lie to you outright and often – and we must always make use of our rights, lest they vanish from neglect.”
A running narrative throughout the book is the constantly shifting tale of the “real” Baba Yaga. Thistlefoot shares story after story before - in one of the final chapters - landing on what is perhaps the “un-storied” truth. But we learn that lying can be the most powerful form of truth-telling, and folktales can shift to adapt to the audience, the moment, and the lesson. If you’ve heard anything about Baba Yaga, it likely contradicts what another person would say. Baba Yaga is the character she needs to be within the story that she has dropped into. And this is how folktales and retellings work: they are transformative and unpredictable.
In Thistlefoot, the characters are resilient. They reclaim their voice through storytelling in response to their ancestral trauma and the hauntings that follow them in modern day. By weaving truth with lies and fantasy, they cement their stories in modern memory. They are honored. They are not forgotten.
Violence and war is cyclical and pervasive. As he chases the siblings and Thistlefoot, Longshadow Man manipulates seemingly ordinary people. Everyone is suggestible; everyone is naive. You can be charmed into optimism or tricked into cruelty (with the knife of fear at your back, pointing to anyone who you perceive as an Other).
As Nethercott writes (through the reflections of Isaac), only some people are remembered in America. Others are turned to dust. These stories are a way to mourn them, to bring them back to life, and to defy erasure.
I think Bellatine’s power of Embering (a fiery warmth she feels as she animates) is also an act of defiance. Trauma lives on in the body; it doesn’t feel safe. Her body has a desperate need for life to continue, to pass on her bloodline, though she doesn’t always consciously understand that.
There is so much more to unpack here, but I’m not going to write an essay - I’d rather you read and experience Thistlefoot for yourself. By saving the stories, we save the people and we save the culture. Bear witness to these stories. Pick up the book yourself.
CW: death & child death, genocide, antisemitism, eugenics, racism, animal death, violence & gun violence, xenophobia, self harm, adult/minor relationship, suicidal thoughts, vomit, drugging
(I received a free copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, Child death, Death, Antisemitism, Racism, Violence, Genocide, Gun violence, Xenophobia, Drug abuse, Self harm, Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, and Vomit
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