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holleysings's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
folkofthebook's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
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? It's complicated
4.0
...the people we love don’t belong to us. All we own is our love for them, and that’s ours to keep forever.
ya jewish queer urban fantasy about curses, golems, family, and faith. i also liked the kafka-esque beginning with hannah's daily mutations. slower first half, but more gripping in the second.
i loved hannah and gabe's relationship, and ari was fun and spunky. i wasn't quite sure what the tone would going to be the first third of the book or so, but as more family past was uncovered it became more sure of itself. the theme of family complications and love was very touching and emotional at times.
I’ll wake in the middle of the night, and remember where I’ve been and what I’ve lost. And then I wish that I were bloodless. I wish I were clay. I believe the past can drive you mad as anything.
the interweaving of jitka, malka, and their family's past history and jewish mythology was well done and intriguing. i really enjoyed seeing jewish mythology done this way in a fantasy book and would love to see more books like it, esp once the demon is more properly introduced.
A love that does not pretend away pain, but grows to encompass it, like a scar around a healing wound. A love that exposes and embraces the best and worst of us. A love that stays.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Grief, Violence, Dementia, War, Genocide, Antisemitism, and Murder
books_are_life06's review against another edition
Not the time to read about some obsessed with school.
izzys_internet_bookshelf's review against another edition
1.0
1/5
Thought out the book I was waiting for it to get interesting for me but it never did. I just kept reading til it was over.
Thought out the book I was waiting for it to get interesting for me but it never did. I just kept reading til it was over.
annamickreads's review against another edition
5.0
From the first few pages I knew this book would be special but I had no idea how much it would resonate with me personally. I am so thankful to Becca Podos for writing this piece that literally brought me to tears because I recognized so much of my family inside these pages. Thank you, thank you thank you.
"From Dust, a Flame" tells the story of Hannah, who has been raised for most of her life by a flighty single mom alongside her adopted brother Gabe. When Hannah receives a family heirloom on her sixteenth birthday, she begins to transform (literally!) in ways she never expected. Hannah's mother goes missing shortly after in search of a cure, leading Hannah and Gabe to seek out distant family they never knew they had.
The mystery of Hannah's transformations drew me in, but Hannah and Gabe learning about their family —specifically their family's Jewish history — really hit home for me. I love the way this book talks about families, acknowledging they can all be messy, but ultimately family is also people you choose. Families can grow apart and weave back together with time and understanding.
I love the historical story we see through Jitka, the family matriarch who passes away shortly before Hannah and Gabe arrive with questions. It's easy to empathize with Malka, Hannah's mother, too, and her frustrations with small town life (been there!). Gabe and Hannah's sibling relationship is very precious to me, and Ari and Hannah's relationship/the exploration of Hannah's sexuality/Ari's surety in herself and her identity were all beautifully executed.
I'm a little overwhelmed because I just finished but without a doubt this is easily one of my best reads of the year and I am so happy I picked it up!!!
"From Dust, a Flame" tells the story of Hannah, who has been raised for most of her life by a flighty single mom alongside her adopted brother Gabe. When Hannah receives a family heirloom on her sixteenth birthday, she begins to transform (literally!) in ways she never expected. Hannah's mother goes missing shortly after in search of a cure, leading Hannah and Gabe to seek out distant family they never knew they had.
The mystery of Hannah's transformations drew me in, but Hannah and Gabe learning about their family —specifically their family's Jewish history — really hit home for me. I love the way this book talks about families, acknowledging they can all be messy, but ultimately family is also people you choose. Families can grow apart and weave back together with time and understanding.
I love the historical story we see through Jitka, the family matriarch who passes away shortly before Hannah and Gabe arrive with questions. It's easy to empathize with Malka, Hannah's mother, too, and her frustrations with small town life (been there!). Gabe and Hannah's sibling relationship is very precious to me, and Ari and Hannah's relationship/the exploration of Hannah's sexuality/Ari's surety in herself and her identity were all beautifully executed.
I'm a little overwhelmed because I just finished but without a doubt this is easily one of my best reads of the year and I am so happy I picked it up!!!
booksdearest's review
adventurous
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? Yes
4.0
simplysapphic's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.5
sienaandthesea's review
adventurous
inspiring
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
ameserole's review against another edition
4.0
From Dust, a Flame was a magical book to jump into. Even though I knew next to nothing about this book before diving into it, I was very excited to see what was within. Luckily, for me, this book did not disappoint one freaking bit.
From the characters to the secrets, I was completely hooked. Especially after meeting Hannah and Gabe. I seriously enjoyed their sibling dynamic so much. If I could, I would want them to be in my family. As for finding out about a secret family? Well, that hit a little too close to home.
Other than that, I really enjoyed going through two timeframes throughout this. Mostly because we would be missing out on so much information if we didn't get both the past and present. Especially when you are dealing with three generations of a single family. So, in other words, everything meshed really well together, and I never found myself confused or bored.
In the end, I just really enjoyed the representation in this book. Okay, if I'm being honest here, I enjoyed every second of listening to this audiobook. It gave me all the feels and I wasn't disappointed one bit.
From the characters to the secrets, I was completely hooked. Especially after meeting Hannah and Gabe. I seriously enjoyed their sibling dynamic so much. If I could, I would want them to be in my family. As for finding out about a secret family? Well, that hit a little too close to home.
Other than that, I really enjoyed going through two timeframes throughout this. Mostly because we would be missing out on so much information if we didn't get both the past and present. Especially when you are dealing with three generations of a single family. So, in other words, everything meshed really well together, and I never found myself confused or bored.
In the end, I just really enjoyed the representation in this book. Okay, if I'm being honest here, I enjoyed every second of listening to this audiobook. It gave me all the feels and I wasn't disappointed one bit.
chana_aurora's review against another edition
4.0
Prompt #34 in challenge
4✨ I couldn’t put this book down. Finally a good fiction book with major Jewish characters that touched on popular themes in Judaism.
4✨ I couldn’t put this book down. Finally a good fiction book with major Jewish characters that touched on popular themes in Judaism.