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izzys_internet_bookshelf's review
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
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 against another edition
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
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 against another edition
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
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
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.
rachelmariereads's review
5.0
I think this book is forever going to hold a place in my heart. I’m so grateful to have been able to read it early (thank you NetGalley for the ARC) and I’m so excited for everyone else to experience it on March 8! Filled with family, Jewish folklore, and a spell-binding mystery, From Dust, A Flame is really something special.
Hannah and Gabe Williams have never spent too long in one place. Whenever their mom, Malka, gets the urge to move, they go where the wind takes them. They don’t know much about Malka’s life before having children, and aren’t aware of any family on their mom’s side. Malka has always been mysterious.
But when Hannah wakes up on the morning of her seventeenth birthday with the eyes of a snake, Malka knows that something from her past has caught up to them. Promising to get help, she disappears. Every morning Hannah wakes up to a new mutation, and every day her confusion and worry grows. Days turn into weeks, and Hannah and Gabe decide they can’t just wait around.
They discover long-lost family, a Jewish heritage that dates back hundreds of years, and a curse that has finally come due. Rebecca Podos has woven an incredibly relevant coming-of-age story, combined with a legacy of survival, stories from the Holocaust, magical Jewish folklore, and a mystery that ties all the pieces together. The ambiance of this book was so rich and steeped in history, and the writing was lyrical and profound. The themes of family and love resonated right down to my soul.
In addition to the Jewish aspects, From Dust, a Flame also explores issues around sexuality, adoption, gender identity, and so much more. This book at once feels incredibly current, and completely timeless. The characters were so well-developed and real, that I felt like I knew them. I especially appreciated the brother-sister relationship, which felt very accurate, and the depiction of parents as flawed people, just doing their best.
This is the kind of book that I wish I had when I was a teen, but I’m so thankful that these stories exist now. From Dust, A Flame is going to stick with me for a long, long time. Pick it up on 3/8!
Hannah and Gabe Williams have never spent too long in one place. Whenever their mom, Malka, gets the urge to move, they go where the wind takes them. They don’t know much about Malka’s life before having children, and aren’t aware of any family on their mom’s side. Malka has always been mysterious.
But when Hannah wakes up on the morning of her seventeenth birthday with the eyes of a snake, Malka knows that something from her past has caught up to them. Promising to get help, she disappears. Every morning Hannah wakes up to a new mutation, and every day her confusion and worry grows. Days turn into weeks, and Hannah and Gabe decide they can’t just wait around.
They discover long-lost family, a Jewish heritage that dates back hundreds of years, and a curse that has finally come due. Rebecca Podos has woven an incredibly relevant coming-of-age story, combined with a legacy of survival, stories from the Holocaust, magical Jewish folklore, and a mystery that ties all the pieces together. The ambiance of this book was so rich and steeped in history, and the writing was lyrical and profound. The themes of family and love resonated right down to my soul.
In addition to the Jewish aspects, From Dust, a Flame also explores issues around sexuality, adoption, gender identity, and so much more. This book at once feels incredibly current, and completely timeless. The characters were so well-developed and real, that I felt like I knew them. I especially appreciated the brother-sister relationship, which felt very accurate, and the depiction of parents as flawed people, just doing their best.
This is the kind of book that I wish I had when I was a teen, but I’m so thankful that these stories exist now. From Dust, A Flame is going to stick with me for a long, long time. Pick it up on 3/8!