Scan barcode
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
jdieperink's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
I read this in one sitting and I don’t tend to like stories written in first person as much!
It broke my heart almost immediately and then stitched it back together with how Gabe and Hannah took care of each other.
Calling it a fantasy book feels like a disservice somehow, even though it is full of fantastical elements.
The themes of Jewish intergenerational trauma are manifested in physical forms as well as emotional ones. And you get to see generations of women try their very best to take care of their loved ones, if imperfectly. CW: the Holocaust
It’s queer, hopeful, heartbreaking, and full of reminders about how the past lives with us everyday.
It broke my heart almost immediately and then stitched it back together with how Gabe and Hannah took care of each other.
Calling it a fantasy book feels like a disservice somehow, even though it is full of fantastical elements.
The themes of Jewish intergenerational trauma are manifested in physical forms as well as emotional ones. And you get to see generations of women try their very best to take care of their loved ones, if imperfectly. CW: the Holocaust
It’s queer, hopeful, heartbreaking, and full of reminders about how the past lives with us everyday.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: War, Genocide, and Antisemitism
bookish_purrsuits's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Antisemitism, War, and Genocide
Minor: Death of parent and Dementia
betweentheshelves'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
There's a lot to love about this contemporary fantasy with Jewish culture at its core. Right from the beginning, we get a sense of mystery and intrigue, and the way Podos crafts the story just adds more as we go along the way. I especially appreciated the way that she uses flashbacks to give the readers Hannah's full family history and adds context to what is going on in the present day.
Even though there is a lot going on plotwise in this story, Podos doesn't sacrifice the development of her characters. I especially liked the relationship between Hannah and her brother, Gabe. They just supported each other, and the way Gabe was willing to go to such lengths to make Hannah feel more comfortable? It was adorable.
The budding romance/relationship also felt realistic and flowed really well with the plot. I enjoyed Ari as a character, and the way they all teamed up to solve the mystery. The fact that Hannah doesn't 100% know her identity by the end of the book will also be relatable to so many teenage readers.
This book is also packed with so much Jewish culture and mythology that I learned a lot while reading it as well. Though a lot of this was new to me, I didn't feel lost at any point in the story. It was a good balance of history, mythology, magic, character, and plot.
All in all, if you're looking for a new contemporary fantasy to pick up, I'd definitely recommend this one!
Even though there is a lot going on plotwise in this story, Podos doesn't sacrifice the development of her characters. I especially liked the relationship between Hannah and her brother, Gabe. They just supported each other, and the way Gabe was willing to go to such lengths to make Hannah feel more comfortable? It was adorable.
The budding romance/relationship also felt realistic and flowed really well with the plot. I enjoyed Ari as a character, and the way they all teamed up to solve the mystery. The fact that Hannah doesn't 100% know her identity by the end of the book will also be relatable to so many teenage readers.
This book is also packed with so much Jewish culture and mythology that I learned a lot while reading it as well. Though a lot of this was new to me, I didn't feel lost at any point in the story. It was a good balance of history, mythology, magic, character, and plot.
All in all, if you're looking for a new contemporary fantasy to pick up, I'd definitely recommend this one!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Abandonment, and Child death
Moderate: Death, Confinement, and Violence
Minor: War, Homophobia, and Antisemitism
elwirax's review
dark
emotional
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
3.5
Rep: Jewish, lesbian LI, Queer MC, Gay MC with ADHD, non binary side character.
At first I wasn't very invested in the magical realism aspect of this book but I stayed for the quest to retrace ones cultural roots and the complicated family dynamics following 3 generations of women. I'm really glad I did because <b>From Dust, A Flame</b> was an enjoyable and simultaneously heartbreaking tale.
This was my first book by Podos which made me reluctant as I have not experienced her writing style, yet, I really enjoyed how emersive and atmospheric her story telling was.
From Dust, a Flame was a great blend of the fantastical with the mundane. There are elements of Jewish lore such as the Golem mixed with mundane struggles such as academic pressure. I think Podos balanced both these aspects well. I absolutely adored the centralisation ofJewish celebrations and folklore in this book, (although, I cannot comment how true to reality the representation is).
There was interesting commentary on generational trauma and how the lives of family members intertwine which I really enjoyed. It was heartbreaking hearing about Jitka losing her whole family to the war and how this in turn impacted her children's lives. The theme of isolation and lack of communication was done well and explored through these strained family ties.
I though that Hannah and Gabe shared an amazing sibling relationship and I loved that they were eachother's main support. There was also LGBTQIA+ rep which was fantastic.
However, I do have some small nit picks. Firstly, Gabe's transformation at the start was extremely sudden and a bit annoying in the sense that it was very stereotypical in the portrayal of gay people. There was also a lot of characters and family members mentioned which got really difficult to follow despite the family tree provided. Most of these didn't receive any major characterisation which made it seem like the author included them for the sake of doing so. Some aspects felt underbaked such as the Golem who unfortunately didn't serve much of a purpose throughout the story but was an interesting addition. I also didn't think the ending was particularly effective, it seemed a bit too easy and wrapped up quickly.
Overall, I quite enjoyed From Dust, a Flame and will definitely pick up more from Podos in the future.
At first I wasn't very invested in the magical realism aspect of this book but I stayed for the quest to retrace ones cultural roots and the complicated family dynamics following 3 generations of women. I'm really glad I did because <b>From Dust, A Flame</b> was an enjoyable and simultaneously heartbreaking tale.
This was my first book by Podos which made me reluctant as I have not experienced her writing style, yet, I really enjoyed how emersive and atmospheric her story telling was.
From Dust, a Flame was a great blend of the fantastical with the mundane. There are elements of Jewish lore such as the Golem mixed with mundane struggles such as academic pressure. I think Podos balanced both these aspects well. I absolutely adored the centralisation ofJewish celebrations and folklore in this book, (although, I cannot comment how true to reality the representation is).
There was interesting commentary on generational trauma and how the lives of family members intertwine which I really enjoyed. It was heartbreaking hearing about Jitka losing her whole family to the war and how this in turn impacted her children's lives. The theme of isolation and lack of communication was done well and explored through these strained family ties.
I though that Hannah and Gabe shared an amazing sibling relationship and I loved that they were eachother's main support. There was also LGBTQIA+ rep which was fantastic.
However, I do have some small nit picks. Firstly, Gabe's transformation at the start was extremely sudden and a bit annoying in the sense that it was very stereotypical in the portrayal of gay people. There was also a lot of characters and family members mentioned which got really difficult to follow despite the family tree provided. Most of these didn't receive any major characterisation which made it seem like the author included them for the sake of doing so. Some aspects felt underbaked such as the Golem who unfortunately didn't serve much of a purpose throughout the story but was an interesting addition. I also didn't think the ending was particularly effective, it seemed a bit too easy and wrapped up quickly.
Overall, I quite enjoyed From Dust, a Flame and will definitely pick up more from Podos in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Abandonment, and Death of parent
Minor: Confinement, Antisemitism, and War
More...