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thebakersbooks's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-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
5/5 stars — I never wanted this to end and would barter away my own (nonexistent) firstborn for a sequel.
Rebecca Podos’ From Dust, a Flame explores complex family dynamics against a backdrop of unapologetically Jewish magic and myth. The story’s use of multiple timelines is impeccable, particularly in discussing the impact of generational trauma on parent-child relationships. The sibling banter is excellent; I’ve rarely seen a book so perfectly encapsulate how siblings will sacrifice anything for each other but still argue and disagree with each other. On a personal level, I also appreciated the main character’s experience of knowing nothing about her mother’s family because her mother won’t talk about or visit them. It’s a weird experience and one I’ve never shared with a fictional character before.
The depth of Jewishness in this book is absolutely delightful. There’s everything from routine life happenings like observing Shabbat and sitting shiva to traditional folk remedies and stories about glamim and shedim in Ashkenazi culture. The rabbi at the synagogue the main character’s family belongs to is a Black woman, which is nice to see given the amount of anti-Blackness present in modern Jewish communities. There’s also a solid stab at embracing converts even though the MC is Jewish by birth. This isn’t done perfectly (there’s still quite a bit of the ‘cultural Jewishness is in your history/blood’ talk that is often weaponized against converts) but it seems to be written in good faith, so I’m not requiring perfection to feel seen and represented.
Queerness is the final point that sold me on this book; a range of LGBTQ+ identities are represented, from the MC’s brother being gay to the MC’s new friend and unofficial guide being a lesbian. The MC herself grapples with her own sexuality over the course of the book. There’s even a character in the mother’s timeline who’s queer, which was a nice touch. Finally, the golem the characters meet is referenced with they/them pronouns since they don’t/can’t say which pronouns they use. These things might seem like barely more than the minimum for this kind of rep, but it was more the way they were written—relatably, respectfully, and with compassion and humor—that made an impression on me. On another personal note, it was cool to see two siblings who are both queer; this is the kind of thing that straight, cis folks might find unbelievable but aligns with queer lived experiences, including my own. Most of all, I liked that characters being queer was never treated as a source of conflict in their families or religious community.
Lamenting my inability to do books I really enjoyed justice in my reviews is a theme with me, but I hope I’ve conveyed my enthusiasm for this one. If you need further motivation to pick it up, I can add that the romance is cute and full of chemistry, the teens get to swear a lot, and spooky-supernatural-mystery atmosphere is unparalleled. If any of the above appealed to you, I’m literally begging you to read this book. It was so freaking good.
Content notes: Holocaust mentions and brief POV scenes of the early Nazi invasion; mild body horror; lots of f-bombs. There’s also a couple instances of the g-slur for Roma people in the context of the name of a species of moth. I wish the author had used the new name (spongy moth) instead.
Rebecca Podos’ From Dust, a Flame explores complex family dynamics against a backdrop of unapologetically Jewish magic and myth. The story’s use of multiple timelines is impeccable, particularly in discussing the impact of generational trauma on parent-child relationships. The sibling banter is excellent; I’ve rarely seen a book so perfectly encapsulate how siblings will sacrifice anything for each other but still argue and disagree with each other. On a personal level, I also appreciated the main character’s experience of knowing nothing about her mother’s family because her mother won’t talk about or visit them. It’s a weird experience and one I’ve never shared with a fictional character before.
The depth of Jewishness in this book is absolutely delightful. There’s everything from routine life happenings like observing Shabbat and sitting shiva to traditional folk remedies and stories about glamim and shedim in Ashkenazi culture. The rabbi at the synagogue the main character’s family belongs to is a Black woman, which is nice to see given the amount of anti-Blackness present in modern Jewish communities. There’s also a solid stab at embracing converts even though the MC is Jewish by birth. This isn’t done perfectly (there’s still quite a bit of the ‘cultural Jewishness is in your history/blood’ talk that is often weaponized against converts) but it seems to be written in good faith, so I’m not requiring perfection to feel seen and represented.
Queerness is the final point that sold me on this book; a range of LGBTQ+ identities are represented, from the MC’s brother being gay to the MC’s new friend and unofficial guide being a lesbian. The MC herself grapples with her own sexuality over the course of the book. There’s even a character in the mother’s timeline who’s queer, which was a nice touch. Finally, the golem the characters meet is referenced with they/them pronouns since they don’t/can’t say which pronouns they use. These things might seem like barely more than the minimum for this kind of rep, but it was more the way they were written—relatably, respectfully, and with compassion and humor—that made an impression on me. On another personal note, it was cool to see two siblings who are both queer; this is the kind of thing that straight, cis folks might find unbelievable but aligns with queer lived experiences, including my own. Most of all, I liked that characters being queer was never treated as a source of conflict in their families or religious community.
Lamenting my inability to do books I really enjoyed justice in my reviews is a theme with me, but I hope I’ve conveyed my enthusiasm for this one. If you need further motivation to pick it up, I can add that the romance is cute and full of chemistry, the teens get to swear a lot, and spooky-supernatural-mystery atmosphere is unparalleled. If any of the above appealed to you, I’m literally begging you to read this book. It was so freaking good.
Content notes: Holocaust mentions and brief POV scenes of the early Nazi invasion; mild body horror; lots of f-bombs. There’s also a couple instances of the g-slur for Roma people in the context of the name of a species of moth. I wish the author had used the new name (spongy moth) instead.
Content Warnings
Minor: Body horror and Cursing
kayladaila's review
adventurous
challenging
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Abandonment
Moderate: Antisemitism, Death of parent, Death, Grief, and Confinement
Minor: Pregnancy and Dementia
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