You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
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:
No
The Baba Yaga was always one of my favourite myths and she is part of the world-wide myth cycles of the wise, old woman. The woman who prepares the dead for the afterlife, the ones close to death themselves who have given life and are completing the cycle.
Marinka is a young girl who lives with her grandmother and is being trained in the ways of the Baba Yaga but she dreams of more, the land of the living and making friends being some of her dreams.
We follow her adventures as she makes some big discoveries and friendships. I felt that the theme of celebration of life rather than the sadness of death was dealt with in a way that would be understandable for the age range this was aimed at, but the book also touches on family, friendships, and honesty.
This was a book I couldn’t put down until I had finished it, a 2am finish, but well worth it.
Marinka is a young girl who lives with her grandmother and is being trained in the ways of the Baba Yaga but she dreams of more, the land of the living and making friends being some of her dreams.
We follow her adventures as she makes some big discoveries and friendships. I felt that the theme of celebration of life rather than the sadness of death was dealt with in a way that would be understandable for the age range this was aimed at, but the book also touches on family, friendships, and honesty.
This was a book I couldn’t put down until I had finished it, a 2am finish, but well worth it.
More like 3.5 stars instead of 3. I spent most of the book not enjoying it, but when I did enjoy it, it was pretty good.
The story is this! Marinka is twelve years old and is being taught how to be Yaga by her grandmother, Baba Yaga. In this story, Yaga are people who guide the spirits of the dead through The Gate to the afterlife. I dunno, they become stars or like, part of the universe. Marinka lives with her grandmother after her parents, who were also both Yaga, met their ends in house fires (all Yaga have houses which are sentient and have chicken legs that they walk around on).
Marinka longs for companionship, she doesn't even want to be Yaga, she wants to go and experience life and friendship and whatnot. Who can blame her?
Anyway, there's a lot of drama about it, Marinka discovers her grandmother Hence why Baba was all "don't ever leave the house!" for so long.
As a result of Marinka's stupid decision, Baba has to Which is the only real consequence of Marinka's terrible life choices, by the way. The rest of the book is Marinka thinking and lying to literally everyone who's looking out for her in order to deceive them so she can
In the end, Marinka gets literally everything she's ever wanted, with the exception of Figures. It's children's fiction after all xD
I actually cried a lot reading this. Marinka's loneliness, her desperation for something to give so she can have just one friend, her selfishness as a result of these bad feelings - they were all so poignant and strong throughout the story. Which is actually one of the reasons I didn't enjoy it too much. All those negative emotions are very relatable to me, and they took me back to a darker time in my life, so it was just emotionally exhausting for me to read. So while I empathised with Marinka greatly, I also really wanted to ground her ass because man Marinka, get a clue and stop ruining everything!
Marinka is very realistic as a character, but it was really frustrating for me to watch her make mistake after mistake and listen to no one.
Her friend Benjamin was great. A sensitive boy who likes art, is trying to care for a lamb, the works. I just think he wasn't really in the book enough considering how important a character he turned out to be for the ending. On the other hand, I'm really glad things came full circle in that they started with Benjamin and ended with him.
The house, as a character, was amazing. Seeing things through Marinka's eyes really demonised it to begin with, but the more I read the more I realised the house really is just trying its hardest to take care of Marinka, especially after. Marinka is needlessly cruel to the poor thing (though she later recognises this and is remorseful), and the house is such a sweet soul that it just forgives her and still tries to give her everything she wants. Honestly, the house is the best character, and the book is aptly named. It does so much to make Marinka happy, it does things no other house has ever done for a Yaga before, it puts its own health at risk to make sure she's doing what she thinks will bring her joy. Need me a house like that.
So yeah. I thought this book was okay, nothing special, a little emotionally draining at times. I only really found the beginning and the final few chapters interesting. Not really the middle part. Struggled to keep turning the pages once or twice. I love the cover of my edition with its shiny rose gold embellishments!
The story is this! Marinka is twelve years old and is being taught how to be Yaga by her grandmother, Baba Yaga. In this story, Yaga are people who guide the spirits of the dead through The Gate to the afterlife. I dunno, they become stars or like, part of the universe. Marinka lives with her grandmother after her parents, who were also both Yaga, met their ends in house fires (all Yaga have houses which are sentient and have chicken legs that they walk around on).
Marinka longs for companionship, she doesn't even want to be Yaga, she wants to go and experience life and friendship and whatnot. Who can blame her?
Spoiler
So Marinka does the one thing her grandmother tells her not to do. She keeps a young spirit back from The Gate because she wants a friend.Spoiler
isn't really her grandmother, her parents weren't Yaga (and therefore neither is she), and she also finds that she's dead :D The only reason she hasn't faded is because Baba wanted her so much that her house worked its magic (a Yaga house does all in its power to keep its Yaga happy) so that she can survive inside the house, but not outside it for long periods of time.As a result of Marinka's stupid decision, Baba has to
Spoiler
help the spirit all the way through The Gate, subsequently ending her own life in the process.Spoiler
her grandmother isn't really dead and that she can get her back if she goes through the gate to find her,Spoiler
get through to find this dead old lady.In the end, Marinka gets literally everything she's ever wanted, with the exception of
Spoiler
her grandmother.I actually cried a lot reading this. Marinka's loneliness, her desperation for something to give so she can have just one friend, her selfishness as a result of these bad feelings - they were all so poignant and strong throughout the story. Which is actually one of the reasons I didn't enjoy it too much. All those negative emotions are very relatable to me, and they took me back to a darker time in my life, so it was just emotionally exhausting for me to read. So while I empathised with Marinka greatly, I also really wanted to ground her ass because man Marinka, get a clue and stop ruining everything!
Spoiler
Your grandmother is dead because of you!Marinka is very realistic as a character, but it was really frustrating for me to watch her make mistake after mistake and listen to no one.
Her friend Benjamin was great. A sensitive boy who likes art, is trying to care for a lamb, the works. I just think he wasn't really in the book enough considering how important a character he turned out to be for the ending. On the other hand, I'm really glad things came full circle in that they started with Benjamin and ended with him.
The house, as a character, was amazing. Seeing things through Marinka's eyes really demonised it to begin with, but the more I read the more I realised the house really is just trying its hardest to take care of Marinka, especially after
Spoiler
Baba diesSo yeah. I thought this book was okay, nothing special, a little emotionally draining at times. I only really found the beginning and the final few chapters interesting. Not really the middle part. Struggled to keep turning the pages once or twice. I love the cover of my edition with its shiny rose gold embellishments!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Just felt a bit slow that I ended up skim reading the second half of the book
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved this book! It was so unexpectedly emotional and magical. Fairytale/folklore-esque with lyrical prose. Plus my feels!!
hopeful
inspiring
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:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
I cried reading this book. I can feel the hollow, the sadness and grief that Marinka's experienced.. A beautiful yet sorrowful story, but I enjoyed it nontheless. I love this book so much
