mjfmjfmjf's review against another edition
4.0
What a nice little story. What an ugly scary cover that really unsells the inside. Sweet retelling of Baba Yaga and for that matter the evil step sister. Both modern and ancient but it really didn't have a sense of place, certainly not anything Russian. I wish it were longer, it would have been nice to have seen more of the house. Very sweet story though it certainly has some death and some dread.
lemontartpages's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
whitjobo's review against another edition
5.0
Usually I just browse the featured shelf at the front of my local library, but I felt compelled to browse the young adult section. I am so delighted I did because I found this lovely graphic novel. The art is beautiful as was the story. I am always fascinated by folk and fairy tales, and I think this was a lovely retelling of Baba Yaga and also handled a discussion of loss at a young age really well.
Would definitely recommend for young adults and adults alike. Plus, this is the second book this year I've read in a single day!
Would definitely recommend for young adults and adults alike. Plus, this is the second book this year I've read in a single day!
slavicreader's review against another edition
3.0
This was sweet, and surprisingly mournful. It featured flashbacks to Masha's childhood, which featured the Russian tales she grew up with. The juxtaposition of these with the main story worked really well, and added deeper context. As a Slav myself, the subtle nostalgic feelings it evoked in me were an added bonus.
It was interesting to see Carroll's drawing style in something that's not horror - I kept expecting the story to turn dark and horrifying. Also to see how Carroll's style changed with flashbacks and fairytale stories. Overall, it worked very well with McCoola's writing and story.
It was interesting to see Carroll's drawing style in something that's not horror - I kept expecting the story to turn dark and horrifying. Also to see how Carroll's style changed with flashbacks and fairytale stories. Overall, it worked very well with McCoola's writing and story.
annamarie98's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Cute little story, really enjoyed it and the way it was told
mehsi's review against another edition
5.0
A magical story about a girl finding her place in the world!
I was thinking it would be only about Baba Yaga and her new assistant, as that is what the title and the blurb implies. Let me tell you this, it is indeed about that, but also about so much more. It is about families, about mourning, about death, about finding a place you belong, yes, the book made me sad, it made me happy, it made me feel a whole lot. The pieces with Baba Yaga were terrific and I loved to find out more about Baba Yaga (and see another side to her, since everyone is saying she is oh so evil), to read the stories about Baba Yaga (and how lots of girls seem to have escaped her, which teaches a wise lesson to those who wish to be an assistant of the witch).
The parts about Masha, about her family, about her life, about what happened to her life that made her run away to Baba Yaga were sad, heartbreaking, but also really beautiful and it gave Masha something special and gave her more dimension. It made me like this girl. I felt sorry for her, sorry that her life was like this. Sure, it wasn't all that bad, she still had family, but after a while that fell away. I can say that I truly disliked the dad. Dear Lord, bad parenting much? Never did he seem to care about his daughter, and when he found someone new he totally dumped her. Wth is up with that? She is your daughter, she should be your first priority, not your second or even third or even last. You shouldn't avoid her or not even care to stand up for her. *shakes fist at the dad*
I loved Masha's wit and the things she said, she is a really clever girl who isn't afraid to say what is on her mind.
Dani/Danielle dear Lord, what a terrible little fucking brat that was. Sorry, but as soon as she was introduced I just knew this one would be trouble and would cause a whole lot of hurt. Bleh bleh bleh.
The story was really fun, and I loved how we switched between the now and the then. There were little hints scattered here and there about Masha's family when Masha and the Baba Yaga talked. I really liked those, just like I liked all the other little things that you could see in the house.
The tests were really fun, and I loved to see what Masha would do, what she would cook up to finish those tests.
The illustrations are gorgeous, I loved how the characters were drawn. Baba Yaga was seriously spooky and at times creeped me out, but I could also see other sides to her that were cleverly drawn. A wink of an eye here, a smile there. It was great. The backgrounds were gorgeous. Emily Caroll really has a way to make you get sucked into the book and not let go until the book is over.
All in all, great story, wonderful illustrations, and I would highly, highly recommend this book to everyone!
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I was thinking it would be only about Baba Yaga and her new assistant, as that is what the title and the blurb implies. Let me tell you this, it is indeed about that, but also about so much more. It is about families, about mourning, about death, about finding a place you belong, yes, the book made me sad, it made me happy, it made me feel a whole lot. The pieces with Baba Yaga were terrific and I loved to find out more about Baba Yaga (and see another side to her, since everyone is saying she is oh so evil), to read the stories about Baba Yaga (and how lots of girls seem to have escaped her, which teaches a wise lesson to those who wish to be an assistant of the witch).
The parts about Masha, about her family, about her life, about what happened to her life that made her run away to Baba Yaga were sad, heartbreaking, but also really beautiful and it gave Masha something special and gave her more dimension. It made me like this girl. I felt sorry for her, sorry that her life was like this. Sure, it wasn't all that bad, she still had family, but after a while that fell away. I can say that I truly disliked the dad. Dear Lord, bad parenting much? Never did he seem to care about his daughter, and when he found someone new he totally dumped her. Wth is up with that? She is your daughter, she should be your first priority, not your second or even third or even last. You shouldn't avoid her or not even care to stand up for her. *shakes fist at the dad*
I loved Masha's wit and the things she said, she is a really clever girl who isn't afraid to say what is on her mind.
Dani/Danielle dear Lord, what a terrible little fucking brat that was. Sorry, but as soon as she was introduced I just knew this one would be trouble and would cause a whole lot of hurt. Bleh bleh bleh.
The story was really fun, and I loved how we switched between the now and the then. There were little hints scattered here and there about Masha's family when Masha and the Baba Yaga talked. I really liked those, just like I liked all the other little things that you could see in the house.
The tests were really fun, and I loved to see what Masha would do, what she would cook up to finish those tests.
The illustrations are gorgeous, I loved how the characters were drawn. Baba Yaga was seriously spooky and at times creeped me out, but I could also see other sides to her that were cleverly drawn. A wink of an eye here, a smile there. It was great. The backgrounds were gorgeous. Emily Caroll really has a way to make you get sucked into the book and not let go until the book is over.
All in all, great story, wonderful illustrations, and I would highly, highly recommend this book to everyone!
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
indecisivespice's review against another edition
4.0
This was RIGHT UP MY ALLEY and I'm so glad. I've been searching for a good graphic novel depicting Baba Yaga and this was perfect thanks to the work of Emily Carroll. After reading Through the Woods, I figured she would do Baba Yaga justice.