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carlyoc's review against another edition
dark
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
4.75
"If a story does its job, it never ends--not really."
We have three main POV characters in this book: Isaac Yaga, his sister Bellatine, and Thistlefoot, a house that walks on chicken legs. The estranged siblings are brought together by a notice that they have inherited the house of their twice-great grandmother. But the house is pursued by a monster from its past, who we later learn is a very interesting portrayal of a dybbuk from Jewish mythology.
Magic is not the norm in this world, but nor is it mind-blowing. Isaac and Bellatine take their house on tour around the country, running a travelling puppet show like their family did when they were children. Isaac and Bellatine each have special powers, although only Bellatine's is known by the other sibling.
Isaac can mimic other people with inhuman accuracy to the extent that his body really seems to take on their shape. And Bellatine lives in fear of what her hands can do to inanimate objects that have too much life in them.
Although the novel takes place in modern times, there is something old-timey about the book, including Isaac's habit of jumping onto moving trains and speaking in classic rail rider slang. Adding to that feeling, was the narration of the audiobook by the excellent January LaVoy, whose voice will be very familiar to listeners of Libba Bray's The Diviners series.
We have three main POV characters in this book: Isaac Yaga, his sister Bellatine, and Thistlefoot, a house that walks on chicken legs. The estranged siblings are brought together by a notice that they have inherited the house of their twice-great grandmother. But the house is pursued by a monster from its past, who we later learn is a very interesting portrayal of a dybbuk from Jewish mythology.
Magic is not the norm in this world, but nor is it mind-blowing. Isaac and Bellatine take their house on tour around the country, running a travelling puppet show like their family did when they were children. Isaac and Bellatine each have special powers, although only Bellatine's is known by the other sibling.
Isaac can mimic other people with inhuman accuracy to the extent that his body really seems to take on their shape. And Bellatine lives in fear of what her hands can do to inanimate objects that have too much life in them.
Although the novel takes place in modern times, there is something old-timey about the book, including Isaac's habit of jumping onto moving trains and speaking in classic rail rider slang. Adding to that feeling, was the narration of the audiobook by the excellent January LaVoy, whose voice will be very familiar to listeners of Libba Bray's The Diviners series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Xenophobia, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Racism and Mass/school shootings
Depicts in some detail a pogrom in Eastern Europe.