Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott

71 reviews

emfo5777's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Child death, Death, Religious bigotry, Antisemitism, Murder, Genocide, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, and Violence

Minor: Grief

therainbowshelf's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious sad tense 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

5.0

A friend recommended this delight of a book to me and I loved it. It explores myths and legends, cultural destruction, Russian Jewish heritage, and the role that stories play in both culture and heritage, all wrapped up in a fantasy-horror book with a fun cast of characters. I saw one reviewer characterized it as culturally apropriative to have non-religious characters with Jewish heritage as the main characters, but I enjoyed having characters like this because that’s my experience as well. I am not religious, but have Jewish heritage.

As an odd coincidence, the same day I started reading this book, a journalist I was working with told me about his family heritage. One side of his family came to the U.S. to escape the pogroms in the early 1900s. It was the first time I’d heard of the pogroms in Russia, and then this book centers them.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Transphobia, Violence, Alcohol, Body horror, Grief, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Antisemitism, Blood, Hate crime, Murder, War, Death, Terminal illness, Genocide, Gore, Racism, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment

Death of baby, death of family member, graphic Reanimation of dead animal

samburkhouse's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Death, Child death, Genocide, and Violence

Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, and Stalking

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Fire/Fire injury

ebb_and_flow's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Self harm, Genocide, Antisemitism, Violence, Death, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, and Suicidal thoughts

brianna_moye's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Blood, Violence, Genocide, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death, Gore, and Alcoholism

blewballoon's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This was a very creative blend of folk tales, the modern world, an exploration of generational trauma, and a story of family and magic. In some ways it reminded me of The City We Became, but with more subtlety with its messaging (despite still not being very subtle). The characters were flawed and interesting, they felt like people with layers, and it left me wanting to know more. This book is more grim than I originally anticipated, but it felt earned, and there was always an element of hope. Not sure how I feel about

Spoiler

Bellatine's romance with a gravestone statue she brought to life by accident.

I listened to this on audiobook and the narration was very good, I was impressed by how distinct some of the voices were. I do not think I would have liked the book as much without the audio, I think I would have gotten more frustrated with the characters and found them more flat.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Antisemitism, Vomit, Death, Racism, Body horror, Gore, Xenophobia, and Violence

sparklefarm's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful tense 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

4.5

This was tremendous.

If you had said, "Hey Hannah, read this folk tale about generational trauma," I don't know that I would have picked up Thistlefoot enthusiastically. But this was such a good read.

I think some people would describe this prose as flowery or purple or excessive, but for me it worked well within this folk tale setting, especially within an audiobook. 

This was wonderful and I think will appeal to fans of Alix E. Harrow. I can't wait to read more from Nethercott.

Pay attention to the content warnings because it is a book about trauma, and dips occasionally into horror territory as well.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Animal death, and Child death

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Violence, and Body horror

cameronreads's review against another edition

5.0

This book somehow surpassed every expectation I had of it. It was simply wonderful; from the characters to the storytelling to the powerful and important messages it contained. I’d recommend this to anyone and everyone. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Antisemitism, Death, Self harm, Gore, Grief, Child death, Genocide, Religious bigotry, and Violence

Moderate: Gun violence

Minor: Suicide and War

noelpaige's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad slow-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

I cannot say enough good things about this book. I never thought I would be sobbing about a brother and sister and a house with chicken legs but here we are. Absolutely incredible, beautifully written, the perfect amount of fun and folklore and whimsy mixed with real historical references and dark + challenging topics. I would also die for every one of these characters. I’ll be thinking about this book and the ending for the rest of my life probably. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Genocide, Child death, and War

Minor: Xenophobia

cyanochic's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

4.5

Loved this book from cover to cover!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: War, Genocide, Child death, Antisemitism, Abandonment, and Death

Minor: Alcoholism