Reviews tagging 'Murder'

Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott

30 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

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

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

asainspace's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.5

A clever, complicated fantasy about memory and trauma - I recommend for people who like Neil Gaiman or Terry Pratchett.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder, Antisemitism, Animal death, and Xenophobia

bellesunbridled's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Animal death, Antisemitism, Child death, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Vomit, Violence, Religious bigotry, Death, Child death, Genocide, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Antisemitism, and Self harm

Minor: War, Sexual assault, Murder, and Violence

hobbithopeful's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful 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 dark and and gripping retelling of the Baba Yaga tale, one that follows the results and causing of generational trauma but with silver lining of hope and determination.
This was such an incredible read, I was sucked in from the very first page, it has been a hot minute since I have had the pleasure to read such an amazing book. The writing, the prose, the seamless change in narrator from each character, and how the writing style subtly but effectively switches to reflect that was perfectly done. I surprised myself by how much I came to love and enjoy the perspective of Thistle the most, it was like little threads that began to weave together the mystery of the past.
You guys I almost forgot to mention but we get a truly sweet and delightful queer romance between Bellatine and a very lovely lady. This was such a welcome respite, a breath air of happiness in a darker overall story. I don't think I was truly prepared for how dark this story got, my only real complaint is that there were no content warnings.  (You guys it gets really dark a few times, especially when referencing pogroms and other events of that nature)
The concept of fear/bigotry being used to turn people into a weapon is always such an interesting trope that really makes me think about the book long after I finish reading it. I think this stems from the fact that this issue is so extremely prevalent in our culture and society today. There are so many people who have become so twisted and blinded by fear that they will attempt to justify their morally reprehensible actions as logical and sound. (And they believe that they are in fact, morally logical and sound)
Generational trauma is a relatively new concept to many people and the way it was shown in Thistlefoot was both beautifully and tragically depicted. Even if the mind forgets, or never knows, there is something in the body, in the dna, that effect's how a person will act and grow. "Generations pass, and suddenly, we forget. Our descendants are born yearning and they do not know why, for they have forgotten. Their hands are full of fire. Their legs are trembling to flee. The body remembers."

Spoiler

Bellatine and Isaac each represent different aspects of this trauma and how it has shaped their entire personalities. One, afraid to touch and grow to close to someone, and the other afraid to stop running. I didn't even realize until halfway through the book maybe that Isaac wasn't a complete asshat, and in fact was struggling just as Tiny was. 

 
If you are a fan of houses that are alive, a chameleon who can't stop running, and a girl with magic in her  hands then this is perfect for you. (Even if you aren't, you should read this anyway! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Animal death, Genocide, Suicidal thoughts, Gore, Grief, War, Murder, Religious bigotry, Self harm, and Violence

Moderate: Child death

Minor: Sexual assault

sarah_plemmons's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

If you'd told me a week before I read Thistlefoot that an Americana horror novel was going to be my new favorite book, I'd have thought you were out of your mind. But here we are, almost 450 pages later, and this book is all I've thought about since I first opened it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Animal death, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Death, Blood, Car accident, Xenophobia, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Child death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, War, and Vomit

Minor: Abandonment, Medical content, Alcohol, Suicide attempt, and Sexual content

kimberlynann's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Antisemitism, Violence, Religious bigotry, Murder, and War

deetabz's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, War, Animal death, Body horror, Grief, Hate crime, Murder, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, Antisemitism, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, and Violence

Moderate: Alcohol and Vomit