Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Yaga siblings, Bellatine and Isaac, have been estranged since childhood. Separated by both resentment and wide miles of American highway. But when they learn they are to receive a mysterious inheritance, the siblings are reunited. Only to discover that their bequest isn't land or money, but something far stranger: a sentient house on chicken legs.

Thistlefoot, as the house is called, has arrived from the Yagas' ancestral home in Russia, but not alone. A sinister figure has tracked it to the American shores, bearing with him violent secrets from the past.

It took me a while to get started on this ARC but I am so glad I did. This was an incredibly rich debut novel filled with Jewish folklore and family dynamics. The story felt unique and kept me interested from the first few chapters all the way til the last. I am very curious to see what GennaRose Nethercott writes next, because if its of similar quality she has a long career ahead of her.

Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott reminds me of the stories I grew up with. I remember being a little kid reading about this kooky old woman named Baba Yaga who lived in a weird house doing strange things. This book takes these childhood stories and turns the book into a fairytale for adults.

Fantasy has been a genre that has not been very welcoming to Jewish people, and I am happy to see an onslaught of authors who are taking their faith and culture and turning it into beautiful stories. This story was beautifully written. The language was descriptive and sounded like your bubbe was telling you a story of how she grew up. The concept was incredibly interesting with the book following Baba Yaga’s great- however many times grandchildren and how her powers have impacted them. The author touched on heavy topics including inter-generational trauma and antisemitism that were expertly woven into the story.

While I though the writing was beautiful, the book felt liked it dragged in some places and was too fast in others. Topics like the Yagas’ powers seemed like the author was going to share some big revelation, but it never got there. The beginning and the ending of the book were so interesting to read, but the middle was almost like its own separate book that was more transitional rather than informative. There were also cultural and religious aspects that I felt could have been explained better, like who the Longshadow Man was. I was able to pick it up pretty quickly because I grew up on these stories, but to those who are unfamiliar it comes off as we never truly find out what he is.

In the end, this book was hard for me to rate. I loved the concept, but it seem long in parts and others were not addressed well. While I may seem to have a lot of criticisms for the book, the author wrote about these heavy topics in an incredibly informative, interesting, and respectful way. You could really feel her love and connection to the topic.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

GennaRose Nethercott’s retelling of the mythos of Baba Yaga is wildly imaginative. The Yaga siblings are each unique in their abilities and personalities, each struggling with secrets, flaws, and trauma from their past. Nethercott infuses her story with wonder and pain in equal measures, using Eastern European mythology to explore generational trauma whilst creating a story that is immersive and a compulsive read. The language is evocative and gorgeous and the characters are compelling and magnetic. 

Bellatine and Isaac are wonderful characters, each full of pain and darkness of their own, struggling to find a way to break through from the past. What I loved was Thistlefoot itself, the house, who has a voice that is layered with meaning and wisdom. The story uses that voice to tell the audience the history and terrible events of the past, memories that live on and haunt us. Using this wildly imaginative retelling of Baba Yaga to create a story of healing of generational trauma is beautiful and brilliant. If you love folklore and fantasy, I suggest reading this evocative, lovely story.

By the cover alone, I assumed this was a middle grade story: It is not.

However, I still enjoyed this. This is a Russian folklore story that I have never heard before, and just loved it. I’m familiar with Baba Yaga in other stories but this one was different. There was three different POVs in this, and my favorite was Thistlefoot’s. I did not like Isaac for most of the story, but then he grew on me and I started to understand him better.

I didn’t see how it all tied together till probably the last third of the story. I had a theory but I do not think I was right. Actually though, I’m curious if I was right and it just wasn’t ever said. There was a character Baba Yaga helped, but before he could be set free he had one last task to finish. I was thinking if maybe that character was tied to the villain of the story.

An absolute joy, I got the same feeling reading this as I did when I first read Neil Gaiman, that sense of a master magician revealing only their first trick. GennaRose's warmth and humor and imagination burst from every page and I could've read this book for ages. Masterful, a brilliant debut, the first of many adventures to come I hope.

Honestly, it was the cover that got me at first, nothing but that cute, crazy off-kilter cover. Look at it before you start to read, and then after finishing partway, somewhere after Chapter 18, look at it again. Closely. You won't see cute. You'll see the terror soaking through the figures, and clearly Ms. Cottage is about to bolt. . .even the faded red font is shaken up.

I took my time with this one - the story comes at a reader from many directions, and needs to. . .for all the POVS have meaning and significance, tidily cottage-nested: from the least to the greatest of particulars. There came a point when continuation was required, and it mattered not what was happening in my real world.

Running with Thistlefoot, for my very life, reading to the very last word, I didn't skip one. It's true. It's true. The story must out, and survive. If only one of us knows. . .come along. . . .run with us. . .

A Sincere Thank You to GennaRose Nethercott, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review. #Thistlefoot #NetGalley

A fairy tale that somehow seems like something from my past. Beautiful characters, beautiful prose. It was, however, long. And that can be good because it's a story that's so gorgeous but it also takes a lot of time because the prose is too nice to speed read.

Bellatine Yaga is a carpenter who hasn’t seen her brother Isaac since he up and left during her childhood. But when they both receive a message about a mysterious inheritance waiting to be picked up, they once again reunite. They discover they now own a house on chicken legs that seems to be somewhat sentient. Isaac, being ever-intent on the next big haul, insists that they take the house on the road for a show. But what they don’t realize is that someone – or something – has followed the house from Russia and is hunting it and those who live inside it.

This was such a lovely and intense read. It started off intriguing simply because it was a modern-day nod the Baba Yaga myth, but as the work went on, its depth grew as it explored healing from multi-generational trauma. I enjoyed the odd magics that were included, and the different way magic was manifested, though I would have loved a bit more of explanation included concerning this. I also loved the explanation of the antagonist – it took the story up a level, as well as the meaningful inclusion of Jewish folklore and history.

I thought there was going to be something semi-important left unexplained, but my question was answered at the end of the work. I also enjoyed how the work was set up, with some alternating chapters told from a surprising POV. The exploration of the different characters’ personal and familial traumas added some serious depth to them. I have no complaints about this stunning work of fantasy, and highly recommend it to everyone!

My thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for allowing me to read and review this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Nethercott’s writing is rich and lyrical in this tale of the descendants of Baba Yaga and her magical house. This modern retelling of the the Russian fairy tale is dark and full of dread as it follow the Yaga siblings through their inheritance of their twice great grandmother’s house with bird legs through their flight from the Longshadow Man. My quibbles with the book are relatively minor— a house running through town doesn’t seem especially shocking to those who see it. Fans of magical reality and horror will enjoy this journey.

I expected to love this more but I think I realized that this brand of whimsical fantasy isn’t really my thing anymore, it gave me similar vibes to House in The Cerulean Sea which i didn’t love as much as others seemed to. it started out fun and it’s written in an interesting and fast-paced way, however it definitely started to slog in the middle and i think it could’ve been better for me if it was cut a bit from its 450 page length

I can definitely see the appeal of this title. However, after 6 chapters in I had to stop. It just wasn’t the type of fantasy/folklore I enjoy.

'Thistlefoot,' by GennaRose Nethercott begs you to open it - just look at that cover. It scream ominous, foreboding dark fairy tale! The novel does not disappoint its a wild twist on the Jewish folktale of Baba Yaga.

Absolutely beautiful. The author's approach to collective trauma is gentle, but raw and powerful. The folklore and culture is an integral part of the plot and not just an aesthetic, and the popular elements of it are put in an original context, and multilayered. I was positively surprised by the plot and characters, and definitely emotionally invested. Maybe cried a bit.

My missing star is for the pacing. The beginning was a bit stuffy- the action elements and the story-telling elements were very similar in tone and narration, and it took some time until the voices became more distinct and balanced. I loved Thistlefoot parts, but I expected them to be more contrasted with the sibling's parts. I think introducing Winnie a bit earlier would be beneficial. But once it all comes together - amazing

I think I went in with very high expectations in this story and was a little surprised it was different than I thought. The writing was very good and descriptive, but I didn't find myself drawn to reading this at every chance I got. Although this is a modern-day fairytale, the theme was intense and perhaps heavier than I was expecting. The story centers around an ancient chicken-footed house that was owned by Baba Yaga and is gifted to Isaac and Bellatine, estranged siblings who come together after being separated to claim their inheritance. The story centers around the violent history of pogroms, evil, humanity and the importance of memory and being a witness to your ancestors.
The book does stay with you long after you have finished it. I received a complimentary eBook from Netgalley.com in exchange for a review.

When I first saw the cover of Thistlefoot I thought I was getting a YA Fantasy. I'm terrible about reading a synopsis and love to go into books blind. While this wasn't YA this was definitely fantasy and an absolutely amazing read.

I love fairy tales. I love mythology. This is such a great mix of those genres and a beautifully written and well-paced story. It's dark, atmospheric and a lot of fun. I especially LOVE the multiple POVs, one in particular (you'll have to read to see which one I mean 😂)

I was able to read this as an E-ARC from NetGalley but now I need to go find a physical copy for my bookshelf. This is definitely one I will read again and one I will recommend to fans of fantasy and mythology.

I sincerely appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. While a review wasn't expected, I have offered my opinion and these are my own thoughts.

In Nethercott's Thistlefoot, estranged siblings Bellatine and Isaac Yaga find their way back to each other within this odd, dark story that is steeped in Jewish folklore.

"It's wild, isn't it...how there are all these stories that played out before we even existed. And their residue is all around us, all the time, but we don't even know it. Sometimes I wonder how much of me is my own, you know?"
This recently published debut novel from Gennarose Nethercott is heavy on Eastern European folklore and feels like an immersive fairy tale with modern references (for example, cell phones).

In Thistlefoot, estranged siblings Bellatine, a woodworker with mysterious powers, and Isaac, a con artist and street performer with his own magic, are reunited to claim a mysterious, bizarre inheritance: a sentient house on chicken legs.

You're going to need to roll with that premise for Thistlefoot to work for you, and if you're up for it, there are a lot of delights here.

Thistlefoot is a strange, epic, often dark adventure tale with roots in Jewish folklore, and puppets (which may or may not come to life at times) and the story they're used to tell are central to the plot.

Bellatine and Isaac find their way back to each other, bonded by trying to untangle the dangerous, sentimental, mysterious circumstances surrounding the house's existence. They find unlikely allies who are also seeking the truth about the house--and who want to protect its legacy from those who would destroy it.

This, as always, is only one version of the memory. Funny, how truth changes in the telling. How a person becomes a myth, how a myth becomes a hero. Do not mistake Baba Yaga for the hero of my stories. She is not. She is not the villain, either. She is only a woman. Sometimes, one cannot know until retelling what was right and what was wrong.
Thistlefoot includes some scenes in which World War II atrocities are central; delves into the desperation and cruelties of those who have struggled to America, imagining their salvation; and explores the binds of family and history.

I received a prepublication edition of this book courtesy of Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group and NetGalley.

If you like magical realism and folklore, you might also like the books on my Greedy Reading List Six Magical Fairy Tales Grown-Ups Will Love.

Weird and Whimsical, Thistlefoot captured me from the very first page and it's characters will stay with me for a lifetime.

We follow the Yaga siblings, estranged and living separately in America, until word comes that they've got a mysterious inheritance coming. Once Isaac and Bellatine Yaga reunite they soon discover that their inheritance is even stranger then they has imagined, in a larger than like shipping container they discover their ancestral home...on legs! Enter a sinister villain with special interest in the home and what you have is a surprisingly deep traveling story steeped in European folklore.

The world building here is wonderful, including perspectives from the actual house that gives the reader a witty look into the Yaga history. That being said, the characters are what really shined for me. They are complicated and complex. Their flaws and subsequent actions will break and mend your heart.

If dark fairy tales and gorgeous writing are buzzwords for you then Thislefoot is a must read!

I’m a simple girl: I see a book based on Jewish folklore, I immediately want to read it. So of course the second I saw this book I knew I needed to see what would happen in it, and I’m really glad that I did.

This was such an interesting concept for a story. It was really cool getting to see how Isaac and Bellatine’s lives were intertwined with Thistlefoot’s history. The flashbacks/storytelling of Gedenkrovka and the pogrom were done super well in my opinion, especially the overall message about the importance of the importance of a story carrying on. You could really tell that a lot of effort went into developing that part. I also liked the side characters, especially Winnie and her character development. It was really enjoyable to read this book, even when it had its darker and heavier moments.

The downsides of it were pretty much subjective. I felt like the ending was a bit unsatisfying and abrupt. It basically went right from the climax to the epilogue, and the epilogue wasn’t enough to really give a solid ending to these characters. Also I felt like the world building was confusing and I kept waiting for details or explanations that never came. This whole book takes place in a world where buildings can come to life in a way, and it’s pretty infrequently mentioned and never explained why this is possible (except in the case of Thistlefoot). Like that is something so interesting and definitely should’ve been more important to the plot. I also felt like some things in the plot just never got super good explanations (like where exactly Isaac’s powers are from, for example), but I get that the whole enigmatic vibe was part of the book.

Overall I enjoyed reading this and would definitely recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

This was both more beautiful and more horrifying than I'd expected. I thought it would be a fun little book with folktales and puppets and a moving house - that all sounds just delightful, doesn't it? And it did feature all of those things, but I don't think I could classify it as "fun" nor "little."

The story of this book was built about grief, and the narrative, despite featuring magic and inexplicable abilities, didn't shy away from the horrors that caused that grief in the past. And our modern-day characters weren't without their (very valid) troubles too! I loved all the characters and their flaws and their big personalities, and I loved how this book was really written like a <i>story</i>.

I need to take a moment to speak ineloquently on the writing of this as well. I found so many passages just gorgeous, and so many that I re-read to take it in all over again. I think my status updates throughout reading this are a testament to that, copied and pasted passages that they are, and I had to sit on my hands to not add more status updates throughout.

Suffice to say, this book was so lovely, and so lovely for me specifically.

A strange and somewhat creepy twist to the Baba Yaga mythology, thistlefoot grabs you from the beginning as you follow the Yaga twins on their adventure with Their inheritance: a walking house.

I think the most intriguing part of this is how unremarkable they treat this absolutely remarkable things. Everyone takes a living house in stride as though it’s something you might see. Interesting, sure, but nothing to flip out about. This dose of magical realism is what sets this book apart for me.

The thrills of the chase they of through as well as struggling with their own powers, yearnings, and past decisions makes this a weirdly relatable tale. I fully enjoyed it.