Thistlefoot

Okay, I will start off by saying that this book was not what I was expecting it to be. I thought it was a fairytale re-telling, that it would have lyrical writing and be darkly whimsical. Now while there are elements of these sprinkled in places, I wouldn't say that is what Thistlefoot is overall. So at first it was disappointing because of my own expectations, BUT, and I put a big BUT in there, that doesn't mean it wasn't a great book. Once I got past what I thought it was, I found I actually really liked it. Now to get this out of the way, I would say the bulk of the book is about a 4 star. I had quibbles about the lack of characterization and explanations for a lot of things, the meandering the story does at certain points and a to be honest, Isaac's unlikableness (although I think that was the point of him). I did like that the story felt fresh and new, not a rehash of other fantasy out there. I liked how the story viewed America as having it's own mythical history. I like the magical and supernatural elements. I liked Thistlefoot - yes it's a character! I like how it incorporated the complicated immigrant experience. All these added up to a pretty good story, however, it really shot up to a 5 star at the very end. As all the pieces come together and the point is finally made, I really loved what it had to say. No spoilers here, except to say that at the end I was wiping tears and my storytelling, book loving heart was beaming. It makes a special point about the importance of stories which I also feel very strongly about.
So all that is to say that I think that Thistlefoot has some issues, but in the end it makes up for it in a satisfying way that hit me more emotionally than I expected, so I gave it the higher rating. Overall I think it is a fantasy book tackling a subject rarely covered in the genre and deserves an open minded read where you're likely to find more than just a fantastical journey, but a beating heart at the center with something to say.