The House with Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson.
Wow.
I was surprised when this book arrived from the library to see that it was classified as children’s. I was not sure what this would mean in terms of my enjoyment of the book. However my one word review is WOW.
This book was folk tale and fairy tale all rolled into one. It was amazing. It follows the story of 12 year old Marinka who feels like she does not belong in her grandmothers world, or the world of Benji or Nina. At it’s heart this is a book of self discovery that leaves Marinka firmly knowing where she belongs.
Although this book is much lighter than The weight of a thousand feathers or Moonrise I think that this may be my favourite book from the longlist that I have read to date. It feels like the most relatable. We have all felt that sense of isolation before, not really sure if or how we belong. For Marinka, the fantasy nature of the story left her with bigger issues to contend with than most of us. But not only did she battle with her loneliness but with her physical isolation and also the bigger worry about whether or not she belonged and her destiny was right for her.
Marinka in the book is 12 years old, but as a 35 year old I could relate to her. My eight year old daughter started reading this book, although did not get far, I would have been interested to know how she related to the character.
Sophie Anderson writes with so much compassion. My heart was absolutely breaking for the character of Marinka in the beginning. But also for the old Yaga and both houses. I loved the epilogue, and the finding of a place to belong.
This book would be great for young readers and would fit in so well to a study of fairy tales and what makes a fairy tale. I really cannot recommend it enough!
Mrs K
Genre: Folk Tale, Fantasy, Fairy Tale, adolescent fiction, teenage fiction, family, adventure
Mrs K Reads 