The House with Chicken Legs

All 12-year-old Marinka wants is a friend. A real friend. Not like her house with chicken legs. Sure, the house can play games like tag and hide-and-seek, but Marinka longs for a human companion. Someone she can talk to and share secrets with. But that's tough when your grandmother is a Yaga, a guardian who guides the dead into the afterlife. It's even harder when you live in a house that wanders all over the world . . . carrying you with it. Even worse, Marinka is being trained to be a Yaga. That means no school, no parties--and no playmates that stick around for more than a day. So when Marinka stumbles across the chance to make a real friend, she breaks all the rules . . . with devastating consequences. Her beloved grandmother mysteriously disappears, and it's up to Marinka to find her--even if it means making a dangerous journey to the afterlife. With a mix of whimsy, humor, and adventure, this debut novel will wrap itself around your heart and never let go.

The House with Chicken Legs is the perfect book if you’re in the mood for something whimsical and heartwarming. It’s the story of Marinka, a 12 yr old girl destined to be something she never wanted to be. Marinka doesn’t know what it’s like to be a kid with friends you play with because she lives in a house with chicken legs that without warning, stands up and leaves where they’ve been living.

Marinka is one of those characters you can’t help but relate to. She dreams of a life for herself where she can see the world and meet friends, but she’s stuck in a house with only her grandmother Baba Yaga and her jackdaw. I love how strong willed Marinka is, because she’s not willing to go down without fighting. Sometimes she fights so hard she does things she isn’t supposed to and it’s frustrating, but I can’t help but care about her because I get it. That is good writing for me, when a character’s motivations are so clear and strong that it resonates with the reader and you want her to succeed even when you’re at the edge of your seat knowing something is about to go wrong.

I’m a fan of non-human characters and Sophie Anderson did a fantastic job with the House. It was its own character with a unique personality and way of expressing itself, reminding me of the castle in Dianna Wynne Jones’ Howl’s Moving Castle (which I also adore).

Anderson writes about friendship, family, loneliness, death, and grief in the House with Chicken Legs and handles each with great care and sensitivity. I’m glad I caught sight of her book and instantly fell in love with it, because it’s now one of my favourites and I highly recommend it!