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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
I'm not sure how to review this. It's well written, but there was something about this that bothered me. I am not particularly bothered if a book featuring Orthodox Jews is perceived as portraying the community positively or negatively, unless it's ludicrously one-sided. What concerns me is authenticity and texture.
There's a lot this book gets right--the sexual repression and deliberate ignorance, many of the details of Hasidic life, the specific dialect of Yiddish. But I'm stuck on the central premise--that a girl from one of the more insular sects (which Raizl is clearly supposed to be) would go to a co-ed, non-religious college program, scholarship or no, while remaining a part of her community. That her high school would actually send the transcripts. There are frum programs in Brooklyn, primarily aimed at the yeshivish Orthodox. It rang entirely false to me. What happens to Raizl--the Internet, non-religious friends--is everything Hasidic culture seeks to prevent. It's necessary for the plot, but I'm stuck on it.
There's a lot that rings true about Raizl's rebellion (the porn is rather specific) but the resolution doesn't quite feel fleshed out. What pushes her away from her community is well outlined, but less so what keeps her in, beyond a sense of duty. I don't mean that in a "what's good about Hasidism" way, but what her personal attachment is. I didn't feel, as I sometimes do with stories about the Hasidic community, that it was written entirely for the prurient interest of outsiders. It felt like a genuine interest in exploring sexual conflict.
I would be interested to read a review from someone who is from one of the more insular Hasidic communities to read this. My understanding is that the author is Jewish, had a yeshiva education, but is modern and not Hasidic. There's at least as much space between Satmar and modern Orthodox as there is between modern Orthodox and Conservative.
There's a lot this book gets right--the sexual repression and deliberate ignorance, many of the details of Hasidic life, the specific dialect of Yiddish. But I'm stuck on the central premise--that a girl from one of the more insular sects (which Raizl is clearly supposed to be) would go to a co-ed, non-religious college program, scholarship or no, while remaining a part of her community. That her high school would actually send the transcripts. There are frum programs in Brooklyn, primarily aimed at the yeshivish Orthodox. It rang entirely false to me. What happens to Raizl--the Internet, non-religious friends--is everything Hasidic culture seeks to prevent. It's necessary for the plot, but I'm stuck on it.
There's a lot that rings true about Raizl's rebellion (the porn is rather specific) but the resolution doesn't quite feel fleshed out. What pushes her away from her community is well outlined, but less so what keeps her in, beyond a sense of duty. I don't mean that in a "what's good about Hasidism" way, but what her personal attachment is. I didn't feel, as I sometimes do with stories about the Hasidic community, that it was written entirely for the prurient interest of outsiders. It felt like a genuine interest in exploring sexual conflict.
I would be interested to read a review from someone who is from one of the more insular Hasidic communities to read this. My understanding is that the author is Jewish, had a yeshiva education, but is modern and not Hasidic. There's at least as much space between Satmar and modern Orthodox as there is between modern Orthodox and Conservative.
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
dark
emotional
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Have you ever seen the movie Groundhog Day? Well this is essentially the same thing, but a porn addicted Jewish girl is the main character. It felt like every chapter was the same. She watches porn, feels guilty, says she’s going to stop, and the cycle starts again until she makes a drastic choice at the end. Maybe I would’ve rated this higher if I had more of a connection to the Jewish culture, because there would be a lot more relation and understanding of the customs mentioned in this book. Half way through this book I accepted that this book wasn’t written for me and that’s perfectly okay. Before giving this book my final rating this book I considered the events within the context of my own culture and I still kept the rating the same. This essentially confirmed for me that the culture wasn’t the issue for me. It was the plot.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Quite honestly had me giggling and kicking my feet. I kept gasping and laughing out loud in public spaces. Finished it in two days. Loved her.
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Saw this book on the shelf in a bookstore and a few sentences into the blurb decided it must be read. I appreciate stories like this because it further proves us humans are complex and very ‘gray’. I also love a double taboo - religion AND sex?!
This book took us between the two worlds of the main character, Raizl. One being her traditional orthodox home and another out on her own discovering herself at a secular college.
At times, I felt the book was a bit dragged out, but overall it felt refreshing and honest. I enjoyed Raizl’s friendship arc with her new friend Sam, as well as the unique dynamic she had with each of her siblings.
We also see the effects of addiction and are taken into the repetitive cycle it demands. I acknowledge the book wasn’t focused on resolving this addiction, rather showing the struggle and revealing the stories we tell ourselves to minimize the suffering.
This book took us between the two worlds of the main character, Raizl. One being her traditional orthodox home and another out on her own discovering herself at a secular college.
At times, I felt the book was a bit dragged out, but overall it felt refreshing and honest. I enjoyed Raizl’s friendship arc with her new friend Sam, as well as the unique dynamic she had with each of her siblings.
We also see the effects of addiction and are taken into the repetitive cycle it demands. I acknowledge the book wasn’t focused on resolving this addiction, rather showing the struggle and revealing the stories we tell ourselves to minimize the suffering.
Thank you to Goodreads and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.
This book was a strange read. At times hard to follow, and a story never really ends up developing. Basically, just the same day over and over again, then quickly ends with a wedding with no actual resolution.
This book was a strange read. At times hard to follow, and a story never really ends up developing. Basically, just the same day over and over again, then quickly ends with a wedding with no actual resolution.