500 reviews for:

Shmutz

Felicia Berliner

3.59 AVERAGE

marjamorevna's profile picture

marjamorevna's review

2.5
challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

nain's review

3.75
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
catreadbook's profile picture

catreadbook's review

DID NOT FINISH: 54%

Too vulgar and too much porn talk. Got boring after a while— was just about an orthodox girl watching porn secretly
rhiandroid_'s profile picture

rhiandroid_'s review

4.5
challenging funny tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

drkirby's review

4.25
emotional tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

teaganbreeze's review

3.0
challenging reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character

aaronm's review

4.0
emotional funny reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I was immediately drawn into Raizl’s world — her family dynamic, her personal struggles with her religion and her desires, and her secret porn addiction. I loved getting to see her in so many different worlds: at home, at her therapist’s office, at school, and at work. The novel was quick and cute and funny!
karlavuorenoja's profile picture

karlavuorenoja's review

4.0
challenging emotional funny reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
alukewarmcoffee's profile picture

alukewarmcoffee's review

4.0

I went into this book not truly knowing what to expect in terms of how explicit the book would be. Please take this as a warning that if you are uncomfortable reading *detailed* descriptions about different sex acts, this is probably not a book for you. It happens so frequently throughout this book that I think you’d be skipping nearly half the book to avoid it. If reading about very conservative religious culture makes you uncomfortable, this is not a book you for you. 

Raizl, an 18 year old Hasidic Jewish woman, has developed an online porn addiction after receiving a laptop as part of her scholarship to study accounting at college. In an extremely conservative religious household and culture, this secret addiction takes over Raizl’s life— a flame she can’t stop fueling. As her mother desperately tries to get Raizl married, Raizl’s life becomes more and more out of her control as we see her revel against her family and her upbringing. 

I did not expect to like SHMUTZ as much as I did, but the story really sucked me in and the chaotic nervous energy of the writing kept me flying through the pages. 

Please please please make sure you look at content warnings before diving in, I have listed what I hope is a comprehensive list below:

CW: very detailed descriptions of porn/sex acts, death of a grandparent, drinking, smoking, drug use, talk of addiction