Reviews tagging 'Ableism'

The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer

30 reviews

caitlinjadams's review against another edition

funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Fun winter read!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Death of parent, Chronic illness, Medical content, and Cancer

annahamburger's review against another edition

inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Abandonment, Cancer, Death of parent, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Antisemitism, Grief, Genocide, Body shaming, Alcohol, Ableism, Bullying, and Emotional abuse

Minor: War, Pregnancy, Xenophobia, and Infertility

marpaige's review against another edition

funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness and Death of parent

Moderate: Ableism

Minor: Cancer, Antisemitism, and Genocide

shaunashares's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment and Ableism

atamano's review against another edition

funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness and Ableism

Moderate: Abandonment

Minor: Sexual content

charminggoats's review against another edition

hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Very cute, fairly lighthearted fade-to-black romance! It was an interesting, quick read. The main characters met as kids, fell in love (as much as two kids at summer camp in middle school can)  but never had a true breakup/goodbye due to a series of misunderstandings and outside interference. They meet again as adults in very different lives and start to come back together over Hanukkah. 

The romance sort of stays as one from childhood. I mean, they still get their happy ending; it just felt like they reverted back to those kids at camp. One minute she hates him, he’s pranking her like total misread of the situation, they talk a smidge to clear up the misunderstanding from childhood, they kiss and make-up, and then they are married.

 It was cute in a Hallmark movie kind of way- underdeveloped, yet still fun and inexplicably adorable? Hallmark movies are popular for a reason! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Ableism, Death of parent, and Abandonment

lennatheunicorncat's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Grief, and Abandonment

Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Terminal illness, Ableism, Antisemitism, and Cancer

author2223's review against another edition

funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness

Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, and Ableism

kdailyreads's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Chronic illness, Grief, Death of parent, Bullying, and Ableism

Minor: War and Islamophobia

ticvoria_'s review against another edition

lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

I loved the concept and the potential for a Jewish leading lady with chronic illness, but the execution wasn’t there for me. I really liked that I learned a few things about Hanukkah and Judaism that I hadn’t known before. The MCs don’t don’t communicate well AT ALL and act like their 7th grade crushes really make or break their whole lives (plus the “he’s mean, he just like you!” angle as adults… yikes). It was really hard for me to read them as characters in their 30s and not teens, I wanted to just shake them and yell to get over a single event from when they were literally 12. Some funny and insightful and cute moments were there, but not enough to overshadow the parts that annoyed me. There were some insensitive at best moments that also rubbed me the wrong way (“coming out” about loving Christmas and the throwaway joke about Israeli-Palestine conflict assassins), so I hope if the author writes another novel, she gets some sensitivity writers. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism and Antisemitism