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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
Reading the author’s note at the back reminded me that there are hardly no historical novels abt Jewish ppl that don’t involve the holocaust. I certainly have never read one. Reading this was a reminder of the importance of representation, and of intersectional rep (the MCs are Jewish + Queer).
The plot was fast paced and I had not trouble getting through it quickly. Last night I told myself I’d read max 100pgs and I read 250. Tonight I read another 200.
and Chicago!! I love the city so much and it’s the perfect setting for this book.
The plot was fast paced and I had not trouble getting through it quickly. Last night I told myself I’d read max 100pgs and I read 250. Tonight I read another 200.
and Chicago!! I love the city so much and it’s the perfect setting for this book.
This is an incredibly hard book to rate, so please take my rating with a grain of salt.
Overview
Overview
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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
This book was so lovely and beautifully written. I loved the setting, the angst around immigrant and sexuality identity, and the mystery and magical elements. Everything was so well done and beautiful. I don’t read much YA anymore, but I would recommend this to anyone who likes historical fantasy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Antisemitism, Murder, Fire/Fire injury
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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:
No
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Set in 1893 Chicago and narrated by seventeen year old Alter Rosen.
When eighteen year old Yakov Kogan is found murdered on the grounds of the World’s Fair, Alter is compelled to find out who killed him.
A good blend of history and mystery.
When eighteen year old Yakov Kogan is found murdered on the grounds of the World’s Fair, Alter is compelled to find out who killed him.
A good blend of history and mystery.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-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
I am loving the current renaissance of Jewish fantasy, especially queer Jewish fantasy. It’s so fun and rich and weird. Aden Polydoros’ #book “The City Beautiful” is about a queer Jewish immigrant teenage boy in 1893 Chicago. Haunted by a dybbuk and his own past, he’s trying to solve the disappearances of other Jewish youths. It’s sweet and funny and deeply sad at points. It’s about PTSD and resilience and fighting back. And there are worker’s strikes and the World’s Fair and Yiddish Newspapers. A truly rich tapestry. Highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Homophobia, Antisemitism, Murder
adventurous
dark
medium-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:
No
I'm generally not interested in historical fiction or murder mysteries. However, I am interested in Jewish protagonists and characters getting possessed by ghosts, so I decided to give it a shot. And it was good. I read it in a single evening, which is impressive for a 500-page book, but honestly that says more about my mood that day than the book itself. Not that there was anything wrong with it - in fact, there was a lot that was good. The historical Chicago setting felt vivid, the characters were solid, the emotions were done well, the plot was strong, the romance developed well with a lovely touch of angst, and I loved the Jewish community and tradition that infused every page. But the possession element was much smaller than I expected (more a catalyst for the plot than a main element) and the primary plot was the murder mystery of tracking down Yakov's killer. Which, unfortunately, I wasn't all that into. Again, not a failing of the book, just a personal opinion, but mysteries in general aren't and have never been my thing. If you enjoy mysteries (and/or historical fiction), you'll probably like this a lot more than I did. Again, it's not bad, and there's a lot about it that's really good - it just didn't really appeal to my personal reading tastes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Antisemitism
Moderate: Racial slurs, Violence, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Genocide, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury
Pogroms/massacres (mentions), starvation/hunger, unreality, drowning
Polydoros did an incredible job with representing Jewish culture and the historical environment. I did not, however, fully engage with the story because of the mild fantastical element and wish that he had not included this element. I think the book would have been stronger without it. Overall though, this was a solid story. See my youtube channel (linked in my profile) for more in-depth thoughts.