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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
exciting supernatural serial-killer murder mystery, i like the setting which is late-1800s chicago in the jewish quarter, love to hear new setting for historical fantasy & I also enjoy another jewish folklore fantasy, esp coming down off of spinning silver. do recommend
dark
emotional
tense
medium-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
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is an incredibly hard book to rate, so please take my rating with a grain of salt.
Overview
Overview
This book is so good! Definitely for anyone who likes historical fantasy with a heavy dose of horror and mystery. I'm really glad I read When the Angels Left the Old Country before starting this book as it gave me a good foundation in Jewish lore and history, and Yiddish terminology. However, even if you're coming in knowing nothing, the author does an excellent job explaining everything. I haven't read The Devil in the White City, but I imagine there are similar vibes since this book focuses on a serial killer targeting Jewish boys, and the World's Fair is a big part of the narrative. The historical details are fascinating and heartbreaking. The descriptions of the terrible working and living conditions, especially in the meat packing district, had me feeling enraged. The story is told from the POV of a queer, Jewish immigrant from Romania, and he deals with a lot of xenophobia and antisemitism, while also hiding his attraction to men. The story focuses on the abuse of vulnerable populations, especially children, women, and immigrants, who are victims of rape, prostitution, and violence. It's heavy and grim, but well worth reading.
I enjoyed the characters Alter, Frankie, and Raizel. Each of them offers a unique perspective, and they're all going through different struggles while trying to discover the identity of the person killing Jewish boys. The slow burn of Alter and Frankie's relationship is so good! I'm looking forward to reading more books by this author.
I enjoyed the characters Alter, Frankie, and Raizel. Each of them offers a unique perspective, and they're all going through different struggles while trying to discover the identity of the person killing Jewish boys. The slow burn of Alter and Frankie's relationship is so good! I'm looking forward to reading more books by this author.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury
I really, really enjoyed this book. A bit of a slow start, but then I read ~350 pages in a day. I loved the representation and overall plot.
challenging
emotional
medium-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
This book is a beautiful horror story full of sadness and suffering and love. Considering how much suffering happens in the story, it could only end bittersweet. But omg such a sweet ending.
The descriptions stand out in this.
The characters could walk off the pages.
Read this. You will not regret it.
The descriptions stand out in this.
The characters could walk off the pages.
Read this. You will not regret it.