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folkofthebook's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-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
...the people we love don’t belong to us. All we own is our love for them, and that’s ours to keep forever.
ya jewish queer urban fantasy about curses, golems, family, and faith. i also liked the kafka-esque beginning with hannah's daily mutations. slower first half, but more gripping in the second.
i loved hannah and gabe's relationship, and ari was fun and spunky. i wasn't quite sure what the tone would going to be the first third of the book or so, but as more family past was uncovered it became more sure of itself. the theme of family complications and love was very touching and emotional at times.
I’ll wake in the middle of the night, and remember where I’ve been and what I’ve lost. And then I wish that I were bloodless. I wish I were clay. I believe the past can drive you mad as anything.
the interweaving of jitka, malka, and their family's past history and jewish mythology was well done and intriguing. i really enjoyed seeing jewish mythology done this way in a fantasy book and would love to see more books like it, esp once the demon is more properly introduced.
A love that does not pretend away pain, but grows to encompass it, like a scar around a healing wound. A love that exposes and embraces the best and worst of us. A love that stays.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Grief, Violence, Dementia, War, Genocide, Antisemitism, and Murder
jdieperink's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
I read this in one sitting and I don’t tend to like stories written in first person as much!
It broke my heart almost immediately and then stitched it back together with how Gabe and Hannah took care of each other.
Calling it a fantasy book feels like a disservice somehow, even though it is full of fantastical elements.
The themes of Jewish intergenerational trauma are manifested in physical forms as well as emotional ones. And you get to see generations of women try their very best to take care of their loved ones, if imperfectly. CW: the Holocaust
It’s queer, hopeful, heartbreaking, and full of reminders about how the past lives with us everyday.
It broke my heart almost immediately and then stitched it back together with how Gabe and Hannah took care of each other.
Calling it a fantasy book feels like a disservice somehow, even though it is full of fantastical elements.
The themes of Jewish intergenerational trauma are manifested in physical forms as well as emotional ones. And you get to see generations of women try their very best to take care of their loved ones, if imperfectly. CW: the Holocaust
It’s queer, hopeful, heartbreaking, and full of reminders about how the past lives with us everyday.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: War, Genocide, and Antisemitism
bookish_purrsuits's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Antisemitism, War, and Genocide
Minor: Death of parent and Dementia
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