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betweentheshelves's review against another edition
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
4.0
There's a lot to love about this contemporary fantasy with Jewish culture at its core. Right from the beginning, we get a sense of mystery and intrigue, and the way Podos crafts the story just adds more as we go along the way. I especially appreciated the way that she uses flashbacks to give the readers Hannah's full family history and adds context to what is going on in the present day.
Even though there is a lot going on plotwise in this story, Podos doesn't sacrifice the development of her characters. I especially liked the relationship between Hannah and her brother, Gabe. They just supported each other, and the way Gabe was willing to go to such lengths to make Hannah feel more comfortable? It was adorable.
The budding romance/relationship also felt realistic and flowed really well with the plot. I enjoyed Ari as a character, and the way they all teamed up to solve the mystery. The fact that Hannah doesn't 100% know her identity by the end of the book will also be relatable to so many teenage readers.
This book is also packed with so much Jewish culture and mythology that I learned a lot while reading it as well. Though a lot of this was new to me, I didn't feel lost at any point in the story. It was a good balance of history, mythology, magic, character, and plot.
All in all, if you're looking for a new contemporary fantasy to pick up, I'd definitely recommend this one!
Even though there is a lot going on plotwise in this story, Podos doesn't sacrifice the development of her characters. I especially liked the relationship between Hannah and her brother, Gabe. They just supported each other, and the way Gabe was willing to go to such lengths to make Hannah feel more comfortable? It was adorable.
The budding romance/relationship also felt realistic and flowed really well with the plot. I enjoyed Ari as a character, and the way they all teamed up to solve the mystery. The fact that Hannah doesn't 100% know her identity by the end of the book will also be relatable to so many teenage readers.
This book is also packed with so much Jewish culture and mythology that I learned a lot while reading it as well. Though a lot of this was new to me, I didn't feel lost at any point in the story. It was a good balance of history, mythology, magic, character, and plot.
All in all, if you're looking for a new contemporary fantasy to pick up, I'd definitely recommend this one!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Abandonment, and Child death
Moderate: Death, Confinement, and Violence
Minor: War, Homophobia, and Antisemitism
urlocalvocaloidstan's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book was very interesting and was filled with a lot of intriguing fantasy. The characters were all very interesting and likable and the things they said and did were very realistic. The dual timeline explained what happened when Hannah’s mother was a teenager and showed the events her family members talked about, but from her point of view. There were so many good plot twists and a lot of humor, and this book is probably one of the first for a new era of YA fantasy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Kidnapping
Minor: Antisemitism, Death, and Homophobia
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