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bluehairedlibrarian's review
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
4.0
A middle grade drama with fantastical elements that is steeped in the Orthodox Jewish community. A middle school girl has become isolated since the death of her father. Her mother has gone into a deep depression, they moved into a smaller home on top of a Jewish bath, and no one at school seems to look at her. Her only real company is a mischievous dybbik, a ghost of a restless soul who causes chaos in Aviva's home and the baths. When their neighborhood starts seeing more vandalism and hatred, Aviva begins to bond with a lost friend and hopefully find her community as mysteries unfold around her.
This is a very emotional story with many secrets that unfold slowly, often subtly in the background. Aviva is a good yet incredibly unreliable protagonist dealing with her own emotions from her father's death while also trying to be the adult in her home, taking care of her mother. It's a good look into a culture I'm unfamiliar with and the different religious aspects embedded in their lives. I'm very thankful for the glossary in the back of the book because, while I got the gist of what most of the worlds meant, it was nice to know for certain. The addition of re-finding a friend previously lost gives it a universal relatability, and the ending had me in tears.
This is a very emotional story with many secrets that unfold slowly, often subtly in the background. Aviva is a good yet incredibly unreliable protagonist dealing with her own emotions from her father's death while also trying to be the adult in her home, taking care of her mother. It's a good look into a culture I'm unfamiliar with and the different religious aspects embedded in their lives. I'm very thankful for the glossary in the back of the book because, while I got the gist of what most of the worlds meant, it was nice to know for certain. The addition of re-finding a friend previously lost gives it a universal relatability, and the ending had me in tears.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Death of parent, and Medical trauma
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