Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Aviva vs the Dybbuk by Mari Lowe

9 reviews

kerrbearlib's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Mental illness, and Antisemitism

oonawoodbury's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

5.0

This is a really sweet book that deals a lot with childhood friendship and trauma. I love the representation of Aviva’s life in an orthodox Jewish community 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent

that_person_logan's review

4.5

I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was a wonderful look into an orthodox community and how grief affects people. I wish there was more explanation or exploration of

Avivah’s trauma and how it manifested as the dybbuk. I had questions about how she didn’t realize she had been doing these things.

I will definitely be rereading this, I would love to engage with the text on a deeper level. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Grief, and Antisemitism

Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, and Death

directorpurry's review

emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Antisemitism, Grief, and Hate crime

Moderate: Death of parent and Antisemitism

lgiunta's review

adventurous emotional sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Death of parent, Antisemitism, and Grief

stw07's review

emotional fast-paced

5.0

Maybe I’m biased because of the niche “Jewish kid with a dead dad and PTSD” representation this book offered me, but I was shocked at how genuinely good this was. I might have shed a tear or twenty… 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Antisemitism and Death of parent

careinthelibrary's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Grief, Hate crime, Death of parent, and Mental illness

Moderate: Violence and Bullying

Minor: Genocide, Alcohol, and Terminal illness

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Death of parent, and Medical trauma

elizabethjane's review

emotional mysterious medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Grief, and Hate crime

Moderate: Death of parent and Mental illness

Minor: Injury/Injury detail