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emilyacres's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death of parent, Abortion, Drug use, Death, Drug abuse, Cancer, Suicide, Sexual content, Violence, Toxic friendship, Mental illness, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
sfbookgirl's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
There is a lot to unpack within The Orchard. I really enjoyed learning more about Jewish Orthodox traditions and the profound ideas expressed by David Hopen. Despite being Jewish, I had to look up a decent amount of terminology. I found this was a great opportunity to learn more about my religion and traditional practices. Some of the philosophical ideas went a bit over my head, and I personally found the book to be longer than I would have liked, but it’s quite an enriching and challenging read.
The Orchard is about Ari Eden who lives an ultra-Orthodox life in Brooklyn. The summer before his senior year in high school, his family moves to Miami for his father’s job. There, Ari becomes friends with four boys who challenge Ari’s thoughts about life and provide him with new experiences that involve girls, drinking, and drugs. Finding himself in a new crowd, Ari grapples with understanding who he really is, and how his identity is shaped by those he surrounds himself with.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Toxic relationship, and Violence
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