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kys_chai_and_books's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism
A wonderfully queer and wonderfully Jewish text that speaks to immigrant experiences during the height of the industrial revolution. Fans of Good Omens and fans of Talmudic texts alike will love this book and its characters.snerp_reads's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Misogyny, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Death of parent
Minor: Homophobia and Deportation
tangleroot_eli's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
One of the rare books that made me wish I got along better with audiobooks. It has the cadence and flow of a folk tale or fable and would probably be lovely to hear. That's not to say that reading the printed book wasn't a delight, because it was. I just would've loved to have it in my ears as well as my eyes. It's a love letter to the Jewish immigrants to the US in the late 1800s and early 1900s and the fierce, devoted, rabble-rousing spirt they brought with them. I can never get enough of those - especially the ones written with as much warmth, heart, and spirit as this one is.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Misogyny, Sexism, Xenophobia, Blood, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, and Death of parent
Moderate: Confinement, Gun violence, Violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Ableism and Pregnancy
bandysbooks's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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? No
5.0
Do you ever pick up a book that you know nothing about completely based on the cover? That's exactly how I wound up reading When The Angels Left The Old Country. I was scanning Netgalley and the cover just really called to me. I'm so glad I requested this book because this was such a unique and interesting book.
Angels follows an angel and a demon as they try to protect a member of their shtetl who immigrates to the United States. It sounds bizarre and in some ways it is, but oh my goodness did I enjoy this book. The characters were unique, the plot was engaging, and it was a good balance of mystery, humor, and suspense.
First of all, both the angel and the demon were such interesting characters. I loved their unexplainable bond and the humor they share throughout the story. I was invested in who they were and what their purpose was. I also found the human characters well thought out and realistic.
The immigration process through Ellis Island was both unique for the Angel and Demon, but oddly realistic too. We see people arbitrarily trapped for being a single woman, for potential illness, or just because a guard didn't like them. It echoes a lot of the stories I learned about when I visited the Ellis Island museum.
I also really enjoyed the Jewish cultural elements in this story. I felt like I learned a handful of things and it made the story feel so rich and real.
All in all, this was a wonderfully interesting story with memorable characters. I would recommend it if you want a unique adventure of immigration from one continent to another or if you enjoy contemporary fiction with a splash of humor. I will definitely read future books by Sacha Lamb in the future.
Angels follows an angel and a demon as they try to protect a member of their shtetl who immigrates to the United States. It sounds bizarre and in some ways it is, but oh my goodness did I enjoy this book. The characters were unique, the plot was engaging, and it was a good balance of mystery, humor, and suspense.
First of all, both the angel and the demon were such interesting characters. I loved their unexplainable bond and the humor they share throughout the story. I was invested in who they were and what their purpose was. I also found the human characters well thought out and realistic.
The immigration process through Ellis Island was both unique for the Angel and Demon, but oddly realistic too. We see people arbitrarily trapped for being a single woman, for potential illness, or just because a guard didn't like them. It echoes a lot of the stories I learned about when I visited the Ellis Island museum.
I also really enjoyed the Jewish cultural elements in this story. I felt like I learned a handful of things and it made the story feel so rich and real.
All in all, this was a wonderfully interesting story with memorable characters. I would recommend it if you want a unique adventure of immigration from one continent to another or if you enjoy contemporary fiction with a splash of humor. I will definitely read future books by Sacha Lamb in the future.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Racism, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation
tamara_joy's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Gun violence, Antisemitism, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Deportation
moonytoast's review
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Thank you to Netgalley and Levine Querido for providing me with a digital ARC of this book!
When the Angels Left the Old Country is even more proof that historical fantasies written by marginalized authors who center the lived historical experiences of people with the same marginalizations are just objectively better!
Jewish Good Omens is an apt comparison for this story about an angel and a demon working together to traverse the Atlantic Ocean in search for a young girl that had left their little shtetl for the New World. I think fans of Neil Gaiman's other works, particularly Neverwhere and Stardust, will enjoy the writing style and tone of this book. It's got a whimsical vibe at many points, but knows precisely when to dial up the tension and intrigue. I think this is clear in Little Ash's confrontation with the gentile demon on Ellis Island and the last ten or so chapters of the book as everything comes to a crescendo.
This may not be for readers who enjoy more fast-paced fantasy stories, but hot take: I think sometimes a slow build is essential for a good story, because you need the chance to grow attached to the characters and see their change before you can genuinely care about whether they achieve their goals by the end of the book. I think this book is a perfect example of that. Seeing Uriel and Little Ash's relationship dynamic shift as they embark on their journey to find Essie is such an integral and standout aspect of When the Angels Left the Old Country, the entire narrative would not be remotely as engaging without it.
When the Angels Left the Old Country is even more proof that historical fantasies written by marginalized authors who center the lived historical experiences of people with the same marginalizations are just objectively better!
Jewish Good Omens is an apt comparison for this story about an angel and a demon working together to traverse the Atlantic Ocean in search for a young girl that had left their little shtetl for the New World. I think fans of Neil Gaiman's other works, particularly Neverwhere and Stardust, will enjoy the writing style and tone of this book. It's got a whimsical vibe at many points, but knows precisely when to dial up the tension and intrigue. I think this is clear in Little Ash's confrontation with the gentile demon on Ellis Island and the last ten or so chapters of the book as everything comes to a crescendo.
This may not be for readers who enjoy more fast-paced fantasy stories, but hot take: I think sometimes a slow build is essential for a good story, because you need the chance to grow attached to the characters and see their change before you can genuinely care about whether they achieve their goals by the end of the book. I think this book is a perfect example of that. Seeing Uriel and Little Ash's relationship dynamic shift as they embark on their journey to find Essie is such an integral and standout aspect of When the Angels Left the Old Country, the entire narrative would not be remotely as engaging without it.
He loved his chevrusa with all of his heart: he'd known it by a hundred names, and he'd loved it always. He could not ask it to give up a name it liked having, not even to keep it safe. "All right," he said. He laced their fingers together and lifted its hand to his lips. kissing its bruised knuckles. "All right. You can be Uriel forever, and save a hundred rebbes. Be an angel or a demon or anything you like. Just don't leave me."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Murder
julianship's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Hooting! And! Hollering! I feel like half of my reviews lately have been "I liked parts of this book, but I wish X were different." I'm glad to report I'm not entirely the pickiest person in the world and can in fact enjoy things without turning my brain off. Case in point: I loved every minute of this book; it is an absolute delight. Uriel and Ash are wonderful characters, and the way they bounce off of each other and the rest of the cast is just so fun to read. Rose, baby lesbian of my heart, is also such a fun POV character that I didn't mind when we left Uriel and Ash to catch up with her. The book is deeply queer (Uriel and Ash's relationship defies categorization as much as Uriel's gender does) and also deeply Jewish, a real love letter to radical Jewish communities around the turn of the century. And it's just so sweet, with a dry wit to it. I really hope more people read it! Recommended for fans of Terry Pratchett and The Golem and the Jinni, but also everyone should read this please!!!
(Also, I'm not really sure why this got billed as YA - I think teens can and will enjoy it, but it also doesn't Feel particularly YA to me, and I hope that categorizing choice doesn't pigeonhole it.)
(Also, I'm not really sure why this got billed as YA - I think teens can and will enjoy it, but it also doesn't Feel particularly YA to me, and I hope that categorizing choice doesn't pigeonhole it.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Confinement
shaipanda's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
tense
fast-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
5.0
Thank you so much to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
I genuinely absolutely loved this book just as much, if not more, than I expected to. As someone who grew up deeply entrenched in my Jewish culture and community, it was so amazing and such a special experience to be able to read a book with so many references I recognized. This book was so clearly deeply deeply rooted in Jewish (specifically Ashkenazi) culture and mythology which was really amazing to read.
Additionally, all of the characters are so loveable and I absolutely loved seeing the characters grow, whether they were teenage girls or immortal beings. This was especially true given the queer Jewish representation in this which is just so important and I have not come acros nearly enough of. I do wish we got to see more of Rivke as she essentially disappears from the story once they leave Ellis Island and I really liked her character and would’ve loved to see more of her.
One other thing I noticed is while I’m very glad there’s a glossary at least in the back, this book has so so many very specific references in it that it could benefit from having footnotes. This was because some of the references I’d actually never even heard of some of them before such as sheydim and ibburim, and I've spent a significant amount of time in Jewish spaces and constantly expanding my knowledge of Judaism. I feel like because of this, having footnotes would make it significantly more accessible for the general public since how it is now, I’m slightly worried people will put the book down because they don’t understand all of the terms and Jewish context and don’t want to keep Googling or flipping back and forth to the glossary.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Classism
Moderate: Confinement, Hate crime, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Misogyny, Grief, Stalking, Pregnancy, and Deportation