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madelinefmcguire's review
5.0
Of her two granddaughters, Grandma Yvette clearly prefers Ruby Taylor's perfect (and perfectly Jewish) cousin Sarah. Sarah's perfect- she practices kosher, likes cooking does well in school, and most importantly it seems her mom's Jewish. Ruby's mom isn't and since traditionally Judaism is passed down from the mother in the eyes of Grandma Yvette Ruby won't ever measure up to her cousin. When after a fight Sarah becomes possessed by a dybbuk (an evil spirit) and starts doing things like pulling the fire alarm at school, throwing eggs at houses and yelling at their temple's new female Rabbi -Ruby knows she has to fix it. But a dybbuk can only be expelled by a "pious Jew" and if Ruby isn't Jewish enough for her own family how can she be Jewish enough to fight the dybbuk?
This was SO good. As someone who is not Jewish and knows a little bit about the culture I felt it did a good job showing the customs and practices of the religion. I also felt like it did a good job showing appropriately mature characters and their feelings. Family is complicated and it did a great job showing the difficulties of having extended family who don't accept you (or your parents) for this age. A great recommendation for people who like to learn about other cultures, like magical realism or like books about family.
This was SO good. As someone who is not Jewish and knows a little bit about the culture I felt it did a good job showing the customs and practices of the religion. I also felt like it did a good job showing appropriately mature characters and their feelings. Family is complicated and it did a great job showing the difficulties of having extended family who don't accept you (or your parents) for this age. A great recommendation for people who like to learn about other cultures, like magical realism or like books about family.
yapha's review
4.0
Cloaked in a ghost story, this is really an exploration of what it means to be Jewish. It is very well done, looking at a variety of prejudices in the name of "tradition." Ruby's perfect cousin being possessed by a vengeful dybbuk will keep readers engaged, especially when she binge eats non-Kosher food. This would make a great discussion starter at Hebrew school. Highly recommended for grades 4 & up.
eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss
eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss
erinsbookshelves's review against another edition
emotional
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
4.0
wackyykacky's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
4.5
becca_willie04's review
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
scoutabout's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
astronomist's review
funny
hopeful
reflective
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, Antisemitism, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Bullying
smallgourd's review
funny
mysterious
reflective
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
mousereads's review
4.0
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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book encapsulates something that I think is an experience that should be addressed more in middle-grade books. That in-between state of wanting to maintain tradition, and wanting to break it to be yourself. The concept of a family not loving you the same as the family that's more like them, or not being enough for that family, is also a really specific feeling that I don't think I've ever seen in a book. While not Jewish, I know the feeling of being less than your cousins for a particular grandmother, and how jarring that is growing up. Additionally, as someone who isn't Jewish, this book educated me a lot on it both from a religious and cultural standpoint. There are some traditions I'd never heard of, that were explained in a way that made sense but didn't feel too "tell not show". The emotional pull mixed in with the sense of stress that Ruby is experiencing to try and save Sarah really rounded this book out, and made it quick-paced and enjoyable.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book encapsulates something that I think is an experience that should be addressed more in middle-grade books. That in-between state of wanting to maintain tradition, and wanting to break it to be yourself. The concept of a family not loving you the same as the family that's more like them, or not being enough for that family, is also a really specific feeling that I don't think I've ever seen in a book. While not Jewish, I know the feeling of being less than your cousins for a particular grandmother, and how jarring that is growing up. Additionally, as someone who isn't Jewish, this book educated me a lot on it both from a religious and cultural standpoint. There are some traditions I'd never heard of, that were explained in a way that made sense but didn't feel too "tell not show". The emotional pull mixed in with the sense of stress that Ruby is experiencing to try and save Sarah really rounded this book out, and made it quick-paced and enjoyable.
thesaltiestlibrarian's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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
3.75
Thanks to Edelweiss/NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Here we have a book that is pretty decent and something well needed for a whole lot of kids out there. Ruby Taylor's father is Jewish, and her mother is Christian, a practicing Catholic. Even though she's loved by her family without question, she never quite feels Jewish enough or Christian enough. And it doesn't help that her seemingly-perfect cousin Sarah is (as far as Ruby can see) their paternal grandmother's favorite out of the two of them.
So when a dybbuk box in their grandmother's basement is "accidentally" opened, Sarah starts to act...a little different. Is it the dybbuk? Or is Sarah just proving to Ruby she's not as perfect as her cousin thinks?
I enjoyed the read for the most part. The content was great and I liked the characters more than I thought I would. Middle grade is always great for a splash of hope when you're feeling down, as it usually ends on a high, hopeful note. The biggest drawback here was some of Ruby's internal dialogue. Some of it felt out of place with the way it had been inserted with a lot of parentheticals and interruptions. Sometimes this works, a la The Murderbot Diaries, but Ruby didn't seem quite sure enough of herself to snipe and comment the way she did. Maybe it's just me.
Don't get me wrong, I liked Ruby. This didn't feel like a character flaw. More like the author making Ruby say things she thought would be pithy and make her stand out. But even without the asides and little inserts, Ruby was enough of a character to make an impression as an individual. It only dragged down the prose and made it feel longer than it actually was.
Overall I think kids will really like this, and it can be a valuable tool for teaching about how to accept all the cultural parts of not only your own heritage, but the heritage of the people around you.
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