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arha's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
This is an inventive and engaging fantasy novel. It's technically historical fiction, but the author clearly explains in an afterward what is actually known about the Khazar empire (very little) and what she made up (quite a lot), and some cultural details are clearly anachronistic. As fantasy, it's super fun. I read this as an adult and the magical creatures and mystical worlds will stay with me for a long time.
It's very well-written, and I was particularly impressed by the structure and pacing. This would have been very inspiring to me as a 12-year-old aspiring author.
It's also a book about a terminally ill child written by an ICU nurse. I've never been gravely ill myself, but based on my friends' experiences, I would recommend it for children whose siblings or friends are dying, but it may be more hit-or-miss for children facing their own deaths.
This book treats its themes around death and religious ritual with depth and sincerity without becoming dull or depressing. I would strongly recommend this as a discussion book for the lead-up to the Jewish High Holy Days.
It's very well-written, and I was particularly impressed by the structure and pacing. This would have been very inspiring to me as a 12-year-old aspiring author.
It's also a book about a terminally ill child written by an ICU nurse. I've never been gravely ill myself, but based on my friends' experiences, I would recommend it for children whose siblings or friends are dying, but it may be more hit-or-miss for children facing their own deaths.
This book treats its themes around death and religious ritual with depth and sincerity without becoming dull or depressing. I would strongly recommend this as a discussion book for the lead-up to the Jewish High Holy Days.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Child death, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, and Terminal illness
ezwolf's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
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
A perfect book to release just before Rosh Hashanah!
Ziva bat Leah is on a journey to save her brother, Pesah from his fight with leprosy. Along the way they pick up a half-demon boy who promises to take them to a city that can cure all and save Pesah from certain death. There's just a the matter of fighting the Angel of Death himself.
Ziva is amazing character who absolutely won't take no for an answer and it's no surprise she's ready to fight Death with her bare hands and some rocks meant for skipping. Her devotion to her brother and her passion for doing the right thing was wonderful and Pesah brought a good balance to her fieriness. The scenes during the birthday party and right after had me laughing. A truly wonderful story that had me crying by the end, but crying at the end pretty much always means it was a wonderful book for me.
I absolutely adored Pasternack's, Anya and the Dragon, and was incredibly excited to read her newest book. There's a lack of Jewish fiction that doesn't center around the Holocaust and I wish I could have had Anya and Ziva as characters to read about when I was a kid. Pasternack does a great job creating a trio of characters and their own small little families that show how you can't judge a book by its cover.
Thank you to Net Galley for making this book available in exchange for an honest review!
Ziva bat Leah is on a journey to save her brother, Pesah from his fight with leprosy. Along the way they pick up a half-demon boy who promises to take them to a city that can cure all and save Pesah from certain death. There's just a the matter of fighting the Angel of Death himself.
Ziva is amazing character who absolutely won't take no for an answer and it's no surprise she's ready to fight Death with her bare hands and some rocks meant for skipping. Her devotion to her brother and her passion for doing the right thing was wonderful and Pesah brought a good balance to her fieriness. The scenes during the birthday party and right after had me laughing. A truly wonderful story that had me crying by the end, but crying at the end pretty much always means it was a wonderful book for me.
I absolutely adored Pasternack's, Anya and the Dragon, and was incredibly excited to read her newest book. There's a lack of Jewish fiction that doesn't center around the Holocaust and I wish I could have had Anya and Ziva as characters to read about when I was a kid. Pasternack does a great job creating a trio of characters and their own small little families that show how you can't judge a book by its cover.
Thank you to Net Galley for making this book available in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Medical content, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Violence and Confinement
Minor: Death of parent and Slavery
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