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yapha's review
4.0
Ziva and Pesah are inseparable twins in 10th century Khazaria. They are part of a vibrant Jewish community, and as they have just turned 12, Ziva is celebrating becoming a Bat Mitzvah. As a boy, Pesah has to wait until he is 13, which unfortunately he may not make. He has leprosy, can barely walk, and has already lost several fingers to the disease. When Ziva hears that her parents want to send him away, she sets off on a journey to find a cure. Although she original intends to take him to Constantinople, along the way they meet a third companion who promises to take them to the mythical city of Luz, where no one ever dies. This is a sweeping fantasy with an excellent basis in lesser known Jewish history and mythology. Highly recommended for grades 4 & up.
eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss
eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss
brandylyons's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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? No
5.0
This was an absolutely beautiful book. I loved the relationship between Ziva and Pesah, which was filled with normal sibling silliness but also showed a deep abiding love and affection for each other. This is a story about growing up and fighting for what you believe in, and also the agony of learning to let go. I loved the culture, which is lush and richly textured. Overall, a stunning and lovely book.
ezrah's review against another edition
3.0
I really wanted to like this but it just felt like something I had read a million times before (in a bad way) and the fact that they engage in classic “the best thing disabled people can do for their families is die without a fuss” bullshit just made it so any goodwill I had prior evaporated at the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism
adotzam's review
adventurous
emotional
sad
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: Child death
abishop23's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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
chrissiemwright's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
books_songs_tea's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
missprint's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
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
4.5
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
planetlibrarian's review
4.0
*Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review*
I loved Pasternack's Anya and the Dragon series, so I was excited thatn ot only is there a new book from her, but that it's also just as amazing. This story is about Ziva and Pesah, twins who live in a well-off family and whose father is a judge. Pesah, however, has leprosy, and as a result has been largely isolated from the family to keep the disease from spreading. That doesn't stop Ziva, who is convinced she's the only one who can truly care for him properly. But, when Pesah starts getting worse and their Uncle suggests sending him to a leper colony, Ziva takes matters into her own hands, leaving their home with Pesah to go on a journey to find a cure. But, it's a race against time and Ziva may just have to confront the Angel of Death to save her brother. I enjoyed the sibling relationship between the twins, and Almas, the half-demon boy they meet along the way was an interesting addition to their group. There are some fantasy elements to the story, but it is largely about the journey and the sibling bond. The ending was surprising, yet satisfying, and I felt like the story was perfectly wrapped up by the end.
I loved Pasternack's Anya and the Dragon series, so I was excited thatn ot only is there a new book from her, but that it's also just as amazing. This story is about Ziva and Pesah, twins who live in a well-off family and whose father is a judge. Pesah, however, has leprosy, and as a result has been largely isolated from the family to keep the disease from spreading. That doesn't stop Ziva, who is convinced she's the only one who can truly care for him properly. But, when Pesah starts getting worse and their Uncle suggests sending him to a leper colony, Ziva takes matters into her own hands, leaving their home with Pesah to go on a journey to find a cure. But, it's a race against time and Ziva may just have to confront the Angel of Death to save her brother. I enjoyed the sibling relationship between the twins, and Almas, the half-demon boy they meet along the way was an interesting addition to their group. There are some fantasy elements to the story, but it is largely about the journey and the sibling bond. The ending was surprising, yet satisfying, and I felt like the story was perfectly wrapped up by the end.
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