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leahkarge's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
jessthepiratess's review
dark
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? Yes
4.5
Rape, Pedophilia, Sexual assault
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Racism, Violence, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Genocide, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Grief, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Homophobia, Suicide, and Police brutality
arrrgh_schooling's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, and Antisemitism
Moderate: Death
moonytoast's review
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
This book and Ava Reid’s The Wolf and the Woodsman have really opened my eyes to the existence and beautiful complexity of Jewish fantasy and stories infused with Jewish mythology. In The City Beautiful, Alter Rosen is possessed by the dybbuk of a close friend, who was one of a number of young Jewish boys disappearing or dying under mysterious circumstances under the shadow of the 1892 World’s Fair in Chicago. (It admittedly suffers from one of my bookish pet peeves—first person narration in a historical setting—but I will be forgiving in this case because of how well I enjoyed the story.)
Perfect for fans of Aiden Thomas’ Cemetery Boys and Roshani Chokshi’s The Gilded Wolves, The City Beautiful has proven itself to be a great addition to the budding young adult historical fantasy genre and cemented my interest in Polydoros’ future works.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Child death, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Homophobia and Injury/Injury detail
lessthelonely's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
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
4.0
4/5 stars.
This book was a nice surprise.
I wasn't expecting to like this book so much, especially when I started reading it and found out that it was basically historical fiction. I'm not the biggest fan of historical fiction, it either tends to lose me with way too much detail on history that tends to not pull me in but drive me away from it - namely, when the "history" is mainly white. I already learned about what white supremacists want people like me to think history is like. I don't need to read it when I'm trying to get entertained. Or when the plot seems to be non-existent for most of the book and then comes full force at the end, which makes everything until then incredibly dull and like I'm just reading to finish it.
This book was a nice surprise since it felt like a slow burn. The truth is that the beginning was incredibly slow - in between reading sessions, I went to Goodreads and saw one of the BookTokers I follow, Ayman (@aymanbooks), reviewing this book and mentioning it could get somewhat close, so I was like, OK, at least I'm sort of warned. The first chapter is way too long for its own good, for starters. I didn't feel like I was reading a thriller, as I'm used to having a cold open (the thrilling event that the plot will spawn from or revolve around).
But I kept reading. If you DNF a book without even finishing a chapter, then you're clearly just looking for an excuse to DNF it when you could simply read something that could satiate your reading needs. I wasn't expecting this book to satiate mine, but it did.
The lows of this book are the slow moments and, honestly, the reveals. I felt like the reveals, while definitely thrilling in the way they were executed and how they played out, weren't really that jaw-dropping. I wasn't really invested in the characters revealed to be scum, so in that department, the reveals didn't hit. What did hit, however, were the fight scenes and the whole action that happened around these reveals. Incredible. Sweat-inducing, to be honest.
There were also some moments where the tension felt a little bit fabricated, just to either make characters clash or simply have a sort of thrill. Not even close to the reveals, just some moments that happen when some characters are introduced.
Speaking of characters, the way these characters have me on a chokehold, especially the main character and what I would consider the main love interest - the pining, the yearning, incredible. I didn't really like the ON/OFF approach after the first big moment, but I do think it's a very positive and soft romance, which is ironic because this book is incredibly dark. Check trigger warnings, please!
But all and all, just for the fact this surprised me, I consider this a great book. The Jewish references were extremely interesting, and a glossary is included. Even if it wasn't included, no excuses. This is a great book. READ IT.
This book was a nice surprise.
I wasn't expecting to like this book so much, especially when I started reading it and found out that it was basically historical fiction. I'm not the biggest fan of historical fiction, it either tends to lose me with way too much detail on history that tends to not pull me in but drive me away from it - namely, when the "history" is mainly white. I already learned about what white supremacists want people like me to think history is like. I don't need to read it when I'm trying to get entertained. Or when the plot seems to be non-existent for most of the book and then comes full force at the end, which makes everything until then incredibly dull and like I'm just reading to finish it.
This book was a nice surprise since it felt like a slow burn. The truth is that the beginning was incredibly slow - in between reading sessions, I went to Goodreads and saw one of the BookTokers I follow, Ayman (@aymanbooks), reviewing this book and mentioning it could get somewhat close, so I was like, OK, at least I'm sort of warned. The first chapter is way too long for its own good, for starters. I didn't feel like I was reading a thriller, as I'm used to having a cold open (the thrilling event that the plot will spawn from or revolve around).
But I kept reading. If you DNF a book without even finishing a chapter, then you're clearly just looking for an excuse to DNF it when you could simply read something that could satiate your reading needs. I wasn't expecting this book to satiate mine, but it did.
The lows of this book are the slow moments and, honestly, the reveals. I felt like the reveals, while definitely thrilling in the way they were executed and how they played out, weren't really that jaw-dropping. I wasn't really invested in the characters revealed to be scum, so in that department, the reveals didn't hit. What did hit, however, were the fight scenes and the whole action that happened around these reveals. Incredible. Sweat-inducing, to be honest.
There were also some moments where the tension felt a little bit fabricated, just to either make characters clash or simply have a sort of thrill. Not even close to the reveals, just some moments that happen when some characters are introduced.
Speaking of characters, the way these characters have me on a chokehold, especially the main character and what I would consider the main love interest - the pining, the yearning, incredible. I didn't really like the ON/OFF approach after the first big moment, but I do think it's a very positive and soft romance, which is ironic because this book is incredibly dark. Check trigger warnings, please!
But all and all, just for the fact this surprised me, I consider this a great book. The Jewish references were extremely interesting, and a glossary is included. Even if it wasn't included, no excuses. This is a great book. READ IT.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Antisemitism
rowanbg's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I read this book pretty much in one sitting, and I'm so glad I did. It is always interesting to see historical fiction that focuses of times, places, and people who have been overlooked, and Polydoros sets the scene in such a rich and detailed way. Not to mention the inclusion of the dybbuk, which I have never seen in a novel before, and which brings this beyond a regular ghost story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Vomit, Antisemitism, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
Minor: Homophobia
criticalgayze's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Of the four books from the Young Adult category I have read or am reading for the 2022 Lammy Awards, this one is my favorite. It's like Cemetery Boys with a more balanced plot and like Before We Disappear with greater historical accuracy. The writing is taut and suspenseful, the plot is well-structured and well-rooted, and the characters are well-developed (an underrated quality in Young Adult literature).
My only qualm with the book is one of tonal consistency. The main character, Alter, is supposed to be a relatively recent immigrant with an emerging grasp of the English language. While I get that he is intelligent in his grasp of concepts in Yiddish and Romanian, he often uses big English vocabulary words that would seem out of his current linguistic grasp. One could make an acceptable argument that Polydoros is providing a "translation" of mental thoughts from Yiddish to English, but this still seems inconsistent with his expansive use of Yiddish terminology. it was a small gripe that can be easily ignored, but it was enough to keep the novel from fully clicking with me.
My only qualm with the book is one of tonal consistency. The main character, Alter, is supposed to be a relatively recent immigrant with an emerging grasp of the English language. While I get that he is intelligent in his grasp of concepts in Yiddish and Romanian, he often uses big English vocabulary words that would seem out of his current linguistic grasp. One could make an acceptable argument that Polydoros is providing a "translation" of mental thoughts from Yiddish to English, but this still seems inconsistent with his expansive use of Yiddish terminology. it was a small gripe that can be easily ignored, but it was enough to keep the novel from fully clicking with me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Rape, Sexual assault, and Fire/Fire injury
bookenbee's review
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Antisemitism, Death of parent, and Murder
caidyn's review
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
At some points I really enjoyed this book. At others, it was kinda meh. But I did like it and I'm glad it's out there! We need more Jewish books that aren't about the Holocaust. There are other interesting times in Jewish history.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Antisemitism, Grief, Murder, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Sexual assault
phoebejeziel's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
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
5.0
Wow. What a tale!!! I absolutely loved this!! In the past I have not really been into historical fiction (or even historical fantasy) but lately I have truly been enjoying and loving some really fantastic tales.
The City Beautiful is a haunting, ghostly, gothic tale that truly explores so many themes in a multifaceted way. It explores queerness in the 1800s, the lives of those immigrating over to America during this time period, anti-semitism, politics, abuse, injustice, and ultimately: what it means to fight for your right to be human.
Our main character, Alter is a wonderful character who is truly just trying his best!!!! Haunted by his past and the murder of a dear friend, Alter is thrown into a situation and task of making things right. Alter is also drawn back so another person from his past. All while many jewish boys are being murdered left and right!
This story is tense, scary, and again- absolutely haunting. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I am not familiar with Jewish culture or customs, but I deeply appreciated the language, mythology, and overall rich storytelling and culture immersion that this book had. I found it incredibly fascinating and I learned so much!!
This for sure has become one of my top books of the year, it was absolutely fantastic. If you like ghostly gothic tales, murder mysteries and are looking to read something unique and also diverse- this is definitely the pick for you!!! For anyone really. You should ALL ready this book!!
The City Beautiful is a haunting, ghostly, gothic tale that truly explores so many themes in a multifaceted way. It explores queerness in the 1800s, the lives of those immigrating over to America during this time period, anti-semitism, politics, abuse, injustice, and ultimately: what it means to fight for your right to be human.
Our main character, Alter is a wonderful character who is truly just trying his best!!!! Haunted by his past and the murder of a dear friend, Alter is thrown into a situation and task of making things right. Alter is also drawn back so another person from his past. All while many jewish boys are being murdered left and right!
This story is tense, scary, and again- absolutely haunting. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I am not familiar with Jewish culture or customs, but I deeply appreciated the language, mythology, and overall rich storytelling and culture immersion that this book had. I found it incredibly fascinating and I learned so much!!
This for sure has become one of my top books of the year, it was absolutely fantastic. If you like ghostly gothic tales, murder mysteries and are looking to read something unique and also diverse- this is definitely the pick for you!!! For anyone really. You should ALL ready this book!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism
Moderate: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual assault