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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
cemeterygay's review
challenging
dark
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
5.0
I cannot recommend this book enough. It is a wonderfully haunting story about antisemitism and Jewish culture at the turn of the 20th century. I had such a deep emotional investment in these characters. I think this book was so well paced and the elements of Jewish folklore, history, and storytelling were so well integrated into the plot. This book was so deeply emotional and I was very invested in the mystery/thriller element so deeply.
While I think more people should read this book, please take the content warnings very seriously.
While I think more people should read this book, please take the content warnings very seriously.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Additional CW: off-page but descriptive grooming/pedophilia plotline, grief over parent, hallucinations, suicide mention, self-harm, non-consensual drug useeslsilver's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Genocide, Gore, Pedophilia, Violence, Excrement, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Murder, War, and Classism
Moderate: Animal death, Rape, and Suicide
bookishyani's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
Despite a slow start this was a compelling murder mystery with a couple of good twists (even though I saw them coming). I appreciated the depiction of anti-semitism in the US in a time period I wasn’t familiar with. I also enjoyed how we were just immersed into the Jewish community in Chicago without explanation or preamble. Alter really went through it in this book and his anger and rage were palpable and admirable. I also appreciated that the author didn’t shy away from the dark content despite this being a YA book. And the romance between Frankie and Alter was very sweet.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, and Murder
ashleycmms's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
lighthearted
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
shaipanda's review
adventurous
challenging
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? No
4.75
I have FEELINGS about this book lol - both good and bad :) but mostly good tbh
In terms of good, this book was absolutely beautifully written and I really enjoyed the storyline - it was a lot darker and closer to horror than I usually read but I’m glad I finished it and got to find out what happened
I felt like the mystery made sense and the way they concluded it was really satisfying - also of course by far my favorite part and the reason I read it in the first place was the Jewish representation and the fact that it was just such a truly Jewish story and setting and just everything - it was amazing to see that because I literally never see that
In terms of stuff I didn’t love:
Obviously like I said this was a lot creepier and I’ve even heard some ppl on booktok describe this as horror I think (edit: not horror but it’s usually described as a thriller which close enough) which I can definitely see and that’s smth I usually avoid
But really my main issue with it was how it almost veered towards Jewish trauma porn in the middle- end bit. This esp made me uncomfortable because from interviews I’d read with the author it seemed like they weren’t Jewish but also reading their authors note it seems like they are? So ya idk - that aspect would made me way more uncomfortable if they weren’t Jewish so if they are then I’m more comfortable with it I think but still
Either way- personally as a Jew some of those bits were really intense to read as a character or two just go into such specific detail of how they hate us and use slurs over and over and ya 😬
But overall I really loved this book and would recommend it esp for the Jewish rep and the murder mystery storyline which was well done imo
In terms of good, this book was absolutely beautifully written and I really enjoyed the storyline - it was a lot darker and closer to horror than I usually read but I’m glad I finished it and got to find out what happened
I felt like the mystery made sense and the way they concluded it was really satisfying - also of course by far my favorite part and the reason I read it in the first place was the Jewish representation and the fact that it was just such a truly Jewish story and setting and just everything - it was amazing to see that because I literally never see that
In terms of stuff I didn’t love:
Obviously like I said this was a lot creepier and I’ve even heard some ppl on booktok describe this as horror I think (edit: not horror but it’s usually described as a thriller which close enough) which I can definitely see and that’s smth I usually avoid
But really my main issue with it was how it almost veered towards Jewish trauma porn in the middle- end bit. This esp made me uncomfortable because from interviews I’d read with the author it seemed like they weren’t Jewish but also reading their authors note it seems like they are? So ya idk - that aspect would made me way more uncomfortable if they weren’t Jewish so if they are then I’m more comfortable with it I think but still
Either way- personally as a Jew some of those bits were really intense to read as a character or two just go into such specific detail of how they hate us and use slurs over and over and ya 😬
But overall I really loved this book and would recommend it esp for the Jewish rep and the murder mystery storyline which was well done imo
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Pedophilia and Rape
anniereads221's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Violence, Antisemitism, and Murder
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicide, Medical content, and Fire/Fire injury
writefromthepage's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Had a lot of potential, ultimately it didn’t deliver. The pacing would jump from being dead slow for chapters at a time, speed up super quick for a few pages, and then return to the slow pace. It wasn’t done in a natural shift either It felt like right when action started happening, it was abruptly cut off. It was strange to say the least. And the writing felt very dry overall? Which made it really hard to get into the story and connect with the characters, especially Alter and Yakov. Alter felt like character traits rather than a developed character, and Yakov had barely any substance to him. The book never showed us how strong their friendship was, just told. Which really made me think why Alter cared so deeply about him. The one character exception though was Frankie. He was very interesting and developed. But also bizarre since he obviously had more time and care put into him than the main character himself. I will say the reveal of who’s been behind the murders is heartbreaking and handled well. The threat was very real. And when the book focused on the slow possession of Alter’s body, or his relationship with Frankie, was where the book really shined. There was good things in this book, but overall, pretty disappointing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Sexual violence, Violence, and Antisemitism
Moderate: Rape and Murder
lisafrancine's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
betweentheshelves's review
dark
emotional
tense
slow-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
As the author mentions in the note at the end of the book, there are very few historical fiction books with Jewish characters that aren't about the Holocaust. This book is incredibly atmospheric and unapologetically Jewish, as the main character, Alter, speaks little English and uses a lot of Jewish terms and mythology. I was fascinated by all of it, knowing very little about Jewish mythology, and the glossary in the back was incredibly helpful.
I will say, the story itself is overall on the slower side, which allows Polydoros to build the suspense. Just when you think you have the mystery figured out, something else happens to turn it on its head. You can feel the gothic fantasy vibes throughout, and overall, these elements are well incorporated throughout.
The only thing that wasn't super believable for me was the romance itself, which might relate back to the historical period it's written in. For me, I didn't feel a lot of chemistry between Alter and his main love interest, and I think I wanted a bit more. Again, this is probably historically accurate, but I wasn't as invested in the romance as I wanted to be.
Overall, fans of gothic historical fantasy with thriller vibes will definitely enjoy this book. A great addition to YA Lit!
I will say, the story itself is overall on the slower side, which allows Polydoros to build the suspense. Just when you think you have the mystery figured out, something else happens to turn it on its head. You can feel the gothic fantasy vibes throughout, and overall, these elements are well incorporated throughout.
The only thing that wasn't super believable for me was the romance itself, which might relate back to the historical period it's written in. For me, I didn't feel a lot of chemistry between Alter and his main love interest, and I think I wanted a bit more. Again, this is probably historically accurate, but I wasn't as invested in the romance as I wanted to be.
Overall, fans of gothic historical fantasy with thriller vibes will definitely enjoy this book. A great addition to YA Lit!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Antisemitism, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Death, Pedophilia, and Rape
Minor: Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Suicide