Reviews with content warning for Antisemitism - The City Beautiful

The coming-of-age element of Alter growing into himself and learning to accept his queerness was a really lovely B-plot alongside the main effort to get rid of his dybbuk. I found Alter a compelling and believable protagonist, and appreciated that by the end of the book he had learned he had others around himself to rely on. It was a joy to read such a fully Jewish book, depicting different struggles and various approaches to assimilation, and I liked that it was set in Chicago!

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inkwellimps's review

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adventurous 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

5.0

Read this book after Sacha Lamb suggested it in a podcast, and it filled the hole in my heart left from finishing When the Angels Left the Old Country. A lot of similarities with that book, quite a few differences, but just as good with a similar feel.

The characters are standout and very engaging. Alter, the man haunted by his past and the death that follows him trying to make an honest living. Frankie, the smug and confident leader of a Robin Hood-style lovable thieves gang. Raizel, the staunch anarchist (historical anarchists yay!) and investigative journalist.

Very much a book about labor rights and the competing ideologies between the three characters. Alter trying to work with the status quo, Raizel looking for labor reform, and Frankie gaming the system. Very queer book from beginning to end. A lot can also be said about how we hold on to grief.

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ehmannky's review

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adventurous emotional 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

5.0

This book was so lovely and beautifully written. I loved the setting, the angst around immigrant and sexuality identity, and the mystery and magical elements. Everything was so well done and beautiful. I don’t read much YA anymore, but I would recommend this to anyone who likes historical fantasy.

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sashahc's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful reflective fast-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

I am loving the current renaissance of Jewish fantasy, especially queer Jewish fantasy. It’s so fun and rich and weird. Aden Polydoros’ #book “The City Beautiful” is about a queer Jewish immigrant teenage boy in 1893 Chicago. Haunted by a dybbuk and his own past, he’s trying to solve the disappearances of other Jewish youths. It’s sweet and funny and deeply sad at points. It’s about PTSD and resilience and fighting back. And there are worker’s strikes and the World’s Fair and Yiddish Newspapers. A truly rich tapestry. Highly recommend.

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bluejayreads's review

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3.75

I'm generally not interested in historical fiction or murder mysteries. However, I am interested in Jewish protagonists and characters getting possessed by ghosts, so I decided to give it a shot. And it was good. I read it in a single evening, which is impressive for a 500-page book, but honestly that says more about my mood that day than the book itself. Not that there was anything wrong with it - in fact, there was a lot that was good. The historical Chicago setting felt vivid, the characters were solid, the emotions were done well, the plot was strong, the romance developed well with a lovely touch of angst, and I loved the Jewish community and tradition that infused every page. But the possession element was much smaller than I expected (more a catalyst for the plot than a main element) and the primary plot was the murder mystery of tracking down Yakov's killer. Which, unfortunately, I wasn't all that into. Again, not a failing of the book, just a personal opinion, but mysteries in general aren't and have never been my thing. If you enjoy mysteries (and/or historical fiction), you'll probably like this a lot more than I did. Again, it's not bad, and there's a lot about it that's really good - it just didn't really appeal to my personal reading tastes.

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emburs's review

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dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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courtofsmutandstuff's review

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5.0

The only books I've read that have centered Jewish identity and culture this heavily have been Holocaust novels or memoirs, and I truly loved this book for giving me something outside of those parameters. I love fantasy and historical books, and I loved that this book takes place during the 1893 Chicago's World Fair AND focuses on fantasy elements based on Jewish lore - the possession of a dybbuk. My heart really feels for Alter, who is hurt and scared of the world (and his sexuality) but just so deeply wants to do good. Without spoiling it, I loved the murder mystery element -

especially the two part structure and how it *feels* like they have resolved everything when they catch Katz, only for there to still be a third of the book left

- and how everything flows out. I also loved the little details (like the call out about arsenic green cloth and the oblique HH Holmes reference) while the book is utterly steeped in Jewish culture and identity.
Highly recommend for those who love books set in Chicago, historical fiction, or are looking for a new type of "world building" for fantasy (particularly urban fantasy).
I did receive a NetGalley ARC, but ended up finishing this as an audiobook since I progress through that much faster.

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breecheese's review

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dark emotional mysterious 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? No

4.75

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