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bizlette's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.25
avieherman's review
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Fascinating and couldn’t put it down, I read it in 24 hours. But a lot of the plot points were unhinged and, like many books, it didn’t meet the expectations that it set and the end felt unsatisfying. The writing quality itself was effective and engaging.
annanar's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
sunshine608's review
4.0
The Marriage Box is the story of Casey, a 15-year-old girl who is forced to move from her hometown of New Orleans, LA back to her parent's orthodox Syrian Community in NY after something happens and her parents want to return her to her roots. I enjoyed Casey's life in NOLA as the book led up to the "incident". There was a lot of foreshadowing of this incident and I felt like the description of the actual incident was a letdown. We finally find out what happened and then it feels like it was glossed over.
Once Casy arrives in NY, I really enjoyed learning more about the community as it was in the 80s. and the culture shock that Casey was experiencing. Her meeting with Michael and subsequent decisions all felt very rushed, while the last few chapters felt like they lasted forever. Other than that, I really enjoyed this book and learned a lot about Orthodox/Jewish Syrian culture.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Once Casy arrives in NY, I really enjoyed learning more about the community as it was in the 80s. and the culture shock that Casey was experiencing. Her meeting with Michael and subsequent decisions all felt very rushed, while the last few chapters felt like they lasted forever. Other than that, I really enjoyed this book and learned a lot about Orthodox/Jewish Syrian culture.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
guylou's review
3.0
This is a compelling coming-of-age story that explores themes of identity, love, and cultural clashes. Set in the 1970s, Casey Cohen finds herself uprooted from her life in New Orleans and thrust into the Orthodox Syrian Jewish community in Brooklyn. Ms. Adjmi skillfully portrays the clash between Casey's personal ambitions and the restrictive expectations of her new cultural environment. As Casey navigates the intricacies of her marriage to Michael, she grapples with the sacrifices and compromises demanded of her. Ms. Adjmi's storytelling is immersive, drawing readers into Casey's world and allowing them to empathize with her struggles. This is an emotionally resonant novel that delves into the complexities of tradition, choice, and self-discovery.
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bookapotamus's review
4.0
The Marriage Box was such a vivid window into a pivotal time in one girls life and the pressure she feels to respect her family and their beliefs, when all she really wants to do is be herself … or really - find herself - and become whoever she wants to be. Not who everyone else wants her to be.
After a troubling incident, Casey, a Jewish teen, is uprooted from her life in New Orleans to live in Brooklyn within a tight knit community of other Jewish Syrian families. And it is a culture shock.
These families follow rules she doesn’t know, and speak words she doesn’t understand, and they marry way too young for her to ever be able to pursue and follow her dreams. It’s just what is done - and what her parents think she needs. But she’s pretty sure this unfamiliar world is not for her.
It’s a unique coming-of-age story and such a wonderful look into the culture of this devoted community - something I wasn’t very familiar with. Although some parts made me super cringe for Casey, I loved how she persevered and didn’t lose herself, and thoughtfully made decisions that were right for her. I was rooting for her to smash the patriarchy all the way through!
Also… the 80’s vibes were totally on point and I loved all the nostalgia - and I also got quite hungry reading this and now I NEED to try all the Syrian foods!
After a troubling incident, Casey, a Jewish teen, is uprooted from her life in New Orleans to live in Brooklyn within a tight knit community of other Jewish Syrian families. And it is a culture shock.
These families follow rules she doesn’t know, and speak words she doesn’t understand, and they marry way too young for her to ever be able to pursue and follow her dreams. It’s just what is done - and what her parents think she needs. But she’s pretty sure this unfamiliar world is not for her.
It’s a unique coming-of-age story and such a wonderful look into the culture of this devoted community - something I wasn’t very familiar with. Although some parts made me super cringe for Casey, I loved how she persevered and didn’t lose herself, and thoughtfully made decisions that were right for her. I was rooting for her to smash the patriarchy all the way through!
Also… the 80’s vibes were totally on point and I loved all the nostalgia - and I also got quite hungry reading this and now I NEED to try all the Syrian foods!
zwachtel50's review
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
that_bookish_life's review
3.5
Casey is a third generation Syrian-American Jew living a fairly secular teenage life in New Orleans in the 70s, but after Casey has a brush with the law her parents become concerned and move back to the tight-knit Syrian Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn, New York from which they're from. Instead of cheerleading and college applications Casey is thrust into an opulent if oppressive world, attending yeshiva (an Orthodox Jewish religious school) where many of the girls drop out to be married at age 18. Unexpectedly, Casey falls in love with a man within the community and finds herself doing just this.
<i>The Marriage Box</i> is a coming of age novel that reads like a memoir. It offers an interesting look at the New York Syrian Jewish community of the 1980s as well as a young woman caught between cultures. The plot doesn't really offer any surprises, but the story is interesting and goes down easy.
<i>The Marriage Box</i> is a coming of age novel that reads like a memoir. It offers an interesting look at the New York Syrian Jewish community of the 1980s as well as a young woman caught between cultures. The plot doesn't really offer any surprises, but the story is interesting and goes down easy.