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A review by lizshayne
The Orchard by David Hopen
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
There’s this niche subgenre that I think of as…emergence through futility set against the backdrop (and foreground) of a specific subculture. Skippy Dies is the paradigmatic example for me.
This fits into that genre and I really enjoyed it but also feel very close to the material. The second I heard where the main characters were moving, I knew which…neighborhood was being referenced. Also, the world of orthodox high school students at a prestigious private school is not unknown to me. So it was less learning about and more…these guys
[yip, yip yip]
Which is a good sign. Perhaps also a sign of my age and the company I keep that, rather than yelling at the teenagers for their life choices, I was yelling at the educators.
Anyway, I thought Hopen did an excellent job striking the balance between the delicate and the sledgehammer with his storytelling. And he’s not afraid to break things and withhold answers.
The rabbis of the Pardes would be proud; I’m just not sure if it’s R. Akiva or Acher.
This fits into that genre and I really enjoyed it but also feel very close to the material. The second I heard where the main characters were moving, I knew which…neighborhood was being referenced. Also, the world of orthodox high school students at a prestigious private school is not unknown to me. So it was less learning about and more…these guys
[yip, yip yip]
Which is a good sign. Perhaps also a sign of my age and the company I keep that, rather than yelling at the teenagers for their life choices, I was yelling at the educators.
Anyway, I thought Hopen did an excellent job striking the balance between the delicate and the sledgehammer with his storytelling. And he’s not afraid to break things and withhold answers.
The rabbis of the Pardes would be proud; I’m just not sure if it’s R. Akiva or Acher.