A review by sarah984
The Lost Shtetl by Max Gross

informative reflective slow-paced

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

1.5

The voice in this is super fun and parts of it were genuinely affecting (I loved the story about the "heroic" census taker, and the schism in the town between the two Rabbis who had heard the story of the Holocaust as children was devastating). The book was way too long, though, with a lot of wasted page time, a pointless ending, and terrible writing about women.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, and Genocide

Moderate: Grief, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Confinement, Ableism, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, and Stalking

Minor: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Islamophobia, Medical content, Fatphobia, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, and War