isaacblevins 's review for:

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker

5.0

---

I'm not entirely sure what it says about me that two of the books on my Goodreads Absolute Favorites shelf concern a Golem. Nevertheless, this is a fantastic novel - the sort that sweeps you into its story and causes you to worry about the characters as if you could do anything to change their fate. Despite both being powerful creatures, the golem and the jinni are quite fragile. They experience the same fears, hopes, thrills and disappointments that characterize the immigrant experience for so many. It's rare today to find such exquisite urban fantasy - the kind that doesn't involve romantic pot-boiler plots or mystery-series conventions. This novel reminded me of the possibilities of the genre and left me hoping for more authors willing to explore them.