A review by kathryn_reads_paiges
How to Excavate a Heart by Jake Maia Arlow

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

I really liked this one overall! Definitely more YA than NA, and more Hanukkah + Christmas vibes than either holiday in the plot. It felt a bit immature for me at times and Shani recognizes this about herself…yet the behavior continues. The lesbian + Jewish rep here seemed great, though, and the characters made me laugh more than once. And this is the first book I’ve read with a focus on paleoichthyology!

Points for more “holigay” reading and more fiction set in the DC area (but not another political thriller). I adored the nod to the Smithsonian, the metro (ugh), almost certainly Politics & Prose, and “Big Blue Dog” Cafe aka “Little Red Fox” (formerly next to P&P, RIP). So much adorable corgi content, too!

CW: Sexual assault (but the character’s experience is validated)
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