A review by ghostyreader
The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros

adventurous emotional tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

The coming-of-age element of Alter growing into himself and learning to accept his queerness was a really lovely B-plot alongside the main effort to get rid of his dybbuk. I found Alter a compelling and believable protagonist, and appreciated that by the end of the book he had learned he had others around himself to rely on. It was a joy to read such a fully Jewish book, depicting different struggles and various approaches to assimilation, and I liked that it was set in Chicago!
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