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A review by maria_thebookworm
Shmutz by Felicia Berliner
emotional
funny
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
“Hilarious and endearing...Shmutz is a dirty book with a pure heart.”—The New York Times
I devoured this coming of age novel. It is a heartbreaking yet humorous story about an Orthodox Jewish girl, Raizl, who is in college studying accounting while working as an accountant. Her family wants her to get married. She is only 18, but she cannot seem to find a proper match. Raizl becomes addicted to porn, which interferes with her studies.
This novel details Raizl's religious guilt and indoctrination, her belief in God, her desire for sex and intimacy, her addiction and how it interferes with her relationships, and her struggle to choose between her beliefs and her desires.
This causes her to experience signifcant cognitive dissonance. This book describes what addiction feels like, therapist relationships, and a desire for more than what one's current life or religion offers.
"'Clever, subversive, juicy, and surprising' (Deesha Philyaw, author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies), Shmutz explores what it means to be a fully realized sexual and spiritual being caught between the traditional and modern worlds.'" (Google Books)
Highly recommend!
I devoured this coming of age novel. It is a heartbreaking yet humorous story about an Orthodox Jewish girl, Raizl, who is in college studying accounting while working as an accountant. Her family wants her to get married. She is only 18, but she cannot seem to find a proper match. Raizl becomes addicted to porn, which interferes with her studies.
This novel details Raizl's religious guilt and indoctrination, her belief in God, her desire for sex and intimacy, her addiction and how it interferes with her relationships, and her struggle to choose between her beliefs and her desires.
This causes her to experience signifcant cognitive dissonance. This book describes what addiction feels like, therapist relationships, and a desire for more than what one's current life or religion offers.
"'Clever, subversive, juicy, and surprising' (Deesha Philyaw, author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies), Shmutz explores what it means to be a fully realized sexual and spiritual being caught between the traditional and modern worlds.'" (Google Books)
Highly recommend!