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ex_libris_volantes 's review for:
Jacob's Ladder
by Z.A. Maxfield
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Now I remember why I put the rest of this series off after the first two. I only came back to it because they are being removed from the audible+ included with membership catalog. The erotic scenes are the least believable so far, and the “struggle to accept I’m gay” characterization was awful. My least favorite part was when JT came off as ok with gay people right up until he is confronted by his own queerness, and then goes full “it’s against the laws of my Jewish faith, it’s wrong and unacceptable!” It was jarring, and not in a believable way for the character development. For the small town painted so friendly to queerness in the first two books, and the over-abundance of queer side characters, it just felt out of place.
Actually, The worst line was during the most believable and gripping part of the story during the accident scene. Sorry for the spoiler, but it just so happened that this story centers around being Jewish as the most prevalent part of all the main characters’ identities (queerness aside), and then in the car accident, Jacob is worried for his brother, and smells a cigarette burning something in the car, and then there is a revolting line; of how Jacob is all too familiar with how it would smell if it were flesh burning and not something else…. The unwelcome and unnecessary imagery of why Jacob, a post-Millenium queer Jew, would be familiarized with the smell of burning flesh, and the seeming association with burning Jews…. It contributed nothing else to the story, and completely put me out of the experience of emotional connection to the car accident and imminent danger of the situation, and then he never explains further about why he would know the smell of the cigarette was burning his brother…. It ruined the moment and the scene by making it associate seemingly to the holocaust, for no reason I can imagine. It felt wrong, and inappropriate on so many levels and brought my intended 2 star rating down to a single star.
Casual anti-semitism breezed over and not addressed? No thanks. I found another review for Maxfield’s “All Stirred Up” that says she includes another random reference in that book to Auschwitz in a very inappropriately joking matter, and again breezes past it like it meant nothing. I’m officially turned off by the author and am at least glad I never spent actual money directly to her. I discourage anyone else from supporting an author who clearly has glossed over discriminatory feelings she can’t help but slide into her stories.
Actually, The worst line was during the most believable and gripping part of the story during the accident scene. Sorry for the spoiler, but it just so happened that this story centers around being Jewish as the most prevalent part of all the main characters’ identities (queerness aside), and then in the car accident, Jacob is worried for his brother, and smells a cigarette burning something in the car, and then there is a revolting line; of how Jacob is all too familiar with how it would smell if it were flesh burning and not something else…. The unwelcome and unnecessary imagery of why Jacob, a post-Millenium queer Jew, would be familiarized with the smell of burning flesh, and the seeming association with burning Jews…. It contributed nothing else to the story, and completely put me out of the experience of emotional connection to the car accident and imminent danger of the situation, and then he never explains further about why he would know the smell of the cigarette was burning his brother…. It ruined the moment and the scene by making it associate seemingly to the holocaust, for no reason I can imagine. It felt wrong, and inappropriate on so many levels and brought my intended 2 star rating down to a single star.
Casual anti-semitism breezed over and not addressed? No thanks. I found another review for Maxfield’s “All Stirred Up” that says she includes another random reference in that book to Auschwitz in a very inappropriately joking matter, and again breezes past it like it meant nothing. I’m officially turned off by the author and am at least glad I never spent actual money directly to her. I discourage anyone else from supporting an author who clearly has glossed over discriminatory feelings she can’t help but slide into her stories.
Content Warnings
Minor: Antisemitism
There is just a casual comment made by a character who we’re made to understand is Jewish, and it is a main part of his identity. He casually tells the reader he would be familiar with the smell of burning flesh and is glad his brother isn’t on fire during a key scene of importance to the story. Like out of nowhere, and bringing no value to the story the author conjurs the imagery of Jews burning (holocaust reference, but why) and then moves on giving no explanation. That entire line brought no meaning to the story and only served to pull me out of the emotional context and ruin the already poor extension of a series. I will never read another book by this author.