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A review by elizabethh724
Shmutz by Felicia Berliner
3.0
I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. It was several weeks or months after my request that I was approved, 1 of the reasons the review is so close to pub date. The cover of the book drew me in, but this is not a cute fluffy book.
My Jewish background helped me understand both some of the Yiddish words and the tradition and culture, but Schmutz is about a Chasedic girl named Raizl. Think ultra Orthodox and very old fashioned clothing and gender roles. Raizl has a head for numbers and has been given permission to study accounting at college, at least until the matchmaker finds her a husband, because she is 18 1/2 years old. Because Raizl was given a laptop with her full ride to fictional Cohen College, she discovers the internet and porn. She has started therapy because of this secret addiction that is causing her to fear a match for arranged marriage. The more interesting aspect of the book to me was her interactions at secular college with the friends she's made, who accept her because they are "goth", although the friendship with Sam felt transactional in nature. We learn a lot about Raizl's porn videos, more than I really needed described. The thing she probably didn't discern is the human trafficking that goes on and in pornography, you don't know if there's consent or crime taking place with younger looking "actors". I wish this had been addressed in some way. There's also very uncomfortable scene with her therapist, in which the patient was being inappropriate.
There's also an uncomfortable scene where a Black student states that Jews are racists, or Anti Black. Not because there isn't truth, but our Raizl is very naive in the world despite her secret porn addiction. Nor would it be untrue to say it goes both ways at times, when there's ignorance and lack of understanding. The Chasedic community doesn't even consider "regular" Jews to really be Jews, we are goyim to them. And yet Raizl experiments with eating bacon, wearing jeans and somewhat sheer v neck sweater. She contemplates leaving her family but gets scared off and goes back, then accepts a match and gets engaged to a man who seems the best she can do, although he lays down the law, no computer in the home. So she gets to work to support his rabbinical studies but only for that reason.
She does do something to tie her to the modern world secretly which was a nice touch. The writer does do her best to sell the idea of a romantic arranged marriage wedding but....no, sorry.
3/5☆ TW for graphic explanations of porn, including S&M, a scene that's a touch problematic w consent.
My Jewish background helped me understand both some of the Yiddish words and the tradition and culture, but Schmutz is about a Chasedic girl named Raizl. Think ultra Orthodox and very old fashioned clothing and gender roles. Raizl has a head for numbers and has been given permission to study accounting at college, at least until the matchmaker finds her a husband, because she is 18 1/2 years old. Because Raizl was given a laptop with her full ride to fictional Cohen College, she discovers the internet and porn. She has started therapy because of this secret addiction that is causing her to fear a match for arranged marriage. The more interesting aspect of the book to me was her interactions at secular college with the friends she's made, who accept her because they are "goth", although the friendship with Sam felt transactional in nature. We learn a lot about Raizl's porn videos, more than I really needed described. The thing she probably didn't discern is the human trafficking that goes on and in pornography, you don't know if there's consent or crime taking place with younger looking "actors". I wish this had been addressed in some way. There's also very uncomfortable scene with her therapist, in which the patient was being inappropriate.
There's also an uncomfortable scene where a Black student states that Jews are racists, or Anti Black. Not because there isn't truth, but our Raizl is very naive in the world despite her secret porn addiction. Nor would it be untrue to say it goes both ways at times, when there's ignorance and lack of understanding. The Chasedic community doesn't even consider "regular" Jews to really be Jews, we are goyim to them. And yet Raizl experiments with eating bacon, wearing jeans and somewhat sheer v neck sweater. She contemplates leaving her family but gets scared off and goes back, then accepts a match and gets engaged to a man who seems the best she can do, although he lays down the law, no computer in the home. So she gets to work to support his rabbinical studies but only for that reason.
She does do something to tie her to the modern world secretly which was a nice touch. The writer does do her best to sell the idea of a romantic arranged marriage wedding but....no, sorry.
3/5☆ TW for graphic explanations of porn, including S&M, a scene that's a touch problematic w consent.