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bookish_brenna's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
starrylemon's review
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
3.75
What I find hilarious about middle-grade books is that I had to put the book down re the secret mikvah exploration but was able to sit through the very real emotional stuff without blinking an eye.
oonawoodbury's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
5.0
This is a really sweet book that deals a lot with childhood friendship and trauma. I love the representation of Aviva’s life in an orthodox Jewish community
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
theseventhl's review
5.0
Read this in two days because I couldn’t put it down. Absolutely wonderfully written story centered in an Orthodox Jewish community that deals with trauma, loss, grief, and relationships in a very thoughtful way that is still accessible to its young target demographic. I truly hope Mari Lowe writes another book, I’m excited to see what else she comes up with after this one.
bickie's review
4.0
Beautiful and raw exploration of PTSD and deep grief after a horrible incident.
Spoiler
steeped in antisemitismsara_hudson's review
4.0
So happy to see some representation of modern, observant Jews in children's literature. There is a lot to digest in this story, and I'm not sure if it all hangs together quite right. Dark and sad. Not quite my type of story.
that_person_logan's review
4.5
I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was a wonderful look into an orthodox community and how grief affects people. I wish there was more explanation or exploration of Avivah’s trauma and how it manifested as the dybbuk. I had questions about how she didn’t realize she had been doing these things. I will definitely be rereading this, I would love to engage with the text on a deeper level.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Grief, and Antisemitism
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, and Death
ghutter05's review
4.0
Really good book about processing grief that still has some plot and tension. Maybe a few plot holes but it's a fast read that hangs together in spite of them. Enjoyed being introduced to the community.