Reviews
It's a Whole Spiel: Love, Latkes, and Other Jewish Stories by Katherine Locke, Laura Silverman
perusinghannah's review
4.0
(7.6/10) - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
It's not often that I read an anthology that scrapes together more than three stars, because there's always stories I dislike, but somehow It's a Whole Spiel managed four!
This collection of stories by and for members of the Jewish community did a great job of illustrating what it's like to grow up more Jew-ish than *JEWISH*, and while I could've done with a little more diversity in ethnicities than what we got, I want to praise it for that.
I think there's still a lot of misconceptions about what it means to be Jewish, and I would have loved to have this collection as a teen (if only to pass it around and save myself some repetitive conversations).
Of course, this anthology too had stories I really didn't care for (most notably Good Shabbos and Find the River), but it mostly had stories that I absolutely loved. I think my favorite in here was Neilah, which (for reasons I still don't fully comprehend) hit me really hard and had me crying.
If you want to read a few ownvoice slice-of-life stories about being a Jewish teen (*and* being part of the LGBTQIA+ community, having mental illness, finding your political voice, etc.), I'd highly recommend this one! It introduced me to a lot of new authors that I now desperately want to read more from, and I'm excited to explore their works.
It's not often that I read an anthology that scrapes together more than three stars, because there's always stories I dislike, but somehow It's a Whole Spiel managed four!
This collection of stories by and for members of the Jewish community did a great job of illustrating what it's like to grow up more Jew-ish than *JEWISH*, and while I could've done with a little more diversity in ethnicities than what we got, I want to praise it for that.
I think there's still a lot of misconceptions about what it means to be Jewish, and I would have loved to have this collection as a teen (if only to pass it around and save myself some repetitive conversations).
Of course, this anthology too had stories I really didn't care for (most notably Good Shabbos and Find the River), but it mostly had stories that I absolutely loved. I think my favorite in here was Neilah, which (for reasons I still don't fully comprehend) hit me really hard and had me crying.
If you want to read a few ownvoice slice-of-life stories about being a Jewish teen (*and* being part of the LGBTQIA+ community, having mental illness, finding your political voice, etc.), I'd highly recommend this one! It introduced me to a lot of new authors that I now desperately want to read more from, and I'm excited to explore their works.
jordb1213's review
3.0
I have *literally* never been more disappointed by anything.
I want the good Jewish Rep SO BADLY. SO BADLY Y'ALL.
But like a lot of these anthologies, the stories are very very hit or miss and this collection is very repetitive.
I am so sad.
I wanted to love this. There were some great stories, there were also just a lot of less great ones too
I want the good Jewish Rep SO BADLY. SO BADLY Y'ALL.
But like a lot of these anthologies, the stories are very very hit or miss and this collection is very repetitive.
I am so sad.
I wanted to love this. There were some great stories, there were also just a lot of less great ones too
ilikecows321's review against another edition
funny
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.5
alay13's review against another edition
1.0
Rough. I generally like short stories, but most of these make no sense or beg for some serious editing. I kept hating practically every single one, and that’s despite really wanting to like them all.
amandalorianxo's review
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I think my expectations were a little high for this one (roughly 14/15 authors for this anthology and you only one one non American? That didn’t sit right with me)
I am not Jewish so I can’t speak to the validity / authenticity of these characters but I did learn a lot and I think if you are or know someone who is Jewish, this could benefit them in the sense that there are stories for them too.
I am not Jewish so I can’t speak to the validity / authenticity of these characters but I did learn a lot and I think if you are or know someone who is Jewish, this could benefit them in the sense that there are stories for them too.
smallredboy's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
zoepagereader's review
3.0
This is the fourth book in a row I’ve read that kinda sucks. I was not expecting this to be a romance short story collection and I find it hard to care about the love lives of characters in that short amount of time. There were a couple I liked, and I hope the next book I read will be better.