Reviews with content warning for Injury/Injury detail - When the Angels Left the Old Country

Do you ever pick up a book that you know nothing about completely based on the cover? That's exactly how I wound up reading When The Angels Left The Old Country. I was scanning Netgalley and the cover just really called to me. I'm so glad I requested this book because this was such a unique and interesting book.

Angels follows an angel and a demon as they try to protect a member of their shtetl who immigrates to the United States. It sounds bizarre and in some ways it is, but oh my goodness did I enjoy this book. The characters were unique, the plot was engaging, and it was a good balance of mystery, humor, and suspense.

First of all, both the angel and the demon were such interesting characters. I loved their unexplainable bond and the humor they share throughout the story. I was invested in who they were and what their purpose was. I also found the human characters well thought out and realistic.

The immigration process through Ellis Island was both unique for the Angel and Demon, but oddly realistic too. We see people arbitrarily trapped for being a single woman, for potential illness, or just because a guard didn't like them. It echoes a lot of the stories I learned about when I visited the Ellis Island museum.

I also really enjoyed the Jewish cultural elements in this story. I felt like I learned a handful of things and it made the story feel so rich and real.

All in all, this was a wonderfully interesting story with memorable characters. I would recommend it if you want a unique adventure of immigration from one continent to another or if you enjoy contemporary fiction with a splash of humor. I will definitely read future books by Sacha Lamb in the future.

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razzberry_pi's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Excellent story weaving themes of queer love and identity with a story of immigration and strike making/breaking in New York

Sprinkled with many references to jewish culture, folklore and experiences in both the "old country" as well as the lower east side

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kathryn51's review against another edition

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fast-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

4.75

This was such a nice book-- the wholesome parts were very wholesome, and the action parts were fast-paced and attention-grabbing. Overall, I really really liked this book.

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purplatypus's review

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adventurous funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

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tigger89's review against another edition

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adventurous reflective 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? No

5.0

This book was delightfully queer, from start to finish. Rose is depicted as sapphic, with a love story of her own unfolding by the final pages. While the relationship between Ash and Uriel isn't explicitly defined, it's never in doubt that they share an intimate love for one another. Uriel also uses "it" pronouns throughout, rejecting the very concept of gender. Despite the historic setting, there's no homophobia included just for the sake of realism.

As you might be able to guess from the sprinkling of vocabulary above, this book is also very Jewish. That was one of the reasons I picked it up, as I have some ancestry from Eastern Europe who immigrated through Ellis Island. With the aid of the extensive glossary in the back of the book, I had no problem following all of the terms and references sprinkled throughout the text. However, be warned: unlike homophobia, this story doesn't shy away from depicting period-appropriate antisemitism.

This book's greatest strength was absolutely the character interactions between Ash and Uriel. Not only do they grow individually — in Ash's case, coming into power despite his lack of magical ability, and in Uriel's case, determining what its newfound identity means to it — but the relationship between them is also developed. The frequently-cited comparison to Good Omens is apt, here. While this story lacks the apocalypse humor and madcap antics of Gaiman's and Pratchett's work, what they share is a focus on a pair of unlikely allies who mean the world to each other. Yes, even when they occasionally make each other very upset.

What I didn't like was that Rose felt more like a sidekick character, even though she got her own viewpoint chapters and everything. Until the very end, she was kind of just along for the ride, occasionally providing an insight or assist but leaving all the heavy lifting to Ash and Uriel. While I was ultimately happy with how her story turned out, I feel like she spent most of the book just waiting to be amazing. She could have done more.

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moonytoast's review against another edition

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adventurous slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

Thank you to Netgalley and Levine Querido for providing me with a digital ARC of this book!

When the Angels Left the Old Country is even more proof that historical fantasies written by marginalized authors who center the lived historical experiences of people with the same marginalizations are just objectively better!

Jewish Good Omens is an apt comparison for this story about an angel and a demon working together to traverse the Atlantic Ocean in search for a young girl that had left their little shtetl for the New World. I think fans of Neil Gaiman's other works, particularly Neverwhere and Stardust, will enjoy the writing style and tone of this book. It's got a whimsical vibe at many points, but knows precisely when to dial up the tension and intrigue. I think this is clear in Little Ash's confrontation with the gentile demon on Ellis Island and the last ten or so chapters of the book as everything comes to a crescendo.

This may not be for readers who enjoy more fast-paced fantasy stories, but hot take: I think sometimes a slow build is essential for a good story, because you need the chance to grow attached to the characters and see their change before you can genuinely care about whether they achieve their goals by the end of the book. I think this book is a perfect example of that. Seeing Uriel and Little Ash's relationship dynamic shift as they embark on their journey to find Essie is such an integral and standout aspect of When the Angels Left the Old Country, the entire narrative would not be remotely as engaging without it.

He loved his chevrusa with all of his heart: he'd known it by a hundred names, and he'd loved it always. He could not ask it to give up a name it liked having, not even to keep it safe. "All right," he said. He laced their fingers together and lifted its hand to his lips. kissing its bruised knuckles. "All right. You can be Uriel forever, and save a hundred rebbes. Be an angel or a demon or anything you like. Just don't leave me."

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betweentheshelves's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful 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? Yes

4.5

This is different than a lot of YA that's out there, which is both a good and bad thing. It has a bit of a slow start, which means it might take more for its audience to latch onto the story. But let me tell you. Once it gets going, it's such a great, interesting, emotional, engaging story.

The comp title for this is Good Omens, which is a pretty good comparison in overall feel. An angel and a demon partnering together to sort of solve a mystery. However, this book is heavily based in Jewish culture and mythology, which gives it another edge.

The queerness in this book is pretty subtle, which I actually don't mind. It feels authentic and I'm glad they didn't really make a big deal of it in the story. I loved Uriel and Ash's evolving relationship, it was probably my favorite thing about the book overall.

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beforeviolets's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Thank you so much to Levine Querido for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I heard “Jewish historical fantasy about a disabled demon and a genderless angel” and had high hopes this book would give me Jewish Good Omens vibes. And it absolutely delivered. At times, its charm felt manufactured (due to perhaps an attempt to mimic the voice of Good Omens), but was charming nonetheless, and eventually found its way into a shape of its own and wormed its way into my heart. It was cozy, it was whimsical, it was adventurous, and it was unapologetically queer and Jewish. How could you not fall in love?

CW/TW: death, grief, gun violence, violence, blood, injury, fire, antisemitism, confinement

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