shoohoob's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-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
4.0
This book is so wordy and introspective…. very Jewish if you ask me
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Death, Death of parent, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Child abuse, and Cursing
antimony's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
some books start out with every piece of the plot flung very far away but it all comes together and ties up nicely and some books start of very small and the plot just spirals outwards until it encompasses so much more than what it began with and the second one is what this book felt like to me. sometimes I felt like ohh my god there is so much going on. but otherwise it was really good!! i loved the characters a lot (especially rose and uriel....and speaking of uriel....ive never seen a book where a character uses it/its & that was quite nice). some parts were a bit slow but overall this was really really good!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Antisemitism, and Death
puttingwingsonwords's review
hopeful
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
I love this book so much I can’t talk about it because my thoughts inevitably devolve into unintelligible noise. From the first page (figuratively, because I read the audiobook) it was like the story vibrated at the same frequency as my brain.
It’s a fundamentally queer, neurodivergent and Jewish story with love, kindness and humour at its core. I want to read it a thousand more times!
It’s a fundamentally queer, neurodivergent and Jewish story with love, kindness and humour at its core. I want to read it a thousand more times!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism and Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Sexism, Death, and Violence
Minor: Transphobia, Deportation, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Homophobia, and Murder
bandysbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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? No
5.0
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Racism, Blood, Confinement, Bullying, Death, Deportation, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief
sarahav47's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Antisemitism
Minor: Homophobia and Transphobia
shadowspinner's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Blood, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Antisemitism
purplatypus's review
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Antisemitism, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Pregnancy, Medical content, and Deportation
tamara_joy's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Deportation, Gun violence, Antisemitism, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Religious bigotry, Trafficking, Death, Pregnancy, and Death of parent
tigger89's review against another edition
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism and Racism
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Death of parent, Blood, and Death
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
moonytoast's review against another edition
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.
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."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Grief, Murder, Religious bigotry, and Antisemitism