Reviews tagging 'War'

The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer

7 reviews

btwnprintedpgs's review against another edition

hopeful lighthearted 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism

Moderate: Bullying

Minor: Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and War

annahamburger's review against another edition

inspiring lighthearted 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Abandonment, Cancer, Death of parent, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Antisemitism, Grief, Genocide, Body shaming, Alcohol, Ableism, Bullying, and Emotional abuse

Minor: War, Pregnancy, Xenophobia, and Infertility

kdailyreads's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Chronic illness, Grief, Death of parent, Bullying, and Ableism

Minor: War and Islamophobia

mcomp's review against another edition

fast-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness

Moderate: Antisemitism

Minor: War

blueiris315's review against another edition

tense

-Genocide is not funny
-tedious writing 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Emotional abuse, Chronic illness, Homophobia, and War

unsuccessfulbookclub's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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

3.0

I’m late to the party for this book, pun intended. 

You know that one couple in your friend group that gets in fights every time you go out together? The couple that is always breaking up just to make up? That couple that pretends to hate each other all the time? Rachel and Jacob are that couple.

It was cute, and I actually *loved* the characters, but I am not an enemies-to-lovers fan and this book is the embodiment of that trope. The main characters fight for 80% of the book to finally kiss and then fight again until the very, very end. 😩 There is also conflict driven by lies of omission which drives me absolutely bananas as a reader.

This is Meltzer’s debut novel so I am being a little lenient but I found the writing a repetitive and telling instead of showing at times. There were more than a few paragraphs that could have been eliminated without losing any details. There is also one joke in poor taste regarding the IDF, so if you visit Goodreads for reviews you will see chatter about it. The book could have done without it, but here we are. 

👌🏻All that said, if you like enemies to lovers and you’re looking for a closed-door, lighthearted holiday romance that *isn’t* about Christmas, this is a solid choice. I enjoyed the window into Jewish culture, and the chronic illness representation seemed sensitive and realistic (the author has a chronic illness herself).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Chronic illness, and Death of parent

Moderate: Antisemitism and War

stevie's review against another edition

lighthearted medium-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Ableism, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death of parent, and Grief

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and War