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stacyroth's review
emotional
hopeful
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
3.5
Twins Tally and Max are headed off on an exchange trip to Israel during winter break during their senior year. Tally hopes it will help distract Max from the recent car crash that injured him and killed the drunk driver and get him back on track for their college plans. Over the course of the trip, though, Tally finds she can’t coerce Max into acting the way she thinks he should, and she has problems of her own to deal with. Tally must confront her anxiety, her sexual identity, and her place within the Jewish community.
I think a lot of people will be able to relate to Tally and her attempts to act like everything is fine, burying her problems under the surface; I know I did! This #OwnVoices book gives Jewish teenagers a chance to see themselves reflected in fiction. It was a cute story but may be better geared toward the actual YA age range than adults who read YA. I enjoyed watching Tally grow closer to the other people on the trip.
Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audio ARC of this book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Antisemitism, and Grief
Minor: Homophobia