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kaylareadsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
This book was beautiful. The representation of Jews of all colors and sexuality was stunning. It had important conversations about the history of Israel. I loved watching Tally and her brother, Max connect with Israel and their family that lives there. I could really visualize everywhere that they were going and was able to truly experience their trip around Israel with them. There was anxiety representation and grief. When I went to Israel for my gap year, I experienced grieving a loved one and I was able to really connect to Tally and Max on that.
mel_muses's review against another edition
4.0
The amount of antisemites giving one star reviews without reading this book and making (incorrect) assumptions about what the book is about is just?? Astounding. If you're one of the assholes who gave it one star without picking it up, before publication date, please know your actions are wrong and antisemitic. Stop silencing Jewish voices.
Anyways. The review:
I enjoyed Once More with Chutzpah! I thought it was pretty well-done, though I felt it almost painfully too real.
I went on a similar trip last summer, so it was pretty cool getting to live through everything once more, but through someone else. I will say, I did not have a similar experience, even if the destinations were the same (long story short: I got very sick and the environment of the youth group I was going with was not supportive).
I felt the depictions of grief were very interesting, and I liked seeing how it was expressed differently in different people. Seeing Tally's grief develop definitely hit me hard. It felt authentic, even if at times it was frustrating to see Tally's thought process.
One thing I want to pick apart was the pacing. It was a quick read, which I usually enjoy, but in this case, it almost felt like some important developments were left out. I wish I had seen more relationship growth — between Tally and her brother, as well as between the other people on the trip. A lot of it was done off the page (at least I assume so), but I wanted to read more of its development!
Also, please do not read the audiobook! I read this via audio and the narrator pronounced almost every single Yiddish and Hebrew word so, so wrong. It took me out of the story multiple times.
I appreciated the, albeit brief, discussions that were had in this book. Briefly mentioned and considered were Jewish children of interfaith marriages and how that impacts their place in the Jewish community, as well as acknowledgement of some problems in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Those topics were not what the story was about, and while they definitely could have been discussed more, since they were not the focus of the story, I felt an acknowledgement was perfectly okay in this case.
I loved this book's demisexual representation. It wasn't very similar to my personal experiences as an aspec person, but I really appreciated it for what it was. Hopefully it speaks to someone else who picks up this book, and knows it's okay to experience attraction in a different way.
Overall, a quick read, and one I would recommend. Support Jewish OwnVoices authors and reviewers!!
Content Warnings: anxiety, mentions of death, depictions of grief, discussion of the Holocaust, discussion of antisemitism and other prejudice, panic attack, brief mentions of homophobia.
Anyways. The review:
I enjoyed Once More with Chutzpah! I thought it was pretty well-done, though I felt it almost painfully too real.
I went on a similar trip last summer, so it was pretty cool getting to live through everything once more, but through someone else. I will say, I did not have a similar experience, even if the destinations were the same (long story short: I got very sick and the environment of the youth group I was going with was not supportive).
I felt the depictions of grief were very interesting, and I liked seeing how it was expressed differently in different people. Seeing Tally's grief develop definitely hit me hard. It felt authentic, even if at times it was frustrating to see Tally's thought process.
One thing I want to pick apart was the pacing. It was a quick read, which I usually enjoy, but in this case, it almost felt like some important developments were left out. I wish I had seen more relationship growth — between Tally and her brother, as well as between the other people on the trip. A lot of it was done off the page (at least I assume so), but I wanted to read more of its development!
Also, please do not read the audiobook! I read this via audio and the narrator pronounced almost every single Yiddish and Hebrew word so, so wrong. It took me out of the story multiple times.
I appreciated the, albeit brief, discussions that were had in this book. Briefly mentioned and considered were Jewish children of interfaith marriages and how that impacts their place in the Jewish community, as well as acknowledgement of some problems in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Those topics were not what the story was about, and while they definitely could have been discussed more, since they were not the focus of the story, I felt an acknowledgement was perfectly okay in this case.
I loved this book's demisexual representation. It wasn't very similar to my personal experiences as an aspec person, but I really appreciated it for what it was. Hopefully it speaks to someone else who picks up this book, and knows it's okay to experience attraction in a different way.
Overall, a quick read, and one I would recommend. Support Jewish OwnVoices authors and reviewers!!
Content Warnings: anxiety, mentions of death, depictions of grief, discussion of the Holocaust, discussion of antisemitism and other prejudice, panic attack, brief mentions of homophobia.
jessicasilfenroy's review against another edition
4.0
I love how this book took me back to one of my favorite places in the world. The descriptions of all the foods, sights and activities matched up with my own personal memories of Israel, and the author's illustration of the group tour experience could not be more accurate, from the Israeli soldiers to the bus rides and the bonding activities. Most importantly, I think the author did a great job discussing what it means to be Jewish, the struggles teenagers may have with their Jewish identity and how there is no one way to be Jewish. The main characters come from an interfaith family, and while they grew up culturally Jewish, they meet people on their trip who've had many different experiences from their own. I do wish the author included more detailed descriptions of the historical landmarks and background information, especially for readers who have not had the same experiences I've had.
Overall, I highly recommend this book for young adults (9th grade plus) who are interested in exploring and learning about the Jewish religion and their identity.
Read if you like:
-Learning about Israel
-Birthright/ teen tour trips
-Contemporary American-Jewish stories
-Brother-sister relationships
-Awkward teenage moments
-Musical theater
-Mental health/ LGBQT+ rep
-YA books
Overall, I highly recommend this book for young adults (9th grade plus) who are interested in exploring and learning about the Jewish religion and their identity.
Read if you like:
-Learning about Israel
-Birthright/ teen tour trips
-Contemporary American-Jewish stories
-Brother-sister relationships
-Awkward teenage moments
-Musical theater
-Mental health/ LGBQT+ rep
-YA books
mindfullibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
Wow! After scrolling the reviews here, it seems like I'm one of the few reviewers who actually READ this book ~ what a novelty!
Anyway, I absolutely loved this YA story of teen twins on a trip to Israel to explore their family's history and their religion. So many themes are included ~ grief, religion, anxiety, sexuality, family ~ that make this such a powerful story. I love how the author includes history of the region and a lot of mentions about just how complex the turmoil is between Israel and Palestine, and this is NOT a Birthright trip. I am not Jewish and I have not been to Israel, so I really appreciated such a thoughtful and nuanced look at a religion and topic that aren't featured enough in the YA space. I listened to this book immediately after reading Neil's new book [b:Planning Perfect|60784796|Planning Perfect|Haley Neil|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1659301790l/60784796._SY75_.jpg|95849543] and loved it just as much or more. The audio narration is excellent.
Check out Aurora's review here for a more thorough take on why this book is NOT what the trolls say it is.
Source: Scribd audio
Anyway, I absolutely loved this YA story of teen twins on a trip to Israel to explore their family's history and their religion. So many themes are included ~ grief, religion, anxiety, sexuality, family ~ that make this such a powerful story. I love how the author includes history of the region and a lot of mentions about just how complex the turmoil is between Israel and Palestine, and this is NOT a Birthright trip. I am not Jewish and I have not been to Israel, so I really appreciated such a thoughtful and nuanced look at a religion and topic that aren't featured enough in the YA space. I listened to this book immediately after reading Neil's new book [b:Planning Perfect|60784796|Planning Perfect|Haley Neil|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1659301790l/60784796._SY75_.jpg|95849543] and loved it just as much or more. The audio narration is excellent.
Check out Aurora's review here for a more thorough take on why this book is NOT what the trolls say it is.
Source: Scribd audio
lgiunta's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
2.5
samschub214's review against another edition
emotional
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
2.0
starry1086's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
amybrooklyn's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? Yes
3.75
nanikeeva's review against another edition
2.0
cute, and the story is quite nice - the plot twist about the best friend is neat although tough, and the realistic portrayal of anxiety/panic etc and grief are refreshing. this is a bit of a selfish 2 stars in that it just wasn't up my personal alley/felt a bit childish at times.
dvybb's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0