A review by julianship
When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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

5.0

Hooting! And! Hollering! I feel like half of my reviews lately have been "I liked parts of this book, but I wish X were different." I'm glad to report I'm not entirely the pickiest person in the world and can in fact enjoy things without turning my brain off. Case in point: I loved every minute of this book; it is an absolute delight. Uriel and Ash are wonderful characters, and the way they bounce off of each other and the rest of the cast is just so fun to read. Rose, baby lesbian of my heart, is also such a fun POV character that I didn't mind when we left Uriel and Ash to catch up with her. The book is deeply queer (Uriel and Ash's relationship defies categorization as much as Uriel's gender does) and also deeply Jewish, a real love letter to radical Jewish communities around the turn of the century. And it's just so sweet, with a dry wit to it. I really hope more people read it! Recommended for fans of Terry Pratchett and The Golem and the Jinni, but also everyone should read this please!!!

(Also, I'm not really sure why this got billed as YA - I think teens can and will enjoy it, but it also doesn't Feel particularly YA to me, and I hope that categorizing choice doesn't pigeonhole it.)
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