Rebecca Reznik Reboots the Universe

by Samara Shanker

Rebecca copes with family turmoil, a home invaded by demons, and what it means to grow up in this gripping sequel to Naomi Teitelbaum Ends the World that’s perfect for fans of Aru Shah and Charlie Hernández.

Rebecca Reznik is having a rough time. Her dad lost his job, and her parents are fighting all the time. Her obnoxious brother, Jake, is acting out even more than usual. And post–Bat Mitzvah Becca is expected to be grown up and spiritually mature—whatever that means—but in the wake of these upsets to her routine, she just feels frustrated and helpless. Even worse, she’s starting to suspect that the awful vibes surrounding her house might be about more than family drama.

When Becca discovers a (not) Hanukkah goblin that’s turned her bedroom upside down, literally, she and her best friends Naomi and Eitan once again find themselves facing down demons from Jewish lore.

Armed with the lessons learned from her last tussle with mythological figures and the loyalty of her friends, Becca will do whatever it takes to defend her fractured family and save Hanukkah.

Genres: Middle Grade, Jewish, Fantasy

256 pages, Paperback

First published September 5, 2023

Reviews

[Clara · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars for healing my inner child.

CW: mentioned animal abuse (off-page, no details given), injuries, bullying

[Daryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good sequel that expands on the character of Becca particularly well. I loved the way her autism was written, it was really clear Becca is autistic and has autistic tendencies but none of her friends fault her for it. I also liked the Jewish myth in the story and thought the foes in this book were fun, and definitely more menacing than in book 1 which I did appreciate. I do wish, though the dybbuk in Becca’s house was more fleshed out. A huge part of this book is Becca realizing that while Jake is a pain—he’s not evil. I think a slow burn into realizing he’s possessed/acting really strange by showing Becca and Jake interacting more/bringing up more flashback would’ve really made that reveal hit more. I wish the emphasis on Becca and Jake’s relationship was more spread out versus in the second half when the possession plot happens. And I do wish there was more build up to Ashmedai—it felt like such a last minute twist and rather anticlimactic. It felt like THE KING OF DEMONS should’ve been book 3 and this book should’ve just focused entirely on the dybbuk in Jake and flesh out that storyline more. I did think the theme of not growing up too fast was nice, but this felt more like the theme of growing up in a tumultuous home/growing up with siblings. I don’t know, the themes didn’t feel fully fleshed out and I thought both the dybbuk and Ashmedai feeling a bit incomplete/crammed in the second half contributed to that.

This all being said, I enjoyed Becca’s PoV way more than Naomi’s, and she was a really strong narrator for this story and I enjoyed the increased stakes of this book.

[Yapha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic sequel to Naomi Teitelbaum Ends the World, taking place one year after and focusing on Becca. (You need to read that first to fully appreciate this one.) Becca's skin is crawling again, and it takes a little while for her to realize that it is because of the proximity of magic and not just the general discomfort of the tension in her house due to her father losing his job right before Hanukkah. To make matters worse, her brother Jake is being the opposite of helpful and deliberately antagonizing their younger siblings. When Becca catches something magical in her room, she turns to Naomi and Eitan to figure out what it is and how to get rid of it. There is an amazing homage to Herschel and the Hanukkah Goblins throughout, as well as more great stories from Jewish mythology. Will there be a third book featuring Eitan? I certainly hope so! Highly recommended for grades 4 & up.

eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss

[Griffin Wold · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rebecca Reznik Reboots the Universe follows Becca, Naomi, and Eitan nearly a year after their adventures with the golem as Becca starts noticing strange happenings around her house. The trio encounters magic again, this time to ward off Jewish demons.

I loved the amount of character development in this book, as the main characters wrestle with being considered "adults" in the Jewish community's eyes and with what it means to be "spiritually mature." Becca feels like she is always behind her friends and is always slower to catch on, and throughout the book, comes to realize that the idea of being "spiritually mature" doesn't necessarily mean one thing, but more growing into who you are and recognizing your own strengths and weaknesses.

I loved the continued representation of Naomi's mothers and with Becca being neurodivergent. I also really liked how it showed how much family dynamics can impact the children and how hard it is on them and their mental health to have to adapt.

This is such a good read, and I highly recommend it to everyone, not just middle grade readers. I really hope Samara Shanker continues with the series.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounded up from 3.5 stars, giving it the benefit of the doubt because I didn't read book 1 and that's probably why I feel like I'm sort of missing a few things...

With that said, it is really nice to find Jewish books that aren't about the Holocaust! Plus there are some obscure Jewish demons thrown in for good measure.
Becca is having a hard time. Her house appears to be haunted (did someone mention a toilet demon?). Her obnoxious younger brother is even worse than usual. Her parents are fighting. Her rabbi expects them to be growing into mature spiritual young people, whatever that means... Luckily she has her two best friends to help sort it all out.

CW: animal abuse (mentioned but not described)

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute story and a fast read .Very likable characters. My Granddaughter will love reading this book.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun middle-age novel for those who love to read about demons and dybbuks. It also teaches a lesson about growing up, but the other part is the most fun.