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The Two Wrong Halves of Ruby Taylor
Amanda Panitch's middle-grade novel The Two Wrong Halves of Ruby Taylor is an exploration of mixed families, identity, hundred-year-old curses, and the terrifying challenge of standing up for yourself against your loved ones.
Of her two granddaughters, Grandma Yvette clearly prefers Ruby Taylor's perfect—and perfectly Jewish—cousin, Sarah. They do everything together, including bake cookies and have secret sleep overs that Ruby isn't invited to. Twelve-year-old Ruby suspects Grandma Yvette doesn't think she's Jewish enough. The Jewish religion is matrilineal, which means it's passed down from mother to child, and unlike Sarah, Ruby’s mother isn’t Jewish.
But when Sarah starts acting out--trading in her skirts and cardigans for ripped jeans and stained t-shirts, getting in trouble at school--Ruby can’t help but be somewhat pleased. Then Sarah suddenly takes things too far, and Ruby is convinced Sarah is possessed by a dybbuk, an evil spirit... that Ruby may or may not have accidentally released from Grandma Yvette's basement. Ruby is determined to save her cousin, but a dybbuk can only be expelled by a "pious Jew." If Ruby isn't Jewish enough for her own grandmother, how can she possibly be Jewish enough to fight a dybbuk?
Of her two granddaughters, Grandma Yvette clearly prefers Ruby Taylor's perfect—and perfectly Jewish—cousin, Sarah. They do everything together, including bake cookies and have secret sleep overs that Ruby isn't invited to. Twelve-year-old Ruby suspects Grandma Yvette doesn't think she's Jewish enough. The Jewish religion is matrilineal, which means it's passed down from mother to child, and unlike Sarah, Ruby’s mother isn’t Jewish.
But when Sarah starts acting out--trading in her skirts and cardigans for ripped jeans and stained t-shirts, getting in trouble at school--Ruby can’t help but be somewhat pleased. Then Sarah suddenly takes things too far, and Ruby is convinced Sarah is possessed by a dybbuk, an evil spirit... that Ruby may or may not have accidentally released from Grandma Yvette's basement. Ruby is determined to save her cousin, but a dybbuk can only be expelled by a "pious Jew." If Ruby isn't Jewish enough for her own grandmother, how can she possibly be Jewish enough to fight a dybbuk?
314 pages, Hardcover
First published August 9, 2022
10 people are currently reading
508 people want to read
About the author
Amanda Panitch
6 books204 followersAmanda Panitch spent most of her childhood telling stories to her four younger siblings, trying both to make them laugh and scare them too much to sleep. Now she lives in New York City, where she writes dark, funny stories for teens, kids, and the pigeons that nest on her apartment balcony. You can follow her on Twitter @AmandaPanitch, and visit her online at www.amandapanitch.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
May 13, 2022
The Two Wrong Halves of Ruby Taylor was a delightful story about a young girl struggling to find her place in the world, especially in regards to religion. This is an issue I hear so much about, so I'm incredibly glad there's a story like this available for young people to read and learn from. Something Ruby especially has trouble dealing with is the fact that she's "too Jewish" for the Catholic side of her family, but "too Christian" for the Jewish side of her family.
It was so heartbreaking to watch Ruby try to come to terms with what that meant for her and her faith, but it was also such a strong storyline and was done incredibly well. This can also apply to so many things in regards to identity--not just religion--so the fact that it was addressed so explicitly throughout the story was really powerful. It also means that younger readers who are experiencing this type of divide in their life will be able to feel seen and understood, and maybe come to terms with their struggles.
That's why books like these, especially for this age range, are so needed. I've read some that haven't covered difficult topics as well, but this one certainly did. There was a lot for Ruby to overcome and learn, and she did so in an authentic and potent way.
In addition to identity, family bonds are also a huge part of The Two Wrong Halves of Ruby Taylor, with various types of relationships being explored. First, there's the relationship between Ruby and her Grandma Yvette, who is someone Ruby desperately craves validation and praise from, despite the fact that Grandma Yvette clearly favors her cousin, and is always leaving Ruby out of things because she's "not Jewish enough." Even when Ruby comes to terms with the fact that she doesn't need Grandma Yvette's approval to be proud and accepting of herself, she still struggles with standing up to her, because deep down, she still craves that validation. This is something so many people can relate to, and I thought it was handled so well.
The next type of relationship explored in this book is the strong bonds Ruby shares with her parents, who are both loving and supportive. They truly want the best for Ruby, they always answer her questions when she asks, and any time anyone says something demeaning to her, they stand up for her. It was so lovely to see such a healthy relationship between daughter and parents, since this is something often neglected in MG and YA books. When things became difficult with the Dybbuk situation, Ruby tried to get assistance from her parents, which again is not something often seen. Even though they didn't believe her, I loved the inclusion of that scene.
Along with those two types of relationships, different friendships are also investigated. The one I want to focus on right now though is Ruby's rocky friendship with her cousin, Sarah. These two have done things together for so long, that neither ever stops to question why they're doing everything as they are, which leads to a lot of pent up frustration and hurt feelings. Ruby and Sarah didn't actually have that much in common, but even despite their arguments and misunderstandings, they still loved and appreciated each other. They just needed to approach their friendship differently, but they didn't know how to since everything had been the same for so long.
Which is where the inclusion of tradition comes into play. Not only with Sarah, but in other contexts as well. This was another excellent topic that was handled well. The book showed how important traditions can be, but also that they can be harmful if not examined from time to time, or never questioned. It was explained in a simple, matter-of-fact manner that would be easy for younger readers to digest, while still exploring the complexities of the issue. Because, as the book states, traditions can be a really good thing. They can bring people together, and they can make people happy. But when one never question *why* a specific tradition is done, it can become harmful, or warped into something unrecognizable over time.
I was just so impressed with how all of the topics were explored. The book is clearly being used to educate young people on certain ideas, however, none of it ever felt forced or unnecessary for the story. Everything flowed well and made sense for Ruby's journey. It was excellent!
The only thing that bothered me about this book was Ruby's characterization in the beginning. She could be really selfish, but it was all part of her growth and story arc. She went through a long journey throughout the book, and she experienced a lot of change, so it makes sense that this is where she started. It was genuine, too. I'm sure I was insufferable at that age as well. So, I do completely understand why it was necessary and where she was coming from, it just got in my nerves from time to time.
Even so, I ended up loving this. Because even though Ruby was incredibly self-centered at the start, her development was done so well. It was never forced and always felt realistic.
The Two Wrong Halves of Ruby Taylor is a wonderful story that can be read in one or two sittings. It's a sweet book, but will also really make you think about things. I'm so glad I got to read this one!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
It was so heartbreaking to watch Ruby try to come to terms with what that meant for her and her faith, but it was also such a strong storyline and was done incredibly well. This can also apply to so many things in regards to identity--not just religion--so the fact that it was addressed so explicitly throughout the story was really powerful. It also means that younger readers who are experiencing this type of divide in their life will be able to feel seen and understood, and maybe come to terms with their struggles.
That's why books like these, especially for this age range, are so needed. I've read some that haven't covered difficult topics as well, but this one certainly did. There was a lot for Ruby to overcome and learn, and she did so in an authentic and potent way.
In addition to identity, family bonds are also a huge part of The Two Wrong Halves of Ruby Taylor, with various types of relationships being explored. First, there's the relationship between Ruby and her Grandma Yvette, who is someone Ruby desperately craves validation and praise from, despite the fact that Grandma Yvette clearly favors her cousin, and is always leaving Ruby out of things because she's "not Jewish enough." Even when Ruby comes to terms with the fact that she doesn't need Grandma Yvette's approval to be proud and accepting of herself, she still struggles with standing up to her, because deep down, she still craves that validation. This is something so many people can relate to, and I thought it was handled so well.
The next type of relationship explored in this book is the strong bonds Ruby shares with her parents, who are both loving and supportive. They truly want the best for Ruby, they always answer her questions when she asks, and any time anyone says something demeaning to her, they stand up for her. It was so lovely to see such a healthy relationship between daughter and parents, since this is something often neglected in MG and YA books. When things became difficult with the Dybbuk situation, Ruby tried to get assistance from her parents, which again is not something often seen. Even though they didn't believe her, I loved the inclusion of that scene.
Along with those two types of relationships, different friendships are also investigated. The one I want to focus on right now though is Ruby's rocky friendship with her cousin, Sarah. These two have done things together for so long, that neither ever stops to question why they're doing everything as they are, which leads to a lot of pent up frustration and hurt feelings. Ruby and Sarah didn't actually have that much in common, but even despite their arguments and misunderstandings, they still loved and appreciated each other. They just needed to approach their friendship differently, but they didn't know how to since everything had been the same for so long.
Which is where the inclusion of tradition comes into play. Not only with Sarah, but in other contexts as well. This was another excellent topic that was handled well. The book showed how important traditions can be, but also that they can be harmful if not examined from time to time, or never questioned. It was explained in a simple, matter-of-fact manner that would be easy for younger readers to digest, while still exploring the complexities of the issue. Because, as the book states, traditions can be a really good thing. They can bring people together, and they can make people happy. But when one never question *why* a specific tradition is done, it can become harmful, or warped into something unrecognizable over time.
I was just so impressed with how all of the topics were explored. The book is clearly being used to educate young people on certain ideas, however, none of it ever felt forced or unnecessary for the story. Everything flowed well and made sense for Ruby's journey. It was excellent!
The only thing that bothered me about this book was Ruby's characterization in the beginning. She could be really selfish, but it was all part of her growth and story arc. She went through a long journey throughout the book, and she experienced a lot of change, so it makes sense that this is where she started. It was genuine, too. I'm sure I was insufferable at that age as well. So, I do completely understand why it was necessary and where she was coming from, it just got in my nerves from time to time.
Even so, I ended up loving this. Because even though Ruby was incredibly self-centered at the start, her development was done so well. It was never forced and always felt realistic.
The Two Wrong Halves of Ruby Taylor is a wonderful story that can be read in one or two sittings. It's a sweet book, but will also really make you think about things. I'm so glad I got to read this one!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
December 2, 2023
I'm shocked how few ratings this book has! It has a lovely message and a really engaging main character, with just a hint of magic!
March 15, 2022
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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book encapsulates something that I think is an experience that should be addressed more in middle-grade books. That in-between state of wanting to maintain tradition, and wanting to break it to be yourself. The concept of a family not loving you the same as the family that's more like them, or not being enough for that family, is also a really specific feeling that I don't think I've ever seen in a book. While not Jewish, I know the feeling of being less than your cousins for a particular grandmother, and how jarring that is growing up. Additionally, as someone who isn't Jewish, this book educated me a lot on it both from a religious and cultural standpoint. There are some traditions I'd never heard of, that were explained in a way that made sense but didn't feel too "tell not show". The emotional pull mixed in with the sense of stress that Ruby is experiencing to try and save Sarah really rounded this book out, and made it quick-paced and enjoyable.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book encapsulates something that I think is an experience that should be addressed more in middle-grade books. That in-between state of wanting to maintain tradition, and wanting to break it to be yourself. The concept of a family not loving you the same as the family that's more like them, or not being enough for that family, is also a really specific feeling that I don't think I've ever seen in a book. While not Jewish, I know the feeling of being less than your cousins for a particular grandmother, and how jarring that is growing up. Additionally, as someone who isn't Jewish, this book educated me a lot on it both from a religious and cultural standpoint. There are some traditions I'd never heard of, that were explained in a way that made sense but didn't feel too "tell not show". The emotional pull mixed in with the sense of stress that Ruby is experiencing to try and save Sarah really rounded this book out, and made it quick-paced and enjoyable.
July 17, 2023
This was great, loved it!
September 2, 2024
This has been reviewed extensively (though mostly by NetGalley ARC recipients, so... yeah..), so I'll just add briefly that this book disappointed on the supernatural front for me (I was really looking forward to some creepiness rooted deeply in Judaic mythology, maybe some kabbalism thrown in, that sort of thing - I haven't read about many dybbuks before!), and it was largely a battling-your-own-dysfunctional-family thing, railing against tradition, trying to carve out a niche for yourself, learning self-acceptance, etc. All good things, I suppose, but there was quite a lot of this, and it came off a bit heavy handed on the moralism side of things.
If you've got a controlling, emotionally immature bubbe who views you as less than worthy because you're only patrilineally Jewish because your dad married a Catholic woman, maybe this is the book for you. Or if you have anti-semites on the other half of your family. Maybe. Either way, generational crap. Not fun reading.
Honestly, if we had scenes from as depicted in flashbacks, first-hand, this would have been a lot stronger.
I liked all the points trying to be made here. I didn't relate well to Ruby, who is weirdly obsessed with dissection of all things, and I hate family drama, so this scores low for me. Wanted more scary stuff, and definitely more of the Jewish cultural content - and not the modern Jewish cultural content (because I feel like it's very easy to find stories that depict Adam Sandler's childhood without a Christmas tree, for example), but the historical and mystical stuff that hardly ever gets written about and yet which seems like such fertile soil...
I also have The Trouble with Good Ideas by this author, which promises golem content. I sure hope it delivers more folklore and goosebumps than this one did.
If you've got a controlling, emotionally immature bubbe who views you as less than worthy because you're only patrilineally Jewish because your dad married a Catholic woman, maybe this is the book for you. Or if you have anti-semites on the other half of your family. Maybe. Either way, generational crap. Not fun reading.
Honestly, if we had scenes from as depicted in flashbacks, first-hand, this would have been a lot stronger.
I liked all the points trying to be made here. I didn't relate well to Ruby, who is weirdly obsessed with dissection of all things, and I hate family drama, so this scores low for me. Wanted more scary stuff, and definitely more of the Jewish cultural content - and not the modern Jewish cultural content (because I feel like it's very easy to find stories that depict Adam Sandler's childhood without a Christmas tree, for example), but the historical and mystical stuff that hardly ever gets written about and yet which seems like such fertile soil...
I also have The Trouble with Good Ideas by this author, which promises golem content. I sure hope it delivers more folklore and goosebumps than this one did.
February 19, 2022
This was a really fun read!
I really enjoyed how the story built throughout the novel. It took time for Ruby to sort out what was going on around her, especially dealing with adult conflicts, and that felt refreshingly realistic.
I did not grow up in a household that was mixed race, religion, or culture, but from what I understand, Ruby's struggles trying to fit in with and please both sides of her family and find her place in the rest of the world were portrayed rather well. I did relate to her struggling to meet adult expectations before she understood the full weight behind those expectations, and trying to be perfect when perfect still wouldn't be good enough. I think many readers can relate to Ruby even if they don't have identical challenges.
I also appreciated that it took multiple positive adult role models cheering on for Ruby to help her learn to love herself the way she is. Her parents and Rabbi Ellen helped counteract the negative pressure from her grandparents. And I really how Ruby's relationships with Aubrey and Sarah changed and grew throughout the novel, reflecting how many if not all of us have to process what friendship means as we transition from the simple friendships of childhood to more complex ones as teenagers.
Conflicts aside, I loved the Jewish representation in this book. I don't know much about Jewish culture or the religion myself, but I love learning about other cultures and religions, so it was really fun learning what being Jewish looks like for Ruby in her day to day life. I also appreciated a look into how the concept of what it means to be a woman in Judaism is changing in the modern day.
The only complaint I have is that the conflicts didn't seem completely resolved by the end of the novel. Ruby and Sarah finally faced their grandma down, but the confrontation felt a little underwhelming after experiencing how much pressure the two of them had been under their whole lives, and the tense situations with both sides of Ruby's family were left unsolved. However, these kinds of family quarrels can go entire lifetimes without being resolved, and Ruby is only twelve and is only beginning to understand how complex family relationships can be, so I understand why the author ended the story where she did.
Overall, a fun read, and I look forward to seeing what else the author has written!
I really enjoyed how the story built throughout the novel. It took time for Ruby to sort out what was going on around her, especially dealing with adult conflicts, and that felt refreshingly realistic.
I did not grow up in a household that was mixed race, religion, or culture, but from what I understand, Ruby's struggles trying to fit in with and please both sides of her family and find her place in the rest of the world were portrayed rather well. I did relate to her struggling to meet adult expectations before she understood the full weight behind those expectations, and trying to be perfect when perfect still wouldn't be good enough. I think many readers can relate to Ruby even if they don't have identical challenges.
I also appreciated that it took multiple positive adult role models cheering on for Ruby to help her learn to love herself the way she is. Her parents and Rabbi Ellen helped counteract the negative pressure from her grandparents. And I really how Ruby's relationships with Aubrey and Sarah changed and grew throughout the novel, reflecting how many if not all of us have to process what friendship means as we transition from the simple friendships of childhood to more complex ones as teenagers.
Conflicts aside, I loved the Jewish representation in this book. I don't know much about Jewish culture or the religion myself, but I love learning about other cultures and religions, so it was really fun learning what being Jewish looks like for Ruby in her day to day life. I also appreciated a look into how the concept of what it means to be a woman in Judaism is changing in the modern day.
The only complaint I have is that the conflicts didn't seem completely resolved by the end of the novel. Ruby and Sarah finally faced their grandma down, but the confrontation felt a little underwhelming after experiencing how much pressure the two of them had been under their whole lives, and the tense situations with both sides of Ruby's family were left unsolved. However, these kinds of family quarrels can go entire lifetimes without being resolved, and Ruby is only twelve and is only beginning to understand how complex family relationships can be, so I understand why the author ended the story where she did.
Overall, a fun read, and I look forward to seeing what else the author has written!
January 19, 2023
I'm sad that this book seems to have gotten buried amidst the (admittedly wonderful) abundance of middle grade fantasy. I just read Laurel Snyder's upcoming "The Witch of Woodland," another middle grade novel that takes place in our world with dybbuks and girls in middle school figuring things out and consulting with cool as heck rabbis, and this novel is in a great conversation with that. They would be super interesting paired together, either in a classroom setting or just as reading for young Jewish kids or anyone into demons and bildungsroman (though I haven't reviewed Witch of Woodland and won't until Harper comes to the bargaining table).
This is such a lovely book about a patrilineal Jewish girl finding her place in the world while she unleashes a dybbuk that possesses her perfect cousin. Isn't that always the case? There was something truly special about this one, and I'm going to come back to it as I work on my own Jewish MG fantasy.
This is such a lovely book about a patrilineal Jewish girl finding her place in the world while she unleashes a dybbuk that possesses her perfect cousin. Isn't that always the case? There was something truly special about this one, and I'm going to come back to it as I work on my own Jewish MG fantasy.
December 27, 2023
Such a great story, and one that I can tell will mean everything to the right reader. I think my own reading of this suffered a little because of how recently I read The Trouble with Good Ideas by the same author - the two books cover some similar themes and dynamics, and I loved the first enough that my expectations were raised for this one in a way they hadn't been before. Really, though, that means that if you liked one, you'll like the other. I sympathized with Ruby and Sarah (and also the dybbuk??) so much.
CW: antisemitism, emotionally abusive family members, sexism, discussion of racism
CW: antisemitism, emotionally abusive family members, sexism, discussion of racism
May 17, 2023
I discovered this while creating our Jewish American Heritage Month display. What I really liked the most was that it is essentially about how there is no right way to be Jewish. I also liked that the book also portrayed BIPOC Jews since we still don't see enough of that in fiction. Lastly, I liked the theme surrounding the dybbuk plot, however, I feel that there are so many dybbuk plots when it comes to Jewish stories that it would be nice to have a supernatural book that is about something else.
November 23, 2024
So cute!
November 11, 2022
E ARC provided by Netgalley
Ruby and her cousin Sarah were close when they were younger, but as they enter middle school, Ruby is increasingly irritated by how "perfect" her cousin is, and also by the fact that their grandmother Yvette clearly prefers Sarah. She thinks it is because her mother is Catholic, and since Judaism is a matrilineal religion, Ruby isn't "as Jewish" as her cousin. Or, it could be because Ruby doesn't always think things through, which often results in incidents like all of the matzah balls for a catering job falling on the basement floor. When cleaning up from the incident, Ruby finds an old chest, but her grandmother tells her to never open it, because a dybbuk who was brought from the old country lives in it. Even though Ruby doesn't open it, she manages to get into a scuffle with Sarah, who trips over the chest and opens it. Dybbuks can't be real, so the two go about their lives without telling anyone. Ruby is excited that there is a new rabbi, and it's a woman. She expects her cousin to be excited as well, since the new rabbi agrees to start a junior chapter of the Sisterhood her grandmother belongs to, but soon her cousin is not only averse to the idea, but she's writing nasty notes to the new rabbi and egging her house. Yvette isn't as keen on the rabbi, since she feels that traditions should be maintained, and has long favored Ruby's brother. She also takes Sarah away from studying the Torah to help her cook. Could Sarah's new found rebellion be the influence of the dybbuk? And what family history must be uncovered before Sarah can be reclaimed?
Strengths: I liked that Ruby and Sarah were involved in groups at church, and that they went to the same school. A growing number of my students have a mix of family backgrounds,s so Ruby's feelings about being "too Catholic" for her Jewish side and "too Jewish" for her Catholic side will certainly resonate. There is a lot of intesting history of feminist thought, which is played out well in the modern day setting. The grandmother's attitude towards girls is also something young readers may see in their own families, but hopefully not as often as in years past. (Yvette must be... early 70s?) The dybbuk's possession of Sarah makes her do lots of things that are uncharacteristic, and it's interesting to see how Ruby is still willing to come to her cousin's aide even though they haven't been getting along, and also to see that Sarah is feeling that Ruby has been avoiding her. The Two Wrong Halfs of Ruby Taylor is a solid family story with an intriguing bit of magic in it.
Weaknesses: I think I feel fundamentally differently about family than the author does. Your family doesn't have to like you or want to spend time with you just because you are related by blood. Maybe Sarah is just more fun for the grandmother to be around. Since I had 38 cousins, my grandmother wasn't all that interested in ME, even though my mother was very close to her. I suppose with smaller families, grandparents are expected not to play favorites, just like parents. I would argue that if you aren't a nice person, even your parents don't have to spend that much time with you!
What I really think: Like this author's The Trouble with Good Ideas, this is an interesting book with lots of Jewish culture, family dynamics, and magical realism. Since my students aren't too keen on magical realism, I may wait to purchase this title.
Ruby and her cousin Sarah were close when they were younger, but as they enter middle school, Ruby is increasingly irritated by how "perfect" her cousin is, and also by the fact that their grandmother Yvette clearly prefers Sarah. She thinks it is because her mother is Catholic, and since Judaism is a matrilineal religion, Ruby isn't "as Jewish" as her cousin. Or, it could be because Ruby doesn't always think things through, which often results in incidents like all of the matzah balls for a catering job falling on the basement floor. When cleaning up from the incident, Ruby finds an old chest, but her grandmother tells her to never open it, because a dybbuk who was brought from the old country lives in it. Even though Ruby doesn't open it, she manages to get into a scuffle with Sarah, who trips over the chest and opens it. Dybbuks can't be real, so the two go about their lives without telling anyone. Ruby is excited that there is a new rabbi, and it's a woman. She expects her cousin to be excited as well, since the new rabbi agrees to start a junior chapter of the Sisterhood her grandmother belongs to, but soon her cousin is not only averse to the idea, but she's writing nasty notes to the new rabbi and egging her house. Yvette isn't as keen on the rabbi, since she feels that traditions should be maintained, and has long favored Ruby's brother. She also takes Sarah away from studying the Torah to help her cook. Could Sarah's new found rebellion be the influence of the dybbuk? And what family history must be uncovered before Sarah can be reclaimed?
Strengths: I liked that Ruby and Sarah were involved in groups at church, and that they went to the same school. A growing number of my students have a mix of family backgrounds,s so Ruby's feelings about being "too Catholic" for her Jewish side and "too Jewish" for her Catholic side will certainly resonate. There is a lot of intesting history of feminist thought, which is played out well in the modern day setting. The grandmother's attitude towards girls is also something young readers may see in their own families, but hopefully not as often as in years past. (Yvette must be... early 70s?) The dybbuk's possession of Sarah makes her do lots of things that are uncharacteristic, and it's interesting to see how Ruby is still willing to come to her cousin's aide even though they haven't been getting along, and also to see that Sarah is feeling that Ruby has been avoiding her. The Two Wrong Halfs of Ruby Taylor is a solid family story with an intriguing bit of magic in it.
Weaknesses: I think I feel fundamentally differently about family than the author does. Your family doesn't have to like you or want to spend time with you just because you are related by blood. Maybe Sarah is just more fun for the grandmother to be around. Since I had 38 cousins, my grandmother wasn't all that interested in ME, even though my mother was very close to her. I suppose with smaller families, grandparents are expected not to play favorites, just like parents. I would argue that if you aren't a nice person, even your parents don't have to spend that much time with you!
What I really think: Like this author's The Trouble with Good Ideas, this is an interesting book with lots of Jewish culture, family dynamics, and magical realism. Since my students aren't too keen on magical realism, I may wait to purchase this title.
March 19, 2023
This is the 2nd book l've read by this author, & if she keeps this up she will become a favorite author for sure. This was even better than her last book which I LOVED. There are so many layers, & such incredible depth to this story. I was blown away. The characters are relatable, flawed, engaging, & all different & identifiable. Ruby never feels good enough no matter what side of the family she's with. She's never "Jewish enough" for her dads side, & never "Christian enough" for her moms side. I never knew that some people of Jewish faith go by the "matrilineal" part of the faith (if I'm wording anything wrong, I'm so sorry! Please let me know!). I didn't even know what that was, or that it was part of the religion. The way her Jewish grandmother treats her cousin Sarah(both parents are Jewish) compared to her(Ruby's mom isn't Jewish)is ridiculous, & a form of cruelty. The emotional damage she does to this child is horrible. & poor Ruby just wants to get her approval & her LOVE no matter how she treats her! It's so heartbreaking. Then her Christian grandmother gets snooty about anything Jewish Ruby mentions, & tries to force Christmas & church on her, in a way that Ruby wants to say yes to make her happy. & then when it looks like Ruby did something horrible(she didn't) that whole family starts saying it's because of "those people", & because she's half of "them", & the most disgusting antisemitic remarks ever! PSA psychos:THATS NOT VERY CHRISTIAN OF YOU! I'm Christian, & I was always brought up being told that the Jewish people are Gods "chosen people", so I don't think He'd want you treating them this way-OR ANYONE THAT WAY for that matter-love thy neighbor?? Heard of it?? Ugh I was so mad! Lol Ruby trying to find her identity & what's right for her, while members of her family are making her feel like some parts that make her HER are wrong makes it incredibly difficult for her, & it's A LOT. The whole part with the dybbuk was so fascinating to me, & added that suspense, mysterious, dangerous, magical element to the other lavers. I of course went & looked up info on dybbuks for way too long after lol. So many great messages in here, & I love the different take to some of the usual issues with the added twist-like getting this horrible treatment not just from ignorant strangers, but from FAMILY. Or like Ruby's new friend in here-her peers at Hebrew school, because she doesn't "look Jewish" so they look at her wondering what she's “doing there”. There's also great topics of traditions, the old ways, & how certain faiths/religions can mean different things to different people. Like a female rabbi. Many people will never accept this, like Ruby's (Jewish) grandmother. I loved the rabbi in here, & everything she brought to the story as well. HIGHLY recommend. STUNNING cover by Olivia Chin Mueller too.💜
November 1, 2024
Whoa, for juvenile fiction, this book really took the 10-12 year old audience SERIOUSLY! There are some heavy topics in this book that were extremely well dealt with: the pain of having family members who favor certain grandkids over others, the emotional abuse inflicted by conservative family members, being multi-cultural/from two religious backgrounds and not accepted by either half of your family, having beef with your 'perfect' cousin who has an easier time fitting into the societal expectations your religious community has for girls, etc. The writing style was funny, engaging, and completely approachable for adult and child readers alike. Even just a few pages in, all the little quips in the writing style already had me hooked.
The basic plot of this book is that Ruby Taylor has a same-aged cousin, Sarah, who she resents for being 'too perfect'. Mostly because their grandma loves Sarah more than her and makes it really obvious. Ruby feels that she can't live up to Sarah and is inadequate by comparison. The really tragic part of this is that Sarah //doesn't hate her back//, Sarah likes Ruby, but Grandma Yvette has kind of pitted these kids against each other by treating Sarah so much better than Ruby-- and the reason is because Grandma has beef with Ruby's dad for marrying a Shiksa, i.e., he married outside the Jewish faith and grandma is a conservative jew who doesn't believe in interfaith marriage. It's later revealed that she actually shunned her son for a whole year after he married his catholic wife. By extension, in her eyes, Ruby isn't jewish because her mother isn't jewish. So she loves Sarah, her 'real' jewish granddaughter more and favors her. She doesn't even try to hide it other than verbally saying 'I love you both', while all her ACTIONS show the opposite, i.e., inviting Sarah over for sleepovers and not Ruby, giving Sarah a special present on hannakuh with religious significance while Ruby doesn't get anything similar even though they're both girls of the same age.
What really got my goat was that Ruby's parents kept denying that it was happening when Ruby pointed it out, even though we later find out that they're /fully aware/ Grandma Yvette has an issue with Ruby 'not being jewish' and that they were actually estranged for years until Grandma decided to behave. The parents literally gaslight their daughter knowingly and won't acknowledge her lived experience with her grandma when she says that she knows grandma likes Sarah more. Kids are fully aware when favoritism exists whether or not you acknowledge it; they remember you lying to their faces and pretending it isn't happening though. Let them know you see what's happening too! To be fair, the parents do swiftly remove the kids from any family gathering in which the kids are being treated unfairly in the open, and then tell Ruby that none of this is her fault.
Another big thing I applaud this book for is that it directly confronts the sexism in traditional conservative jewish households (not at all unique to judaism, by the way. Pretty much every conservative religious group has these traditional gender roles as well to varying extents.) The sons are treated like little princes, while the daughters are brought up to be domestic servants. The boys are expected to do religious study, while for the girls it is 'unnecessary' for them to take an interest in the Torah. Not only do their brothers not have to learn to cook with Ruby and Sarah, the brothers get to lay on the couch while the two girls serve him snacks. What the hell. Ruby doesn't fit into this box very well, she isn't a natural born cook or 'traditionally feminine' girl, she's clumsy and she's average in school, and Sarah, she plays the role better, the pious prim religious girl, but only insofar as she's better at shoving herself into the specific box her religion demands of her to hide her true self for the approval of grandma. She's not happy like this either and wishes to do more Torah study instead of cook, but she doesn't want to lose Grandma Yvette's love and approval, so she just makes herself smaller and quieter in order to please the adults.
When the two of them finally have that fight, oh my god, I felt that so hard. I've been both Ruby AND Sarah in that argument at different times in life. Ruby yelling at Sarah that she's sick of Ruby being better than her and getting all the love and attention, that really hurt. There is favoritism from my parents among me and my siblings too, and I know how it feels to realize that I'll never be good enough to get the same love as certain siblings. But I've been Sarah too-- "It's not my fault you're not as good as me." Damn. Many of my school aged years were spent feeling guilty that I was better academically than my friends and hiding my test results in my desk so that my friend who got a D on her test wouldn't feel bad. But I can remember feeling that way at times-- indignant almost, that I was supposed to feel bad for doing well in school. 'It's not my fault that I'm smarter than you.' It's true! Sarah isn't doing anything wrong, she isn't gloating about being better than Ruby. Ruby is the one who's constantly comparing the two of them. Ruby hates her for what she represents, and for the stark difference in how Grandma treats them.
You know what also sucks? The Mom's family, the catholic side of the family, are arguably even worse, in that they're not just conservative, they're also openly anti-semitic. I was raised catholic so all the scenes with the catholic family unearthed a lot of shit for me. So many of the things the catholic characters did, I recognize their behavior from my own family members. One of the lines from the Mom early on in the book was "We can't avoid hard topics. We have to talk about them--" Which made me laugh out loud. Like... yeah right? When has that EVER happened in a catholic family? That's the opposite of how catholics behave, and it really showed when they went over to the mom family's house for Christmas.
No fighting is allowed, even if it's for a good reason. No standing up for what's right if it means disturbing 'family harmony.' "Don't be so sensitive, nobody meant it like that" while pretending not to hear the racist/sexist/homophobic garbage that the instigator said to start the fight in the first place. People are allowed to ridicule you and spew hateful political opinions, but if you say anything back, YOU'RE the one ruining dinner!
Aunt Imogen is dating an open Neo-Nazi who the grandparents allowed her to bring to christmas with their daughter's jewish husband and jewish kids there. And no! I'm not exaggerating when I saw he's a neo-nazi! He's not at all shy about it! He didn't Seig Heil, but he may as well have. Maybe I've been in the politics community for too long, but I picked up on all the nazi dogwhistles in that conversation. He literally said the '108 countries' thing, and then later said that the mom was a 'blood traitor' for marrying a Jew. As in, he thinks Jews have dirty blood and aren't actually white. That's what that means. And when the mom gets upset that he said something that /only nazis say/ (No one uses that specific phrase except for nazis!), the grandma jumps in all, "oh he didn't mean it like that." Grandpa then says, "////These people ////have no morals," even though Judaism is the root of Christianity and the Ten commandments, i.e., it's suggesting an old trope about Jews worshipping the devil and drinking the blood of christian kids.
All the catholic family members just sit there and don't confront Greg or stand up for their daughter and grandkids. You know that old saying about, 'if a nazi sits down at the table and no one gets up, there are now 10 nazis at the table?' Yeah. Fuck her complicit spineless family who are trying to appease the neo-nazi they've let into their home rather than stand up for their own daughter and grandkids. Ruby and her parents are just expected to swallow his anti-semitic comments for the sake of 'family peace', never mind that the asshole who is disturbing the peace is the one instigating everything. Anyway yeah, "we can't avoid hard topics, we have to talk about them", cue grandma saying that you should just get over it and no one meant it that way. I wonder if this author knows a bunch of catholics, because this was so real. That christmas scene was every single family dinner of my life since I was old enough to form a political opinion of my own. It's emotionally exhausting and stretches the love one has for family members thinner and thinner with each inappropriate comment they make. It's no wonder they keep going no contact with those people.
Also, typical catholic grandparents unable to fully love you if you're not baptized. They literally become obsessed with this one aspect of you and are unable to think about or talk about anything else with you. The grandmother is OBSESSED with 'bringing Ruby to Christ'. They can't have a single conversation without the grandma bringing up church. She's hoping to baptize Ruby still, YEARS later. Apparently Ruby's catholic grandma is okay with 'sinning' and breaking her own church rules (Remember that 'these people have no morals' comment from the grandpa?) as long as it means they can baptize an infant into the faith. They lied to Ruby's parents and tried to baptize baby Ruby in secret, even though they knew the parents wanted to raise Ruby Jewish. i.e., a huge violation of the child's rights and a betrayal of the parents' trust. Also, doing something like that involves lying to a catholic priest! This isn't an outlandish story either, this happens often, and typically involves the catholic grandma lying right to a priests's face, and then internally justifying that sin bc at least she's getting her grandchild's 'soul saved.' She's still obsessed with the idea of baptizing Ruby 12 years later. Psycho shit.
Anyway yeah, both sides of Ruby's family are assholes, and they're assholes BECAUSE of their conservative religious beliefs. Grandparents are supposed to be this warm and loving presence in your life, but for a lot of people, this is their experience with grandparents. Intolerant, crochety, mean, critical, and emotionally abusive.
I haven't talked much about the dybbuk, but that's because, to be honest? The dybbuk and the 'magical' elements of this book are almost besides the point. The dybbuk is ultimately just a plot device for Sarah to rebel and escape the prison of traditional gender roles, it represents female rage against the treatment of women in conservative religious communities (sexism is still alive and well there in the 21st century), and most of all, the dybbuk is a plot device that reveals the rot within their family and community, particularly within the conservative beliefs of their religion. This is all dredged up with Rabbii Ellen comes to their community, a female, progressive rabbii who is interested in breaking bad traditions. Meaning, she's the opposite of Grandma Yvette despite being a woman of the same age. It's conservative religion vs. progressive religion.
There is one part with the dybbuk that I'd like to touch on and that's when Grandma Yvette comes and pulls Sarah out of a group sisterhood meeting where they're studying Torah to go make her cook in the kitchen instead, and Rabbii Ellen doesn't stand up for her. Sarah sneaks back and the dybbuk uses her body to ask Rabbii Ellen if she would have sold Joseph into slavery if she was Joseph's brother, (i.e., she's watching Sarah being molded into a life of domestic servitude against her will right in front of her eyes and is doing nothing. It would've been different if Sarah liked this traditional role and chose it for herself, there is NOTHING wrong with being a traditional wife and mother, but Sarah doesn't want that and asked to stay at Torah study.)-- That comment sent chills down my back. She's upset that Rabbii Ellen didn't stand up for her, but to be honest, in that moment, she couldn't. Adults can't interfere in the parenting of other adults, unfortunately. Children don't have many rights in the U.S. that are separate from their parents, and are considered property of their parents and grandparents. Other adults can't really interfere unless physical abuse is happening. But Rabbii Ellen does do her best in the end and talks to Sarah's mother as a proxy, and that seems to help.
Also, when we finally learn about the dybbuk's backstory, what the hell, Grandma Yvette??? So, the story of the dybbuk is that I just don't understand why THAT is the message Grandma Yvette took away from that story. The moral of that story is that Chana-Lotte's parents were monsters, not that girls should meekly accept the 'role' their religion has prescribed for them.
I was a little disappointed that the book ends with the grandmother never seeing the error of her ways and losing a relationship with both granddaughters, and that the message seems to be that if your grandparents are spiritually abusing you, it's not on them, the adults, to change, it's on YOU, the child, to learn to deal with it... and I don't like that. I don't like the "We have to respect and accept our religious grandparents and their emotional abuse, they won't change, so WE have to be the ones to accept THEM." The kids are expected to have more emotionally maturity and compassion than their adult grandparents. But to be honest, now that I'm thinking about it, having the grandma magically change her deeply ingrained beliefs and admit she was wrong might have felt good in the story, but it would set up false expectations for the kids reading this book that they can get THEIR asshole grandparents to change too, and let's be real; they won't.
In the end, Grandma Yvette doesn't change, but Sarah and Ruby learn to stand up for themselves and give each other support, which is really all you can do. You can't make your grandparents stop being assholes, but you CAN learn to stand up for yourself and go your own way and love yourself, and I think that's a good message.
Will be reading other books by this author, this book was a delight.
The basic plot of this book is that Ruby Taylor has a same-aged cousin, Sarah, who she resents for being 'too perfect'. Mostly because their grandma loves Sarah more than her and makes it really obvious. Ruby feels that she can't live up to Sarah and is inadequate by comparison. The really tragic part of this is that Sarah //doesn't hate her back//, Sarah likes Ruby, but Grandma Yvette has kind of pitted these kids against each other by treating Sarah so much better than Ruby-- and the reason is because Grandma has beef with Ruby's dad for marrying a Shiksa, i.e., he married outside the Jewish faith and grandma is a conservative jew who doesn't believe in interfaith marriage. It's later revealed that she actually shunned her son for a whole year after he married his catholic wife. By extension, in her eyes, Ruby isn't jewish because her mother isn't jewish. So she loves Sarah, her 'real' jewish granddaughter more and favors her. She doesn't even try to hide it other than verbally saying 'I love you both', while all her ACTIONS show the opposite, i.e., inviting Sarah over for sleepovers and not Ruby, giving Sarah a special present on hannakuh with religious significance while Ruby doesn't get anything similar even though they're both girls of the same age.
What really got my goat was that Ruby's parents kept denying that it was happening when Ruby pointed it out, even though we later find out that they're /fully aware/ Grandma Yvette has an issue with Ruby 'not being jewish' and that they were actually estranged for years until Grandma decided to behave. The parents literally gaslight their daughter knowingly and won't acknowledge her lived experience with her grandma when she says that she knows grandma likes Sarah more. Kids are fully aware when favoritism exists whether or not you acknowledge it; they remember you lying to their faces and pretending it isn't happening though. Let them know you see what's happening too! To be fair, the parents do swiftly remove the kids from any family gathering in which the kids are being treated unfairly in the open, and then tell Ruby that none of this is her fault.
Another big thing I applaud this book for is that it directly confronts the sexism in traditional conservative jewish households (not at all unique to judaism, by the way. Pretty much every conservative religious group has these traditional gender roles as well to varying extents.) The sons are treated like little princes, while the daughters are brought up to be domestic servants. The boys are expected to do religious study, while for the girls it is 'unnecessary' for them to take an interest in the Torah. Not only do their brothers not have to learn to cook with Ruby and Sarah, the brothers get to lay on the couch while the two girls serve him snacks. What the hell. Ruby doesn't fit into this box very well, she isn't a natural born cook or 'traditionally feminine' girl, she's clumsy and she's average in school, and Sarah, she plays the role better, the pious prim religious girl, but only insofar as she's better at shoving herself into the specific box her religion demands of her to hide her true self for the approval of grandma. She's not happy like this either and wishes to do more Torah study instead of cook, but she doesn't want to lose Grandma Yvette's love and approval, so she just makes herself smaller and quieter in order to please the adults.
When the two of them finally have that fight, oh my god, I felt that so hard. I've been both Ruby AND Sarah in that argument at different times in life. Ruby yelling at Sarah that she's sick of Ruby being better than her and getting all the love and attention, that really hurt. There is favoritism from my parents among me and my siblings too, and I know how it feels to realize that I'll never be good enough to get the same love as certain siblings. But I've been Sarah too-- "It's not my fault you're not as good as me." Damn. Many of my school aged years were spent feeling guilty that I was better academically than my friends and hiding my test results in my desk so that my friend who got a D on her test wouldn't feel bad. But I can remember feeling that way at times-- indignant almost, that I was supposed to feel bad for doing well in school. 'It's not my fault that I'm smarter than you.' It's true! Sarah isn't doing anything wrong, she isn't gloating about being better than Ruby. Ruby is the one who's constantly comparing the two of them. Ruby hates her for what she represents, and for the stark difference in how Grandma treats them.
You know what also sucks? The Mom's family, the catholic side of the family, are arguably even worse, in that they're not just conservative, they're also openly anti-semitic. I was raised catholic so all the scenes with the catholic family unearthed a lot of shit for me. So many of the things the catholic characters did, I recognize their behavior from my own family members. One of the lines from the Mom early on in the book was "We can't avoid hard topics. We have to talk about them--" Which made me laugh out loud. Like... yeah right? When has that EVER happened in a catholic family? That's the opposite of how catholics behave, and it really showed when they went over to the mom family's house for Christmas.
No fighting is allowed, even if it's for a good reason. No standing up for what's right if it means disturbing 'family harmony.' "Don't be so sensitive, nobody meant it like that" while pretending not to hear the racist/sexist/homophobic garbage that the instigator said to start the fight in the first place. People are allowed to ridicule you and spew hateful political opinions, but if you say anything back, YOU'RE the one ruining dinner!
Aunt Imogen is dating an open Neo-Nazi who the grandparents allowed her to bring to christmas with their daughter's jewish husband and jewish kids there. And no! I'm not exaggerating when I saw he's a neo-nazi! He's not at all shy about it! He didn't Seig Heil, but he may as well have. Maybe I've been in the politics community for too long, but I picked up on all the nazi dogwhistles in that conversation. He literally said the '108 countries' thing, and then later said that the mom was a 'blood traitor' for marrying a Jew. As in, he thinks Jews have dirty blood and aren't actually white. That's what that means. And when the mom gets upset that he said something that /only nazis say/ (No one uses that specific phrase except for nazis!), the grandma jumps in all, "oh he didn't mean it like that." Grandpa then says, "////These people ////have no morals," even though Judaism is the root of Christianity and the Ten commandments, i.e., it's suggesting an old trope about Jews worshipping the devil and drinking the blood of christian kids.
All the catholic family members just sit there and don't confront Greg or stand up for their daughter and grandkids. You know that old saying about, 'if a nazi sits down at the table and no one gets up, there are now 10 nazis at the table?' Yeah. Fuck her complicit spineless family who are trying to appease the neo-nazi they've let into their home rather than stand up for their own daughter and grandkids. Ruby and her parents are just expected to swallow his anti-semitic comments for the sake of 'family peace', never mind that the asshole who is disturbing the peace is the one instigating everything. Anyway yeah, "we can't avoid hard topics, we have to talk about them", cue grandma saying that you should just get over it and no one meant it that way. I wonder if this author knows a bunch of catholics, because this was so real. That christmas scene was every single family dinner of my life since I was old enough to form a political opinion of my own. It's emotionally exhausting and stretches the love one has for family members thinner and thinner with each inappropriate comment they make. It's no wonder they keep going no contact with those people.
Also, typical catholic grandparents unable to fully love you if you're not baptized. They literally become obsessed with this one aspect of you and are unable to think about or talk about anything else with you. The grandmother is OBSESSED with 'bringing Ruby to Christ'. They can't have a single conversation without the grandma bringing up church. She's hoping to baptize Ruby still, YEARS later. Apparently Ruby's catholic grandma is okay with 'sinning' and breaking her own church rules (Remember that 'these people have no morals' comment from the grandpa?) as long as it means they can baptize an infant into the faith. They lied to Ruby's parents and tried to baptize baby Ruby in secret, even though they knew the parents wanted to raise Ruby Jewish. i.e., a huge violation of the child's rights and a betrayal of the parents' trust. Also, doing something like that involves lying to a catholic priest! This isn't an outlandish story either, this happens often, and typically involves the catholic grandma lying right to a priests's face, and then internally justifying that sin bc at least she's getting her grandchild's 'soul saved.' She's still obsessed with the idea of baptizing Ruby 12 years later. Psycho shit.
Anyway yeah, both sides of Ruby's family are assholes, and they're assholes BECAUSE of their conservative religious beliefs. Grandparents are supposed to be this warm and loving presence in your life, but for a lot of people, this is their experience with grandparents. Intolerant, crochety, mean, critical, and emotionally abusive.
I haven't talked much about the dybbuk, but that's because, to be honest? The dybbuk and the 'magical' elements of this book are almost besides the point. The dybbuk is ultimately just a plot device for Sarah to rebel and escape the prison of traditional gender roles, it represents female rage against the treatment of women in conservative religious communities (sexism is still alive and well there in the 21st century), and most of all, the dybbuk is a plot device that reveals the rot within their family and community, particularly within the conservative beliefs of their religion. This is all dredged up with Rabbii Ellen comes to their community, a female, progressive rabbii who is interested in breaking bad traditions. Meaning, she's the opposite of Grandma Yvette despite being a woman of the same age. It's conservative religion vs. progressive religion.
There is one part with the dybbuk that I'd like to touch on and that's when Grandma Yvette comes and pulls Sarah out of a group sisterhood meeting where they're studying Torah to go make her cook in the kitchen instead, and Rabbii Ellen doesn't stand up for her. Sarah sneaks back and the dybbuk uses her body to ask Rabbii Ellen if she would have sold Joseph into slavery if she was Joseph's brother, (i.e., she's watching Sarah being molded into a life of domestic servitude against her will right in front of her eyes and is doing nothing. It would've been different if Sarah liked this traditional role and chose it for herself, there is NOTHING wrong with being a traditional wife and mother, but Sarah doesn't want that and asked to stay at Torah study.)-- That comment sent chills down my back. She's upset that Rabbii Ellen didn't stand up for her, but to be honest, in that moment, she couldn't. Adults can't interfere in the parenting of other adults, unfortunately. Children don't have many rights in the U.S. that are separate from their parents, and are considered property of their parents and grandparents. Other adults can't really interfere unless physical abuse is happening. But Rabbii Ellen does do her best in the end and talks to Sarah's mother as a proxy, and that seems to help.
Also, when we finally learn about the dybbuk's backstory, what the hell, Grandma Yvette??? So, the story of the dybbuk is that I just don't understand why THAT is the message Grandma Yvette took away from that story. The moral of that story is that Chana-Lotte's parents were monsters, not that girls should meekly accept the 'role' their religion has prescribed for them.
I was a little disappointed that the book ends with the grandmother never seeing the error of her ways and losing a relationship with both granddaughters, and that the message seems to be that if your grandparents are spiritually abusing you, it's not on them, the adults, to change, it's on YOU, the child, to learn to deal with it... and I don't like that. I don't like the "We have to respect and accept our religious grandparents and their emotional abuse, they won't change, so WE have to be the ones to accept THEM." The kids are expected to have more emotionally maturity and compassion than their adult grandparents. But to be honest, now that I'm thinking about it, having the grandma magically change her deeply ingrained beliefs and admit she was wrong might have felt good in the story, but it would set up false expectations for the kids reading this book that they can get THEIR asshole grandparents to change too, and let's be real; they won't.
In the end, Grandma Yvette doesn't change, but Sarah and Ruby learn to stand up for themselves and give each other support, which is really all you can do. You can't make your grandparents stop being assholes, but you CAN learn to stand up for yourself and go your own way and love yourself, and I think that's a good message.
Will be reading other books by this author, this book was a delight.
January 18, 2022
Note: I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in order to provide an honest review.
Book CWs: antisemitism, prejudice, difficult family dynamics, possession plotline
This story is a wonderfully written middle grade book. One thing I adore about a lot of middle grades is the way they deal with hard topics in interesting ways because their target audience is at the age to think and read about these things, but still needs some guidance and space to process and figure things out. Usually they are able to begin to explore grey areas and nuance in topics that before would have been portrayed a bit more black and white for younger children or not discussed until they were a bit older.
Here we get a really relatable character in Ruby, who feels caught in the middle between the two halves of herself, the Jewish and the Catholic, which are both perceived as wrong or “not good enough”by different people in her life.
I feel like the story explores the worries and concerns of a child raised in an interfaith household really well. While the story hones in a lot on Ruby’s Jewish side of her heritage as well as her familial relationships on that side of her family, some of the Catholic side is explored as well, especially later on in the story. I really appreciated the presence of Ruby’s parents in this story me how supportive, understanding, and protective of her they always were. There was also just the amazing fact that Ruby actually /did/ try to go to adults when things got out of hand, which is a common thing that doesn’t happen in middle grade and young adult books that has become a personal pet peeve of mine over the years. Sometimes going to the adults didn’t work out as planned, but I appreciated that at least Ruby tries!! I also loved how the story showed really complicated family dynamics, especially those that are mired in both hurt and love, such as Ruby’s relationship to Grandma Yvette throughout the story.
The presence of magical realism in the story was well done and added to the themes of the story extremely well.
Interestingly, I think if you have recently been watching and loving Encanto, especially for the dynamics between Mirabel & Abuela and Mirabel & Isabella, you may also really enjoy this story. It covers /a lot/ of the same themes, just a bit lighter on the magic and within a different cultural group and time.
It’s easy to read in one sitting and has a lot that I think both adults and children can learn and think on. Additionally, this is a really lovely story to validate the experiences of kids who don’t feel “Jewish enough” or those who feel pulled between their cultural/religious identities and heritage.
Honestly it’s a beautiful story of identity, family, reconciliation, and a dybbuk (btw I do not handle possession plots well, but this one was okay for me for the most part)! There was so much value in this story for me and it was had a lot of heart with a main character who is easy to root for and empathise with her struggles. I would definitely recommend it and I hope it becomes pretty well circulated for middle grade readers. What a lovely read!
Book CWs: antisemitism, prejudice, difficult family dynamics, possession plotline
This story is a wonderfully written middle grade book. One thing I adore about a lot of middle grades is the way they deal with hard topics in interesting ways because their target audience is at the age to think and read about these things, but still needs some guidance and space to process and figure things out. Usually they are able to begin to explore grey areas and nuance in topics that before would have been portrayed a bit more black and white for younger children or not discussed until they were a bit older.
Here we get a really relatable character in Ruby, who feels caught in the middle between the two halves of herself, the Jewish and the Catholic, which are both perceived as wrong or “not good enough”by different people in her life.
I feel like the story explores the worries and concerns of a child raised in an interfaith household really well. While the story hones in a lot on Ruby’s Jewish side of her heritage as well as her familial relationships on that side of her family, some of the Catholic side is explored as well, especially later on in the story. I really appreciated the presence of Ruby’s parents in this story me how supportive, understanding, and protective of her they always were. There was also just the amazing fact that Ruby actually /did/ try to go to adults when things got out of hand, which is a common thing that doesn’t happen in middle grade and young adult books that has become a personal pet peeve of mine over the years. Sometimes going to the adults didn’t work out as planned, but I appreciated that at least Ruby tries!! I also loved how the story showed really complicated family dynamics, especially those that are mired in both hurt and love, such as Ruby’s relationship to Grandma Yvette throughout the story.
The presence of magical realism in the story was well done and added to the themes of the story extremely well.
Interestingly, I think if you have recently been watching and loving Encanto, especially for the dynamics between Mirabel & Abuela and Mirabel & Isabella, you may also really enjoy this story. It covers /a lot/ of the same themes, just a bit lighter on the magic and within a different cultural group and time.
It’s easy to read in one sitting and has a lot that I think both adults and children can learn and think on. Additionally, this is a really lovely story to validate the experiences of kids who don’t feel “Jewish enough” or those who feel pulled between their cultural/religious identities and heritage.
Honestly it’s a beautiful story of identity, family, reconciliation, and a dybbuk (btw I do not handle possession plots well, but this one was okay for me for the most part)! There was so much value in this story for me and it was had a lot of heart with a main character who is easy to root for and empathise with her struggles. I would definitely recommend it and I hope it becomes pretty well circulated for middle grade readers. What a lovely read!
November 22, 2021
Ruby Taylor has begun to grow apart from her best friend and cousin Sarah who is annoyingly perfect. Ruby wants to make new friends that she has more in common with and she wishes her Grandma Ivette would favor her as much as she favors perfect Sarah. Things are complicated in Ruby’s life, as a Jew with a Christian mother some people don’t consider her traditionally Jewish or even Jewish at all. With everyone telling her who she is or isn’t Ruby begins to question exactly where she fits into her world.
The Two Wrong Halves of Ruby Taylor is a fantastic exploration into the sometimes tense world of family and religion, and how expectations can stifle individuals and relationships. Amanda Panitch does a great job getting into the head of a sharp 12 year old girl beginning to flex her individuality, Ruby’s delightfully morbid interest in science was a particularly fun detail in her personality. Ruby’s character development was a lot of fun to follow, the reader can certainly pick up on the things Ruby isn’t being entirely fair about and it was great to read along as Ruby figured things out for herself. The Two Wrong Halves of Ruby Taylor deftly handles difficult subjects like antisemitism and adults behaving poorly with the understanding that problematic behavior doesn’t always have a solution and people sometimes won’t change, sometimes the only thing in one’s power is to look inward, luckily Ruby has loving parents and a friend to help her when she needs it.
The Two Wrong Halves of Ruby Taylor is a great middle grade book that would work well in classrooms and fit into discussions about family, friendship, religion, acceptance, and multicultural studies. I will definitely recommend this book to readers who enjoy contemporary fiction with strong character driven stories. I’m planning to read Amanda Panitch’s other books and will look out for her work in the future.
I received a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Two Wrong Halves of Ruby Taylor is a fantastic exploration into the sometimes tense world of family and religion, and how expectations can stifle individuals and relationships. Amanda Panitch does a great job getting into the head of a sharp 12 year old girl beginning to flex her individuality, Ruby’s delightfully morbid interest in science was a particularly fun detail in her personality. Ruby’s character development was a lot of fun to follow, the reader can certainly pick up on the things Ruby isn’t being entirely fair about and it was great to read along as Ruby figured things out for herself. The Two Wrong Halves of Ruby Taylor deftly handles difficult subjects like antisemitism and adults behaving poorly with the understanding that problematic behavior doesn’t always have a solution and people sometimes won’t change, sometimes the only thing in one’s power is to look inward, luckily Ruby has loving parents and a friend to help her when she needs it.
The Two Wrong Halves of Ruby Taylor is a great middle grade book that would work well in classrooms and fit into discussions about family, friendship, religion, acceptance, and multicultural studies. I will definitely recommend this book to readers who enjoy contemporary fiction with strong character driven stories. I’m planning to read Amanda Panitch’s other books and will look out for her work in the future.
I received a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 29, 2022
When they were younger, Ruby and her cousin Sarah were quite close; but, as they enter middle school, Ruby begins to resent Sarah's "perfect" qualities and the evident preference that their grandmother Yvette has for Sarah. Ruby isn't "as Jewish" as her cousin, in her mind, because her mother is Catholic and Judaism is a matrilineal faith. The matzah balls for the catering business may have all fallen to the cellar floor because Ruby doesn't always consider things through. Ruby discovers an old chest while cleaning up after the tragedy, but her grandma warns her not to open it since a dybbuk transported from the old nation is trapped inside. While Ruby refrains from opening the box, she does manage to start a fight with Sarah, which results in the latter tripping over the chest and opening it. Both believe that dybbuks are imaginary and carry on as normal. Ruby is thrilled that a female rabbi has been appointed. When the new rabbi agrees to establish a junior chapter of the Sisterhood to which her grandmother belongs, the young woman anticipates her cousin's enthusiasm; instead, she finds that her cousin is not only opposed to the idea, but that she has begun leaving nasty notes for the new rabbi and even egging her house. Yvette has always preferred Ruby's brother and is less fond of the rabbi since she believes traditions should be upheld. Similarly, she distracts Sarah from her Torah studies so that she can help in the kitchen. Perhaps the dybbuk is to blame for Sarah's sudden defiance. And what secrets from Sarah's past must be revealed before she can be returned to her family?
I don't know if it's because I'm not Jewish, but this didn't really hit for me. I finished it because I received an advanced reader's copy for an honest review. I would recommend for a middle school. I'm sure I requested it so I could add it to my collection. Thank you so much to @Netgalley.
I don't know if it's because I'm not Jewish, but this didn't really hit for me. I finished it because I received an advanced reader's copy for an honest review. I would recommend for a middle school. I'm sure I requested it so I could add it to my collection. Thank you so much to @Netgalley.
August 10, 2022
Thanks to Edelweiss/NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Here we have a book that is pretty decent and something well needed for a whole lot of kids out there. Ruby Taylor's father is Jewish, and her mother is Christian, a practicing Catholic. Even though she's loved by her family without question, she never quite feels Jewish enough or Christian enough. And it doesn't help that her seemingly-perfect cousin Sarah is (as far as Ruby can see) their paternal grandmother's favorite out of the two of them.
So when a dybbuk box in their grandmother's basement is "accidentally" opened, Sarah starts to act...a little different. Is it the dybbuk? Or is Sarah just proving to Ruby she's not as perfect as her cousin thinks?
I enjoyed the read for the most part. The content was great and I liked the characters more than I thought I would. Middle grade is always great for a splash of hope when you're feeling down, as it usually ends on a high, hopeful note. The biggest drawback here was some of Ruby's internal dialogue. Some of it felt out of place with the way it had been inserted with a lot of parentheticals and interruptions. Sometimes this works, a la The Murderbot Diaries, but Ruby didn't seem quite sure enough of herself to snipe and comment the way she did. Maybe it's just me.
Don't get me wrong, I liked Ruby. This didn't feel like a character flaw. More like the author making Ruby say things she thought would be pithy and make her stand out. But even without the asides and little inserts, Ruby was enough of a character to make an impression as an individual. It only dragged down the prose and made it feel longer than it actually was.
Overall I think kids will really like this, and it can be a valuable tool for teaching about how to accept all the cultural parts of not only your own heritage, but the heritage of the people around you.
Here we have a book that is pretty decent and something well needed for a whole lot of kids out there. Ruby Taylor's father is Jewish, and her mother is Christian, a practicing Catholic. Even though she's loved by her family without question, she never quite feels Jewish enough or Christian enough. And it doesn't help that her seemingly-perfect cousin Sarah is (as far as Ruby can see) their paternal grandmother's favorite out of the two of them.
So when a dybbuk box in their grandmother's basement is "accidentally" opened, Sarah starts to act...a little different. Is it the dybbuk? Or is Sarah just proving to Ruby she's not as perfect as her cousin thinks?
I enjoyed the read for the most part. The content was great and I liked the characters more than I thought I would. Middle grade is always great for a splash of hope when you're feeling down, as it usually ends on a high, hopeful note. The biggest drawback here was some of Ruby's internal dialogue. Some of it felt out of place with the way it had been inserted with a lot of parentheticals and interruptions. Sometimes this works, a la The Murderbot Diaries, but Ruby didn't seem quite sure enough of herself to snipe and comment the way she did. Maybe it's just me.
Don't get me wrong, I liked Ruby. This didn't feel like a character flaw. More like the author making Ruby say things she thought would be pithy and make her stand out. But even without the asides and little inserts, Ruby was enough of a character to make an impression as an individual. It only dragged down the prose and made it feel longer than it actually was.
Overall I think kids will really like this, and it can be a valuable tool for teaching about how to accept all the cultural parts of not only your own heritage, but the heritage of the people around you.
February 1, 2024
Ruby is not her grandmother's favorite grandkid -- that title goes to Ruby's cousin, Sarah. Despite both of them being the same age (12 years old), Ruby cannot seem to do anything right, while Sarah was apparently born perfect.
Not only is Sarah a good student and beloved by everyone, she also has a Jewish mother, which fits well into the traditionally matrilineal approach to Judaism. Ruby, on the other hand, gets her Judaism from her dad. Despite their local temple being supportive of patrilineal heritage, Ruby's grandmother does not hold the same views. Ironically, while Ruby is not considered Jewish enough by her father's family, Ruby's mom's side considers her too Jewish. Which is it?
But things change when Ruby discovers an old chest in her grandmother's basement, rumored to hold a dybbuk, which Ruby learns is a "malicious possessing spirit from Jewish mythology" (pg 21) When the two cousins quarrel over what to do about the chest, Ruby has finally had enough and explodes at Sarah, wording all the anger that has been building up.
Unfortunately, Ruby's anger wasn't the only thing released that night. As Sarah begins to act strangely, pushing away from everyone, Ruby starts to get more of her grandmother's attention. Will this finally make things better? Or will whatever is happening with Sarah ruin Ruby's long-awaited glimpse of approval?
As Ruby begins to understand what is happening with her cousin, she realizes she needs a "pious Jew" to solve the problem. How can she help her cousin and also prove her identity to everyone else? More importantly, how can she prove her identity to herself? With her non-traditional Jewish lineage, is Ruby Jewish enough to make things right?
A story dealing with identity, misunderstanding, discrimination, heritage, and what it means to be you, this book is a solid read for all middle grade readers.
Not only is Sarah a good student and beloved by everyone, she also has a Jewish mother, which fits well into the traditionally matrilineal approach to Judaism. Ruby, on the other hand, gets her Judaism from her dad. Despite their local temple being supportive of patrilineal heritage, Ruby's grandmother does not hold the same views. Ironically, while Ruby is not considered Jewish enough by her father's family, Ruby's mom's side considers her too Jewish. Which is it?
But things change when Ruby discovers an old chest in her grandmother's basement, rumored to hold a dybbuk, which Ruby learns is a "malicious possessing spirit from Jewish mythology" (pg 21) When the two cousins quarrel over what to do about the chest, Ruby has finally had enough and explodes at Sarah, wording all the anger that has been building up.
Unfortunately, Ruby's anger wasn't the only thing released that night. As Sarah begins to act strangely, pushing away from everyone, Ruby starts to get more of her grandmother's attention. Will this finally make things better? Or will whatever is happening with Sarah ruin Ruby's long-awaited glimpse of approval?
As Ruby begins to understand what is happening with her cousin, she realizes she needs a "pious Jew" to solve the problem. How can she help her cousin and also prove her identity to everyone else? More importantly, how can she prove her identity to herself? With her non-traditional Jewish lineage, is Ruby Jewish enough to make things right?
A story dealing with identity, misunderstanding, discrimination, heritage, and what it means to be you, this book is a solid read for all middle grade readers.
August 15, 2022
✨𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠: 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑻𝒘𝒐 𝑾𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝑯𝒂𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑹𝒖𝒃𝒚 𝑻𝒂𝒚𝒍𝒐𝒓 𝚋𝚢 𝙰𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚊 𝙿𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚝𝚌𝚑✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
“𝓘 𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓵 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 I’m just half and half, and somehow both halves are wrong, and I’m not actually anything whole.“
“𝓙𝓾𝓼𝓽 𝓫𝓮𝓬𝓪𝓾𝓼𝓮 it’s the way it’s been dome for thousands and thousands of years doesn’t make it right.”
✨This book was one of my most anticipated reads of 2022, and it delivered! 🙌🏻 I wish that this story would’ve been around when I was a kid ~ there’s so much wisdom in here about family, relationships, religion, and growing up ✍︎︎ But Ruby’s journey still meant a ton to me as a 27-year old, and I can’t recommend this book highly enough! Here’s what I loved:
♡︎ 𝑰𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒕𝒚: The story is told by a young Jewish narrator who is having trouble feeling a true part of her Jewish family and wanted by her Christian family. Lots of amazing representation here, including the temple’s first female rabbi, a Jewish-Chinese student, a non-binary student, and a black Muslim student. Some get more page time than others, but all are treated with immense respect and aren’t just there as background characters.
♥︎ 𝑴𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒚: I 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐞 learning about other culture’s mythologies, and I really loved the dybbuk storyline. I also loved how the monster of the story was understandable in her turmoil that made her an “evil“ ghost.
♡︎ 𝑭𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚: it’s no secret that family relationships can be incredibly complicated and toxic. Ruby sees this firsthand and is exposed to some challenging topics for readers, like anti-semitism, manipulation and favoritism, jealousy, and belonging. Not all of this is resolved by the end of the book, but it’s handled with great care.
Overall, this is a 4.5/5 star read for me (due to a small plot hole toward the end) ✨ Give this awesome middle-grade read a try❣︎
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
“𝓘 𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓵 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 I’m just half and half, and somehow both halves are wrong, and I’m not actually anything whole.“
“𝓙𝓾𝓼𝓽 𝓫𝓮𝓬𝓪𝓾𝓼𝓮 it’s the way it’s been dome for thousands and thousands of years doesn’t make it right.”
✨This book was one of my most anticipated reads of 2022, and it delivered! 🙌🏻 I wish that this story would’ve been around when I was a kid ~ there’s so much wisdom in here about family, relationships, religion, and growing up ✍︎︎ But Ruby’s journey still meant a ton to me as a 27-year old, and I can’t recommend this book highly enough! Here’s what I loved:
♡︎ 𝑰𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒕𝒚: The story is told by a young Jewish narrator who is having trouble feeling a true part of her Jewish family and wanted by her Christian family. Lots of amazing representation here, including the temple’s first female rabbi, a Jewish-Chinese student, a non-binary student, and a black Muslim student. Some get more page time than others, but all are treated with immense respect and aren’t just there as background characters.
♥︎ 𝑴𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒚: I 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐞 learning about other culture’s mythologies, and I really loved the dybbuk storyline. I also loved how the monster of the story was understandable in her turmoil that made her an “evil“ ghost.
♡︎ 𝑭𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚: it’s no secret that family relationships can be incredibly complicated and toxic. Ruby sees this firsthand and is exposed to some challenging topics for readers, like anti-semitism, manipulation and favoritism, jealousy, and belonging. Not all of this is resolved by the end of the book, but it’s handled with great care.
Overall, this is a 4.5/5 star read for me (due to a small plot hole toward the end) ✨ Give this awesome middle-grade read a try❣︎
January 16, 2025
I would like to thank NetGalley, Macmillan Children’s, and the author for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own
Read if you like:
❤️ Self-discovery
🧑🧑🧒🧒 Mixed family
✡️ Jewish rep
🧑 Middle grade
1️⃣ POV
📍 New York
Ruby is having trouble finding her place. She’s tired of being compared to her seemingly perfect cousin, Sarah, especially by their very traditional Jewish grandmother. Ruby feels that her grandmother doesn’t see her as Jewish enough because her mother is Catholic. Ruby’s other grandparents see her as too Jewish. When Sarah starts acting out, Ruby feels like she can finally get enough attention to show she’s Sarah’s equal. But when Sarah goes too far, Ruby starts to fear that the chest she wasn’t supposed to open really did contain a dybbuk, and evil spirit, as her grandmother had warned her. Now she has to save Sarah but only a pious Jew can exorcise a dybbuk, and as a patrilineal Jew, Ruby isn’t sure she’s enough.
This book was really interesting, I’d never heard of a dybbuk before so it was nice to learn a little of Jewish mythology. I wish there was a little more of the cultural aspects in the book. Lot of the book was Ruby being an angsty pre-teen which means to me she wasn’t entirely likable, or at least that I got tired of her complaining about her cousin who really did nothing wrong. I did really feel awful for her because of how her grandparents acted and it was nice to see a middle grade novel with loving parents (who aren’t killed off). This wasn’t really for me but I did really appreciate learning a bit more about Jewish customs.
Read if you like:
❤️ Self-discovery
🧑🧑🧒🧒 Mixed family
✡️ Jewish rep
🧑 Middle grade
1️⃣ POV
📍 New York
Ruby is having trouble finding her place. She’s tired of being compared to her seemingly perfect cousin, Sarah, especially by their very traditional Jewish grandmother. Ruby feels that her grandmother doesn’t see her as Jewish enough because her mother is Catholic. Ruby’s other grandparents see her as too Jewish. When Sarah starts acting out, Ruby feels like she can finally get enough attention to show she’s Sarah’s equal. But when Sarah goes too far, Ruby starts to fear that the chest she wasn’t supposed to open really did contain a dybbuk, and evil spirit, as her grandmother had warned her. Now she has to save Sarah but only a pious Jew can exorcise a dybbuk, and as a patrilineal Jew, Ruby isn’t sure she’s enough.
This book was really interesting, I’d never heard of a dybbuk before so it was nice to learn a little of Jewish mythology. I wish there was a little more of the cultural aspects in the book. Lot of the book was Ruby being an angsty pre-teen which means to me she wasn’t entirely likable, or at least that I got tired of her complaining about her cousin who really did nothing wrong. I did really feel awful for her because of how her grandparents acted and it was nice to see a middle grade novel with loving parents (who aren’t killed off). This wasn’t really for me but I did really appreciate learning a bit more about Jewish customs.
March 5, 2023
First of all, I would like to give a round of applause for the cover it is gorgeous truly middle grade gets some of the best covers.
I'm in love with the magical realism trend in middle grade, it provides a window into a different culture and it can add a lot of nuance to what could otherwise be a pretty run of the mill middle grade contemporary. Personally, I enjoy this when it stays ambiguous throughout the story. The majority of this book does this really well, there's this lingering question of whether or not Sarah is actually possessed or if she is just acting out because of her fight with Ruby. The reveal that she is actually possessed by the dybbuk was a little bit of a let down, I think it's more interesting for Sarah's character if she got to have that moment of personal growth of coming into herself as well rather than it just being about Ruby growing as a person; but it still works fine.
The book features the occasional aside from Ruby as it's told from her POV, and they could be kind of hit or miss. I know it's pretty common for middlegrade fiction to do this I just think her parentheticals just didn't always work for me. It gives an extra glimpse at Ruby's personality but could be distracting at certain times or would seem out of spirit with the character growth that we'd seen up to that point.
It also wrapped up a bit quickly for me, there were times where the progress of the novel felt rushed. but I'm willing to forgive a lot of evils when you think about what the target age demographic is. This was still a cute book and a fun read.
I'm in love with the magical realism trend in middle grade, it provides a window into a different culture and it can add a lot of nuance to what could otherwise be a pretty run of the mill middle grade contemporary. Personally, I enjoy this when it stays ambiguous throughout the story. The majority of this book does this really well, there's this lingering question of whether or not Sarah is actually possessed or if she is just acting out because of her fight with Ruby. The reveal that she is actually possessed by the dybbuk was a little bit of a let down, I think it's more interesting for Sarah's character if she got to have that moment of personal growth of coming into herself as well rather than it just being about Ruby growing as a person; but it still works fine.
The book features the occasional aside from Ruby as it's told from her POV, and they could be kind of hit or miss. I know it's pretty common for middlegrade fiction to do this I just think her parentheticals just didn't always work for me. It gives an extra glimpse at Ruby's personality but could be distracting at certain times or would seem out of spirit with the character growth that we'd seen up to that point.
It also wrapped up a bit quickly for me, there were times where the progress of the novel felt rushed. but I'm willing to forgive a lot of evils when you think about what the target age demographic is. This was still a cute book and a fun read.
June 3, 2024
This is one of those situations when the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover” flies out the window. How can you not want to pick up a book this pretty?! I needed a break from the overtly fantastical titles on the Mark Twain list this year, and so I wasn’t too thrilled about the plot of a girl being taken over by a dybukk (a demonic spirit in Jewish mythology), but once the story got going, I felt like that storyline was shadowed by some bigger (and more interesting) themes.
The “two wrong halves” mentioned in the title refer to Ruby having a Christian mother and a Jewish father. She’s raised Jewish, but her (horrible, if you ask me) grandmother reiterates over and over that “true” Jews have matrilineal descent and therefore, Ruby isn’t really Jewish. Her cousin Sarah (the poor girl who gets inhabited by a dybukk) has two Jewish parents and therefore is blatantly preferred by their grandmother. Ruby really doesn’t get to experience many healthy relationships in her family; while her parents are loving and supportive, her extended family on both sides is flat out hateful sometimes, especially when it comes to gender and/or religion.
To be honest, Ruby drove me nuts at times, but I did really love the exploration of how we allow others’ perceptions to affect our self worth, how we define ourselves, and how we are made up of so many different parts. This book is also an excellent mirror for those growing up in mixed religious households and a great window for readers interested in learning more about Judaism.
The “two wrong halves” mentioned in the title refer to Ruby having a Christian mother and a Jewish father. She’s raised Jewish, but her (horrible, if you ask me) grandmother reiterates over and over that “true” Jews have matrilineal descent and therefore, Ruby isn’t really Jewish. Her cousin Sarah (the poor girl who gets inhabited by a dybukk) has two Jewish parents and therefore is blatantly preferred by their grandmother. Ruby really doesn’t get to experience many healthy relationships in her family; while her parents are loving and supportive, her extended family on both sides is flat out hateful sometimes, especially when it comes to gender and/or religion.
To be honest, Ruby drove me nuts at times, but I did really love the exploration of how we allow others’ perceptions to affect our self worth, how we define ourselves, and how we are made up of so many different parts. This book is also an excellent mirror for those growing up in mixed religious households and a great window for readers interested in learning more about Judaism.
September 4, 2024
I'll admit that I found the ending to be rather anticlimactic. Again, this is one of those instances where I need to temper my expectations because this is middle grade and not a horror movie, so there's not going to be this big exorcism at the end, but it just felt like, "Oh, that's it?" And in a way, I guess it makes sense since Chana-Lotte isn't malicious, we see why she's the way she is (sidebar but the way Grandma Yvette just steamrolled right over her suicide is WILD), so we as the reader don't really want to see her exorcised or sealed away. But something would have been nice.
Speaking of Grandma Yvette, I was so worried that she was never going to be called out in this book, but thank God she was. (Should have happened sooner in my opinion, but I'll take it.) I'm glad this wasn't another instance of the main character having to put up with abuse from a family member because "family is family" or "that's just the way things are" because Grandma Yvette is absolutely foul. Actually, Ruby kind of gets the shaft on both sides because her Nana and Poppy suck, too. Both the Chanukah party and the Christmas party scenes were... yeesh. I would go no contact with everyone after that debacle.
Speaking of Grandma Yvette, I was so worried that she was never going to be called out in this book, but thank God she was. (Should have happened sooner in my opinion, but I'll take it.) I'm glad this wasn't another instance of the main character having to put up with abuse from a family member because "family is family" or "that's just the way things are" because Grandma Yvette is absolutely foul. Actually, Ruby kind of gets the shaft on both sides because her Nana and Poppy suck, too. Both the Chanukah party and the Christmas party scenes were... yeesh. I would go no contact with everyone after that debacle.
January 6, 2022
This book is written for middle school kids. It's about a girl named Ruby who is half Jewish on her father's side and half Christian on her Mom's side. Despite being a patrlinear Jew, she is raised in the Jewish faith. She's not Jewish enough for her Jewish grandmother and she's too Jewish for her Mom's parents. Her cousin Sarah is a full blooded Jew and more favored by Grandma. Sarah does everything right and Ruby never feels good enough.
Grandma has a chest that they've been told not to open because a Dyybuk is in it.. A Dyybuk is a ghost that can take over your body. One day Ruby trips over the box and it opens a little. Sarah is in the room. Shortly after, Sarah changes her personality and starts getting in trouble. How is Ruby going to fix this one?
Good character development in this book and the main character seems authentic and has a sense of humor. They talk about developing friendships, joining clubs, and feeling joy for being appreciated by Grandma. The Dybbuk is an interesting problem to solve. Good build up and satisfying conclusion.
Grandma has a chest that they've been told not to open because a Dyybuk is in it.. A Dyybuk is a ghost that can take over your body. One day Ruby trips over the box and it opens a little. Sarah is in the room. Shortly after, Sarah changes her personality and starts getting in trouble. How is Ruby going to fix this one?
Good character development in this book and the main character seems authentic and has a sense of humor. They talk about developing friendships, joining clubs, and feeling joy for being appreciated by Grandma. The Dybbuk is an interesting problem to solve. Good build up and satisfying conclusion.
December 29, 2021
This book was a really fun read. I appreciate the author's perspective and approach on how to deal with never being quite enough for those around you. I loved how we got lore about the Dybbuk and how we saw the shift in Sarah, and I appreciated how complete the characters felt; the parents, grandma, and the girls, and our Rabbi were all very real and very human, flaws and all. The story progressed at a good pace, and the only thing I think happened too quickly was the ending. With all the build-up we got until the endpoint, I really expected a greater exorcism. I'm not too disappointed, but I do hunger for a little more drama and flair, since our little dybbuk has proved to have a dramatic side. I could really see children enjoying this story and this could be a very good book club book, since we have a lot we can discuss at the end, especially theorizing the truth or fiction of the dybbuk.
Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the ARC.
Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the ARC.
August 20, 2024
this book was a BLAST to read!! Ruby is a relatable middle schooler with seemingly middle-school problems. Honestly, though, as a tax-paying adult, I felt a lot of parallels between my life and Ruby's. While we do not have all the same experiences, we shared many, and I understood where Ruby and other characters were coming from throughout the whole book. I also think this book was really funny! At times I was actually laughing out loud.
I am not Jewish myself, and I really enjoyed learning about Judaism through this novel. Ruby's perspective on her religion reminded me a lot of my own as a child, but it was also super different because Judaism is more of a cultural identity than my religion was (I was raised Catholic).
All in all, you should check this book out if you like supernatural books, coming-0f-age stories, funny books, books with Jewish characters, or all four!! There's a lot to love here.
I am not Jewish myself, and I really enjoyed learning about Judaism through this novel. Ruby's perspective on her religion reminded me a lot of my own as a child, but it was also super different because Judaism is more of a cultural identity than my religion was (I was raised Catholic).
All in all, you should check this book out if you like supernatural books, coming-0f-age stories, funny books, books with Jewish characters, or all four!! There's a lot to love here.
October 30, 2023
Mark Twain Reader Selector
Rating: 7/10
Should it be a Mark Twain next year? Maybe.
As a Jewish child, I very much appreciated the use of Jewish mythology in this. It is a mythology not often explored; I actually had no idea what a dybbuk was before reading this, since we never learned about mythology in Sunday School. Unfortunately, this story gets bogged down in the fact that Ruby is just not a likeable protagonist. She willingly goes along with a demon because it makes her cousin less "perfect," without really showing care for her cousin. She constantly ditches Sarah, and even towards the end she is still obsessed with her grandmother's approval. I wish there was more growth for Ruby, since there was clear growth for Sarah and for the dybbuk.
It makes me think that Ruby would be good friends with Hugo from "One Kid's Trash."
Rating: 7/10
Should it be a Mark Twain next year? Maybe.
As a Jewish child, I very much appreciated the use of Jewish mythology in this. It is a mythology not often explored; I actually had no idea what a dybbuk was before reading this, since we never learned about mythology in Sunday School. Unfortunately, this story gets bogged down in the fact that Ruby is just not a likeable protagonist. She willingly goes along with a demon because it makes her cousin less "perfect," without really showing care for her cousin. She constantly ditches Sarah, and even towards the end she is still obsessed with her grandmother's approval. I wish there was more growth for Ruby, since there was clear growth for Sarah and for the dybbuk.
It makes me think that Ruby would be good friends with Hugo from "One Kid's Trash."
April 13, 2025
A story of identity (is Ruby a pious Jew, even though her mother isn't Jewish? Is she Jewish enough, even though her favored cousin Sarah is so perfect?), friendships, living up to traditions (Are Jewish women required to cook and not study the Torah like her grandmother says?), finding your place in the world, and standing up for both yourself and your friends. The fantasy element of the dybbuk as a malevolent ghost is more of an interesting device to explore some of these issues than anything else. Kids who are caught between 2 cultures will relate, as will kids who disagree with some traditions or expectations and find themselves lashing out (misbehaving) instead. Ruby and Sarah have to work out changes in their friendship, a common part of growing up as well. As an adult readers, I could both see where Ruby was coming from, and see her mistakes in dealing with her issues.
August 23, 2025
This was a really good story! I appreciated the topics touched upon in the story, particularly intersectionality and tradition within the Jewish community when it comes to gender, religion, and race (this one is less prominent and more so relates to a side character but it is there). The dybbuk is really interesting and seeing Sarah’s transformation as literal possession and rebellion against ideas pushed on her was cool, and balanced well. I wish we got lore drops on the dybbuk a bit earlier to build up to it more, but I liked what we got. Overall I really liked the story, and the characters all read really well. Ruby and Sarah coming together to support each other was written/paced well, along with them getting other friends through getting to know engaging side characters like Aubrey and Jamilah. A good story with appropriate eeriness, great messages, and an engaging narrator/cast.
August 29, 2022
I think this may have been the best middle grade novel I've ever read. The inclusion of Ruby struggling to be accepted by both of her families (Christian and Jewish heritage) while also remaining true to herself was very well done. Also, as someone that struggled with a similar relationship to her grandmother, I think Panitch did a great job representing this extremely complex dynamic. The inclusion of Jewish mythology and folklore was a plot element equivalent to icing on top of the cake (or chocolate on a matzah ball as Ruby loves). Ruby is a main character I would love to see more of, and I will be keeping an eye out to pick up more by Panitch.
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