What do you think?
Rate this book
Silencing Rebecca
In this genre-bending debut YA novel combining elements of horror, magic realism, and realistic fiction, Rebecca Waldmann’s sheltered life as an Orthodox Jewish teen in Toronto is shattered when her father moves them to Edmonton, where she is plunged into the worldly life of a public high school.
Ordinary teenage angst is complicated by Rebecca’s lack of experience with a culture of wearing cool clothes, swearing, talking back to teachers, and other aspects of secular teen life. Things take a darker turn when Rebecca encounters antisemitism and discovers a secret about the long-ago death of her mother that her father has been hiding from her.
Rebecca doesn’t just defy the strictures of her ultraorthodox religion by wearing tight jeans and flirting with a non-Jewish boy. She discovers to her horror that she has undergone a change that makes puberty look easy—she’s been transformed into a golem! When this mythical clay creature from Jewish folklore takes her over, body and soul, she’s helpless to resist—or almost. Is it because she’s so furious with her father, is that why she is sometimes a girl with a cute boyfriend, and sometimes a very earthy, ugly monster?
In this new and very disturbing back-and-forth existence, Rebecca fights off the attention of a predatory schoolmate and her father’s determination to force her into an arranged marriage. She struggles to name her own desires and speak her own truths, and still be true to her own beliefs. But it’s hard to know your own beliefs when you are in a battle for your existence as a human…
Ordinary teenage angst is complicated by Rebecca’s lack of experience with a culture of wearing cool clothes, swearing, talking back to teachers, and other aspects of secular teen life. Things take a darker turn when Rebecca encounters antisemitism and discovers a secret about the long-ago death of her mother that her father has been hiding from her.
Rebecca doesn’t just defy the strictures of her ultraorthodox religion by wearing tight jeans and flirting with a non-Jewish boy. She discovers to her horror that she has undergone a change that makes puberty look easy—she’s been transformed into a golem! When this mythical clay creature from Jewish folklore takes her over, body and soul, she’s helpless to resist—or almost. Is it because she’s so furious with her father, is that why she is sometimes a girl with a cute boyfriend, and sometimes a very earthy, ugly monster?
In this new and very disturbing back-and-forth existence, Rebecca fights off the attention of a predatory schoolmate and her father’s determination to force her into an arranged marriage. She struggles to name her own desires and speak her own truths, and still be true to her own beliefs. But it’s hard to know your own beliefs when you are in a battle for your existence as a human…
216 pages, Paperback
Published August 31, 2022
1 person is currently reading
702 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 26, 2023
**Spoilers included **
I really wanted to like this book, as I was curious to see how the fascinating mythology of the golem would be incorporated into a modern-day YA novel. Recognizing that I'm older than the target demographic, the book still grabbed my attention at first and I was still able to appreciate the larger themes behind the teen angst, and look past some editing glitches, e.g. how the hebrew words were written from left to right instead of right to left.
As the story moved on, I started to suspect what the ultimate traumatic event would be, but hoped that I would be wrong so kept reading. With just a handful of pages left, I couldn't tell how everything was going to be wrapped up since the big reveal still hadn't occurred. I was deeply disappointed when my suspicions were proven right.
Yet again the trope of rape was used as a plot tool. While statistically it is extremely likely for a girl under 18 in Canada to experience some form of sexual assault, this has become a tired and lazy trope used by authors, essentially saying that rape is the very worst thing that could ever happen to a girl/woman in a book as a Thing To Overcome. That in this case it was revealed, recognized, accepted, and all cleansed by falling rain in the few final pages felt disrespectful to every person who has gone through this type of traumatic event.
I feel like the story could have been much richer by not including this element, as there were so many other themes to dig into and expand upon, such as the parent/child relationship, religious and spiritual questioning, the impacts of a patriarchal religion upon both genders, and social disconnection.
The way antisemitism was meshed with the sexual violence felt like it was being used for shock value. These two concepts are certainly not mutually exclusive, but in this case seemed like the author was trying to address too many issues at once which ended up feeling clumsy. There were certainly interesting parts to the story, and I love to see mythology weaved into narratives, but unfortunately, overall, this didn't work for me.
I really wanted to like this book, as I was curious to see how the fascinating mythology of the golem would be incorporated into a modern-day YA novel. Recognizing that I'm older than the target demographic, the book still grabbed my attention at first and I was still able to appreciate the larger themes behind the teen angst, and look past some editing glitches, e.g. how the hebrew words were written from left to right instead of right to left.
As the story moved on, I started to suspect what the ultimate traumatic event would be, but hoped that I would be wrong so kept reading. With just a handful of pages left, I couldn't tell how everything was going to be wrapped up since the big reveal still hadn't occurred. I was deeply disappointed when my suspicions were proven right.
Yet again the trope of rape was used as a plot tool. While statistically it is extremely likely for a girl under 18 in Canada to experience some form of sexual assault, this has become a tired and lazy trope used by authors, essentially saying that rape is the very worst thing that could ever happen to a girl/woman in a book as a Thing To Overcome. That in this case it was revealed, recognized, accepted, and all cleansed by falling rain in the few final pages felt disrespectful to every person who has gone through this type of traumatic event.
I feel like the story could have been much richer by not including this element, as there were so many other themes to dig into and expand upon, such as the parent/child relationship, religious and spiritual questioning, the impacts of a patriarchal religion upon both genders, and social disconnection.
The way antisemitism was meshed with the sexual violence felt like it was being used for shock value. These two concepts are certainly not mutually exclusive, but in this case seemed like the author was trying to address too many issues at once which ended up feeling clumsy. There were certainly interesting parts to the story, and I love to see mythology weaved into narratives, but unfortunately, overall, this didn't work for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2023
Triggers: religious trauma, rape, sexual assault
(3.5/5 rounded down for the ending) A blend of magic realism and religious horror, this was an eerie, unnerving take on the way societal and religious institutions leave girls and women choking and drowning – metaphorically and literally.
Raised by an Orthodox Jewish father, Rebecca Waldmann's sheltered existence dissipates as the pair move from Toronto to Edmonton. Going from Jewish day school to public school, Rebecca is confronted with culture shock and anti-Semitism from her classmates. When she discovers that her father has been keeping a secret from her, Rebecca starts to rebel in small ways: dressing like a normal teenager, going to sports games, having secular friends.
However, her transformation doesn't stop there. Under the cover of dark, Rebecca is turning into a golem – a creature of mud brought to life by its human master, a silent helper for someone else's purposes. Her descent into voicelessness is reflective of her father's inability to hear her, to truly listen to her. Becoming a feral creature of dust and mud, in so many ways, was the only way Rebecca could break out of the shell that had been thrust upon her.
Unfortunately, the ending was a bust for me. I'm so sick of rape and sexual assault being used as a plot device for character growth. It's tired, it's uncreative, and cheapens what could have been an incredibly strong novel on religious trauma and institutionalized misogyny all on its own.
(3.5/5 rounded down for the ending) A blend of magic realism and religious horror, this was an eerie, unnerving take on the way societal and religious institutions leave girls and women choking and drowning – metaphorically and literally.
Raised by an Orthodox Jewish father, Rebecca Waldmann's sheltered existence dissipates as the pair move from Toronto to Edmonton. Going from Jewish day school to public school, Rebecca is confronted with culture shock and anti-Semitism from her classmates. When she discovers that her father has been keeping a secret from her, Rebecca starts to rebel in small ways: dressing like a normal teenager, going to sports games, having secular friends.
However, her transformation doesn't stop there. Under the cover of dark, Rebecca is turning into a golem – a creature of mud brought to life by its human master, a silent helper for someone else's purposes. Her descent into voicelessness is reflective of her father's inability to hear her, to truly listen to her. Becoming a feral creature of dust and mud, in so many ways, was the only way Rebecca could break out of the shell that had been thrust upon her.
Unfortunately, the ending was a bust for me. I'm so sick of rape and sexual assault being used as a plot device for character growth. It's tired, it's uncreative, and cheapens what could have been an incredibly strong novel on religious trauma and institutionalized misogyny all on its own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 9, 2022
Lots of spoilers to follow.
The writing is beautiful. And the depiction of inner turmoil and constant questioning of one’s self that comes after years of internalizing this type of control and gaslighting was so believably depicted. The back and forth between the story of a girl who becomes a golem and the golem who used to be the girl is a neat story telling device. I couldn’t stop turning pages. As Rebecca desperately tries to uncover her truth, the reader feels equally desperate to reveal the story by not putting the book down. So I wanted to love this book through and through. Then in the final stretch it becomes yet another story in which rape is a plot device. And I’m tired of this trope. Sexual violence isn’t a character building event in one’s life. Trauma doesn’t make us stronger. We don’t have a sudden experience of growth as a result of sexual violence. On the contrary, our growth is set back, sometimes years, sometimes decades. Healing isn’t a neat, linear story that begins with assault and ends with a trite confrontation of the perpetrator. Real life is not like Law and Order: SVU. And in this case the rape as story-propelling incident felt tacked on not only unnecessarily but also hastily. Unnecessary because the betrayals and revelations happening under her own roof and the ways she silenced herself were heartbreaking enough that readers don’t need any extra trauma to buy that all these things have transformed Rebecca into a golem. A violent, antisemetic, sexual assault wasn’t needed for the story to make sense. And because it and the final confrontation with her attacker felt so hurriedly written, it felt gratuitous. If sexual violence was truly an important and necessary part of Rebecca’s story, shouldn’t it have deserved more time and care? A single confrontation and a cleansing rain and the story ends, as if Rebecca, or any survivor, could now have a happy ending and move on? It takes so much more than that to find peace after trauma. And the way a heart attack was all the impetuous she apparently needed to forgive her neglectful, abusive, manipulative and dishonest father without so much as a proper apology or even a promise of changed behavior also felt rushed and less than believable. It feels like more “good girl” behavior when we’ve been watching her struggle to learn that she is the one responsible for defining what being a “good girl” means to her. Plus she forgives her father but we don’t see her explicitly forgive her deceased mother for the supposed crime of abandoning her (by dying on the job). How does that align with her growth and increasing questioning of her patriarchal world? I guess what really bothers me about the ending is that in the hurry to wrap things up, Rebecca is depicted in a way that doesn’t feel liberated so much as it feels like more of the same quiet acceptance we were waiting to see her shed. I was left feeling like a lot of storylines were left hanging and feeling resentful at the apparent expectation that I was supposed to find the ending satisfactory and moving rather than frustrating. And if most of the build up to the climax and wrap up hadn’t been so beautifully crafted it might have been less frustrating. It felt a lot like Game of Thrones…a grand accomplishment of storytelling that fumbled it in the final stretch. If it had been mediocre from the start I wouldn’t have had such high expectations for the conclusion. All that said, and my personal hatred for sexual violence against women as a plot device aside, I hope we see more from this author. If this is the debut novel and the first 95% was as excellent as it was, then I can’t wait to see if the second novel manages to bring us 100% of that excellence. I would gladly read more Jewish magical realism, especially set in Canada. What a delightful niche the publishing world needs more of!
The writing is beautiful. And the depiction of inner turmoil and constant questioning of one’s self that comes after years of internalizing this type of control and gaslighting was so believably depicted. The back and forth between the story of a girl who becomes a golem and the golem who used to be the girl is a neat story telling device. I couldn’t stop turning pages. As Rebecca desperately tries to uncover her truth, the reader feels equally desperate to reveal the story by not putting the book down. So I wanted to love this book through and through. Then in the final stretch it becomes yet another story in which rape is a plot device. And I’m tired of this trope. Sexual violence isn’t a character building event in one’s life. Trauma doesn’t make us stronger. We don’t have a sudden experience of growth as a result of sexual violence. On the contrary, our growth is set back, sometimes years, sometimes decades. Healing isn’t a neat, linear story that begins with assault and ends with a trite confrontation of the perpetrator. Real life is not like Law and Order: SVU. And in this case the rape as story-propelling incident felt tacked on not only unnecessarily but also hastily. Unnecessary because the betrayals and revelations happening under her own roof and the ways she silenced herself were heartbreaking enough that readers don’t need any extra trauma to buy that all these things have transformed Rebecca into a golem. A violent, antisemetic, sexual assault wasn’t needed for the story to make sense. And because it and the final confrontation with her attacker felt so hurriedly written, it felt gratuitous. If sexual violence was truly an important and necessary part of Rebecca’s story, shouldn’t it have deserved more time and care? A single confrontation and a cleansing rain and the story ends, as if Rebecca, or any survivor, could now have a happy ending and move on? It takes so much more than that to find peace after trauma. And the way a heart attack was all the impetuous she apparently needed to forgive her neglectful, abusive, manipulative and dishonest father without so much as a proper apology or even a promise of changed behavior also felt rushed and less than believable. It feels like more “good girl” behavior when we’ve been watching her struggle to learn that she is the one responsible for defining what being a “good girl” means to her. Plus she forgives her father but we don’t see her explicitly forgive her deceased mother for the supposed crime of abandoning her (by dying on the job). How does that align with her growth and increasing questioning of her patriarchal world? I guess what really bothers me about the ending is that in the hurry to wrap things up, Rebecca is depicted in a way that doesn’t feel liberated so much as it feels like more of the same quiet acceptance we were waiting to see her shed. I was left feeling like a lot of storylines were left hanging and feeling resentful at the apparent expectation that I was supposed to find the ending satisfactory and moving rather than frustrating. And if most of the build up to the climax and wrap up hadn’t been so beautifully crafted it might have been less frustrating. It felt a lot like Game of Thrones…a grand accomplishment of storytelling that fumbled it in the final stretch. If it had been mediocre from the start I wouldn’t have had such high expectations for the conclusion. All that said, and my personal hatred for sexual violence against women as a plot device aside, I hope we see more from this author. If this is the debut novel and the first 95% was as excellent as it was, then I can’t wait to see if the second novel manages to bring us 100% of that excellence. I would gladly read more Jewish magical realism, especially set in Canada. What a delightful niche the publishing world needs more of!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 26, 2022
This fantastic book jumps right into the action with a claustrophobic scene that has us questioning what the heck is going on with the main character. The book then goes on to answer that intriguing question.
The story of Rebecca, a teenager transplanted from Toronto to Edmonton, starts predictably. She struggles with the upheaval of moving to a new place and starting at a new school, something most of us can relate to. But things quickly take an unexpected turn when Rebecca morphs into a golem.
I had no idea what a golem was. I vaguely remembered hearing the word in an X-Files tv show episode. But that was in the late 90s and my memory was drawing a blank. Vogel described a golem as an ugly monster, a mythical clay creature straight out of Jewish folklore. Still feeling clueless, I had to find out more. Enter Google. Stories of golems go back centuries. While golems started in Jewish mythology, they have morphed into popular culture in Dungeons & Dragons, Pokémon, and many more places. Currently golems are considered robots that operate through magic instead of technology, although it is considered taboo by many to use the term golem outside of its Jewish context. Taking it a step further, seeing the pictures of golems on Google Images helped fully clarify it for me.
Vogel does a phenomenal job making the transformation from Rebecca the human being to Rebecca the golem and back again. The pictures her words draw is a powerful thing, ensuring you can easily imagine Rebecca undergoing each metamorphosis.
In the back of the book starting on page 209, you’ll find a Glossary of Terms. I wish I had known about it before reaching the end as it would’ve been handy to be able to figure out what was what. For example, a bubba is a grandmother, chrain is a horseradish condiment served during Passover, and a schlub is a do-nothing lazy person. But my loss is your gain as you now know about this awesome resource.
I have no idea how to categorize this book. It is a coming of age story for sure but it also has touches of horror, fantasy, and dramatic fiction, among other genres. I love that it broke through so many of the categorical walls and that it didn’t matter what genre it was. All that mattered was that it was a fabulous read!
This fantastic fiction read had some captivating dark parts but it ultimately felt like an empowerment story. Despite struggles and hardships, in the end Rebecca morphs not just into a golem but a stronger and wiser woman for everything she has gone through. It’s a moving story that I highly recommend no matter what genre you prefer to read!
THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE OR FROM WWW.SKBOOKS.COM
The story of Rebecca, a teenager transplanted from Toronto to Edmonton, starts predictably. She struggles with the upheaval of moving to a new place and starting at a new school, something most of us can relate to. But things quickly take an unexpected turn when Rebecca morphs into a golem.
I had no idea what a golem was. I vaguely remembered hearing the word in an X-Files tv show episode. But that was in the late 90s and my memory was drawing a blank. Vogel described a golem as an ugly monster, a mythical clay creature straight out of Jewish folklore. Still feeling clueless, I had to find out more. Enter Google. Stories of golems go back centuries. While golems started in Jewish mythology, they have morphed into popular culture in Dungeons & Dragons, Pokémon, and many more places. Currently golems are considered robots that operate through magic instead of technology, although it is considered taboo by many to use the term golem outside of its Jewish context. Taking it a step further, seeing the pictures of golems on Google Images helped fully clarify it for me.
Vogel does a phenomenal job making the transformation from Rebecca the human being to Rebecca the golem and back again. The pictures her words draw is a powerful thing, ensuring you can easily imagine Rebecca undergoing each metamorphosis.
In the back of the book starting on page 209, you’ll find a Glossary of Terms. I wish I had known about it before reaching the end as it would’ve been handy to be able to figure out what was what. For example, a bubba is a grandmother, chrain is a horseradish condiment served during Passover, and a schlub is a do-nothing lazy person. But my loss is your gain as you now know about this awesome resource.
I have no idea how to categorize this book. It is a coming of age story for sure but it also has touches of horror, fantasy, and dramatic fiction, among other genres. I love that it broke through so many of the categorical walls and that it didn’t matter what genre it was. All that mattered was that it was a fabulous read!
This fantastic fiction read had some captivating dark parts but it ultimately felt like an empowerment story. Despite struggles and hardships, in the end Rebecca morphs not just into a golem but a stronger and wiser woman for everything she has gone through. It’s a moving story that I highly recommend no matter what genre you prefer to read!
THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE OR FROM WWW.SKBOOKS.COM
November 16, 2022
Rebecca has lived a very sheltered life growing up in Toronto as part of an Orthodox Jewish family. Her whole life as she knows it is completely uprooted when she and her father move to Edmonton. For the first time, Rebecca attends a public school, thrown into unfamiliar territory with a more eclectic student body. On top of that, she keeps turning into a Golem! But why, and how, and will it ever stop?
This unique and absorbing YA debut had just the right touch of magical realism to it, with a hint of horror during the golem bits. This was a fantastic, compelling mix that worked well together. Magical realism can be hit or miss for me, and this one was a hit.
I enjoyed learning more about the Orthodox Jewish beliefs and meaningful traditions, as well as a bit of the folklore with the golem element. This was the first book that I have come across so far that has shed some insight on Orthodox Jewish religion in an easy to digest fiction novel.
The only parts that were tough to read through were the antisemitic encounters Rebecca and her friends had to endure. I was sickened and disgusted by some of the actions/comments made by some characters, and it was a stark reminder of what some people may actually face in their day to day lives.
Rebecca's high school journey and being the new girl felt all too familiar to me, and I appreciated being able to connect with her character in that way. The ups and downs of it all were very well written and relatable. I definitely was rooting for her throughout this book and hoping for the best possible outcome, as she stumbles upon some not-so-easy-to-swallow truths about her own family.
Nikki Vogel's writing has a beautiful, lyrical quality and I was here for it. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.
Overall, an intriguing journey for Rebecca, as she struggles feeling stuck between two totally different worlds; one in which she must conform, and one in which she is free to choose for herself.
Thank you to Thistledown Press for sending a copy of this my way to read and review.
This unique and absorbing YA debut had just the right touch of magical realism to it, with a hint of horror during the golem bits. This was a fantastic, compelling mix that worked well together. Magical realism can be hit or miss for me, and this one was a hit.
I enjoyed learning more about the Orthodox Jewish beliefs and meaningful traditions, as well as a bit of the folklore with the golem element. This was the first book that I have come across so far that has shed some insight on Orthodox Jewish religion in an easy to digest fiction novel.
The only parts that were tough to read through were the antisemitic encounters Rebecca and her friends had to endure. I was sickened and disgusted by some of the actions/comments made by some characters, and it was a stark reminder of what some people may actually face in their day to day lives.
Rebecca's high school journey and being the new girl felt all too familiar to me, and I appreciated being able to connect with her character in that way. The ups and downs of it all were very well written and relatable. I definitely was rooting for her throughout this book and hoping for the best possible outcome, as she stumbles upon some not-so-easy-to-swallow truths about her own family.
Nikki Vogel's writing has a beautiful, lyrical quality and I was here for it. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.
Overall, an intriguing journey for Rebecca, as she struggles feeling stuck between two totally different worlds; one in which she must conform, and one in which she is free to choose for herself.
Thank you to Thistledown Press for sending a copy of this my way to read and review.
October 10, 2022
I devoured this amazing book in one day. Vogel deftly combines magical realism, horror and realistic fiction in her debut YA novel. It is definitely a crossover book, and will appeal to a wide range of readers, from 13 to 103.
The structure weaves back and forth between Rebecca as golem and Rebecca as an Orthodox Jewish girl in a secular school, pressed on every side by the expectations of those around her. Rebecca's vulnerability drew me in and kept me turning pages, not just to uncover the mystery of how she came to become a golem, but also because I cared so deeply about her and needed to know the outcome of her choices at school and at home.
The novel draws the reader deep into the traditions of Orthodox Judaism while also painting a realistic and eye-opening portrait of life in an Edmonton public school.
If you're looking for a novel that will transport you to another time and place while giving you a new perspective from which to view the world around you, this is the book for you. A delightful, thoughtful and at time deeply disturbing book, in the best possible way.
The structure weaves back and forth between Rebecca as golem and Rebecca as an Orthodox Jewish girl in a secular school, pressed on every side by the expectations of those around her. Rebecca's vulnerability drew me in and kept me turning pages, not just to uncover the mystery of how she came to become a golem, but also because I cared so deeply about her and needed to know the outcome of her choices at school and at home.
The novel draws the reader deep into the traditions of Orthodox Judaism while also painting a realistic and eye-opening portrait of life in an Edmonton public school.
If you're looking for a novel that will transport you to another time and place while giving you a new perspective from which to view the world around you, this is the book for you. A delightful, thoughtful and at time deeply disturbing book, in the best possible way.
October 23, 2022
I've always believed the mark of a great book is that it brings the reader something new every time they read it. I've been lucky to be part of this project from the beginning, so I've read this novel several times, and every time I do, I come away with something new. This is an important book for both teens and parents, but especially for girls who struggle to have a voice in our world. Not only is it a gripping story, but the author has paid attention to the beauty of the language. There are sentences to linger on and ones that will make you think. Highly recommend.
March 4, 2023
This cross over YA novel was a genre of blended family drama, teenage angst and horrifying Fantasy with a twist of romance! Kept me turning pages throughout the book and seeking an end! An end which I thought would be predictable but was anything but!
Well done Nikki!
Well done Nikki!
October 8, 2022
This book is so totally enchanting, creative and enjoyable. Wow!
February 11, 2023
Overwhelmingly tragic.
May 4, 2023
Horribly inaccurate portrayal of orthodox jewish beliefs and practices.
June 10, 2023
A strong and moving story about the price girls and women pay for silence.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews