Isaac Blum |
The Life and Crimes of Hoodie RosenThe Chosen meets Darius the Great in this irreverent and timely story of worlds colliding in friendship, betrayal, and hatred.
Hoodie Rosen has recently moved to the town of Tregaron, where his Orthodox Jewish community is looking to build a new home. But the people who live there aren’t that thrilled about it, and are blocking them at every turn. Hoodie isn’t so bothered, though. He’s got studies to avoid, basketball to play, and a supermarket full of delicious kosher snacks to eat. But when he meets–and falls for–Anna-Marie Diaz-O’Leary, he runs into a couple of problems. First, as a good yeshiva boy, he’s not supposed to talk to girls, especially girls who aren’t Jewish. And second, Anna-Marie’s mother happens to be Tregaron’s mayor and the leader of the effort to stop Hoodie’s community from living in her town. Hoodie’s community sees his relationship with Anna-Marie as a betrayal–he’s siding with the enemy. So when Tregaron is struck by a series of antisemitic crimes, Hoodie finds himself caught between his first love and the only world he’s ever known. And when those crimes escalate to deadly violence, everyone–Hoodie included–must face the truth. Debut author Isaac Blum delivers wry, witty writing about a deeply important subject that will resonate well beyond the community it describes. * "Funny, smart, moving, courageous, and so timely it almost hurts." –Kirkus, *STARRED REVIEW*
* "Blum tackles themes of acceptance and community [in] this impressively drawn story." –Publishers Weekly, *STARRED REVIEW* Available for order:
Isaac Blum holds an MFA in creative writing from Rutgers University, Camden. His stories and essays have appeared in The New York Times, The Iowa Review, and One Teen Story, among other publications. He currently lives with his wife outside of Philadelphia, where he teaches English and reads books that make him laugh while showing him something true about the world. You can find him at isaacblumauthor.com.
Tags: YA, Contemporary, Literary
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