Blum, Isaac. The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen. Philomel Books, 2022. 978-0-593-52582-1. 218 p. $18.99. Grades 9-12.

Yehuda “Hoodie” Rosen is part of an Orthodox Jewish community that recently has relocated from Colwyn to (fictional) Tregaron, Pennsylvania. Hoodie is committed to observing the Jewish laws that govern his family’s household and their larger community, but things get complicated when he meets Anna-Marie while on a walk. Spending time with a gentile girl is strictly forbidden. However, the two discover antisemitic graffiti in a local graveyard and decide to work together to clean up the headstones. When his rabbi catches him in the act, Hoodie becomes an exile within his school and even his family. Everything is complicated by the fact that Anna-Marie’s mother is the mayor of Tregaron, and she opposes the expansion of Hoodie’s Orthodox community. Specifically, she’s fighting construction of an apartment complex spearheaded by none other than Hoodie’s father. When a series of violent hate crimes ratchets up the stakes, Hoodie finds himself questioning the rules he always has lived by. With many serious elements, Isaac Blum’s debut also is sweet and genuinely funny. Anna-Marie is a charming star-crossed romantic interest, and Hoodie’s many sisters are absolute scene-stealers. 

THOUGHTS: This timely, heartfelt debut novel is a perfect choice for fans of Jared Reck’s Donuts and Other Proclamations of Love. At only 218 pages, Hoodie Rosen will have broad appeal!

Realistic Fiction          Amy V. Pickett, Ridley SD