The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen

Warning: review contains spoilers

How do you solve a problem like “Hoodie” (Yehuda), an Orthodox Jewish teenager who has a crush on a Christian girl? And not just any Christian girl, but the one whose mother is actively trying to prevent more Jews from moving into their town? Isaac Blum's solution is to throw in a mass murder shooting in a Jewish grocery store to put everything in perspective.

I was shocked and triggered by this hate crime, and unable to give a shit about what happened to one self-centered wiseass boy after four people are killed. Humor and homicide are rarely a good combination, and Blum lacks the skills to pull it off.

A quick and affecting read that I absolutely flew through. I appreciated that the author explores complex issues of faith, prejudice, and community with both gravity and humor. The ending is not so much a resolution but an invitation for further consideration, which I really appreciated. Definitely recommend!