What an original story. I haven’t encountered anything quite like it. There’s a little bit of Frankenstein in it - the pursuit of vengeance and the question of what makes a being “human” or “monster.” It’s part WWII horror - the gruesome Nazi experiments as well as the bloody struggle to survive and fight. And the book also has a tentative and heartbreaking second chance romance.
The story follows Vera, who was created as a golem in the image of Chaya, a girl killed by Nazis. Vera joins forces with Akiva - the boy who loved Chaya when she was still alive. Together they seek vengeance and fight against the forces occupying their home.
I loved that Vera was trying to find her place in the shadow of the living girl she replaced in everyone’s eyes. She has Chaya’s memories but is a different person and that exploration was super interesting.
I also appreciated the writing style. It was quite fast paced and I kept thinking about it even when I wasn’t reading it. The action was intense and sometimes a bit gruesome for me (just to warn readers) but I think it was important for the setting and plot - I mean, they’re people being brutally hunted and eliminated - it can’t really be anything but horrific.
All of that being said and while I enjoyed the book and liked the characters, I didn’t really connect with any of them. Which is fine because it was a good book in general. Would have liked to learn more about Jewish mythology and golem lore.
The story follows Vera, who was created as a golem in the image of Chaya, a girl killed by Nazis. Vera joins forces with Akiva - the boy who loved Chaya when she was still alive. Together they seek vengeance and fight against the forces occupying their home.
I loved that Vera was trying to find her place in the shadow of the living girl she replaced in everyone’s eyes. She has Chaya’s memories but is a different person and that exploration was super interesting.
I also appreciated the writing style. It was quite fast paced and I kept thinking about it even when I wasn’t reading it. The action was intense and sometimes a bit gruesome for me (just to warn readers) but I think it was important for the setting and plot - I mean, they’re people being brutally hunted and eliminated - it can’t really be anything but horrific.
All of that being said and while I enjoyed the book and liked the characters, I didn’t really connect with any of them. Which is fine because it was a good book in general. Would have liked to learn more about Jewish mythology and golem lore.