Winner of the William C. Morris Award
Longlisted for the National Book Award
Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
Kirkus Best YA Fiction of 2022
Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2022
New York Public Library Best Books of 2022
Buzzfeed Best YA Books of 2022
Tablet Best Jewish Children’s Books of 2022
YALSA 2023 Best Fiction for Young Adults
"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*
"A sharply written coming-of-age story whose protagonist, like any teen, is figuring out where he fits in, under circumstances that are thought-provoking and at times heart-wrenching." –Horn Book Magazine, *STARRED REVIEW*
Accolades and Reviews
“How Isaac Blum Created the Funniest YA Narrator of the Year” | BookPage
“Best Teen & YA Books of 2022 Profile: Isaac Blum” | Kirkus
“Q&A With Isaac Blum” | Publishers Weekly
“This YA Novel Has the Positive Orthodox Jewish Representation We’ve Been Craving” | hey alma
“You Should Know…Isaac Blum” | Jewish Exponent
“How Somebody Else’s Reading of My Novel Changed My Own” | Teen Library Toolbox
“Isaac Blum on Writing a Young Adult Novel to Respond to Antisemitic Violence” | Crime Reads
Interviews, Articles, and Podcasts
Hoodie Rosen's life isn't that bad. Sure, his entire Orthodox Jewish community has just picked up and moved to the quiet, mostly non-Jewish town of Tregaron, but Hoodie's world hasn't changed that much. He's got basketball to play, studies to avoid, and a supermarket full of delicious kosher snacks to eat. The people of Tregaron aren’t happy that so many Orthodox Jews are moving in at once, but that’s not Hoodie’s problem.
That is, until he meets and falls for Anna-Marie Diaz-O’Leary—who happens to be the daughter of the obstinate mayor trying to keep Hoodie’s community out of the town. And things only get more complicated when Tregaron is struck by a series of antisemitic crimes that quickly escalate to deadly violence.
As his community turns on him for siding with the enemy, Hoodie finds himself caught between his first love and the only world he’s ever known.
Isaac Blum delivers a wry, witty debut novel about a deeply important and timely subject, in a story of hatred and betrayal—and the friendships we find in the most unexpected places.