Kirkus Best YA Fiction of 2024
NPR Books We Love 2024
Horn Book Best Books of 2024
New York Public Library Best Books for Teens 2024
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books 2024
"Blum’s depiction of a teenage Orthodox Jewish girl is remarkable in its precision and authenticity, along with the depth he gives Yoyo as she experiences life outside her community and contemplates her future. [C]onvincing and appealing." —Booklist, *STARRED REVIEW*
“[E]ach potential hot-button issue is handled with delicacy and nuance . . . the characters have dimension and agency, and Yoyo models a level of integrity that feels both genuine and aspirational.” —The Horn Book, *STARRED REVIEW*
"A deeply modern and moving YA novel set in a tightly closed community, this book is a near-perfect exploration of teen self-discovery." —NPR
The book’s…fast-paced, first-person narrative will keep readers glued to the pages. Yoyo’s voice is compelling, and both she and her observant family are portrayed positively and respectfully. Blum’s fans won’t be disappointed.” —Kirkus Reviews
Accolades and Reviews
“YA Novelist Isaac Blum Raises the Stakes” | Kirkus
"The Judgment of Yoyo Gold” | Judith Magazine
Interviews, Articles, and Podcasts
A smart and powerful story set in the Orthodox Jewish community about what it means to fit in, break out, and find your own way, by the award-winning author of The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen.
Yoyo Gold has always played the role of the perfect Jewish daughter. She keeps kosher, looks after her siblings, and volunteers at the local food bank. She respects the decisions of her rabbi father and encourages her friends to observe the rules of their Orthodox faith. But when she sees her best friend cast out of the community over a seemingly innocent transgression, Yoyo’s eyes are opened to the truth of her neighbors’ hypocrisies for the first time. And what she sees leaves her shocked and unmoored.
As Yoyo’s frustration builds, so does the pressure to speak out, even if she can only do so anonymously on TikTok, an app that’s always been forbidden to her. But when one of her videos goes viral—and her decisions wind up impacting not only her own life but also her relationship with the boy she’s falling for—Yoyo’s world is thrown into chaos. She is forced to choose which path to take, for her community, for her family, and most importantly, for herself.
Award-winning author Isaac Blum returns with a new novel that asks what it really means to be part of a community—and what it means to break free.