The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen by Isaac Blum; Philomel Books, 224 pages ($18.99) Ages 12 and up.
A 15-year-old Orthodox Jew incurs the wrath of his family and extended community when he falls for one Anna-Marie Diaz-O’Leary in Isaac Blum’s dazzling debut novel.
The hilarious, irreverent voice of Yehuda “Hoodie” Rosen propels the narrative. Hoodie, the only son in a large family, has moved with the rest of his Orthodox community from the Jewish community of Colwyn to the mostly non-Jewish community of Tregaron, outside Philadelphia, where Hoodie’s father is planning an apartment complex to house Orthodox families. The project has run into fierce opposition from the mayor (Anna-Marie’s mother) and other townspeople, sparking a wave of antisemitic attacks that grow increasingly violent.
