LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD!
A WILLIAM C. MORRIS AWARD WINNER!
The Chosen meets Adam Silvera in this irreverent and timely story of
worlds colliding in friendship, betrayal, and hatred.
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.
Praise for The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen
"A deeply authentic story about the terror and glory of encountering the
outside world without sacrificing who you are--and who you want to be.
It's touching, tragic, and as Jewish as your Bubbe's cholent."
-Gavriel Savit, New York Times bestselling author of Anna and the
Swallow Man
"Blum gives the common but often-dismissed spiritual journey of many
teens the respect it deserves in this witty, profound look at
cross-cultural friendship, courageous honesty, and how a willingness to
truly see and love our neighbors can change an entire community."
-Vesper Stamper, National Book Award-nominated author of What the
Night Sings
"A refreshingly human look at the day-to-day nuances of Orthodox Judaism
and the terror of modern antisemitism. I laughed, I gasped, I craved
kosher Starburst. Two thumbs up from this nice Jewish girl!" -Tyler
Feder, Sydney Taylor Award-winning author of Dancing at the Pity
Party
"Bold, brave, and brutally honest, it holds a permanent piece of my
heart." -Dahlia Adler, author of Cool for the Summer
"Isaac Blum has the rare talent of telling searing, visceral truths in a
witty, funny, punchy way . . . The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen is
a vital voice in Jewish YA canon." -Katherine Locke, Sydney Taylor
Honor author of The Girl with the Red Balloon
