Welcome to Litsy!

Glorious on audio.

Past meets present, tales of the old world meet the realities of the modern world - in this lush novel in verse that celebrates Latin America and the Jewish diasporas. 16 year old Ilana is banished to Prague for the summer by her parents, who hope that the time away will help her to focus on her studies and less on her music. ⬇️

Unfortunately books like Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds and Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough have set my expectations for YA novels in verse incredibly high. While I thought this was interesting, and really enjoyed the setting of a girl cleaning and exploring out of a Jewish cemetery this just didn't blow me away in language the way it did others. I do think it helps if you know some Yiddish and Hebrew words.

Soft pick, just BC the creep factor. This novel in verse is set in Prague during WW2, and present day. It is lyrical and mystical. A young girl is staying with her artist aunt in Prague, and is fascinated by the cemetery and it‘s environs, where she sees a teen boy and younger girl who are trapped in between death and the Neverwhere.

#Pantone2023 @Clwojick

I‘m half way through this one and … wow.. it‘s lyrical and beautiful.

This book was incredibly unique. It was completely in verse, something I wasn‘t expecting. I loved how Romero drew from her own experiences as a Jewish Latina when writing Ilana‘s story. The verses were so beautiful, some of them could‘ve been stand alone poems. I liked how Romero drew from folklore when writing Wasserman‘s character. Romero‘s story was a love letter to Jewish people everywhere and their struggles/persistence throughout history.

The story is engrossing, the characters are relatable, the magic is vibrant, the poetry flows, and it's super Jewish. It was basically everything I wanted. Definitely recommended.

Interesting...

#Scarathlon2022 #ScarathlonDailyPrompts

I had to drop off books at the library today & found these two books in the YA section that fit our #TeamMonsterMash criteria. The tagged book is written in verse & I‘m a bit in 🖤 with the gorgeous #black cover. Youngblood is a sapphic vampire boarding school story which looked fun. Two more books for my giant moody October #TBR

The atmosphere of Prague suffuses this story of magic, music, and memory. The story becomes a bit bogged down in the middle but is still a lovely story.

I was excited to get this, soon to discover that it's written entirely in verse. I let out a sigh. However I bought the book, so I figure I better give it a try. 24 hours later it has become one of my favorite books. The author weaves a plot through the verse; yet there are passages that read like individual poems. I enjoyed the light-hearted story, while still exploring heavier themes. It's a modern fairy tale and I couldn't put it down.

"Flower petals cling to my tools; I shake them off as I climb the hill. Tomorrow, the edges of the petals will crumble and brown, like strawberry girl's roses. But today they are ballerinas in summertime skirts who dance only for me."

"For as long as I can remember, I've written letters in sea foam to the mermaids I once believed swam just off the shore...."