The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen

Starred review from July 25, 2022
Blum’s immersive debut follows Orthodox Jewish 15-year-old Yehuda “Hoodie” Rosen as he wrestles with
forbidden first love in his increasingly hostile, mostly non-Jewish town. Hoodie and his large family have recently moved to a fictional Philadelphia surburb, Tregaron, where his father is overseeing construction of an apartment complex dedicated to housing Orthodox families. Mayor Diaz-O’Leary and the town council, however, oppose the plans, intending to “protect Tregaron’s character.” Despite stern warnings from Hoodie’s father and Yeshiva teacher not to spend time with goyim, Hoodie meets and falls for Anna-Marie Diaz-O’Leary, the mayor’s daughter, who helps him remove swastikas from Jewish gravestones in a local cemetery. When some of Hoodie’s friends are attacked while he’s hanging out with Anna-Marie, and he is shunned by Jewish peers as a result, Hoodie, hoping to resolve the conflict, plans a dangerous scheme whose consequences reshape their community. Hoodie’s sarcasm and complex relationships capably balance renderings of his solemn inner turmoil and society’s external pressures and expectations. Blum tackles themes of acceptance and community via an intricately detailed Orthodox Jewish cast and a steadily building anticipatory atmosphere, which enlivens this impressively drawn story. Hoodie and his family read as white; Anne-Marie is Latinx-cued. Ages 12–up. Agent: Rena Rossner, Deborah Harris Agency.

September 15, 2022
Grades 7-10 The trouble starts when 15-year-old Hoodie's Orthodox Jewish family moves to a new town along with other families from their tight-knit community. Sadly, they are not made welcome, for the new town, led by the mayor, Monica Diaz-O'Leary, is rife with antisemitism. So isn't it ironic that Anne-Marie, the beautiful girl Hoodie encounters, should turn out to be the mayor's daughter? No matter that he has transgressed against his religion by (a) looking at her and (b) speaking with her, Hoodie is infatuated. Unfortunately, the rebbe and his father are both furious. Things come to a head when three of his friends are attacked while Hoodie is with Anne-Marie. When this is discovered, he is made a pariah. Blum's novel is well plotted, instructive in its portrayal of Orthodox life, and dramatic in its depiction of two communities' tragic misunderstandings. Though the story skews serious, comic relief is found in Hoodie's first-person narration, which invests the book with some much-needed humor.

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December 16, 2022

Gr 8 Up-For Orthodox Jew Hoodie Rosen, the move to a new city has not been all that bad even though the town resents the Jewish people moving into their community and worries about how it changes the status quo. Hoodie's days, though, have stayed pretty much the same-he goes to religious instruction every morning and "regular" school in the afternoon, a school only for members of the Orthodox community. His comfortable existence, only slightly bothered by the conflict in the town, becomes much more difficult when he meets Anna-Marie Diaz-O'Leary, the daughter of the town's mayor who wants the Jewish people gone. He has an instant attraction to Anna-Maria despite a relationship with her being forbidden by his religion. Hoodie's life takes a difficult turn with the defacing of Jewish graves and a vicious anti-Semitic attack in the community. His relationship with Anna-Maria and his actions that offend the Jewish community result in him being ostracized. This unique coming-of-age story addresses issues of faith and action in a manner that has both light-hearted and very serious moments. Hoodie's gentle rebellion against the constraints of his religion and his family will resound with readers of this relatively short novel who find themselves at odds with those closest to them. Adding to the uniqueness of the book are the easily understandable discussions of Jewish Orthodox beliefs. Hoodie, a nicely developed character, has special appeal because of his thoughtful analysis of what he believes and what he wants from his life. VERDICT A great addition to a diverse book collection for any YA library.-Janet Hilbun

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from July 15, 2022
In a town seething over an influx of Orthodox Jews, a yeshiva boy falls in love with the mayor's daughter. Yehuda "Hoodie" Rosen tells us on Page 1 that his horrible crime ruined his life, humiliated his family, and put him in the ICU--but in some ways, he also thought it was pretty funny. Once you get to know this jokester, you'll believe it; his sharp awareness of the ironies of life and language illuminate every page of this first-person narrative. Hoodie, his parents, and his "numerous and various" sisters have just moved to Tregaron, a fictional town (cued as being near Philadelphia) where his father is involved with building a high-rise intended to house many more Orthodox families. The community's outraged opposition to this is spearheaded by the mayor, Monica Diaz-O'Leary, so it's particularly inconvenient that the first love of Hoodie's 15-year-old life is her daughter, Anna-Marie--who seems to like him back. But after the two attempt to remove the swastikas that have been spray-painted on Jewish gravestones, Hoodie is ostracized by his community and harshly punished for consorting with a non-Jew. Then antisemitism explodes in a violent, ripped-from-the-headlines incident. Blum's engrossing debut explains myriad details of Orthodox Jewish faith and includes Hoodie's questioning of them. Through the brilliant character of Zippy, his wise older sister, Hoodie can see the path to a less constricted but still devout way of living. Anna-Marie's surname cues her ethnic background. Funny, smart, moving, courageous, and so timely it almost hurts. (Fiction. 12-adult)

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Starred review from November 1, 2022
Along with a small segment of their ultra-Orthodox community, fifteen-year-old Yehuda "Hoodie" Rosen's family has recently moved from their predominantly Jewish town to another place that is less hospitable. Though the mostly non-Jewish locals, including elected officials, eye them with suspicion, Hoodie develops a friendship with Anna-Marie, daughter of the mayor. Accustomed to an isolated way of life, Hoodie (mis)interprets their relationship as romantic. The novel doesn't shy away from questioning attitudes prevalent in this ultra-Orthodox community, including some members' view of Hoodie's relationship with Anna-Marie as a betrayal. Meanwhile, the antisemitism in town escalates, ultimately building to a violent extreme. But as serious as the subject matter is, there's humor to be found in Hoodie's narration ("You may have pictured me in your mind. If you're going by grossly exaggerated Jewish stereotypes, then you're spot-on. Mazel tov") and in his misunderstandings of the wider world (see: his first time using a smartphone). 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. Shoshana Flax

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2022
Along with a small segment of their ultra-Orthodox community, fifteen-year-old Yehuda "Hoodie" Rosen's family has recently moved from their predominantly Jewish town to another place that is less hospitable. Though the mostly non-Jewish locals, including elected officials, eye them with suspicion, Hoodie develops a friendship with Anna-Marie, daughter of the mayor. Accustomed to an isolated way of life, Hoodie (mis)interprets their relationship as romantic. The novel doesn's shy away from questioning attitudes prevalent in this ultra-Orthodox community, including some members' view of Hoodie's relationship with Anna-Marie as a betrayal. Meanwhile, the antisemitism in town escalates, ultimately building to a violent extreme. But as serious as the subject matter is, there's humor to be found in Hoodie's narration ("You may have pictured me in your mind. If you're going by grossly exaggerated Jewish stereotypes, then you're spot-on. Mazel tov") and in his misunderstandings of the wider world (see: his first time using a smartphone). 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.

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)