I love coming of age young adult novels. This was such a good read, I’ll for sure be reading more by this author.

I really wanted to like this book. The synopsis held so much promise, but the book failed to deliver as much as I hoped for from it. I enjoyed it well enough, but with a few tweaks it could have been an even more enjoyable read.

*3.5 STARS

This is a contemporary YA novel that mainly follows Eran, an Israeli teen, who's involvement in a protest that turns violent sets of a chain reaction and he eventually unearths some hidden secrets about his father's association with a terrorist attack. We also have two other POV's in here too, Devorah (Eran's mother) and Jade, one of his classmated who's family has secrets of their own. Each of these voices felt incredibly real and vital to the overall plot even though we know this is mainly Eran's story. This should be on every teens radar if only for it's handling of such present issues that are constantly buried when more people should be talking about it. Really fast paced with fascinating commentary on religion, family and the prejudice people hold against others. It's by no means perfect but it will definitely get you thinking about how much we judge someone based on the actions of their family.

This is an intense story of one young man trying to make a difference in the world. Does genetics carry over to your internal beliefs? Well that is the question that Eran Sharon's family and the world begin to ask. This is a timely story of fighting for the justice you believe in. A wonderful book!

Could not for the life of me connect with these characters which is a bummer because I was really excited for this story and being able to finally read it! The Story does jump around a lot which I think did contribute a lot to my being unable to connect and invest in the characters and what was going on. I’ve seen a lot of great reviews for this one though, so maybe this is a solid case of “its not you, it’s me”?

Fantastic novel that all should be encouraged to read. Especially with today's society, voice matters so much and this book does an excellent job of showing a teen navigate through prejudice, oppression, and a family legacy that he didn't know about that seems to be crushing the world around him. Are we our parents' legacy or do we create our own? How do we split ourselves apart from the consequences of someone who isn't even part of our lives anymore in a way that seems to matter the most?

Eran Sharon knows nothing of his father except that he left when Eran was a baby. Now a senior in high school and living with his protective but tight-lipped mother, Eran is a passionate young man deeply interested in social justice and equality. When he learns that the Houston police have launched a program to increase traffic stops, Eran organizes a peaceful protest.

4 stars.

An emotional and moving coming of age story touching on the themes of identity, racism, and political justice.
The author weaved a lot of heavy topics with grace and had strong and powerful characters, although I wish the execution was slightly stronger as it felt slightly rushed.

I'd like to thank the publisher and netgalley for providing me a copy of this book.
Really liked the story!

This one will definitely make you think!!

I really enjoyed the way the story telling wasn't exactly linear, jumping around with perspectives, though the pacing was a little inconsistent.
Really gripping story about how a family's dark secret can affect someone.
*content warnings for terrorism and violence.

Eran is a passionate young man, who is willing to fight for what is just. While he is considered radical on his views of protests, ultimately he is looking to make the world equal. After his protest rally goes viral and the secrets of his unknown past are revealed, Eran and his mother are rejected by his Texas town. Eran's father caused a terrorist explosion in New York when he was two, Eran's mother decided to move them across the country, change their names, and hide their past. However, when the truth is revealed, they are confronted with violent bigots. Eran and the community struggle with his tie to his father and whether Eran should take on the consequences of his father.

This novel was an interesting concept. Though the story was hard to follow as it jumped from various view points.

I loved this author's first book, but I didn't connect with this one as much for some reason. This seemed a bit messier, and it was a bit underwhelming. Still, I look forward to trying out his next book.

ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

This is a provocative look at how a family's secret involvement in a terrorist act effects their son's life. I believe it is an interesting concept to examine due to the current nature in society. Plus having a male POV for a young adult novel is not as common.

This was a fast read mostly because of how it was delivered. It was different because the MC was pale perceptive instead of female which was surprising. The story jumps around so it was hard to follow.

I have very mixed feelings about this book which is why it took me so long to write a review. The book moved in a logical fashion up until Eran was kicked out of school and then it went all over the place. Ema wasn’t human until the very end and the nature vs. nurture debate was a theme throughout but really could have been explored further. I do not see students in my area reading this book.

I liked the topic and premise of the book and enjoyed following the main character's journey.
I think it could have been a bit quicker paced in parts in order to fully develop the tension.

The first thing I noticed was this absolutely vibrant cover. that's one of the main reasons I requested for this book. I'm guilty. The story was nice too. How a person understands himself is portrayed well. There are content warnings for Racisim, Terrorism, misuse of power. The ending was kinda rushed. I really liked the way the story was delivered.
If you are looking for a realistic, violence story with diverse characters, this is the one you are looking for.

The story felt like it jumps around quite a lot, from character to character and different times of events. I did enjoy it, but I don't think it's a casual Friday night read. I like the writing though and Mittlefehldt's other book is phenomenal.

Amazing story of social justice and teen angst. Looking for the best in people, realizing for many of us, there is or will be, a time we act at our worse.

I could not finish this book, overall the story just didn't grab at me. Sorry just not my thing right now