This book, What Makes Us, but Rafi Mittlefehldt is very timely and real in our world today. This is nothing like any book I have read before in that controversy seemed to linger on every page. Reading how this story played out was like watching a contemporary news story snowballing from one thing to something entirely different and with far more supporters. I've watched this sort of thing in "real life" from time to time, dismayed at how quickly things can get out of hand.
There were a few side stories in the book that I didn't feel fit smoothly at all, like Jade's story or how the temple seemed to play a pivotal role. But then I guess real life doesn't always fit together smoothly either.

Reads a bit like a one-act play, starting abruptly, driven by events more than characters, the broader world just hinted at and not entirely or permanently built. Something of a nebulous vehicle for concepts that never seems to fully resolve. I wasn't sure precisely what Jade's storyline added to the book. Felt at least an intermediate level in terms of Jewish vocabulary and concepts, as well the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.

How about this book cover though? With its bright ombré colors and outlines of people holding protest signs. It is eye-catching and powerful. How can you not pick this up off a bookshelf or click a link for more information? Well I am glad I took the bait!

Constant Vigilance is a new program that allows police to pull people over for barely anything. It is not fair. It is not right. So Eran Sharon (pronounced Shah-Rohn) organizes a peaceful protest in his community. It is going well until a small counter-protest group approaches with signs that say "Blue Lives Matter" and "Don't like us? Don't call us." Conflict arises around news cameras and a crowd of witnesses. So what happens? Of course, a viral video captures a heated moment.

Eran knows little about his father. He's tall. He was from Israel then moved to New York. He left when Eran was just a baby. The flood gate of dark family history bursts open when a reporter connects Eran Sharon with a tragedy that happened fifteen years ago. Eran wonders if he is anything like his supposed terrorist father. What makes us who we are?

The main character was so realistic. He was not a teen that used big words or thought beyond his understanding. I think he was depicted in a realistic manner. Sometimes authors tend to forget the age of characters but not so in this book. Eran was relatable from the first chapter to the last words. Even Eema (pronounced EE-muh; Hebrew for mother) acted how a concerned parent of color would in real life. So the story flowed naturally with no annoyance. In fact, I finished in one lazy day.

Social justice issues are the focus of What Makes Us. Police brutality is such a national issue; a crisis actually. Other issues include homophobia, racism, reproductive rights, global warming, gun control and immigrant rights. Thanks to authors like Rafi Mittlefehldt for addressing it in books meant for young adults. It helps to spread awareness, remind them of how to look and act while in public and most importantly to be heard. Their voice matters!

Start the conversation! I absolutely recommend What Makes Us for young adults that are passionate about justice. Teachers, add this new book to your syllabus. Parents, talk to your children about social issues. Neighbors, look out for each other while protecting the community. News reporters, do not be so quick to spin stories for click bait. Rafi Mittlefehldt's new novel reminds readers: Try to be better.

Happy Early Pub Day, Rafi Mittlefehldt! What Makes Us will be available Tuesday, October 15.

LiteraryMarie

I think this book had the potential to start a meaningful conversation about social justice and patriotism but it didn't quite get there. The story-line sidestepped it and I was left feeling a little disappointed. It also dragged on in some sections, for example, there were certain parts that went on over a couple of pages that definitely could have been dealt with in a paragraph of two.

This book was highly promising but sadly fell short.

Eran and his mom are Israeli-Americans, living in Texas. When a protest led by Eran turns out violent with him shoving a man to the ground, all hell breaks loose. The past he had never known is suddenly revealed to him by the media, causing him to doubt his own mother. Doubtful and shunned by everyone as the son of a terrorist, his only comfort is his friends who don't stop supporting him. This is the story of how he fights back his anger and learns to live through.

I am still reeling in the aftermath of the book, and can quite frankly say that the book was very boring for almost 90% of it. The descriptions are too long and sometimes unnecessary. The switch from one character to another was quite abrupt and sometimes I had trouble telling who was speaking because the characters are very distinct. I couldn't sympathize with any of them nor did I like Eran for the most part. The Israeli representation was a refreshing change but I didn't learn anything new. The ending was pretty good though, which prevents me from rating the book any lower. The one thing I really adored was the bond between Eran and his friends even though he wasn't very nice to them.

The premise was interesting,, but the writing style just didn't suit me. If not for diversity, I wouldn't pick up this book.

Not a fan of this one. The characters aren't very developed, and I don't love that it switches between 1st and 3rd person depending on the point of view.

This was one of those books where the subject matter was really fascinating, but the writing didn't really do it justice. Maybe it's because I had an ARC and the formatting was kind of screwed up, but I think that was only a small part of it.

Eran is concerned with social justice. He knows he has a problem with anger and blames that on his mother who also has moments where she lashes out in irrational rage. He never knew his father so has to believe that if he had, his father's influence may have changed him.

That believe is dramatically shattered when, after things get heated at a supposedly peaceful protest, Eran discovers his father was a terrorist responsible for an horrific bombing.

Suddenly the community he has lived in for as long as he can remember is taking sides. Some want him and his mother driven out of town. Others support them.

As they deal with the aftermath of this discovery, Eran learns that there are a huge number of factors that make us who we are.

This is important subject matter and very relevant to these times. The struggle Eran faces is one that thousands of people face every day in some shape or form. The book tells the story largely from Eran's point of view, but occasionally there is a section from his mother, and a few sections are narrated by a school friend who is also struggling with her identity after discovering some things that don't add up about her own past.

Eran was kind of an annoying character and I never felt anything he thought or said rang 100% true. Both he and Jade felt younger than the seventeen they were supposed to be. Maybe this is because they are both quite sheltered, with parents who are both over-protective and secretive about the reasons why.

I read this ARC on my Kindle and there were no breaks in the text to let me know when the POV changed, which was confusing, especially when the POV changed to the mother. Jade and Eran's voices were also so similar it was difficult to understand when they switched too.

So while I thank NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC, I didn't enjoy the book as much as I had hoped I would.

A very powerful page-turner that I couldn't put down. I fell for the characters and could relate to them. I highly recommend this to everyone and this book definitely deserves some hype.

What Makes Us by Rafi Mittlefehldt is a story about love, hate, and what it means to hold back and let go. The way the protagonist is split identifying his true identity and recognize the source of the traits of his personality is depicted in a very thoughtful manner.

The book tries to touch the topic of social justice and patriotism. At one point, it appears as if the author will go more in that direction, but the plot soon gets side-tracked, leaving those topics hanging like an icicle, with no meaningful conclusion.

The characters are vividly written, but I can't say the same about the storyline, which seems to have been rushed at few instances. It also doesn't do justice to the unique blurb, and turns out to be quite a standard prose.

Thanks to the author and the publisher for the ARC.

Verdict: One time read.

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of the book really intrigued me. I think that this book will make readers reflect on the issues of our society. I really liked how it confronted things like social justice and equality.

The plot and was enjoyable and it kept me in suspense. The pacing felt a bit rushed at some points but the writing was really powerful and kept me intrigued.

I really liked the way that the characters were written. The author did a really good job at fleshing and developing them. I liked how passionate the main character was.

Overall, it was a good book. I would recommend this to people looking for a diverse book with some controversial themes.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Quick Cut: A teen boy finds his life and community in an uproar after the truth of his background comes out after a protest goes awry.

A Real Review:
Thank you to Candlewick Press for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Society today has gotten to this strange place where quickly anyone's worth or stance is decided by the masses in a heartbeat. However, how can a person live through this strutinizing process and what happens when it reveals pieces of your past even you didn't know? This is the story of Eran.

Eran Sharon has lived with his mom his entire life but never known his dad. Beyond the knowledge that he died when Eran was a kid, he knows little to nothing about him. When Eran decides to lead a peaceful protest that ends with a heated press and some fists, the ensuing aftermath leads to the truth of his dad coming out: the man was an alleged terrorist whose actions lead to the death of 4 people. How can Eran deal with the news and what fallout will occur?

The description of this book alone was enough for me to request a copy and hope to get a chance to read (far more than usual). Where the excitement did not meet the product is that this particular moral story is not a new one. I hoped that the author would bring a unique twist or perspective to the now well worn topic, but instead was provided a standard story with very little variety.

Yes, when put in the spotlight - you will be criticized and ripped apart for flaws. The media and society will look for any ways to knock you off your pedestal and when it happens, that fall is long, hard, and shows you who you can trust. That being said, what makes Eran's experience unique & worth hearing? I still don't have an answer to that after reading the book.


Eran is passionate about equality and social justice, but that's the norm in today's society. Especially with today's teens in high school. The best quality to make him stand out is his Jewish heritage. It could have led to an intriguing conversation about the freedom of faith, but the opportunity is ignored and any chance for a standout story is missed.

With a far too familiar story, this book fails to stand out from the crowd.

My rating: 3 out of 5

Thanks to Netgalley for this eArc.

I really wanted to like this book, but sadly it felt too draggy to me. Even though it was a quick read, there were parts that could have been easily explained in less pages. Overall, a disappointing read to me.

Will come back to write full review.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

I had a little trouble with following and relating to the characters, but overall the author did a nice job of fleshing them out. The plot kept me intrigued and wanting to find out more.

This was a pretty good read!

I thought Rafi develops the characters really well, and it kept me on my toes. The plot was a little rushed from time to time, and I think the pacing was a little rough. However, the storyline itself was very unique and interesting and I really did enjoy this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC copy of this book. I really enjoyed the storyline in this book, but struggled to jump deeply into the characters and story. There were parts that made me uncomfortable, intrigued and in suspense. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was a solid read. The plot felt rushed at points but the writing was so good! 3.5/5 stars.

What Makes Us by Rafi Mittlefehldt

publication date: 15 Oct 2019

First i'd like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for sending me through this eARC of what makes us by Rafi Mittlefehldt.

What Makes Us is about Eran Sharon, a boy who at the start of the book is fronting a protest about the cost of fines and essentially the power being given to police. Eran never knew his father, knows nothing about his father, but after a video goes viral of his protest it’s discovered that his father was a supposed terrorist, and things kick off from there. (This isn’t a spoiler, it’s in the synopsis of the book)

I don’t quite know where my feelings land for this one. I didn’t hate it by any means, but I also didn’t love it. The thing is, I don’t know if that comes down to the book itself, or me. For some reason I just couldn’t quite connect with it and I have a couple of hypotheses of why this was the case. It could have been the formatting: sometimes I have a harder time connecting with ebooks than physical copies, and this proof copy was also lacking some general white space between sections that also may have thrown me off. Or another reason could have been my general mood, stopping me from fully connecting with the book. I am a hardcore mood reader, but at the same time I know the purpose of handing out ARCs is to get early feedback and hype. So I think that if I get the opportunity to read something before it’s released, I should actually read it before its release so I can post my subjective thoughts on said book.

Again, I’d like to reiterate that this isn’t a bad book, in fact I think subjectively it’s a good book, I just had trouble finding that connection with a book that takes the reading experience to the next level.

I can say that the central plot and themes are really poignant and, in my opinion, an interesting and important perspective that I think a lot of people will appreciate and gain insight from. The writing of the book itself was really well done and I have no complaints there. Our MC Eran is a hard-core social justice warrior and I loved him for it. He would go off on these passionate soliloquies and you could really feel Eran feeding off his own energy and just ramping himself up as he went and personally, I could really relate to this.

Overall I would recommend this one to people who are looking for more diverse books with important and occasionally controversial topics.

3.5/5 stars

I want to thank Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really loved this book!
The synopsis really intrigued me and after reading it I can say this is honestly one hell of a read!
I loved the plot and felt like I got to know the characters really well I felt they were so well developed I can’t say I loved it enough.
I will say the plot felt a bit rushed at points but other than that it was an enjoyable read.
3 stars.