Review: It’s A Whole Spiel Anthology
It’s A Whole Spiel is an important, earnest, joyful anthology about modern-day Jewish life for quite a few different teenagers. I absolutely loved it.


It's A Whole Spiel CoverA Jewish boy falls in love with a fellow counselor at summer camp. A group of Jewish friends take the trip of a lifetime. A girl meets her new boyfriend’s family over Shabbat dinner. Two best friends put their friendship to the test over the course of a Friday night. A Jewish girl feels pressure to date the only Jewish boy in her grade. Hilarious pranks and disaster ensue at a crush’s Hanukkah party.

From stories of confronting their relationships with Judaism to rom-coms with a side of bagels and lox, It’s a Whole Spiel features one story after another that says yes, we are Jewish, but we are also queer, and disabled, and creative, and political, and adventurous, and anything we want to be. You will fall in love with this insightful, funny, and romantic Jewish anthology from a collection of diverse Jewish authors. (Goodreads)
Goodreads

I received an eARC of It’s A Whole Spiel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
In anthologies, not every story is going to appeal to every reader. That’s just how these works. Each reader is going to connect differently to every story. However, I loved every single one of the stories in It’s A Whole Spiel. Some were closer to my heart than others, but none of them were complete misses like other anthologies in the past.

Katherine Locke and Laura Silverman put together a stellar line up of authors and stories that flowed well, showed a variety of experiences among Jewish teens, and brought up a lot of different emotions. It was beautiful.

My personal favorite stories were Dahlia Adler’s “Two Truths and an Oy,” Elie Lichtchein’s “He Who Revives the Dead,” and Hannah Moskowitz’s “Neilah.”

“Two Truths and an Oy” featured an Orthodox Jewish main character going off to college orientation and trying to figure out how she would fit in at college and how Jewish she would be in her “post-yeshiva” life. I loved how she struggled to find a way to fit in and found out that the best way was to just be herself. It was beautiful.

“He Who Revives the Dead” is about a teenage girl on her Birthright trip who is trying to conquer her fear of water after drowning and being revived, and to find herself. It is a beautifully earnest story that spoke to me.

“Neilah” is about a teenage girl falling in love with a girl, with Judaism, and with herself. It features a lot of discussion of weight, weight loss and an eating disorder, so be careful with it. I loved the way that this story ended.

Those were my favorites, but as I said before, I loved every story in this anthology. You need to pick it up for yourself – and for a friend.




ABOUT IT'S A WHOLE SPIEL
Title: It’s A Whole Spiel

Author: Katherine Locke, Laura Silverman, Alex London, Dahlia Adler, David Levithan, Rachel Lynn Solomon, Goldy Moldavsky, Lance Rubin, Dana Schwartz, Elie Lichtschein, Hannah Moskowitz, Matthue Roth, Adi Alsaid, Nova Ren Suma

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers

Length: 320 Pages

Release Date: September 17, 2019

Rating: Highly Recommended

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Fiction

Representation: Jewish Main Characters in every story, Jewish side characters, Jewish authors,

Shiksa approved. Coming of age stories from the perspective rectifying versions of Judaism: Orthodox stories to not Jewish enough stories. There's a lot of tradition and practice that makes up the prism of modern Judaism. But what is missing is the very real understanding that it is essential to connect with people outside of your traditions. And, most importantly, what happens when you are with someone who is not "Jewish". Lots of self identity, but not a lot of reaching across the aisle.

Cute and fun and funny and I love adding these kind of Jewish books to my family library. Just a nice lighthearted and fun book!

In the wave of YA anthologies that have been released over the past year or so, It's a Whole Spiel stands out to me as one of the bright spots. More YA about religious teenagers, and especially about religious teens who practice a faith other than Christianity, is so needed, and this anthology definitely fills a needed void. Though I didn't love every story in this collection, I thought they all served to encapsulate the diversity of the Jewish experience. I think Laura Silverman's story was my favorite.

Coming from authors like Dahlia Adler, Rachel Lynn Solomon, and Hannah Moskowitz, this anthology of short stories highlights highlights the lives of Jewish teens and their relationship with Judaism. I grew up in a very Jewish neighborhood, where all of my friends were Jewish, so I feel a kind of kinship and connection to the culture. By taking similar narratives, practices, and holidays, these authors produce some beautiful and unique, personal short stories.

"Indoor kids" by Alex London
This was really sweet, although it was a little info heavy that definitely could have been dialed down by just a little. Rating: 4/5

"Two Truths and an Oy" by Dahlia Adler
So lovely! This story shows the importance of finding your people, your crew and the dread of entering into new territory, with your people by your side. Rating: 5/5

"The Hold" by David Levithan
This was the only nonfiction piece and probably one of my favorites in the collection. You can practice aspects of Judaism without believing in God. Believing in tradition, what that represents and what it means to you: family togetherness, nice memories. Rating: 5/5

"Aftershocks" - Rachel Lynn Solomon
There is so much doubt in adolescence especially when it comes to dating. When you're in the minority, there's an unspoken thing that it's expected to date within your group. Our main character questions whether her longtime crush and new boyfriend is he dating her because she’s the only other Jewish girl around? That questioning is so universal when applied to any given situation. Rating: 4/5

"Good Shabbos" by Goldy Moldavsky
I thought this was okay, but lacked depth. Interesting to learn more about Shabbat. I was not a fan of the footnotes—the author should have chosen to either do all funny quips, or strictly informational, not a mixture of both. Rating: 3/5

"Jewbacca" by Lance Rubin
I think in any religion or culture, there is such a wide range of intensity. There is Orthodox, Reformed, Social—so many levels and no one way is the right way. However for a teen, it can be very overwhelming, the pressures someone might feel  not being Jewish "enough." Rating: 3/5

"El Al 328" by Dana Schwartz
The expectations of a trip of a lifetime and the right of passage on Birthright trip. This was hauntingly beautiful while also leaving me completely heartbroken. Rating: 4/5

"Some Days You’re the Sidekick; Some Days You’re the Superhero" by Katherine Locke
I thought this story was sweet and while I loved the positive non-binary representation, I didn't find this to be well-matched for this anthology. With the exception of Shabbat services, there wasn’t anything “Jewish” about it. It could have been in any other short story collection. Rating: 3/5

"He Who Revives the Dead" by Elie Lichtschein
There are a few Birthright stories in this collection, but they are all quite different, just like every person is going to experience Birthright different. This was a very positive and inspiring trip. Rating: 5/5

"Be Brave and All" by Laura Silverman
Beautiful! I could have read a whole book of these characters. Rating: 5/5

"Neilah" by Hannah Moskowitz
I was into this story for a little and then there was a very abrupt ending making the story feel very rushed and unfinished. Rating: 3/5

"Find the River" - Matthue Roth
A boy is finding his way through Judaism  at the crossroads of socially Jewish and orthodox. Rating: 3/5

"Ajshara" by Aldi Alsaid
This was another story that I would have loved to have read an entire book. There was so much trying to be pushed together in he confinements of a short story. I also felt that this could have more of a Jewish focus, or just focus in general. Despite all that, I really loved this story about traveling, first love, and ghosts. Rating: 4/5

"Twelve Frames" - Nova Ren Suma
This was all about family history and being proud of who you are and where you come from. Recovering your past through the strength of Jewish women and creators. Rating: 5/5

I always find it difficult rating short story collections but I was so excited to get my hands on one of these ARCs. This is such a wonderful anthology that I think anyone can relate to and learn more about. 

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Every single story in this YA Jewish Anthology was so wonderful. So many moments from my youth and even now that I could relate. I felt so understood and its such a relief to know that we all go through these thoughts and feelings. It was such a charming and heartwarming read. Thank you to Random House Children’s Knopf Books for Young Readers and Netgalley for the ARC.

The wonderful thing about good anthologies, like It's a Whole Spiel is the capacity to see your favorite authors in a new light. And to discover new favorites! It's a Whole Spiel brings presents stories where teens are figuring out our identity and what it means to us. While it is, by no means, a one and done process, these teens face challenges of feeling Jewish enough. Struggling with their individual stories, challenges, and families, these stories ring through with a clear authenticity.

It's A Whole Spiel: Love, Latkes and Other Jewish Stories was a YA collection of short stories centered on Jewish teens. Each is at a different place with their faith, and the story somehow connects with that faith journey. I'll own that I have a base knowledge of the Jewish faith, but this exposed me to so much more. I loved the focus of religious identity in these stories, and how this was used in so many different aspects of each main character's relationships and life. With each story, I found I wanted to know so much more about each of the characters - in a good way! Each story was unique, and they each did a great job of building character connection with the reader (me) in a short time. I assume (and given my own identities, I name this as specifically an assumption) this is a going to be a collection where many see themselves in one or more of these stories which is something that is so important. I am excited for others to check out this collection. Thanks to NetGalley for the early look at this mid-September release!

It’s a Whole Spiel uses its all-star lineup of Jewish YA authors to maximum impact, painting a nuanced, intersectional picture of the joys and pains of contemporary teenage Jewish identity.

---

It’s a Whole Spiel is excruciating.

Whatever this short story collection is, it’s sharply, painfully that. Excruciatingly sweet. Excruciatingly awkward. Extremes of joy and embarrassment and fear and love and boredom and hormones and confusion. The raw intensity of the stories in this collection deserves to be taken in beneath the safety of a blanket fort.

To my mind, that’s high praise for a YA anthology. I love when stories about teenagers succeed at communicating unbridled emotional intensity. That’s hard to pull off without seeming ridiculous, but it’s core to the teenage coming-of-age. It’s an especially remarkable achievement to elicit that sort of reaction with a short story, since the reader has so little time to build attachment to characters and empathy for their situations.

It’s a Whole Spiel boasts a spectacular lineup of YA authors who use every paragraph they have for maximum impact. It can be a little exhausting; I was glad I left myself time to read these stories at the pace of one or two a day. But mostly, it’s exhilarating–everything Young Adult fiction should be.

---

the stories

Editors Katherine Locke (The Girl With the Red Balloon, etc.) and Laura Silverman (You Asked For Perfect, etc.) curated an exceptionally well-balanced medley of stories. It’s a Whole Spiel spans a huge range of styles, tones, and characters. This variety is an important part of what makes this anthology so successful.

Even as YA grows more diverse, the first books to feature a particular marginalized identity face a difficult bind. Authors are sometimes expected to represent an entire community and criticized when a book fails to meet the standard of “The [Identity] Book.” This is an impossible standard, of course, and it can prevent publishing from embracing characters who manifest a given identity in unexpected or complicated ways.

An anthology, though, can free writers from the (perceived) responsibility to represent an entire identity. It’s a Whole Spiel (subtitled “Love, Latkes, and other Jewish stories) is far from the first representation of Jewish teens in YA, but it’s a notable addition to the still-small body of YA examinations of contemporary Jewish identity.

To some extent, the anthology asks authors to answer, what does it mean to be a Jewish teenager in 2019? Because none of them are responsible for a single answer that describes an entire community, the authors went in the opposite direction: hyper-specificity. Here’s what being Jewish means to this person, and this person. Here’s what it means to be Jewish and also gay, or also fat, or ultra-Orthodox, or non-practicing. It all adds up to an incredibly nuanced, intersectional picture of a complicated–sometimes contradictory–label.

---

Katie’s picks

If you’re on the fence about picking this one up, just try the first story. I think you should be able to read the first story from the ebook sample (most of it, at least). That’s perfect, because the very first story, “Indoor Kids” by Alex London, was one of my favorites. (Before that, there’s a forward by the amazing Mayim Bialik, but it’s pretty short.)

If you’re looking for more adorable, excruciating attempts at romance, also make sure you catch “Aftershocks” by Rachel Lynn Solomon and “Jewbacca” by Lance Rubin.

Also not to be missed: Dahlia Adler’s “Two Truths and an Oy,” a painful but hopeful college story, “He Who Revives the Dead,” Elie Lichtshein’s tender tale of recovery and rebirth on a Birthright trip to Israel, and “Be Brave and All” by editor Laura Silverman, a sweet story about a fledgling activist in the social hotpot of a youth trip to DC. My favorite was probably Hannah Moskowitz’s “Neilah,” which synthesizes a world of inner conflict about Jewish identity and body image into a single short, hopeful gut-punch of a story.

A few of the stories take some pretty impressive risks. Some of those risks definitely didn’t pay off for me, but a couple resulted in stories I loved. Dana Schwartz’s “El Al 328” and editor Katherine Locke’s (very long!) “Some Days You’re the Sidekick; Some Days You’re the Superhero” require a bit of adjustment to a different tone, but I think they’re well worth it.

---

I received a review copy of this title from the publisher in expectation of an honest review. No money changed hands for this review and all opinions are my own.

Forward, Mayim Bialik: This sets up the rest of the collection well.

Indoor Kids, Alex London: This was so sweet, and every element of the story worked well together. I loved the romance and the relationship with the campers. 5/5

Two Truths and an Oy, Dahlia Adler: This story looks at what happens to faith when someone leaves home and the tension between fitting in and living your beliefs. The main character was awkward and charming, and I loved this! 5/5

The Hold, David Levithan: This was a beautiful story about young love and defining faith. "To be loved by God is to be loved for who you are." 5/5

Aftershocks, Rachel Lynn Solomon: The MC has OCD/anxiety/panic attacks, and she struggles with not feeling Jewish enough, especially when she has dinner with her Jewish boyfriend and his family. 4.5/5

Good Shabbos, Goldy Moldavsky: Kayla and S.T. came across as petulant, a bit much, even for teenagers. I can't really tell if they learn anything from their misadventures and grow up at all. 2.5/5

Jewbacca, Lance Rubin: The MC tries to pretend that he's "more Jewish than he is" and struggles with feeling fake. He is loveably awkward. 5/5

EL AL 328, Dana Schwartz: Seemingly every page was basically "woe is me, I'm a virgin" and/or "woe is me, I have no friends." 2/5

Some Days You're the Sidekick, Some Days You're the Superhero: The MC's sibling uses they/them pronouns. The MC struggles with the pressure to do things that would get him into college. The portrayal of fandom, including the acknowledgment of the MC's privilege in online fandom spaces. I love the forgiveness of the story. 5/5

He Who Revives the Dead, Elie Lichtschein: The MC almost died by drowning, and she plans to confront her fears on her birthright trip. The solidarity and support that other characters show her made me so happy. Also, two of the guys on the trip argue about Israel and Palestine, and while I don't know as much about that as I definitely should, I was glad to see that addressed. 5/5

Be Brave and All, Laura Silverman: The MC is invited to ditch a JZY gathering to go to a rally protesting a bill that would allow more access to guns. Her interactions with "Ukelele Guy" made me very happy. 5/5

Neilah, Hannah Moskowitz: The MC grew up not participating in Jewish tradition and was criticized by her ex for not being Jewish enough and for taking up space. She begins to learn to love herself for who she is. 5/5

Find the River, Matthue Roth: It might just be a me problem, but the story had a lot of teenage boys being stereotypically teenage boys, which did not cause me to engage. 3/5

Ajshara, Adi Alsaid: The MC can see ghosts, and I was not especially interested. I think this would've been more interesting if it could've been fleshed out as a novel. 3/5

Twelve Frames, Nova Ren Suma: This was a sweet story about identity and starting over. 4/5

My average rating for the stories was ~4.25/5. I would recommend this anthology.

This is a wonderful short-story collection about Jewish identity and faith in the modern world. In this collection, you have stories with main characters who are devout, those who are non-practicing, those who want to discover more about their faith, those who want to discover a world outside of their tight-knit faith communities, all who either know or seek to discover what being Jewish means to them. All of the authors have contributed breathtakingly beautiful stories with compelling characters, remarkable adventures, and--in many cases--a great deal of humor.

"It's a Whole Spiel" is a fantastic addition to any collection, and an amazing read for all ages, faiths, and identities.

Despite not knowing much about Judaism as a religion or culture, I really had a lot of fun reading these stories. They are a wonderful exploration of what being Jewish means, how there are various expressions of the faith and no one of them is better than the other. Also, the authors don’t shy away from using a lot of Hebrew words which gave me an opportunity to look them up and try to get to know about them better. Overall, this is a nice group of stories about young Jewish kids just finding their way in life. As with all anthologies, there are some stories that are stronger than others. However, most stories in this anthology are particularly strong. Laura Silverman, Rachel Lynn Solomon, Alex London, Lance Rubin, and Dahlia Adler all offer particularly strong offerings. It was refreshing to see a collection of stories that portray Judaism in a way that reflects the diversity of 2019: there was LGBT+ representation, characters who grapple with some mental health conflicts, and characters who are Jewish but do not actively practice the religion.

I loved it! It was such a cute and fun book that centered Jewishness in a way I adored. Truly, this is the first book I have read where Jewishness was centered in a way that felt important- not just cast aside. I loved the fun stories of course, but there were also some deeper ones that made me think, and I enjoyed those as well

It's so great to see so much inclusion here as a collections of notable authors share different perspectives surrounding Judaism and the protagonists' identities. Stories are all different, from short fiction, rom-coms, personal essays, and more, this collection of stories showcases the relatable point of views we understand and empathize with. Some stories are better than others, but all are impactful reads that showcase diverse individuals. Will certainly reread again.

**Disclaimer: I was given an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.**





I want to preface this review by noting I’m not Jewish. Some of the stories did not click with me, but others I could still relate, such as ~not feeling like a true Jew or Jewish enough.~



For example, I am baptized Catholic, but have not participated in any other sort of rite with that religion. I don’t go to Church, I didn’t make Communion, and I don’t know how to say my "Hail Mary’s". My mom’s family is heavily Irish Catholic and I always feel out of place at weddings, funeral masses, or other events because I can’t relate to these experiences and/or don’t know any of the words to the prayers, etc. the same feelings arise when I’m with my husband’s family.


There were several stories I loved and will read again (such as On Hold). The forward by Mayim Bialik was touching, as well.


I’m recommending this anthology to anyone who wants to get more in touch with their roots and/or enjoys short, touching stories

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley!

This book was a great read. Interesting. Fun & relatable characters. Some stories were definitely better than others, but that's pretty common.

Amazing. Its amazing to be able to read stories about all different jews and feel seen. I love this more than anything in the world

I don’t love every story – but the ones I love, I love HARD.

*** Trigger warning for mental health issues, including eating disorders and social anxiety; bullying; and discussions of homophobia. ***

I’ll probably never know what a space station careening through the atmosphere looks like, because I wasn’t looking up anymore. I was looking at him and smiling, and he was smiling back at me, and his braces were gleaming like starlight, and he whispered, “Shehecheyanu,” and I leaned forward, and I pressed my lips against his stars.
(“Indoor Kids” by Alex London)

I wish I’d had the experience, the wisdom then to tell him: To me, Jewish is knowing that you can’t be asked to have pride in one part of your identity and then be told to have shame about another part. Whoever asks you to do that is wrong. To be proud as a Jew is to be proud of everything you are.
(“The Hold” by David Levithan)

My chewing sounds like applause.
(“Neilah” by Hannah Moskowitz)

As you can certainly gleam (yes, I meant to say “gleam, with an m,” in deference to both this anthology’s overall shininess as well as the opening story; don’t @ me; and yes, that last was a hat tip to editor Katherine Locke’s highly enjoyable contribution, “Some Days You’re the Sidekick; Some Days You’re the Superhero”; you can @ me on that one as you wish, because I have FEELINGS) from the title, IT’S A WHOLE SPIEL: LOVE, LATKES, AND OTHER JEWISH STORIES is a collection of short stories written by Jewish authors, primarily for a Jewish, YA audience. Most are of the contemporary/realistic fiction persuasion, but there’s a little bit of fantasy and memoir sprinkled throughout.

I LOVE that this book exists – especially in this time and place in history – and it pains me equally to say that I didn’t fall in love with every single story. Them’s usually the breaks with anthologies, though. That said, I would recommend IT’S A WHOLE SPIEL on the basis of David Levithan’s essay alone. (In my notes I just wrote “wow”.)

I’ll admit, I wasn’t into “The Hold” at first. Whereas the rest of the pieces take the form of a more traditional short fiction story, “The Hold” is more of a nonfiction story without a clear structure, at least at the outset. But as the narrative begins to take shape, and Levithan recounts coming out as a young Jewish boy, in like with another boy from his temple who would later run away, vanishing without a goodbye, you know you’re being gifted with something special.

“Our time together became a good dream, possibly the best dream. I never forgot it, but I remembered it less and less, as other dreams joined in. I’ve written about him hundreds of times, and I haven’t written about him at all until now.”

This is the first thing I’ve read by David Levithan, but it won’t be my last.

“Some Days You’re the Sidekick; Some Days You’re the Superhero” by Katherine Locke is also a real treat, especially for self-professed nerds who prefer virtual spaces to “real” ones. (“I’m not tagging you, but you know who you are.”) Awkward in person, but a master with the written word, Gabe spends much of his free time writing fan fic for the website Milk & Honey, “a whole site dedicated to reimagining every canon character as Jewish” (and trying to figure out how to parlay his hobby into a winning college application). Little does he know that Yael, the owner of the site on whom he’s been crushing hard, is someone he knows in meat space – and that a shared love of the X-Men reimagined as the Maccabees might just give him/them a second chance.

Also amazing is “Neilah” by Hannah Moskowitz. Like many of the stories in these here pages, “Neilah” centers around the theme of not being “Jewish enough,” of suffering from imposter syndrome, and ties this disconnect to the MC’s eating disorder. When she was dating her ex, a “good” Gentile boy who showered her not with love, but backhanded compliments or outright criticism, she shrank up and tried to fold into herself, to disappear. To be less: less loud, less big, less Jewish. But a new relationship with a devout Jewish girl named Mira is about to change all that. It’s an inspired analogy with an inspiring ending.

I really enjoyed editor Laura Silverman’s story, “Be Brave and All,” in which protagonist Naomi, dragged to the national JZY convention by her best friend Rachel, conquers her anxiety to stand up for something she believes in (gun control, which nicely ties this story to current events).

Many of the MCs in these stories are embarking on journeys in the literal sense of the word as well as the metaphorical, whether meeting their new boyfriend’s family for the first time (during an earthquake! argh!), traveling to Israel on a Birthright trip, or attending a Jewish summer camp or convention. These tales are at their most satisfying when the protagonist experiences growth – but, weirdly, this is not always the case. (“El Al 328” by Dana Schwartz is just straight-up demoralizing. The ending felt like my life and was sad and uncomfortable AF.)

“Indoor Kids” by Alex London also deserves a shout-out, both for its nerdy space program backdrop, and its adorable M/M romance. And that writing! It takes a special talent to make braces seem so magical.

“Indoor Kids” by Alex London – 4/5
“Two Truths and an Oy” by Dahlia Adler – 3/5
“The Hold” by David Levithan – 5/5 wow
“Aftershocks” by Rachel Lynn Solomon – 3/5
“Good Shabbos” by Goldy Moldavsky – 2/5 did not care for the abundance of footnotes
“Jewbacca” by Lance Rubin – 3/5
“El Al 328” by Dana Schwartz – 1/5 ugh?
“Some Days You’re the Sidekick; Some Days You’re the Superhero” by Katherine Locke – 5/5 amazing
“He Who Revives the Dead” by Elie Lichtschein – 3/5
“Be Brave and All” by Laura Silverman – 5/5
“Neilah” by Hannah Moskowitz – 5/5
“Find the River” by Matthue Roth – 2/5
“Ajshara” By Adi Alsaid – 2.5/5
“Twelve Frames” by Nova Ren Suma – 3/5

While I enjoyed some of the stories more then others, overall I absolutely adored this book! When I heard about this book, I know I had to read it and it did not disappoint!

As someone who is not Jewish, but has close friends who are, it was fun getting to see a glimpse into their everyday lives! I loved the stories within this anthology.

It was refreshing to see a collection of stories that portray Judaism in a way that reflects the diversity of 2019: there was LGBT+ representation, characters who grapple with some mental health conflicts, and characters who are Jewish but do not actively practice the religion. There was a great range of genres within this anthology as well. I highly recommend it!