thanks to netgalley and ecco/harper collins for a copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Big example of YMMV depending on what kind of vibes and themes you like as a reader. My personal experience means it is kind of hard to rate. I'm not keen on high school narratives (as someone who didn't go to high school) or especially into dark academia vibes that come through strongly here. However, I do really love religion and liked the idea of a coming of age story that deeply incorporates themes related to theology and community. Ultimately, I didn't specifically enjoy <i>The Orchard</i> but I thought it was mostly very well written and a strong debut novel.

The main character, Aryeh Eden, is teenage boy who was raised in an ultra-Orthodox community in Brooklyn in which appreciated many things while also chafing at his sense of disconnection. When his family moves to Florida, he has the alluring opportunity to start a new life and is enrolled at an upper class and academically intense Jewish academy. One of his neighbors happens to be an incredibly popular teenage boy at the school who folds Aryeh into his group which includes Evan, who is intense, emotionally volatile, and very bright. Evan gradually becomes pitted as a sort of rival or foil to Evan whose unknown burdens spiral more and more out of control as the novel progresses. There's also Evan's ex, Sophia, who Aryeh becomes fixated with and develops a strong, consuming crush on.

It's a beautifully written book that continued to pull me in despite having some themes that grate on me, personally. I don't especially care about high school, teenagers, and that whole coming of age phase of life especially how it is depicted in stories like this, but the writing style kept pulling me in and I wanted to find out what was going to happen. The prologue is set up nicely to really push that edge; you know there's tragedy coming but is hard to see the shape of it until it falls into sharp clarity at the end. Aryeh's sense of self, especially as it relates to his previous experience Judaism in one community vs his experience in this new community, is easily the most interesting part of the story even as Aryeh doesn't always clearly articulate or understand his own motivations. It's also incredibly striking to read a book that has a clear and underrepresented Jewish voice; while I can't speak to it's quality of representation (I'm not Jewish), I can definitely say it's an important and defining dimension throughout <i>The Orchard</i> in a way that doesn't feel flat or simplistic.

There are some big weaknesses though. Two of the secondary characters are hard to understand, but in different ways.

The head of the academy is Rabbi Bloom who starts having these small group sessions with Aryeh, Evan, and the other three boys in the main group of friends. Rabbi Bloom, by his own admission, sort of positions Aryeh and Evan against each other but this is never really interrogated or questioned even though it has a wide range of destructive consequences. Hopen's depiction of Rabbi Bloom or the other characters' reaction to him is unconvincing. It undermines huge portions of the story and I think could have been clarified.

The second issue is with Sophia. It helps, marginally, that we are seeing Sophia predominantly through Aryeh's eyes. He sees her almost singularly as vehicle for him to experience feelings. She's a strong example of an objectified fantasy and the scenes with her are a bit of a slog accordingly. While that depiction might be realistic (whoa, teenage boy objectifies teenage girl!), what's more off putting is how this understanding of Sophia is also implied via other characters' comments about Sophia. There's even some lines from Rabbi Bloom objectifying her (by affirming her as such in relation to the boys) and casting her as a cause of the disasters that ensue throughout the novel. It's strange especially in light of the ending and Hopen could have done better.

"The Orchard" had a captivating start, but regrettably lost its momentum somewhere in the middle. Our protagonist, Ari, stood out as a genuinely well-crafted character. His depth, sensitivity, and anxiety were portrayed in a way that made his inner turmoil and confusion palpable, particularly when dealing with his new, perilous acquaintances.

For me, the primary letdown in this book was the dialogue. Ari's interactions with characters like Noah, Oliver, and Sophia, all students at a prestigious Jewish private school in Florida, left me skeptical. The teenagers' conversations came across as insincere and pretentious, which greatly affected my overall experience. This dialogue style was not enjoyable and made it difficult to complete the novel.

The coming-of-age narrative lacked distinction among the female characters. They all seemed to possess the same unpleasant and curt demeanor, which felt unrealistic. Apart from Ari, the male characters appeared just as spoiled and unlikable. It was challenging to differentiate among these characters and their antics, including underage drinking and drug use, didn't hold much novelty. The book did succeed in delivering a dark undertone. However, the pivotal event involving Noah didn't strike me as particularly shocking. The book tried too hard to be edgy but didn't quite succeed.

Ari remained the sole character I genuinely cared about, as the others came across as shallow and self-serving. The exploration of religious themes in Ari's life was a significant and intriguing aspect of his character development and decline. It would have greatly improved the narrative if the novel had placed more emphasis on Ari's faith journey.

I can see someone younger (early to mid-teens) enjoying this book and definitely feel there is an audience for it. Sadly, this just didn't hit the right notes for me as I may not be the right audience for it.

a Wonderful, coming-of-age story about a Jewish man looking back on his teenage years. It was amazingly written and I was so caught up in the story that I wanted it to continue. I cannot wait to read more from David Hopen!

This was an interesting book to read. It captured my attention at the beginning, but I was a bit disappointed in the end and not having some reference for some terms used in the book. I gotta say, I'm interested in reading more from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this copy of THE ORCHARD. Review has been posted on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

"The Orchard" had an amazing beginning but fell flat around the middle mark. I really liked Ari. He was a wonderful, sensitive, anxious, and well-rounded character. I could really feel his anguish and confusion when it came to his new and dangerous friends. The main problem I had though was the dialogue. Ari meets Noah, Oliver, Sophia, etc, at a fancy Jewish private school in Florida. I had a hard time believing the dialogue that was coming out of the teenager's mouths. It sounded so insincere and pretentious. That's why I rated this book so low. It irritated the hell out of me. This coming-of-age story just didn't work for me. All the female characters were interchangeable. All of them had the same bitchy, clipped tone. Very unrealistic.

All the male characters, minus Ari sound like spoiled douchebags. It was difficult to keep all these teenagers straight. Just your average teenage shenanigans, underage drinking, and excessive drug use. Big whoop. The dark undertone of this novel was one of the highlights, but I don't feel like the shocking thing that happens to Ari's friend, Noah is all that shocking to me. It felt like one of those after-school specials back in the early '90s. This book was trying too hard to be edgy and over-analytical. Ari was the only character I cared about, everyone was shallow and self-serving. The themes of religion played a huge part in Ari's development and downfall. I wish the novel would've focused more on Ari's faith than anything else.

Thank you to the publisher for a review copy of The Orchard by David Hopen. I was interested in reading this as it was a debut novel by a current Yale law student which I thought was interesting. I also like to learn something alongside my fiction and admittingly don't know much about the Orthodox religion so I thought this would be a good book to pick up. Unfortunately, this book was not for me - extremely philosophical and mystical for me.

The Orchard by David Hopen was a very powerful and emotional coming of age debut novel. It was very thought provoking and riveting. I found it hard to believe that this was David Hopen’s first novel. He portrayed well developed and complex characters coupled with life changing decisions and experiences a young seventeen year old boy was forced to face head on. Aryeh or Ari, the curious protagonist of The Orchard, told his story as a grown man looking back at his impressionable years and experiences that shaped him into the man he became. I felt a strong connection with this book maybe because I teach in a Jewish day school. Although I am not overly religious myself, I teach among those that are orthodox and observant. Having witnessed their commitment to their religious beliefs and practices I was curious about this book.

Aryeh or Ari, as he came to be called, grew up in a devout Jewish neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. He lived a lonely life there where learning, strict rules and the religion of the Ultra-Orthodox took precedence. Aryeh had a group of friends but he felt unfulfilled with the life he was leading. Then one day he learned that his Abba (father) had lost his job and had decided to move their family to Florida where he had secured a new job. Aryeh was excited to leave his old neighborhood, the all boy’s school he attended, his friends and all the expectations that went along with the life he led. He never looked back. Aryeh just looked forward and felt a new sense of hope.

Aryeh, now known as Ari, arrived in a suburb of Miami where he and his mother and father now lived. Ari attended an opulent Jewish Academy. Ari immediately noticed and was in awe of the excessive wealth all around him. Ari’s next door neighbor, Noah, took Ari under his wing and Ari soon found himself immersed within the most popular crowd in his new school. These new friends accepted Ari but also tempted him with things that were beyond his realm of understanding and experience. Ari was confronted by the lure of women, drugs, alcohol, the ambition to attend college, SAT scores and his future. These were beyond his realm of experience. Up until this point, Ari, had led a very sheltered life with no expectations other than what was laid out by the Rabbis.

One of the boys that Ari became friends with was Evan. Evan was extremely bright, much like Ari. The two were forced upon each other by their beloved principal. They both were intrigued by the many literature selections the principal suggested they both read. They had many intense debates and discussions over these readings and philosophies that were presented. The main distinction between the two boys was that Evan had a dark side. After losing his mother to a life threatening disease he became somewhat disturbed and stopped caring what happened to himself or others. Evan pulled himself and his friends into dangerous places with life changing consequences. During Ari’s new life and his new experiences, he kept questioning and searching for meaning to his life and guidance to which paths he should follow.

The Orchard by David Hopen was an intense book that explored what it meant to fit in or belong, that it was acceptable to have your own individual thoughts about life and its experiences and that it was permitted to question one’s own faith in G-d. I have read other books where Jewish men or women began to question their faith and life choices as they lived within the confines of a Ultra-Orthodox community. This was the first book that I had read about an adolescent that had to make those choices. Ari was conflicted by conformity vs individualism. In the opulent neighborhood of Miami, Ari would be have to decide whether to choose a secular world that was so foreign to everything he had been taught or choose to return to life he had led as a child led by conformity. His transformation and conclusions took many years and experiences to lead him to his rightful place. I look forward to reading other books by David Hopen. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to HarperCollins Publishers for allowing me to read this advanced digital version of Thd Orchard through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

As a Jewish person, I was excited to read this, but I really couldn’t get into it. I had a hard time with all of the unfamiliar terms. Footnotes to explain them would have helped. Unfortunately, this book wasn’t my favorite.

Someone compared this book to The Secret History so I picked it up immediately. I married into a Jewish family so I found the family dynamic of Ari and his parents. I especially like how he grew into himself at this school and with these boys / girls, for better or worse.

At best I am indifferent about The Orchard. The theme had a lot of potential as I was interested in seeing how the main character Ari would grow and adapt to the challenges of his new life in Miami. However, I find it implausible that a child who grew up in a highly structured and insular environment being transferred to a much more open-minded and competitive school as a Senior would be immediately and so willingly accepted by the cool/popular kids into a clique. It is also implausible that he would be on the Ivy League track since he has not done the necessary prep work during the first three years of high school. The rest of the characters also feel forced and appear to be trying way too hard at philosophical debates. The final kicker is how the plot devolved into science fiction/fantasy with the acid trip in the mountain. Can't say I would recommend it to other readers. Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley.

Ari is a 17 year old Jewish boy from Brooklyn, NY who follows very strict rules and is very concerned with his religion and its traditions. When his parents tell him they are moving to Miami, he sees the opportunity to have a more “normal” life and wants to try to fit in with the other kids in his neighborhood and school.

Noah, Ari’s next door neighbor in Miami, takes Ari under his wing. Their friendship blossoms quickly and before he knows it, Ari is hanging out with Noah and his friends all the time. He quickly starts drinking, smoking, and doing other things that are otherwise questionable to his morals and religion. The closer Ari gets to Noah and his new friends, the more they push their moral boundaries.

This coming of age story focuses on the hardship of a teenager’s life: friendship, trust, making your own decisions, and ultimately finding out who you are and what you stand for at the core.

If you read the Secret History by Donna Tartt, you basically know the premise of this book. A group of friends makes questionable decisions and it leads to horrible outcomes. This is just the Jewish-based version of Secret History. And, if I’m being honest, a much better version.

I really liked most of the characters in this book. Ari was so naïve in the beginning, but you could see him growing as the story progressed. He became more aware of himself and of how others treated him. I think that even though the Jewish community regards a bar mitzvah as a coming of age ceremony for a boy to manhood, Ari’s true coming of age was being able to take a step outside of his normal religious life and make some decisions for himself, and face the consequences of those choices as well.

Overall, I liked this book. It held my attention and some of the events had me reading through to find out how they would end. 4 stars, recommend to anyone who likes coming of age novels with characters with questionable morals and poor decision making skills.

The Orchard by David Hopen is a tale of dark academia and Judaism. I learned so much about Judaism from this book, I found that aspect fascinating. This is a a coming of age story about Ari, who was raised in an Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn. His family relocates to wealthy Jewish community in Florida and Ari learns to adjust to the higher academic standards and a flashy new life. There was so much Jewish culture and philosophy, it was a joy to take it all in.

This book is unlike most of what I read before -- in a good way. The main character, Ari, is an Orthodox Jew in New York, living in an observant community. But then his parents announce they are moving to a fancy Miami suburb. Ari's new school is a fancy private school, and Ari is quickly embraced by a group of popular students and he is quickly drawn into their world. This new environment and new relationships leads Ari to make choices and explore paths that he never would have considered before, while he has a profound and unexpected effect on his new friends, new school, and the head of school. This is a really interesting story and well executed by the author. It is likely to be enjoyed by those who are drawn to Secret History-like stories. Recommended!

I've seen many comparisons of this book to A Secret History. Having read them both recently I must agree- I didn't fully comprehend either. While I really enjoyed this initially there came a point where it just became too strange for me. It was simply okay in my opinion.

“What had it been like wearing a face nobody remembered?”
“What had it been like not thinking about the moral fissure dividing who we were from who we imagined we’d grow up to be?”


A four star debut for David Hopen in The Orchard, a coming-of-age novel about Ari, Evan, and their group of Modern Orthodox high schoolers. Ari’s parents choose to move from Brooklyn to Zion Hills, Florida; his mother is sure that Ari will gain academic and social opportunities that she feels she missed. The novel quickly juxtaposes the Brooklyn yeshiva’s boring daily grind with no discernible meaning to the Zion Hills Modern Orthodox high school’s wealthy daily rituals of debauchery. Ari questioned his life in Brooklyn but once settled into his new Florida life, he went down some very dark paths.

Ari and Evan are rivals from their first meeting, and the rivalry builds for Evan throughout the novel. Although Ari’s mother has always encouraged him to read beyond the yeshiva’s narrow curriculum, his previous high school experience hasn’t prepared him for the cultural shock at Zion Hills--girls; an abundance of money, drugs, and alcohol; and a lack of direct parental guidance or interference.

The head of the school, Rabbi Bloom, accepted Ari as a senior (unheard of) to provide a challenge to Evan’s intellect. Soon Evan’s self-destructive habits begin to influence Ari as the two jockey for power in their private class with Bloom, their other classes, their group of friends, and their pursuit of Sophia. The impacts on the school, their group, Sophia, and each other escalates throughout the school year, coming to multiple climactic moments. Just when you think people will come to their senses, there is another instance of poor decision-making and more damage to others. Friends, family members, Rabbi Bloom, and strangers suffer as collateral damage from this group’s self-destructive actions. The author managed to logically wrap up the book, yet left the reader as collateral damage as well.

Disturbing at times, hopeful at others, this book was an excellent read. I found my emotions all over the place--much like the characters as they navigated high school and all its rawness.
By the end, I loathed Evan and really wasn’t a fan of Ari; I empathize with the others, some of whom will experience lifelong suffering. The Orchard is one of those books I will read again and will definitely recommend to others!

Ari Eden finds himself in an environment he doesn't know anything about when he moves to a new school in Miami from a traditional Jewish school in Brooklyn. The group of friends he makes begin to explore and push boundaries with as often is the case some unhappy results. There are many questions to be pondered in this story.

The Orchard was a gripping coming of age book set among teens attending a Jewish school in Florida. Ari Eden moves from a devout community in Brooklyn to this affluent, secular community. His world is turned upside down as he weighs the value of forming relationships against his religious study and rituals. We are given a front-row seat to these friends finding who they are and their relation to the world around them as they are tutored by a rabbi at their school. Ari's world comes crashing down around him as he navigates the consequences of the choices that he makes to belong in this school and community.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. As much as I was enjoying the story, unfortunately I wasn't able to get into the book. This is usually a subject I enjoy reading about.

Thanks to the publisher for the Advance Reader Copy for an honest review! Is it as good as The Secret History? Do I have to practice the Jewish Faith to understand the book? NO and NO!
You will learn man facts about Judaism if you don't know them, (I did not!) And there are themes similar to The Secret History by Donna Tartt. But at the end of the day the novel is a coming of age story. With that comes plenty of emotion that helps us become invested in the characters. As this is a coming of age story, there is teenage dialogue, but it is well done! Again, invested in the characters! If you enjoy philosophy, you will enjoy the novel as there are many digressions, but on the other hand if you do not enjoy getting off topic with the plot, you might find it distracting. Essentially if you like heavy academia, with in depth characters, you will enjoy the journey!