I really struggled with this book. I couldn't get into any of the characters and the writing felt like it was a first draft.

I was interested in this novel because of the TV show 'Unorthodox' and I just didn't get that vibe from this book (which I know is not a fair comparison but it was stuck in my head the whole time).

I felt like this book tried to balance the trend of the antagonistic FMC with the energy of a teen angst book at the heart of many YA coming of age stories. I don't think this book succeeded in what it was trying to do, but I appreciate it for the perspective on addition it provides. I have suggested it to patrons who have read Milk Fed, Unorthodox, etc.

First off, let's talk about the goth kids in this book. They were portrayed in such a stereotypical way that it made me roll my eyes a bit. But hey, aside from that, the novel was fantastic! The ending, though, it left me feeling a bit sick. I was dying to know what happened after that cliffhanger. It really made me wonder, you know?

One thing that Berliner does really well is showing how extremely religious women deal with sex and porn. It's portrayed in a very apt and insightful manner. I found it incredibly interesting and it definitely kept me flipping those pages.

However, I have to admit, there was one thing that bothered me a bit. I wished Raizl, the main character, got what she wanted. It made me question if she truly found happiness in the way things turned out. I mean, where did that rebellious spirit go? It made me wonder if the cycle of her life would just continue.

Overall, Shmutz is a captivating and thought-provoking read. It might have had a few quirks and left me with a few questions, but it definitely kept me hooked from start to finish.

***3.5 ⭐️ ***

Shmutz is a book about addiction. And religion. And the confines around womanhood and independence.

While I wasn’t so keen to read past the 25% mark, what came later in this story were the deeper questions of what is “right” and “wrong” based on an orthodox upbringing versus the electronic age of the world. The FMC (POV for this book) was both innocent as well as antagonistic, which was extremely off putting, depending whose company she was in. Also, the fact that there were copious Yiddish words that were undefined had me googling more than reading, which broke up the flow of the story. Not that this is a spoiler, but the story was open ended, which is always a pet peeve of mine (personal preference is to conclude a story in its entirety, unless part of a series).

This was a decent book to point out the vast differences of an ancient religion in today’s climate and how navigating through life is a give and take, not an all or nothing, state of affairs.

SHMUTZ by Felicia Berliner
Publication: July 19,2022 by Atria Books
Page Count: 272



I’ve been putting off writing this review for awhile. The premise seemed so unique and refreshing, but the execution of this debut novel was somewhat lacking. This is kind of a coming of age novel. Eighteen year old Razl is a Brooklyn Hasidic women mired in her orthodox world of rules, commandments and strict family life. Besides helping her family and part time work, she is enrolled in program to learn accounting at Cohen College. Part of her scholarship is being supplied a laptop computer. This is virtually unheard of in a world where smart phones are prohibited. In her initial Google searches she naively falls into the darker side of the Web…. and somewhat weirdly finds herself addicted to watching porn. She falls from further grace by eating bacon and egg rolls from a street vendor. She goes on several unsuccessful matchmaker dates. She continually finds herself in absurd situations… that at times are hilarious.
Berlliner unfortunately paces this novel too slowly and offers a poor resolution. I was hoping for a more tautly told tale with a reasonable denouement . What I originally thought was a delightful premise and tale dragged on too long and dropped from a four to a three star.
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for supplying an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review. Based upon this novel I would like to read the author’s follow-up novel.

Shmutz follows Raizl, a young Hasidic woman in New York, on her challenging quest to find a partner and her descent into porn addiction. This is a great novel about coming of age in an ultra-religious family, loving and valuing that tradition, but trying to decide if it will all be true for you too. Would recommend to fans of A Woman is No Man!

A fun, filthy, fascinating book about a young Hassidic woman who loves her family, her faith...and porn. That's how the book starts out, but there's a lot more to it. It talks about all of the traditions and rules a young Jewish woman is expected to live with, and makes passive observations about Western culture and mores.

Raizl is an interesting young woman. I'm happy with her ending - or beginning - and was happy with the book's ending.

Note: this book isn't for the faint of heart. I'm no prude and a couple of the passages made me uncomfortable, but if you can get past it, the rest of the book is really interesting.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions expressed are mine and freely given.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

At the intersection of religion, tradition, female, freedom, family, food, love, lust, desire, sin, shame, safety, language, learning, inner worlds, outer worlds - is Raizl. Most of all what I loved is Raizl’s honesty about the heartbreak that is finding womanhood in girlhood. Her curiosity. Her exploration of day and night. Finding ways for her earnestness to break through to the outer world. Where edges can be so hard and defined, she manages to soften them.

Thank you to NetGalley for ARC.

As a late bloomer to my own sexuality, I really enjoyed this coming of age tale of a Hasidic woman in Brooklyn with a secret addition to porn. Unlike most in her community, Raizl attended college and was given a laptop by the school for her assignments. Having this gave her access to the forbidden world of the internet, and she developed an addiction to porn, in addition to a curiosity for the world outside her traditional upbringing.

Unlike the popular representations of Hasidic women from the past several years, I really valued the rejection of the "enlightened woman is liberated from the terrors of Orthodoxy" trope. Raizl is smart, curious, and determined, but also loves Hashem, is devoted to her family, and desires to get married. The journey she undertakes is not to leave her community, but to reconcile her unconventional self with her traditions and beliefs. While I am not Hasidic, I am Jewish, and I loved the Yiddish and Jewish holidays and traditions included. The author obviously writes from a place of loving being Jewish, and that shone through the story. I wasn't sure how the story would be wrapped up as we neared the ending, but I am truly satisfied and feel Raizl made the choices that she wanted.

As a side note, I loved the emphasis Raizl put on the idea that Hashem is not the hegemonic Christian ideal of a man in the sky, but rather an unknown, nonhuman force, a Creator of which you cannot conceive an image. I wish this point was made more in Jewish lit and texts! I know that's a very Hasidic idea but it also accepted in other communities and it's something I really love about Judaism.

Overall, loved this book. You will learn a lot, and hopefully some readers will understand that not everyone feels hopelessly oppressed within a religious community. Sometimes, that community is where someone chooses to be.

Super unique, definitely not going to be for everyone, but i think there is a niche group of readers who will love this. My only qualm was that nothing really seemed to "happen" - i almost wished the wedding took place in the middle of the book and we could see the aftermath of it. it was well written but i dont think i was the target audience for this one

This was fantastic and of a world I know very little about. I loved everything about it and appreciated both it's honesty and humor.

I waffled between loving and hating Raizl the entire time. I really didn't know what would happen in the end, but I found the ending to be absolutely perfect. She needed to see what was out there before she could life how she chose, which is something that everyone can understand. Without options, we're not choosing anything.

Completely forgot to review this one, but I don’t know how because it was so great!

It was definitely different from what I normally read, but definitely opened up a new world of books I was t sure I would be interested in.

It was so relatable, and I felt like her inner conflict was something that so many can resonate with.

I have already recommended this to several friends, great read overall

While I found the juxtaposition of a orthodox religious woman addicted to porn of the story intriguing, the story seemed a bit drawn out. It took me a long time to get through this story since I felt like some parts were repetitive but the writing overall was beautiful.

This is a coming of age book about a young woman living in a very controlled culture, and is looking for some way to push back. Everything about Raizl's life is chosen for her, or she's given limited options, from what to study to what to wear. For once she wants to choose something for herself, which might bring her happiness and pleasure, and lands on internet porn, of all things. Well written, and the inclusion of Yiddish gives the story realism, although certain parts, mainly the relationship with Raizl's boss seemed a bit over-the-top and too reflective of the plot of some porn. Raizl's a MC that you'll sympathize with as she agonizes over her major life decisions.

This book is right at the intersection of sex and religion which was incredibly interesting. At times the story felt a bit disjointed but not enough to impact the overall story. I loved Raizl's frankness and I appreciated that the author decided to have her stay devoted to her religion and culture instead of leaving like I was expecting before going in.

Thanks to NG.

Quite an interesting read. It's a little graphic but what do you expect with a Chasidic woman addicted to porn on the sly? She's 19, a freshman in college, using her computer not only for her classes, and her job but porn obviously. She learns a lot that's for sure. She's seeing a therapist, not for this, but for her fear of finding the right man to marry but the sessions are always about the porn.

I learned a lot of new Yiddish words too. For those not familiar with these words there's a huge glossary at the end of the book.

I absolutely loved this quirky book! I enjoyed reading about the intersection of sex and religion, something I don’t often read about. The push and pull that Raizl felt within herself seemed very real. Her indecision, not knowing what to do…it all felt very relatable.

I loved the inclusion of Yiddish language and the helpful glossary that was included.

I am curious to read reviews from former members of the Hasidic community.

I look forward to the next book by Berliner!

3.5 rating

You are immediately sucked into Raizl’s religious world as she tries to find balance between lust for sex and being a perfect Jewish woman. When Raizl finally gets access to the internet via her own laptop for college, she decides to search for unspoken sexual words out of curiosity that leads her into the world internet pornography and her exploration of things that please her, whether it’s lesbian or straight porn, or even threesomes! In a shared bedroom with her sister, Raizl neglects her main reason for having the laptop (which is to do her college assignments) by watching porn and slowly everything she has worked for starts to unravel. The entire time you’re reading, you’re wondering if she will get caught, if her family will find out, and if she will rebel against everything she has grown to learn. Shmutz is a book to read if you’ve ever felt shame when it comes to sex because of your religious belief or family morals. I would also say that some parts were slow and felt like filler scenes, and I found the ending to be abrupt.