Suspenseful, terrific, and engaging. A "you won't be able to put it down" book, Wrath Becomes Her is an engrossing tale of revenge and the fine line between humanity and monstrosity. A definite addition to our collection!

Rep: Jewish culture and tradition
Genre: Jewish folklore, Young Adult, Horror, monsters vs. villains

Wrath Becomes Her ticked many boxes on my reading checklist due to my fascination with the golem concept and discovering a new author in my book list!

NOTE: My golem concept needs to be revised, at best. I thought it was as simple as reanimating molded clay to do the maker's bidding, but as I researched the topic a bit more, it was more complicated than expected. It's knowledge of Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) of "placing a soul" that brings both hope and terror.

Vera, a golem and main FC, becomes more than a pawn in the book. She embodied an entity beyond revenge and justice, which was an unexpected outcome by its creator. This book felt like a "coming of age" for Vera, who continues on Chaya's life but also "starts to pave her future" with her later decisions. She exposes herself to humans (more humanoid than her other counterparts) in a more vulnerable way than typical golems with a superiority complex. Her most distinctive characteristic is having a "soul" and being emphatic to all - humans and others. She had her creator's daughter's memories, thoughts, and feelings that made her unique and able to "outwit" her rivals. But given this "advantage," it is also the source of much internal conflict that makes her relatable versus just a "weapon." Her human side made the nuances she represents (especially to the Jewish community) urgent, current, and valuable. I cried during those times.

This book is character-driven versus plot-centered, wherein the actions and scenes happen because of the characters' decisions. Vera will make readers think, reassess, and want to fight for truth and justice!
The plot may sound simple - a grieving parent seeking revenge against the Nazis who killed his daughter and thought of using a golem to exact his revenge. But due to the reimagined and new nuances of this particular golem and a few new "food-for-thoughts" on Jewish ideologies infused.
The characters were complex and with a lot of internal and external conflicts. It wasn't only Vera, but all of the characters had to decide and weigh in what is important to them in the end and how they see their future. Vera came into this world as an innocent. Granted, she had Chaya's thoughts and mannerisms, but she is still an individual with her opinions and innocence. She needed to find a purpose after being "left behind," so that was something that anyone would relate to. It gives a "coming of age" feeling since any child will go through this - wanting to please parents while still being true to what they would want for themselves. It is not unreasonable to be selfish in a scenario one might not see tomorrow.

The book had many emotional segments, but the author provided a counterbalance of suspenseful action scenes and many "rage revenge" moments that made me cheer for Vera. I was stunned by how happy my reaction was to the bloody fight scenes after reading through so much of the injustices and cruelty succumbed by the Jews just because of their heritage. Readers can skip these if you have a weak stomach for deadly fight scenes and gory details, but note that some get pretty vivid.

Overall, I found Wrath Becomes Her insightful and enlightening. There is the usual revenge aspect entailed with the folklore, but I was in it for the mystics and nuances of family, love, and compassion. Even with all the violence in a few scenes, I would encourage young readers to read this book since it gives a lot of new nuances on humanity, life, and hope.
The emotions and empathy spring out in the pages from the beginning, and even after the last chapter, these things lingered in me and were impossible to forget. This book impacted me and will be considered one of the most memorable ones I have encountered. Based on the author's initial letter to readers in this book, I will look through the author's past books to learn more about Jewish culture and traditions.

Wrath Becomes Her is a shorter novel that brings Jewish folklore to life, quite literally. Vera is a golem, brought to life by her creator to avenge the death of his daughter, who was killed by Nazis during WWII. As Vera explores the world, she uncovers a mysterious operation headed by a Nazi doctor intended to bring the rebels to their end. I loved the characterization of Vera and how the author explores what it really means to be human and have humanity. This is a great work of historical fiction mixed with folklore that anyone would enjoy.

Thank you, Inkyard and NetGalley, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

In Lithuania, 1943, a father is desperate because his daughter was killed by the Nazis. He can't bring her back, but he can use an ancient profane magic, kishuf, to create a golem in her image, a Nazi killer to avenge her death. So is Vera created. Made for vengeance. When she awakens she's filled with purpose and vengeance, but also with memories of warm kisses and a past life and when she meets Akiva, who gave the kisses, she has to fight between memories that don't belong to her and her own life purpose. As she lives and learns about those who uses kishuf for horrible reasons, Vera has to learn to have a reason to live, not only one to fight.

Aden Polydoros wrote another masterpiece with Wrath Become Her, a brilliant, brutal and haunting Jewish historical horror novel about a golem and her thirst for vengeance and life at the same time.
The story is beautiful and painful to read and it's hard not to get involved in it, in the magic and Vera's whole existence, her struggles between warm memories and death, her purpose and her desire to be more than just that.
In this thrilling story, the author doesn't shy from death and violence, vengeance and revenge and also the ability of loving and fighting to get a purpose in one's life.

This book was honestly not my cup of tea. I have never been a fan of historical fiction but there have been books in the genre that I have loved. Sadly this is not the case of this book. By any means the writing was bad but the story felt to real even for that kind of genre and idk I feel like maybe in the times that we are now and what's going on this one might have not been the right book to read.

Fan's of Frankenstein will find their next best read in this book. A hauntingly beautiful book filled with justified revenge against the world.

Unlike anything I have had the pleasure of reading before. This is an incredibly impactful book, which expertly uses the story to discuss themes of rage and grief and what makes a person a person. Aden Polydoros is one to watch.

The story is about Vera, who is a clay golem who has been brought to life. She was created by a man named Ezra whose daughter, Chaya was murdered by the Nazis. Ezra used Chaya's hair, teeth, nails, eyeballs to create Vera and whose sole purpose will be to avenge her death.

When Vera awakens, despite not being a human, she can feel glimpses of a human life loved, of stolen kisses amidst the tragedy and a horrible death. Then Vera meets Akiva, she recognises the boy with whom she shared kisses. But these memories aren't hers and she doesn't know if she deserves to have a life beyond what she was made of.

The book is based on the horrible tragedies faced by the Jewish people by the Nazis. The book is powerful yet very emotional. The author has written the moments very powerfully that you can actually visualise the scenes.

The book also showcases Jewish culture and their lifestyle. The resistance they put up against the Nazis. It is a historical fiction book with a whole different vibe and the readers are absolutely gonna love it.

I totally recommend the book.

Until now, I have really enjoyed all of Aden Polydoros’s works that I have read! The City Beautiful was one of my top favorite reads in 2022 and I would recommend that book to anyone. I had hoped that, just like The City Beautiful, I would be able to dive headfirst into the story and be happily led along as Polydoros seamlessly blended a Jewish centered history with fantasy and Jewish mythology, but I struggled getting into it. I am not sure if it was the pace that tripped me up or the history (history being the names and places and motives) that I had trouble following, but I became disengaged quickly and unable to get back into it.

In no way shape or form will this be my last Polydoros book - Like I said, I have loved everything else I have read by this author, but this was sadly a miss for me. Thank you to NetGalley, Aden Polydoros, and Inkyard Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

“I would show them and their collaborators that when they slaughtered innocent girls deep in the forest, those girls sometimes came back.”

Wrath Becomes Her is a story about Vera, who is a clay golem who has been brought to life. She was created by a man named Ezra whose daughter, Chaya, was murdered being part of a Nazi resistance group. Vera wasn’t just created in Chaya’s image. Ezra used Chaya’s hair, teeth, nails, and even eyeballs to mold Vera into a duplicate of his daughter, and had the sole purpose of vengeance in mind when doing so.

So Vera has all Chaya’s memories, looks exactly like her, and is a virtual Nazi-killing machine. But she also has more sentience than Ezra planned, and has a very wide spectrum of human emotions.

Vera comes across Akiva, a boy she remembers from Chaya’s memories, and the two of them carry on the Nazi resistance he’d been a part of with Chaya. But as they get to know one another and come across a spectrum of people, good and bad, we learn a lot about Vera’s confusion about her own agency and personality. She wants to be her own person and have her own desires but just doesn’t know how to separate herself from Chaya when Vera is so much of Chaya, mentally and physically.

So while it is a story of vengeance and Jewish folklore, but it’s also a story of identity and self that is told so seamlessly. I never thought I’d feel so much for a golem! I’m obsessed with Aden Polydoros’s writing aaf

This book was not an easy read, but I think it was an important one (for me and for many others). A 'retelling' that is more like an additional telling of the legend of the Golem, this book is set during World War Two and follows a story of Jewish partisans. Though not fully historical, the story itself is an important one as it shows a side of World War II and the Holocaust that isn't as prevalent in mainstream knowledge: the fact that Jewish people defended themselves and were often on their own even when amongst other partisan groups. This book was powerful for me and also gave me some wonderful opportunities to delve deeper into my own thoughts on the philosophies and traditions of my people. I think this book is a must read, but it can be heavy so be prepared.

From the vibes alone I was fascinated by Wrath Becomes Her which manages to channel Frankenstein vibes mixed with Jewish folklore. Set in a historical fiction setting, Wrath Becomes Her examines who the real monsters are. Because if you think it's very simply the ones who are created, then you've got a lot to learn. Much like Frankenstein it explores how one learns of their monstrosity, of the crimes others perpetuate under guises, and cruelty.

World War 2 fiction in a whole new way!!! With this book with we throw in Jewish mysticism with a Golem! An incredible tale of a monster made to save and people who act like monsters. Truly filled with such righteous rage it makes your blood boil in a good way as you connect with a monster sent to fight for the good of people. But is a Golem that can feel a monster? Where is the line between human and monster?

3.5 Stars Rounded Up!

Thank you to Netgalley and Inkyard Press for an arc of this book!

First off, I feel terrible that I've had an arc, and it took me until now to finish it. I've started this book various time and stopped for various reasons. Finally, when the arc archived, I ended up finding it as an audiobook to listen. Honestly, this book was a case of a me problem. I know my tastes and that I don't usually enjoy historical fiction, but I also am convinced that the right book can make me love a genre. I hoped this could be that book for me, but unfortunately, it was not.

That being said, this is still a very solid read. I don't really have any issues with it, other than me just not being as "into it" as I hoped. I thought that a lot of the commentary and themes were very interesting and important to read about. The ending also was extremely intense. I also loved how Golems were incorporated. I had never heard of them before, and outside of the book, I did a bit of research on them. They are extremely fascinating, and the aspect of them is what makes this book so unique and what made me initially drawn to the book. I also believe I requested it right after reading Frankenstein because that piqued my curiosity.

I definitely would recommend this to someone who is either a historical fiction fan, or they are maybe looking into getting into the genre and already are a bit of a fantasy/scifi/magical realism reader.

The cover is absolutely gorgeous, and the writing is beautifully done.

This is a historical story with many feelings of grief, rage, etc.

Vera is the golem of vengeance, made from the mud of the river. Not only does she look human, but she feels human as well. I absolutely loved Vera, and will remember this character for many years to come. Her struggle with her identity as not quite human was very inspiring and I loved reading about her.

This is a WW|| story with a fun twist. Can't wait to read more from this author.

Historical Fantasy novels are not my favorite but I decided to give this one a shot. I did enjoy this but I think it could have been more powerful if targeted to an older audience. At times, I felt the YA feel got in the way of the potential power and affect of the book on the reader, but then again...that is only my opinion.

I was really hoping for some kick-ass female character and that did fall a little flat for me. This was a great book and it is very clear the author did their research with regards to the time period and Jewish Mythology.

A fresh take on YA historical fantasy, this book had me intrigued and wanting more. This was a quick read for me. Over all I would give it a 3.75 as I found it slightly lacking in character development with characters I really loved. However, I will definitely be picking up other books by this author.

If there’s an award for the most arresting book cover of the year, Wrath Becomes Her should absolutely win it. It’s stunning.

What a concept. A grieving father whose daughter was killed by WWII Nazis creates a golem in her image to avenge her death. A golem is a creature formed out of a lifeless substance, in this case rebar and river clay, brought to life by ritual incantations and sequences of Hebrew letters. It becomes a helper, a companion, or a rescuer of an imperiled Jewish community. As with many of this author’s previous novels, I enjoyed learning more about Jewish folklore and history than I ever did in school, and was excited to see what he’d do with this story.

When Vera awakens, she has memories of her life as Chaya – and also her death. Upon meeting Akiva, she remembers kisses and happiness in the midst of all the tragedy and death surrounding them. Despite how she was created, Vera feels as if she’s human. She also knows her purpose and why she was created and struggles with the turmoil of those memories and emotions. Although she’s filled with these conflicting emotions, I felt like it was stated more than shown in some places. Still, I raged against the Nazis along with her and Akiva.

The author’s lyrical writing describes a story filled with fear, anger, sorrow, pain, grief, and even hope. It’s horrific, revenge-fueled, dark, and a powerful read I’d recommend to fans of historical fiction with a horror fantasy twist.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A grieving Jewish father creates a Golem in this new historical WWII YA thriller that was great on audio narrated by Emily Lawrence and perfect for fans of books like the Golem and the jinni. My first book by Aden Polydoros but definitely not my last. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!!

This had a really interesting premise, and as far as the time period went, it was a good blend of the fantasy and the reality of the war taking place within the story. I did feel like a lot of the pacing was a bit slow for me, and while I did try to get invested in the main character's story, I just found I wasn't as interested after the prologue. Great on the atmosphere, so-so on the story.