An ambitious look at the Jewish diaspora through the lens of a fractured family spread out across the world.

What worked for me here were the conversations of what it’s like to be Jewish in current day Germany. 15 year old Margarita was raised in Germany, German is her first language, but to her American mother—who left her and her father and has been absent most of her life—German and Jewish are irreconcilable descriptors. Vowinckel explores what it means to claim both of these identities in a nuanced and informative way that I imagine only someone with that lived experience could do.

What worked less for me were the father’s chapters, giving so much attention to his story gave the book a bit of a bloated feel. The extra details added through his perspective weren’t compelling enough to offset the loss of momentum experienced every time we jump to his POV. Additionally, if you’re doing this on audio, the jumps between Margarita and her father’s chapters are quick and there’s no indication we’ve switched POV so you’re constantly trying to get oriented.

Impressive for a debut, though personally it gets a bit too melodramatic too often for my tastes.

Misophonia explores cultural diaspora over the course of a summer through the perspective of Margarita, a 15 year old. This coming-of-age story is perfect for those who enjoy reading about complex family dynamics. Misophonia is an impressive debut! I look forward to reading more from Vowinckel in the future.

MIsophonia is a beautifully written coming-of-age story about a 15-year-old Jewish German girl navigating a summer split between her grandparents in Chicago and her mother in Isreal. It's heartfelt, and full of messy, marvelous humanity. I loved this neurotic cast.

This is a unique coming-of-age story that deals with intergenerational trauma and dysfunctional family dynamics. I especially appreciated the exploration of Jewish identity in the varied context of three different countries. The characters are well-crafted, and the writing is simple and lovely. Definitely worth a read.