this book was never going to be as liberatory as i wanted, and that was always going to be the biggest influence of my low rating. but i want to believe there's still a role for centrist fiction -- most of the clientele of my library are conservative, orthodox, and likely zionists. i want to believe a zionist teen may pick up this book and encounter traces of empathy for Palestinians for the first time, and i want to believe that can spark further education and development. let me be clear that my criticism stems from this book's representation of israel, not of Judaism.

otherwise, i admire the author's craft decisions; tally's character development is rewarding to watch, and i appreciate that she's from a mixed-faith background and finds solace in the demi label. that's cool. and i do think this book provides fantastic representation about the many varied experiences of being Jewish! but, as another reviewer put, it's difficult to read a book about teens romping around a colonized settler-state and not have that be something seriously centered.