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!

I wasn't expecting this to read like a YA novel but I loved the coming of age story and some of the darker, more philosophic themes. Ari reminded me a lot of myself as a teenager, despite not being brought up in Jewish culture. All the characters were well-developed and detailed. Overall a very emotional book that will have you hooked.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The description of this book sounded so promising! And I loved the first 10% of the book. Once the family moved from NY to FL, I lost interest in the plot quickly.

The story was trying too hard to be something more intellectual than it actually was. I was too disinterested in the characters or outcome to read more than 50%. I could not force myself to finish.

I was disappointed but life is short and there are too many books on my TBR just calling out to me instead.

This is the first read in a long time which has challenged my thinking without being a slog of a read. The characters aren't particularly likable, however, that just adds to the 'affluent high school' feel and level of thinking.

Although tougher going for the first half, there's a couple of unexpected twists and turns, and it's worth sticking with this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Publishers, Ecco for a copy of the ARC in return for my honest review.

Put The Secret History, high school melodrama, Ultra-orthodox Judaism, and Florida in a blender. Out comes this treasure. A thoroughly engaging and engrossing book that puts you at the meeting point of several disparate concepts. The characters are relatable and top notch, a true representation of an affluent high school.

The moral quandaries young Ari experiences as his new lifestyle meet with some of the oldest ethical foundations does a great job of parsing through the difficulties of modern life.

I loved this novel! Like many readers who are fans of this book, I am a sucker for novels involving secret societies, and The Orchard is a mashup of My Name is Asher Lev and The Secret History. This coming-of-age novel is structured by the months in the academic year, and is told by Aryeh ("Ari") Eden who is in but not of the varied worlds he inhabits. At the beginning of the novel, Ari is a devout Jewish teenager in Brooklyn who lives a sheltered life. He subsequently moves to a wealthy Jewish suburb of Miami, where he is mysteriously befriended by the "cool kids" at the school who are far ahead of him when it comes to the secular world and its vices. What makes this novel so fascinating is the deeper, religious/moral overlay involving questions of religious faith and whether it is possible to directly see God and survive the encounter intact. The only negatives for me -- the novel presumes a knowledge of Judaism I (and likely many other readers) don't have.which limited my ability to fully appreciate the book. The female characters were also poorly developed. This was perhaps intentional given that the novel is really about the relationship between five young men, but was off putting nonetheless.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins/Ecco for providing me with a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.. .

The Orchard drew me in from the premise and availability on audio. I knew nothing about this young, debut author – but I found the premise of an ultra-Orthodox Brooklynite pitted against a secular high school to be interesting.

Ariyeh, which is later shortened to Ari or even Drew sometimes, is uplifted from his religious community in Brooklyn to an affluent suburb in Florida after his dad loses his job. He is sent to the closest Yeshiva school, which unknowingly leans on the secular side. Ari has been lonely for years, as a sheltered only child who prefers reading to his friends. He plans to reinvent himself in Florida. By default, Ari falls into the popular crowd as the school’s number one athlete and overall golden boy is his neighbor. How this changes Ari is remarkable, in some ways horrifically and outstandingly in others.

The clique of girls and boys that Ari associated with are all well-crafted and relatable. Each one has his own set of strengths and weaknesses and their behaviors all affect Ari in surprising ways. On day one in Florida and he meets girls clad in skimpy bikinis and he’s not sure if he should feel the desire or disgust at their lack of modesty. Basically, the reader gets a first-row seat watching Ari come into his own manhood. This book tackles mental illness, religious freedom, music, literature, affluence, drug abuse, romance, friendship, education and tolerance.

I think my favorite part of the book were the theological discussions between the boys as well as between the boys and the director of the school, Rabbi Bloom.

As I read this book, it felt like it was trying to fit into too many genres and not succeeding. I read the description and thought this sounds up my alley. I almost did not finish (DNF). It got put down a couple times and picked back up because I wanted to like it and connect more. A good third if not more of the book could have been edited out and the characters a bit more fleshed out and it would be a great book. As it is, a lot of religious terminology, philosophy, teenage angst, and serious literary tome attempts crammed into one book. I finished it and just went eh. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

This book is ABSOLUTELY phenomenal! It truly blew me away. The characters are authentic; they take us on a thrilling and thought-provoking journey. Not only is the narrative deeply and authentically grounded in Jewish culture (from which I learned a ton), but it boldly dares to ask questions of humanity and religion that most people are afraid to confront. I bought a hardback copy of this book before I was even done reading the galley! Bravo!

Ari Eden's life is upended when his parents move him from and ultra-Orthodox Brooklyn neighborhood to a swanky Miami suburb for his senior year. The culture shock certainly would have done him in if the local golden boy, Noah, hadn't immediately invited him into his friend group. Ari is drawn to his new exclusive group of friends more than he anticipated; their energy is magnetic and he soon finds himself indulging in pleasures he never imagined.

His schoolwork on the other hand, not so magnetic. Ari initially struggles to rise to the academic standards at the academy, until Rabbi Bloom takes an interest in him. Bloom encourages Ari to read deep and thoughtful books, further peaking his interest in literature. With the encouragement from the Rabbi, Ari & friends begin testing their faith in unconventional, and ultimately tragic ways.

I don't know what to say. It was SO good. I will admit that it took me forever to read. With zero background in Judaism or Jewish culture, I spent A LOT of time Googling. But it was all so fascinating. Highly recommend!

I had a little bit of a struggling getting into this book, I felt the first 100 pages or so were a bit slow. I found that I started to get really invested in the story and the drama playing out between Evan and Ari. In the end I wanted a little bit more from the female characters, I felt that the book didn't really give them as much depth or agency as I would have liked to see. That being said, I find myself thinking over this book a lot after having finished it and I thought it was a very strong debut. Ultimately I don't know if I'm the target audience for this book. I find characters (in books and in real life) like Evan to just basically be tiresome and I don't really have any patience for their bullshit. I think the book was very successful in its portrayal of the enormity and depth and all-encompassing, crushing power of emotions and relationships and ideas in a teenager's world. Overall I thought it was a very solid debut, if a bit predictable, and I found Ari to be a sometimes frustrating but ultimately believable narrator.

A story about a high school senior and his life in a new to him community and finding his own path. Even though the book involves Jewish beliefs, you don’t need to know anything about Judaism to immerse yourself in this novel. Intelligent discourse between characters raises questions regarding faith, independence, and traditions.

This is the story of a true exodus as Ari, imprisoned by the ultra-orthodoxy of his Brooklyn upbringing, sheds these religious bonds and enters into a much more secular world filled with seductive freedoms. As the Eden family moves to Miami, Ari is lured to taste the heretofore forbidden fruits of a dramatically different Jewish culture with new found school friends, Noah and Evan as his guides.

As Ari allows himself to be led into new moral territories and unfamiliar relationships, he encounters life events which test the underlying wisdoms of both his old and rapidly changing upbringings. How Ari survives these challenges and what does and does not change in him, based on these encounters, presents a fascinating and tantalizing dilemma for the reader where we, together with Ari, are forced to examine the impact and consequences of exercising our right to choose on those around us.

I really enjoyed this book. I do wish I read it with a book club and/or others because there was so much I wanted to discuss! I was not only challenged by the philosophical and religious conversations that took place, but also in fully understanding the emotional well-being of many of the students. This story was an emotional journey that sometimes felt arduous, but was always rewarding.

The Orchard is a beautifully and meticulously crafted novel which undoubtedly will earn a prominent place on the bookshelf of coming of age stories, past and present.

Well, this book was a letdown.
To begin with, there was an inordinate amount of religious terminology and doctrine included. It totally impeded the story and was lost on me anyway, since I didn’t understand the majority of it and wasn’t mood to do the research required for a novel I wasn’t even particularly enjoying.
None of the characters were likeable. Like, none of them. Nor were they very believable; more like cliches of cliquey rich boys.
And what the hell happened to the parents? Did NOBODY have a curfew? I’m supposed to believe that Ari spends seventeen years in a tiny Orthodox bubble and then moves to Florida and is no longer accountable to anyone, despite the fact that he is obviously unraveling?
By the end of the story, I had grown so tired of the constant pontificating. It was almost as if the author was using his extreeeeemely intelligent high schoolers to show off how smart he actually is. Point made - you think really deep thoughts.
In short, this book just took itself way too seriously.
Thanks to #netgalley and #eccopublishing for this ARC of #theorchard in exchange for an honest review.

What everyone else says is true (I'm just adding my voice to the chorus): comparisons to The Secret History are apt and deserved. We've the philosophical wanderings, the intentional cruelties - large and small, literary references, and morbid teenagers feeding off of one another's trauma.

I read The Secret History literally decades after publication and so perhaps time and it's popularity building against any success of it being a favourite for me. Don't get me wrong - I liked it very much but, having read The Goldfinch first, I couldn't tear my heart away from the first love. So while I liked TSH and acknowledge The Orchard's comparisons to be worthy, it should be clear that it stands on its own merits.

I loved the Jewish setting. I loved the uncommon nod to teenagers/young adults having the depth and cleverness that sometimes makes them fascinating and lovely creatures and sometimes makes them self destructive monsters.

Be prepared for languishness, questions, frustrations, great writing. I unfortunately found one of the twists at the end something I saw, to the final detail, early on. This didn't detract, and I have to wonder if I was just lucky, or if others might suspect its arrival.

In a flush of election-influenced stress and weakness, I requested a flurry of ARCs from publishers, which is when HarperCollins allowed me this one, and is why I'm reviewing a couple weeks after publication. I'm happy to have received it because, while a number of book people I trust have recommended it, it's unlikely I would've gotten to it as quickly as I did, and I'm happy to have experienced such a fantastic reading experience to close out the year.

While a number of the base elements are superficially like TSH, the same solid piers also shore up this debut: lush, beautiful writing and strong storytelling.

When I saw <i>The Orchard</i> as a NetGalley, I put in an immediate request. I was intrigued by the premise, learning more about ultra-Orthodox Judaism, and how that would play out in a less Orthodox community. There was a lot to like, and then a lot that left me feeling unsettled and confused. It felt at turns credible, satirical and unbelievable. This mix of believability is what most challenged me, and ultimately, makes me unsure whether I even liked the book.

Aryeh Eden: a senior at an uber-conservative private school in Brooklyn learns his family is moving to Florida. Ari's mother is thrilled, eager to break from the most restrictive aspects of their religious community. His father is ready for the move because it seems like the best job opportunity. Ari, who you would think would be upset (it's his <i>senior</i> year), is mostly happy about it.

Ari arrives in Florida and is in for immediate, overwhelming culture shock. Despite his cluelessness and poor style choices, the boy next door--who is truly a boy-next-door in his good looks, popularity, and athleticism, takes Ari under his wing and folds him into the in-crowd. What ensues for Ari is a rapidly changing set of norms and lines drawn in the sand: drinking, drugs, girls, the full gamut of forbidden activities in Brooklyn. While all the social happenings of high school occur, there is also sense that something ominous is building. The book is long enough that I started to wonder - is anything ever going to happen? It does, so be patient. (And yes, the book probably could have been a little shorter.)

What wasn't believable:
1. For a sheltered kid, Ari is ridiculously witty. I enjoyed his banter, but it felt elevated for a high schooler, and then add to the fact that he grew up having never been to a movie theater? It felt absolutely impossible that he would talk this way. Some of the other characters (Evan in particular) are equally precocious, and while it's fun reading, it didn't work for this character group.
2. Some of the characters are so awful, the epitome of bad stereotype, that the story read like satire. For example, the guidance counselor who literally refuses to sign Ari's college applications because she worries he'll be rejected and bring down the school's acceptance rate.
3. Ari's absurdly hang-dogged affection for Sophia Winter and repeated willingness to give Evan Stark another chance. Yes, relationships can be tough, but I really wanted Ari to wise up and stop going back to these two.

What was good:
1. That witty banter and smart dialogue that felt out of reach for high schoolers? Enjoyable. Made for good reading and a few laugh-out-loud moments.
2. The preview into ultra-Orthodox culture and how different levels of conservatism can play out in social settings.
3. It's different. I definitely have not read a story like this before.

Overall, I find this hard to rate. I'm not sure I liked it but I didn't <i>not</i> like it. This is one of those books where my strong dislike of the characters (including Ari by the end) also influenced my feelings. 3.5 stars. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC.

Favorite quotes:
"Guilt is pointless. Guilt is our way of legitimizing self-cruelty."

"'Well, if it makes any difference to a Beis Din,' Noah said, throwing himself down beside me, 'it wasn't technically my sin. Oliver went online for me.'
I sipped tensely from my beer. 'Yeah, not sure it works like that.'
Noah laughed with some degree of guilt.
'You don't think our sins are transferable? Like currency?'"

"'It's just--you bust your ass and you do everything right for eighteen years, or you just fuck up colossally and, lo and behold, it all works out nonetheless.'"

This is a book that was hard for me to rate. The novel tells the story of Aryeh Eden, a young man who moves from Brooklyn to Florida and must adjust to a completely new life during his senior year of high school. The transition from a conservative all male Jewish school to a more relaxed co-ed Jewish institution is a big part of the change.

I loved the character descriptions of Aryeh - his awkwardness and self effacement in the beginning, and his disbelief at things he sees in his new world are believable and relatable. Aryeh goes through a lot of self-discovery of what it means to be in love, to be a true friend, to find his place in the world. The process of Aryeh's growth and increased awareness, and his exploration of new things (even to his detriment) are what make the novel so compelling. The portrayal of Aryeh finding his place in a new school and environment is well done. I also liked other characters - Noah, Amir and even Oliver. I didn't think the female characters were as well developed - I never understood Sophia or her motivations.

There are a lot of references to Judaism which is natural given the setting and background of the main character. For the most part, I appreciated and liked these references even if I didn't always understand them. The more intellectual and theological discussions between Rabbi Bloom and the boys was way beyond my understanding but would be interesting for those familiar with the religion. I loved all of this (even when I didn't understand it). My problem with the novel was in the ending scene while they are on their camping trip. I have an analytical and logical mind so it was hard for me to embrace all that happens in that time. Is the ending an allegory for a story in Judaism? Would someone with more knowledge of the discussions and the Jewish faith and stories understand what Hopen is conveying with the scene that takes place in the mountains? Unfortunately, I was baffled by both Noah's inexplicable death and by Oliver's sudden blindness (also mysterious and unexplained). I really loved the writing of the novel and even the epilogue - I just wish I understood everything that happened during the camping trip. I was going to give the novel 3 stars but rounded up to 4 since it is an amazing piece of writing.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

I was so pleasantly surprised with this book! I wasn’t sure how I would feel about it in the beginning, when we’re introduced to Ari Eden, who seems to already show his darker emotions and unhappy experiences in his Brooklyn community. I will admit that I don’t know too much about the Jewish community aside from what I’d read in “Unorthodox” earlier this year, so I recognized some of the same actions and words that they’d spoken about but overall it’s a little overwhelming to understand.

However, based on the strictness of Orthodox Judiasm, I was shocked when we were thrown into the Miami suburb setting, and already from the beginning Ari is breaking some of the religious rituals he’d abided by his entire life. I was absolutely fascinated with the lives of the friends Ari made, but also seeing his transformation as he learns about a world that is wildly different from everything he’s known.

I loved watched his story with Sophia grow and seeing how these new experiences made Ari question not just his own actions, but his religious beliefs and moral code. The ending was heartbreaking and so beautiful, I was just in awe the entire time reading it. I felt such an emotional attachment to the characters and coming-of-age stories always tug at my heartstrings, so I just couldn’t stop reading about what Ari was going through.

This book was smart, passionate, infuriating at times, and honestly so beautiful to read. I have to be honest and say that where I struggled with it was that there was so much I just didn’t understand - not only the Jewish terminology but also the philosophical discussions on life were a lot to grasp and make sense of. But wow this book was just so so good. I’m so happy I got the chance to read it, and will definitely be thinking about it for a long time!

The Orchard is about a Jewish Orthodox teen who moves from Brooklyn to South Florida. In Brooklyn, he is in a very traditionally orthodox environment, and when he moves to Florida, his school and classmates are very affluent and he is exposed to the outside world and all of its challenges and excitement. It is a modern coming-of-age story. I live in South Florida so I can say with certainty that there are definitely schools and people similar to those in the book. The timeline of the story is the senior year of high school. Without giving away any of the plot, I would say that this is a very intriguing read. The author is from this area, so I am figuring that he is drawing on some of his own experiences while telling the story. I highly recommend this first novel, and I hope the author continues to write a second book.

I am definitely not the type of reader who says I can only relate to books who feature characters who are like me, but when I found out about this #ownvoices Jewish book that takes place in a Modern Orthodox community, I had to request it right away, as I consider myself Modern Orthodox as well. The Orchard is a literary and philosophical book with deep discussions of Jewish thought. Ari is a high school senior from a very religious school in Brooklyn when his family moves to Florida and he is thrust into a world of the profane. While I understood most of the Hebrew and religious references, I didn't easily follow a lot of the things the boys learned about and discussed in their classes. Ari faces a religious crisis, caught between tradition and modernity, of whether to adapt to fit in or remain true to his upbringing. Even if readers do not understand where he is coming from, they will learn from his crisis of faith. ⁣This book gave me a lot to think about and I think it would make for an excellent discussion piece. I have some friends in mind to hand it to in order to discuss it with them! ⁣