I was considering this as a possible title for my doctoral dissertation but in the end I went with two other titles instead .Thank you, though!

I tried to like this book, but it was too stereotypical for my liking., I would love a book about a Jewish teenager with a family that would act like a real family act., No weird smattering of Yiddish phrases

I received this egalley as part of the ALAN conference and it is kept on a kindle in my classroom. My rating is based on the fact that my students have enjoyed this title and I look forward to when I get the chance to read it.

This book is a masterpiece of Jewish identity mixed with sexual discovery. I cannot get over how much this book touched me and the TWIST I DID NOT SEE COMING!

The characters and dialogue were annoying, but none more so than the narrator. The book got very preachy about certain topics as well.

This is a great coming of age story where the main character is on a journey to grieve and find out more about her personal identity. I really appreciated that the book is able to delve into sad, deep issues while still keeping the story as a whole light and funny at times. It was wonderful the way everything balanced, because it still felt fun even while dealing with death, grief, politics, religion, and other issues that tend to be heavier. The characters are wonderfully depicted, and I fell in love with them almost right away. Definitely going to have this in my classroom and recommend it to students.

This review isn't spoiler-free.

I had an interesting time with this book. I thought Neil handled the issue of being a diaspora Jew really well, talking about connection and disconnection with Israel, representing Palestinian opinions, and even leveling some criticism for Birthright. I also appreciate that the complex history of Israel is much like the complex history of the US--it can't be ignored but it also doesn't have to be the focus of a book that isn't about that, otherwise that would be all every book would be about.

All that said, I struggled with Tally for the first third to half of the book. It was clear that there was something wrong, but I wasn't sure, as a reader, if it was the writing style or characterization of Tally that was uncomfortable. It wasn't until the death of Cat was revealed and Tally began to confront her feelings that I realized that was the issue before. It's excellent writing, in retrospect, but I nearly stopped reading before I got to that point. The beginning of the book struggled for me, and I'd probably rate it 3/5, but the back half of the book was excellent and would get a 5/5, leaving me with a 4/5 overall.

The premise of this book is so interesting and it covers a lot of important issues, including Jewish identity, mental health struggles, and sexual identity. However, I don't think this book did any of those issues justice. It was choppy and the plot jumped around. I also felt like it trivialized some of these things.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced audiobook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review of the book.

Coming from Jewish ancestry, I always love reading OWN Voice stories with a Jewish story line. Not only does Tally have normal teen struggles, she is also dealing with her Jewish identity, mental health issues, and sexuality. The Broadway references throughout this story really fed my soul. I loved Tally’s trip to Israel and the connection to her heritage.

As a Jewish person, I'm always excited to read a book with a Jewish protagonist. Once More with Chutzpah was a welcome read! Twins Max and Tally are heading off to a group excursion to Israel. While not quite a birthright trip, this is Tally's first experience in the country of her heritage and her goal is to focus on helping her twin, Max, who she says has not been the same since a car accident in which the driver of the car was killed.

The plot thickens when anxiety-ridden Tally strikes up some friendships, and one of those, with a guy named David, sends her on a quest of self-identity in terms of sexuality. Neil weaves in some twists and surprises that make this book a delight to read and experience.

This is a wonderful debut novel and I look forward to more from Haley Neil.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

Tally and her twin brother Max will be seniors in the fall. But before the school year begins, the two spend the summer on an exchange trip in Israel. Tally is hoping that the trip will pull Max out of the fog of his traumatic car accident that killed the driver. As the trip goes on, Tally realizes that the plan isn't working the way it should. Max and Tally are both struggling to "get back to normal." Tally begins struggling with her identity and what it means to be Jewish a well as herself.

One of the things I loved about this book was representation. It's important for young adults to find themselves and learn about others through books. A book about someone in the LGBTQ community as well as Israeli checks those boxes. I liked that we could relate to Tally when it comes to searching for yourself as well as trying to relate to others like her. The representation of anxiety and mental health issues was also well done.

However, the pacing in this book was what didn't quite do it for me. I found myself constantly pulled out of the book and struggling to push through to find out what would happen next. The book took me 2 to 3 times longer to read because of that. It could be that I just don't connect with the characters for multiple reasons, mainly my own age. I do know that I have students that would enjoy this and find it transformative and helpful for their own identity and searching for who they are.

This is a really thoughtfully written book. The characters are well written and seeing how they grow over the course of the trip was really cool. I enjoyed the main character's journey to recognize and decide more of her own identity. I was also surprised by the twists the book threw into the story. This is a complicated and at times heart wrenching story. I really appreciate the author's sensitivity to how the topics were handled while also making the characters facing these challenges feel very real. This is a great story.

Happy release day to the book that has transported me out of my apartment ✈️ and all the way to Israel!

ONCE MORE WITH CHUTZPAH by @haleyeneil !!!!

✨ QUICK SYNOPSIS:
A girl named Tally grapples with Jewish identity, sexual identity, and mental health struggles on a temple exchange program through Israel.

There’s so much I loved and appreciated about this book so let’s get to -

✨THE TAKEAWAYS:
- the setting & travel segment of this book is truly incredible & transformative. from someone who has been to Israel, I can say that every single scene felt SO REAL and authentic, I teared up at parts I’ve literally experienced myself and never read about in a book

- the friendship element: I love how this book captures the beauty that is making friends quickly as a teen when you are in forced proximity with each other.

- the SIBLING RELATIONSHIP!!!! And how siblings navigate grief so differently

- Not that this book surrounds politics at all, but I do really appreciate the way the discussion of the Middle East *is* addressed and not ignored - particularly for a teen readership, I thought it was handled perfectly

- no spoilers, but there is a major turning point half way-ish through the book that so perfectly articulates why I love (and have always loved) first person, biased narrators 😎 #iykyk

THANK YOU @bloomsburyya for the free e-arc!

ADD 📝 TO 📝 TBR

I had the pleasure of reading an advanced copy of Once More with Chutzpah. This is such a well-written and thought-provoking piece exploring religion, identity, trauma, sexuality, and mental health. I applaud author Haley Neil for sharing such a controversial and personal tale, and I encourage readers to approach it with an open mind and a willingness to learn. I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and it even had some twists! Highly recommended for YA fans.

Haley Neil's Once More with Chutzpah is an engaging, layered read. The main plot of the story--two Jewish siblings taking a trip to Israel--is fairly uncommon in YA novels. Hopefully, Neil's book will kick off more of these stories; until, I am grateful we have this one. Tally's struggles with anxiety also adds depth and complexity to her story, especially as she's navigating her anxiety while on her first international trip and worrying about her brother. My quibble with Once More with Chutzpah is that Tally's voice read really young. When she, as the narrator, states that she's eighteen and going to college in the fall, I was surprised. I would have guessed she was maybe fifteen.

"Once More With Chutzpah" follows high school seniors Tally and Max as they travel to Israel with their Temple Youth Group. Tally thinks the trip will be the perfect opportunity to help her twin brother Max, who is struggling following a car crash that injured him and killed the driver. But, as the group moves across the country, she realizes her plan might not be working, and Tally's own anxieties are beginning to take hold.

This story has my absolute heart. I felt so incredibly seen and was able to relive my own experiences praying at the Western Wall, floating in the Dead Sea, visiting Yad Vashem and climbing Masada. I loved the inclusion of Jewish history (especially when it isn't related to the Holocaust) and small bits of Hebrew. In this book, characters struggle with relatable issues including loss, mental health, relationships with family/friends, sexuality and religious identity. These are dealt with beautifully and respectfully. Despite the heavy moments, it has great balance. I laughed, I cried, I reminisced.

I highly recommend "Once More With Chutzpah" as it can be enjoyed by all ages while sharing wonderful Jewish and LGBTQ+ representation with its audiences.

I've been looking for modern books with Jewish protagonists so this is good for that. It is definitely quirky and helps if you have some knowledge of musicals. I appreciate that Neil wrote from her own experiences from anxiety to asexuality to her own trip to Israel. I do wish there was more than just a line in the author's note and a few lines in the book about Palestine.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Haley Neil, and the publisher for the ARC copy of this book.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but liked the idea of reading a book regarding Judaism. The book's main character is a teen named Tally and the book is about her and her brother Max who take their birthright trip to Israel. Tally and Max are both dealing with issues from back home as they take this trip. It is nice to see them have a normal sibling relationship in the book that come with the ups and downs of a sibling relationship. I thought this was a fine book and I look forward to reading what others think of it as well.

I don’t think I’ve ever read a YA novel set in Israel and one with a Jewish heroine. Not only is this a coming of age novel, it’s also a novel about learning what it means to be Jewish for Tally. It’s hard to believe that this is Haley Neil’s debut novel. Because it reads like it was written by a seasoned author. I look forward to Haley’s next book.

CONTENT WARNING: anxiety, mention of death, grief, discussion of the Holocaust/antisemitism/prejudice/racism, panic attack, mention of homophobia

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2022, and it didn’t disappoint. It turned out to be even better than I expected, which was impressive, because I’ve heard a lot of positive feedback about it and the bar was already set pretty high.

It centers around Tally, who struggles with anxiety and is trying to help her brother manage his issues surrounding a car crash in which the driver was killed and he was hurt. She’s easy to like, and I felt that her anxiety was depicted incredibly well. She uses a variety of coping skills to manage it.

Another thing that really stood out to me was the amazing diversity in this OwnVoices book — it portrays the incredible diversity in the Jewish community, and the difficulty that can come with finding one’s own place in the community. Tally mentions “not feeling Jewish enough” a few times throughout the book, as she works to find her footing as a patrilineal and interfaith Jew. On this trip she encounters people who are more religious, more or less knowledgeable, as well as diverse Jews. I love that there was inclusion of Mizrahi Jews, Beta Israel Jews, and LGBTQIA Jews.

Tally originally decides to go on the trip as a way to “fix” her brother, but has some major realizations of her own. I loved following her own journey, as she learns so much about herself. She gets to learn more about how she views her Jewishness, starts to understand her own sexuality, and has some major breakthroughs about her mental health, all while changing how she interacts with not just her brother, but other people as well. I love how Neil juxtaposed an actual journey that Tally took with her journey of self-discovery.

The trip that the tour group took was so vividly described that I could accurately picture it. It wound up bringing back my own visit to Israel, and the depictions in the book matched up perfectly to my own memories. She described Israel so clearly that it almost felt like I was right there with everyone on the trip. I loved the way it was written and it made me feel incredibly nostalgic. And while the area is home to a conflict, Neil touched upon it in a sensitive and nuanced way.

Overall, I absolutely loved this book and how it was done. The characters are easy to relate to and well-rounded. The plot is engaging and it’s a quick read that I thoroughly enjoyed. This is definitely a book that I’m going to be recommending to everyone.