This was a great book, although I don’t really understand why it was partially classified as horror, because what was considered horror was really just violence and existentialism to me. In the author’s letter, he says that he had previously only seen stories about Jewish people being passive martyrs, and this definitely challenged that notion, along with being a great novel. I love girls committing murder and dead Nazis in fiction, and this book had a lot of both of them. I also thought that the way religion was discussed was really interesting, but I don’t really know enough about Judaism to really talk about it.

I received an electronic copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I DNF'd this book at 41% or around 160 pages in. The voice of Vera jumped back and forth between nothing more than vengeance and being far too human. There is no flow from one to the other. It felt disjointed and off-putting .
I see the major conflict between characters coming from a mile away. I'd be willing to bet that Vera and Akiva will part ways once he realizes that Vera is sculpted with actual pieces of Chaya, followed by some sort of romantic reunion. I felt like Vera was simply done before. She felt far too human for the characters creation and not nearly intriguing enough.
Additionally, is it never going to be explained how Vera made those men give her back the medicine that was taken from the camp? Vera wasn't interesting enough to keep me reading to figure that out.

Wrath Becomes Her is a YA Jewish historical horror novel set in 1943 Lithuania during WWII. The story begins with Chaya, a teenager who is killed in the beginning of the book. Her father Ezra creates a golem named Vera, his “wrath incarnate,” to obtain vengeance against those responsible for killing his daughter. Aden Polydoros has crafted a captivating novel that beautifully incorporates the themes of humanity, community, belonging, retribution, evil, and despair.

Wrath Becomes Her is told from Vera’s point of view and through her journey we discover her rage and confusion at not knowing her place in the world. IF THIS is what she was created for, then why does it feel wrong? This is the central struggle that Vera deals with as the novel progresses; she cannot accept that the only reason she was created was to kill. What happens when she accomplishes Ezra’s goal of vengeance? Is she the only golem? Why would anyone want to create a golem to destroy? Why is she having feelings for Akiva? Is she the abomination? “Whereas for me, my first and greatest crime was to be brought into this world.” These are all questions that Vera struggles with internally.

Ezra goes missing early in the novel and Vera is thrust into the war-stricken country where she encounters Akiva, Chaya’s love interest. Together, they set to not only find those responsible for Chaya’s death, but to survive in the frigid country. Evil Nazis, distrustful partisans, and a wolf-golem are some of the antagonists Vera and Akiva encounter.


I don’t usually read historical fiction; in fact, this is only the second Jewish historical fiction book I’ve read. However, throw horror, familial rage, sorrow, a quest for belonging, and action-packed battle scenes in there, and I was intrigued.

This novel had me hooked from the first chapter where we get a snippet of Chaya’s demise and Ezra’s love for his daughter. The author had a way of keeping me engaged the entire time! I gasped, I laughed, and most shockingly, I CRIED (twice!!). I won’t spoil it, but if you’re wondering how one can ADORE a lethal golem, read it! You won’t be disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for providing an eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Review on TikTok @mar.itzareads coming soon! Visit for current sneak peaks of the book!

The cover of this book instantly caught my eye and went straight for the description I was very intrigued by the storyline.

At first, I was having a hard time trying to get into the book but as I kept reading I was sinking deeper into the story and found myself enjoying it.

I started loving the MC even more even though she was strong and can put up a fight she was always questioning herself she was made to be a vengeful character but she was honestly a struggling girl with so many questions and lost.

Getting further into the story I was not expecting this book to have a sprinkle of romance and I was pleasantly surprised. The book was well written and will recommend it to other readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for the E-ARC!

I was first drawn to this book for it's cover-- truly a work of art. Then, I read the description and I knew I had to read this. What kept me reading was the storyline and journey the main character, Vera goes on.

This is written so poetically, it reminds me of A Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller and Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman. The author was able to weave words in a captivating manner that felt very lyrical, authentic, and melancholy. This was a slow and intentional read. One that made me feel sadness, and anger, and love, but that also felt quite existential.

I enjoyed and appreciated getting to read a book highlighting Jewish characters, the gruesome trauma and reality they were faced with during this time, as well as Jewish lore, customs, and culture. There were times where I was confused by terms, or read things I didn't quite understand, but that was purely for my lack of knowledge in the Jewish faith. This was a humbling and eye opening experience. For others with a similar knowledge base, the author has a glossary in the back, as well as explains Jewish terms and lore in a digestible way throughout the text which I appreciated.

I feel honored to have had the opportunity to read this beautiful novel. Historical fiction is not a genre I am typically drawn to, and this book was not at all what I expected but nevertheless, this book has definitely left a lasting impression on me.

Am I taking crazy pills here? The cover is gorgeous and the elevator pitch is spectacular, but that’s where it ends for me. I tried so hard to like this but I dnf’d at 70%. It was just such a slog and I couldn't push through.

This book just doesn’t deliver anything that I thought it would based on the title and the premise. With a title like “Wrath Becomes Her,” I thought this was going to be an empowering story about vengeance and strength… instead it was just a mopey girl being led from place to place by some guy. I’m so over it.

Why I couldn't finish:
-The tone is all over the place. A scene will go from characters talking about saving a baby so it doesn’t die in the ghetto to a sitcom-style bit where the main character doesn’t understand a basic joke. It’s very odd.
-The author consistently tells us how a character is feeling. Example: “It made me nervous to hold the candle...” (later that same page)“I loathed having to give up the candle's light...” Every emotion is expressed this way, and I think that's why the character doesn't read as the vengeful, angry golem she's supposed to be. It reads as a boring teen who we are told is a vengeful, angry golem. (The author also consistently reminds us of how the MC is a golem, as though they think we will forget in between paragraphs)
-The main character (Vera) is just unlikable. As I said, I thought she would be brutal and full of wrath, but she was just mopey and had no personality. I tried to imagine my preteen/teen self reading this and the main character serves absolutely nothing. Zero strong female lead energy. Other than her physical strength, there is nothing about her that is strong. The fact that she has no will is supposed to be a plot point, but it’s sloppily done and just makes her perspective annoying to read. This is ultimately what did it for me. I just could not be in her head for even a single page longer.
-The MC goes from following everything her creator says to following some other guy around and following everything he says. The second guy (Akiva) tells her she has to figure out what she wants…. but then she continues just following him around and doing what he says. (He was also just a more well-rounded, interesting character in general. Which... is really disappointing when the main character is literally a supernatural being.)
-The awkward romantic whatever-it-was between Akiva and Vera. I get why it was there. I get that it could be interesting. But here and now in this book with these characters, it is not.

Things I enjoyed:
-Again, the elevator pitch of a golem seeking vengeance for a girl's murder in during WWII is phenomenal. That's an extremely intriguing idea that is refreshing in the extremely saturated WWII historical fiction genre.
-The book was also very informative about different aspects of Jewish culture and the dynamic between different marginalized communities in WWII. I think this author did a great job of informing the reader (or at least me) about a few things they may not have learned in history class. This was done in a very natural way and didn't feel like lecturing.
-I liked how the author blended the concept of golems with the themes from Frankenstein. (The execution did not work for me in this story, but I love the idea.)

Overall I still think the idea is great, but I wish that it had been written by a better author.

This is a story about the Holocaust and the aftermath of such a tragic time. A girl wants revenge for her people and one special girl who she’s somewhat become. It’s pretty empowering but sad. I enjoyed the some of the characters through this. This isn’t SciFi at all to me but horror and fantasy indeed. Some others might not even think this as horror but I do a little bit with how Vera just pummels people with ease because of what badass she is and what she is. I listened to this not as audiobook but more less robotic with the voice function on my kindle and the kindle app. Not as great an option but still kept me engaged in the story and it was interesting. The fantasy elements of this was so adventurous to me and it was great! Pretty easy read even though it has lots of German phrases and words. Highly recommend.

*Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for an Earc in exchange for an honest review.*
The grief, pain, and longing that Polydoros can evoke in his writing is truly incredible. Every word is knife sharp, perfectly chosen and matched to his novels. The plotlines of his books are intricate and faultless- he has become an instant read author and one I hope will continue to write books into the years to come.

'𝘓𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘺 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦.'

It’s Nazi-occupied Lithuania, 1943 and you’ve just woken up. You have no mouth, eyes, legs, those will all come later. What you do have is one word inscribed on your forehead, a word that will shape yours, and thousands of others’ lives in the years to come. אֶמֶת. Truth. You are a golem- a sacred being made to defend the Jewish people in times of trouble. Except, that would be too easy. Forbidden and profane magics have been used to raise you, to the extend you look and feel like a human. When you meet a lone human freedom fighter, something in you… recognises him. A glimpse from the girl whose body created yours. And what happens next will change the fate of Lithuania- but only if the desire for revenge doesn’t consume you, or him, first.

'𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘱 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘦𝘭 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘳.'

This is a book about the power of speaking up and speaking out. It ruthlessly examines how impartiality is not impartiality, it is aiding and abetting. It is just as harmful and damaging and it was the case for the majority of Europe in the 1940s, including the British and Americans and Russians. Everyone knew. Nobody cared. And millions of Jews died for it.
Polydoros, whilst seemingly having written a young adult fantasy novel, has challenged holocaust deniers and diminishers all over the world. His tale is powerful, it reclaims the narrative that Jews were passive and weak in the war- a completely false and disgusting narrative and one that contributes to holocaust deniers today.

'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 not a happy book. It does not have a happy ending. It is an angry one. It is powerful and moving and an utterly necessary read. But as well as having an important message, it was a brilliant book. The characters are flawed and, yes, some of them aren’t human- except somehow each one of them is. Revenge is at the heart of this- its fast paced, well written and darkly witty in places.
I loved it and I think you will too.

Its 1942 and Vera has been waiting for the day that her creator would finally give her a mouth. She's been slowly learning the ways of the world from within her hidden room in a hayloft. She's covered in script that gives her life but the most important is the Hebrew word for truth on her forehead. Ezra is her creator and once he completes her they get some unwelcome visitors. Ezra is taken and only taught Vera that she was built for vengeance. She has memories from the script writers, the earth, and Ezra's daughter. Vera was made using peices of Chaya and is now set to find her killer and rescue Ezra.

I really liked the unique aspect of this story. A creature formed with Jewish scriptures to exact vengeance on nazis! It's definitely different from everything I've read before! The characters have great development. I loved the flashback memories of Vera and her internal struggle with being. She's a wonderful character and brings up the great debate of what makes us human. I really enjoyed this book!

Finishing this book on the first night of Passover definite has me feeling some kind of way.

I don’t read a lot of Holocaust centered books because I was inundated with them as a kid and they tended to follow the formula that taught as that, as a persecuted people, we were obligated to follow our faith as it was laid out to us by our elders. And that was difficult because. As someone who thought differently and was different, I always felt as though I was betraying their memory if I chose to go right at a fork instead of left, remembering where I came from, honoring it which IS important, in fact essential to my identity, but expressing it in a way that fit me.

WRATH BECOMES HER is the book that will let Jewish kids of this generation do that and that is an accomplishment beyond measure.

Wrath Becomes Her is a fantastic new take on the classic YA World War 2/Holocaust novel. Fast paced and engaging, with really compelling characters, I would absolutely recommend it to any fan of historical fiction and/or fantasy stories.

A gorgeous cover. Lyrical descriptive writing. A golem made for vengeance. Jewish MCs in WWII in Lithuania.

Somehow I’m a sucker for beautifully written historical stories these days. I’m there for the pain, the grief, the rage, to acknowledge we did so much wrong in the past and still do.

Wrath Becomes Her is different than the historical books I’ve read before. Vera is a golem made for vengeance, made from the mud from the river. She doesn’t only look like a human being, she feels like one too, with emotions running through her body from a human life once lived. I’m not only a sucker for historical stories, but I’m also a sucker for sadder ones, and this book is full of feelings. Akiva’s and Ezra’s grief was so palpable, and I felt their rage against the Nazis seep through my body. Add Vera’s struggles with finding her identity, worsened by the constant turmoil of Chaya’s emotions, and I flew through the pages.

This story is for anyone who loves to read a different WWII story, with a fantasy twist and Jewish main characters but without the holocaust as a central theme.

I hadn’t read one of Aden Polydoros’ books before, but I’m definitely picking up his first two books.

Author Aden Polydoros has wrote another addictive fantasy in “Wrath Becomes Her”! This is the novel of vengeance I was meant to read this week! Frankenstien’s classic story is now changed to envelope a new generation of fans! YA readers will LOVE having this in any public or school library, but multiple copies will be needed to keep up with high demand once it is published. Passion, horror, intrigue - this book is brain candy for those who want to energize themselves and have a fast, engaging read. Five out of five stars for Jewish symbolism, and a high octane story. Polydoros at her best!

Thank you to Inkyard press via NetGalley for this amazing arc! I read and reviewed in exchange for my honest opinions.

"Our history... Our faith. It's written all over you. As long as you survive, so will we."

In the middle of the night, I jolted awake thinking about this book. It stuck to my bones like clay.

Lithuania. 1943. Vera is a golem. She is designed for one thing and one thing only: vengeance. Her creator, Ezra, crafted her in his daughter Chaya's image after she was murdered by Nazis, bringing Vera to life with ancient Jewish magic called kishuf to avenge Chaya's death and protect her people. But when Ezra goes missing, Vera is forced into the world and straight into enemy territory, and when she encounters the boy from Chaya's memories, Vera starts to understand what it is she is fighting for and what it means to be alive.

Told in first person POV, encountering the world through Vera's senses provides a deep and moving reading experience. Chaya's memories from when she was alive provide context clues at first, since Vera is so new to life, but Vera quickly comes into her own. You can't help but root for her. I highlighted so many passages, the writing is truly gorgeous.

Admittedly, the middle chapters seem a little episodic in that Vera visits a new location, meets new characters, and moves on, but it serves a greater narrative purpose by giving Vera the opportunity to learn what it means to be human, from the individual to the community, and how even the smallest defiance is a candle in the dark. Vera's journey is all forward momentum, and there's never a dull moment.

Vera and Akiva's relationship had me in a choke hold (affectionate). I'll leave it at that.

WRATH BECOMES HER is a story about war, and evil, and despair - yes; but it's also a story about community, and love, and humanity, and how survival itself can be one of the greatest acts of rebellion. Five stars.

This historical fantasy is easily one of my favorite reads of the year so far, and I was so lucky to have the chance to read it before it comes out in October. I will sing praises about this book forever. Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A list of content warnings provided by the author include:
• Antisemitism
• Genocide
• On page murder and violence
• Death of a parent
• Body horror

Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for an eARC version of this novel! Opinions are my own.

Vera is a golem, born of clay to exact revenge on the Nazis who killed her creator's daughter. Polydoros sculpted this unforgettable story, with the first chapter alone leaving me in awe. #WrathBecomesHer makes you feel Vera's rage, and the historical setting rips your heart straight out of your chest.

Thank you again to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review and to Aden Polydoros for revealing the armature of humanity.

The dedication says it all: for everyone who has ever wanted to punch Nazis. Once again, Aden Polydoros takes elements of Jewish culture and the supernatural to create a (sorry) spellbinding (not sorry) YA novel about Jewish partisans in Lithuania during WWII. When Chaya is killed, her father uses her eyes and teeth and tongue and river mud to create a golem designed to avenge her death. This kind of magic--using the flesh of the dead--is strictly forbidden, but he doesn't care--all he wants is for Chaya's killers to suffer. The golem, who becomes animated with a body covered in ink from Torahs and papers from a genizah, is Vera, whose inquisitive nature and nigh-indestructible body make her journey to avenge Chaya a complex one. Vera is a person in her own right, who must make tough decisions and take sometimes reckless actions in order to protect her new comrades--and yes, she punches a lot of Nazis. I love Polyroros's thoughtful take on kosher and non-kosher kinds of magic, the forces that bring Vera to life, and telling the story of what happened in Lithuania during the War. We need more books on Jewish resistance during WWII for YA and all audiences, and am recommending this to every librarian and parent I know.

I don't usually read YA but I love Jewish mythology and anything to do with golems. This ended up being a very clever story. I enjoyed it immensely and hope that it goes on as a series. Mythology, strong characters and wonderful writing.

Crafted to exact vengeance and with a driving purpose to avenge the death of a daughter, a golem carries more than rage and will need to find a way to cope with an unexpected range of emotional considerations in Wrath Becomes Her by Aden Polydoros.

As a golem, Vera has been created through clay, kishuf, and parts of the dead daughter, Chaya, that Vera’s creator mourns, infusing her with a pointed rage to avenge the death of Chaya by killing Nazis. Alongside the rage that drives her violent purpose for being are emotions and memories from Chaya’s abruptly ended life, as well as recollections, words, and languages of scholars whose works adorn her limbs like tattoos. After her creator goes missing, Vera seeks him out and along the way comes across Akiva, a boy she recognizes through Chaya’s memories and is drawn toward but doesn’t know if he could see her as anything other than an imitation of Chaya or if she would even deserve to be seen that way. Vera and Akiva pair up in a pursuit of vengeance, tracking down Dr. Brandt, the architect behind a trail of brutal destruction, to bring about the demise of him and his despicable plans before any more unthinkably monstrous acts can become a reality within their bleak world.

With a captivating premise and portrayal of Jewish characters, culture, and lore, the story draws readers in easily to witness the strength of fight within those resisting against merely following orders and to learn how Vera, with a frequently though understandable naïve perspective, repeatedly confronts who, and what, she is in comparison with the rest of humanity, often focusing on the vilest portion. What it means to be human is explored well through Vera’s contemplations and actions; there were a few distinct depictions of Vera experiencing an overt confrontation of self when she encounters other golems, or golem attempts, where she decides to remove their opportunity for life, whatever that might mean for her and them, raising an important question of why she’s the one who got to decide. Though conveying impactful, poignant sentiments at regular intervals throughout, the latter portion of this narrative is far heavier with frenetic action while the beginning is unevenly slower as some journeys and evils to be faced are laid out, resulting in pacing that felt slightly off-balance. A belief of having a purpose and mastery over one’s own life comes through the story well, with a particularly striking phrase summing up each person’s ability to create their own purpose despite outside pressures: “a future without a master, without the need to fulfill another person’s order.”

Overall, I'd give this a 4 out of 5 stars.

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was unlike most others that are set during World War 2. When authors tackle this period and the Holocaust, it is often about the victims, and very rarely to we get depictions of Jewish characters that actively fight back. This is exactly what we get in this book, where the main character is a golem created from the remains of her creator's daughter, who was killed by Nazis, as a means of taking revenge. The golem, Vera, soon finds herself in the middle of the fight, allying with anti-nazi groups and refugees that are fighting to survive. The book shows all sorts of characters, ranging from those who can't fight back or have no desire to, to those who actively attack and undermine the Nazis. The book is also set in Lithuania, an area that's not often featured in WW2 fiction, and that historically saw a catastrophically high death count among the Jewish population due to a large number of collaborators in the country. The plot was fast paced and straight forward, and while the end was a bit of a surprise, it was still satisfying. The characters were varied and interesting, and brought a lot of variety to the type of story being told about this time period.

I stopped at 6%. This is solidly in the Middle Grades / High School age range. Good pace and really cool subject matter. Great cover.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for the ARC.