ARC Review: The City Beautiful

If you’re on a lookout for a spooky read with the autumn fast approaching, look no further! Just let us tell you why you should absolutely be reading The City Beautiful, for all your gothic needs.

And remember, we actually talked with Aden Polydoros a few days ago!

So have fun, and get scared!

Death lurks around every corner in this unforgettable Jewish historical fantasy about a city, a boy, and the shadows of the past that bind them both together.

Chicago, 1893. For Alter Rosen, this is the land of opportunity, and he dreams of the day he’ll have enough money to bring his mother and sisters to America, freeing them from the oppression they face in his native Romania.

But when Alter’s best friend, Yakov, becomes the latest victim in a long line of murdered Jewish boys, his dream begins to slip away. While the rest of the city is busy celebrating the World’s Fair, Alter is now living a nightmare: possessed by Yakov’s dybbuk, he is plunged into a world of corruption and deceit, and thrown back into the arms of a dangerous boy from his past. A boy who means more to Alter than anyone knows.

Now, with only days to spare until the dybbuk takes over Alter’s body completely, the two boys must race to track down the killer—before the killer claims them next.

The City Beautiful

Aden Polydoros

Goodreads

Rep: Romanian Jewish gay mc, Lithuanian Jewish gay li, Ukrainian Jewish gay li
TW: antisemitism, mentions of past rape, mentions of past pedophilia, body horror (chapter 42), blood, gore, violence, murder, drowning, vomiting, fire, immolation
Release: 5th October 2021

Five Reasons to Read This Book

One. This book is simply unapologetically Jewish.  It doesn’t coddle you, doesn’t stop to think if you’re comfortable with all the elements of Jewish culture it throws at you. Because you’re not the main character here – the Jewish boys and girls are. And they all know what they’re talking about, so no one stops to explain things and context, and hidden meanings. It feels very natural, in the sense that we’re just observers visiting their world where they understand everything and act like it. There’s a glossary at the end for all the readers who need some explanations.

Two. This is related to the first point somewhat, but the Jewish culture in this book shines through more than words the characters use. It’s in the fact that Alter volunteers at Chevra Kadisha where he helps prepare bodies for burial; in the very main plot being about Alter getting possessed by a dybbuk, a malevolent spirit from Jewish folklore; it’s, sadly, in the overpowering antisemitism of some characters; in the stories of all those boys we’re introduced to who came to the United States from Eastern Europe.

Three. The writing works in favour of this being a gothic murder mystery. It’s very atmospheric, making the reader feel as if we’re actually walking around the streets of old Chicago, scared of getting robbed, afraid of not being able to put together a meal of something other than potatoes. Terrified of not surviving the night. The beautiful words bring us closer to the past, create a very specific atmosphere of fear and wonder, of shame and pride.

Four. The book talks a lot about family, it’s pretty much one of the main themes. But not just the biological kind, those people who share your blood. It treats as family the people you meet along the way, who you choose to bring closer and protect, and love. The conversations about family are not all in one shade, either. Some characters, like Alter, had difficult relationships with their parents, where love mixed with resentment almost; some lost their families, some set out to avenge them, some want to forget them.

Five. Again, something tied to how Jewish the book is, but Alter struggles a lot with internalised homophobia. It’s always on his mind both because the society as a whole treats gay people the way it does, but also specifically because there are verses in the Talmud which condemn gay love and which we was made to study. But the book actually uses that to its advantage, finds a way to explain how it’s the homophobes who twisted certain words in those holy lines to fit their narrative. It uses religion to reason away religion-based internalised homophobia.

So, have we convinced you that you want to read this book?

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