The Two Wrong Halves of Ruby Taylor, Amanda Panitch
The Two Wrong Halves of Ruby Taylor, Amanda Panitch
List: $23.00 | Sale: $16.10
Club: $11.50

The Two Wrong Halves of Ruby Taylor

Author: Amanda Panitch

Narrator: Tara Sands

Unabridged: 7 hr 30 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 08/09/2022


Synopsis

A new spooky and heartwarming middle-grade novel about a young Jewish girl who must battle a wandering spirit and her own identity.

Of her two granddaughters, Grandma Yvette clearly prefers Ruby Taylor's perfect cousin Sarah. Ruby suspects Grandma Yvette doesn't think she's Jewish enough.

So when Sarah starts acting out—and getting in trouble—Ruby can’t help but be pleased.

Yet, when Sarah takes things too far, Ruby's afraid that Sarah might be possessed. . . by a dybbuk, an evil spirit, that Ruby accidentally released from Grandma Yvette's basement. Ruby is determined to save her cousin, but a dybbuk can only be expelled by a "pious Jew." If Ruby isn't Jewish enough for her own grandmother, how can she be Jewish enough to fight a dybbuk?

This new middle-grade novel from Amanda Panitch deftly tackles themes of family and friendship while celebrating the parts of a child's identity that no one else can take away.

About Amanda Panitch

Amanda Panitch spent most of her childhood telling stories to her four younger siblings, trying both to make them laugh and scare them too much to sleep. Now she lives in New York City, where she writes dark, funny stories for teens, kids, and the pigeons that nest on her apartment balcony. You can find her online at her website, AmandaPanitch.com, or on Twitter and Instagram @AmandaPanitch.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Quill&Queer on November 05, 2022

Feeling too Jewish for her Christian family, and not Jewish enough for her Jewish Grandmother, Ruby feels trapped and frustrated by the expectations and prejudice of both sides of her family. Her cousin Sarah seems like the perfect Jewish daughter in comparison, and Ruby projects her anger towards h......more

Goodreads review by Megan on May 12, 2022

The Two Wrong Halves of Ruby Taylor was a delightful story about a young girl struggling to find her place in the world, especially in regards to religion. This is an issue I hear so much about, so I'm incredibly glad there's a story like this available for young people to read and learn from. Somet......more

Goodreads review by Andee on March 15, 2022

BLOG|INSTAGRAM|TWITTER|YOUTUBE Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book encapsulates something that I think is an experience that should be addressed more in middle-grade books. That in-between state of wanting to maintain......more

Goodreads review by Muffin on July 17, 2023

This was great, loved it!......more

Goodreads review by Anna on February 19, 2022

This was a really fun read! I really enjoyed how the story built throughout the novel. It took time for Ruby to sort out what was going on around her, especially dealing with adult conflicts, and that felt refreshingly realistic. I did not grow up in a household that was mixed race, religion, or cul......more