Goy Crazy

Publishers Weekly

Debut novelist Schorr expresses the lighter side of teen rebellion through her spunky, discontented heroine, a sophomore at Riverdale High in the Bronx. As Rachel Lowenstein reflects on her boring, relatively sin-free existence during the High Holidays, she decides that "racking up some serious pointage on the Sin-O-Meter" will make life more interesting. Her main goal is to snag a "blond Adonis," namely, Luke Christiansen, who attends a Catholic school. Hooking up with Luke does prove to be exciting but causes her a good amount of stress as well. Especially when the two bump into her parents' friends at a Lower East Side deli and when Luke pressures her to get a tattoo (an action that might prevent her from being buried in a Jewish cemetery, according to Rachel's girlfriend). Predictably, Rachel's feelings of guilt (coupled with the fact that Luke is a bad kisser) cause her to rethink her attraction to a "goy" and set her sights on a nice Jewish boy (childhood friend Howard Goldstein).This humorous depiction of first love offers a witty first-person narrative and situations to which all readers can relate, but the lessons Rachel learns from her experience with Luke lack depth. While she gains insight into herself, in general, the "goys" here (Luke, his friends and an ex-boyfriend of Rachel's cousin) are cast in a dim, somewhat unflattering light. Perhaps all the better to make a case for Howard. Ages 12-up. (Sept.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature - Kelly Grebinoski

What is wrong with a little crush? A lot. In fact, sophomore Rachel Lowenstein knows that falling in love with the wrong guy is not all that it is cracked up to be. Enter Luke Christiansen. Luke is a star basketball player and is popular. He has blond hair and blue eyes. Rachel is Jewish and Luke celebrates Christmas. Not only do Rachel's parents steer her in the other direction, but her grandmother also gets involved. Rachel gets good grades and does not have a lot of social friends. When her best friend Jen tries to nudge her way into the in-crowd, Rachel learns a little about herself. She decides to get tangled in a trap of deception with her Jewish neighbor, Matthew Wallen. She is not actually dating him or—is she? Rachel's Jewish faith controls her fate. Does she pull through or fall in love? Whatever she does, she experiences what most fifteen-year-olds do in high school: social pressures, scandals, and more. Schorr's writing is honest and her dialogue is rich with description. It will leave even the non-Jewish reader wanting more.

VOYA - Mary Ann Harlan

It is nice to see religion handled in a lighthearted manner in young adult fiction. Rachel Lowenstein and her parents are "twice-a-year Jews" who only attend temple on the High Holidays. Nevertheless when she finds herself with a crush on Luke Christiansen, who attends a Catholic school and has a crucifix over his bed, she does not tell her family. When Rachel breaks the "teen commandments" and Luke becomes her boyfriend, and she goes to great lengths to make sure her parents do not know-after all her bubbe told her "don't go with a goyim.o Despite the different conflict, this novel is a predictable romantic comedy. Rachel examines her feelings on being Jewish, and her relationship finds her in a few uncomfortable situations because of the religious differences. Of course, Luke is the wrong boy for reasons that have nothing to do with religion, and in true romance fashion, the right boy is under her nose. There are subplots that help Rachel grow and discover herself, including a math class she should be acing but is not, a best friend who has suddenly become popular and has a boyfriend, and another friend who has developed interest in a Hebrew youth group but has her own secrets. As with all predictable romantic comedies, this one ties up with a neat little bow.

School Library Journal

Gr 8 Up-Rachel Lowenstein has all the problems of a typical 15-year-old girl: socially driven friends, boy trouble, and bad hair days. Fed up, she vows that sophomore year will be different. First rule: break the rules, or, more specifically, break "The Teen Commandments," her listing of good-girl ways. After all, getting high grades and thinking for herself haven't gotten her very far up the social ladder. Then Luke Christiansen, a handsome, blue-eyed, and definitely not-Jewish basketball star, arrives on the scene. Rachel juggles several issues as she plays dumb in math class to gain cool points, follows her best friend's forays into the "So Very" crowd, and hides her boyfriend from her parents. But it's her struggle with her heritage that ultimately takes center stage. Eventually, she tackles her compulsion to please everyone and discovers that she already possesses the "foundation" to make wise decisions about her faith, her friends, and her family. Schorr's debut novel successfully combines Jewish values with snappy narration, much like Sarah Darer Littman's Confessions of a Closet Catholic (Dutton, 2005). Peer pressures are realistically portrayed as Rachel navigates the politics of popularity. Her fresh and witty voice is injected with such humor that readers will be drawn into the tale and will agonize along with her. Descriptions of parties with alcohol, discussions of premarital sex, and a Web-site scandal involving a seminude picture make this novel more appropriate for older teens.-Erin Schirota, Bronxville Public Library, NY Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

High-school sophomore Rachel Lowenstein is, like most teenaged girls, preoccupied with boys, self-confidence, popularity and a positive identity that may not necessarily include her Jewish roots. Wishing to break from her overprotective parents, Rachel vows to follow her own version of the "Teen Commandments." They include, "Your parents may think they are your Lord, but your peers are your God. Thou shalt follow their will." It's a continuously self-reflective, sometimes funny, sometimes deprecating, almost always cynical account of her daily struggle to outwit her parents and find acceptance among peers (who behave outside her Jewish norms) while fulfilling her own desires. Moreover, Rachel discovers the importance of good values despite religious faith, while trying to date her newfound gentile boyfriend. Schorr's perspective of a Jewish teen's pressures, which include drinking, the pitfalls of the Internet and self-destructive behavior, are realistically portrayed from her Holocaust-surviving Bubbe to her eagerly excited parents, who are tricked into assuming she is dating the Jewish boy next door. Rachel's narrative is droll and sharp with scenes that are comical, troubling and poignantly sincere. Well-written chick-lit with a Jewish slant. (Fiction. YA)

Erin Schirota

Schorr’s debut novel successfully combines Jewish values with snappy narration, much like Sarah Darer Littman’s Confessions of a Closet Catholic. Peer pressures are realistically portrayed as Rachel navigates the politics of popularity. Her fresh and witty voice is injected with such humor that readers will be drawn into the tale and will agonize along with her.

Karen Coats

Chock-full of laugh-out-loud irreverence. Her comically overblown hysteria keeps pages turning for every girl who's ever wanted an off-limits boy.

Stephanie Zvirin

Dialogue is wry and funny, and Rachel, smart and sensitive, is at that familiar place where the opinions of peers, especially boys, are tough to ignore. Even readers who aren’t Jewish will recognize Rachel’s struggle to find the right path––and the right boy––for herself.