Editorial Review: “The Song of Hadariah” by Alisse Lee Goldenberg

The Song of Hadariah is an endearing fantasy YA that blends folklore with a coming-of-age adventure, reminding us to bring a little magic into our adult worlds.

Review

Explore a fantasy quest where recovering the magic of childhood is woven with lessons from our past and the struggles of adolescence.

Carrie is a normal seventeen-year-old girl, struggling with her father’s expectations when she meets Adom, a charming talking fox. After the initial disbelief, Carrie recruits her two best friends, Lindsay and Rebecca, to help Adom, whose world has been plunged into darkness by an evil Dybukk king. The Song of Hadariah: The Dybbuk Scrolls Book One by Alisse Lee Goldenberg is a YA fantasy novel that follows three friends on a magical quest, revealing much about themselves, their pasts, and the current world.

The novel is remarkable in every aspect. The pacing is engaging without being overwhelming; the balance between childhood fairytale and just the right amount of spooky is spot on. The language is rich enough for the intended audience without being overly complex, and the characters are perfectly developed. I will take a moment to applaud how an adult can develop a teen voice that actually sounds like a teen, even without too much slang or profanity. Adom has a charming and delightfully formal way of speaking, and the reader can easily tell who’s speaking even without dialogue tags, which is, in my opinion, the hallmark of perfect dialogue.

The Song of Hadariah teaches us important life lessons without being preachy or saccharine. Primarily, not to judge people without getting to know them and learning from our elders. We can all learn from Rebecca’s assertiveness or Carrie’s compassion, for example. I’m 20 years older, and I wish I could remain as firm but polite as Rebecca does. The story is a perfect example of how to be adventurous while remaining cautious and smart, which is an invaluable lesson for adrenaline-seeking young adults. The group of friends utilizes their unique talents synergistically and resolves their differences with respect; the book also has plenty of their funny banter to lighten the mood.

The novel is heavily based on Jewish culture and folklore, which I, personally, found fascinating. I’m a lot older than the targeted age, and I learned a lot. I want to make abundantly clear that this does not make The Song of Hadariah a religious book. The novel engages with Jewish folklore in a way that is grounded in heritage rather than doctrine, and much like other mythologies, the Jewish one exists at the intersection of faith, culture, and history. A perfect example of this is one of the many stories that Rebecca remembers, which takes place in Spain.

Furthermore, the characters are universally relatable because teenage woes are remarkably similar around the world. For example, Emilia’s efforts to separate her values and wishes from those of her father are at the center of the teenage experience. I, for one, have an amulet exactly like Carrie’s, even though I grew up in a vastly different culture, and I appreciated how that made me feel connected to a larger spiritual realm.

Perhaps my favorite aspect of this novel is the treasure hidden in each chapter’s titles. Readers who are curious like me will find that they are written in Hebrew or Yiddish. I’ll say no more so as not to spoil the surprise, but I appreciate when authors pay attention to even minor details, and these add layers to an already rich story.

I also enjoyed how the author added a slight modern twist to childhood fairy tales while still retaining the tropes that make them unforgettable. We have giants, witches, and hidden caves, but also princesses who are very much active and not waiting for any prince to save them.

There’s nothing to dislike about this book. Alisse Lee Goldenberg has once again delivered a story that’s the right amount of endearing, exciting, and thought-provoking, reminding us that “Sometimes the stories for children are the most poignant and contain the most truth.”

About the Author

Alisse Lee Goldenberg has received awards for work in children’s literature, horror, and young adult fiction. She writes four series, holds degrees in education and fine arts, studies fantasy and folklore, creates Jay & Shilo, and lives in Toronto with her husband, triplets, dog, gerbil, two rats, and a hedgehog named Sonic.

Book Details

• Title: The Song of Hadariah: The Dybbuk Scrolls Book One (The Dybbuk Scrolls Trilogy 1)
• Author: Alisse Lee Goldenberg
• Genre: YA Fantasy
• Theme: Fairy Tales, Friendship, Fantasy, YA, Coming-of-Age
• Publication Date: April 28, 2017
• ISBN or ASIN: ‎ 978-1945502651
• Number of Pages: 194
• Minimum Audience Age: 13

Book Themes

(Note: 0=none, 1=a few, 2=considerable, 3=pronounced, 4=excessive)

• Sexual themes: 0
• Religious themes: 1
• Violence, self-harm, etc.: 0
• Crude language, expletives, swearing, etc.: 0
• Other adult themes: 0

Rating

• Content: 5 stars
• Writing Style: 5 stars
• Appeal to Target Audience: 5 stars
• Uniqueness: 5 stars
• Editing: 5 stars
• Other factors: 5 stars
• Overall: 5 out of 5

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