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Reviewed by: Kathy Jaccarino, High School Librarian Title: Eight Nights of Flirting Author: Hannah Reynolds Publisher: Razorbill
Year: 2022 Good for Grades: 9-12 Genre/Type of Book: Realistic Fiction
Content Warnings, or things that other School Librarians should be aware of: Underage drinking Recommended for a school library: Yes Reason(s) for choosing the book: I picked this book off the shelf because Hanukkah had just started, and I thought it would be a fun choice for this time of year. I purchased the book because of the diversity aspect, there are few books about Jewish families with Jewish main characters, Shira's family is Sephardic. One review said, "If there was a Hallmark Hannukah movie tradition, this would be optioned in a heartbeat." And, liking a good holiday rom-com... I was sold. If you were tasked by the publisher with writing a short quote for the back cover of this book, what would it be: Eight nights of flirting, fun, and family!
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Review:
This book did not disappoint. The story takes place on Nantucket, which is the perfect setting for a wintery romance. Sixteen-year-old Shira is on a mission to find a boyfriend over the Hanukkah break, and she has the perfect candidate in mind- her uncle's assistant. But after getting snowed in, alone with her former crush and nemesis, Tyler, her plans change. The one big stumbling block for me was the age differences between love interests. Both "couples" or potential couples, span between high school and college-age. I felt this was a bit unrealistic. How many college sophomores (or older) date high school juniors? I am sure it happens, but I think the story could have been stronger if the characters were both in high school, or both in college. In spite of this, I loved the book. There were parts that I whole-heartly related to. I loved her family, and loved that she loved them, no conflicts or angst with them. She often speaks about being so happy to be embraced by their love, she enjoys all her cousins and their antics. Reynolds does a great job developing her characters, even the secondary ones. I wanted to be invited to their Hanukkah party just to meet them all. Shira is a very complex character; I appreciated her growth through the novel. She learns to trust herself and to open herself to others...something she has always been to shy and reserved to do. And, she learned that she doesn't have to be an expert at something in order to just enjoy doing it. I loved the line, "Or could you simply love something anyway, a love without envy and self-criticism, based soley on joy? (289). One last quote that resonated with me, that I absolutely related to, as she get ready for a party Shira asks herself why she is worried, "...I could feel my stomach twisting....I tried to pull apart a twisty, tangled knot of possible causes....Why couldn't I tell what I was worried about?" I loved this...how many times have a thought the same thing? Although I refer to it as the pit in my stomach! I will wake up with the "pit" and think, "Why am I worried? What is giving me pause?" Reynolds (via Shira) articulates this so well. I thought, yes, she gets it! I think this book would be great to pair with other titles that explore cultural celebrations.
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