Tuesday, April 23, 2013

King of the Class, a New Age Novel

It has been a while since I have read such a unique novel. Gila Green paints a beautiful tale called King of the Class that follows a young woman through her philosophical challenges. This book is full of creativity as it is set in a future time, in a country that does not yet exist. Although the setting is foreign, the human characters' personality and motivations are easy to relate to. That contrast makes King of the Class a satisfying read. 

Judging the Book by its Cover -  a first glance review:

The cover combines various themes throughout the book. The blue eyes, that seem to be begging for attention, are a portrayal of Ben's blue eyes that follow Eve and propel her through her journey. The Israeli flag, which catches my attention next, is a hint as to where the story takes place. Although, it is not quite the Israel that we know today. The soldiers on the bottom of the cover can represent the physical battles in the book as well as the philosophical schism. 

Some Details I Liked:

This book is written by a frum woman, but totally doesn't follow "frum-novel-style". It has an original setting which helps the plot develop with various twists and turns.

Who This Book is For:

This book is for someone that wants a basically clean, sophisticated read, but not too Jewish. It is aimed for the general public and is not published by a Jewish publisher 

Who This Book Isn’t For: 

I was warned by the author, prior to reading the book, that it was not written with the frum audience in mind.
There is a touch of adult behavior, nothing explicit, but enough that I would label it for mature audiences only.
Towards the end, there is also a bit of violence that is described in detail.

What I Didn’t Like/Would Have Made it Better: 

I enjoyed the beginning and felt the end was written well, but I didn't like how the two segued. In general, I feel that there is something missing when a woman goes from engaged to understandably married and then all of a sudden, has a few kids. That is just my opinion though.

In Conclusion:  

I would say that this book is great for someone looking for an atypical mature novel that will tickle your intelligence and allow your mind to wander.