Book 71 of 2024: The Forbidden Book by Sacha Lamb

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

On the night before her wedding, 17-year-old Sorel leaps from a window and runs away from her life. To keep from being discovered, she takes on the male identity of Isser Jacobs — but it soon becomes clear that there is a real Isser Jacobs, and people want him dead. Her mistaken identity takes Sorel into the dark underworld of her small city, where smugglers, forgers, and wicked angels fight for control of the Jewish community. In order to make it out, Sorel must discover who Isser Jacobs really is — and who she wants to be.

Thank you @netgalley and @sachalamb.author for this ARC! This was a super fun read! I loved the queer representation and the Jewish folklore in this story. If anything I wish the book was longer so the reader could enjoy more of the adventure and escapades of Sorel, Adela, and Isser. The pace was excellent and this was a super quick read for me as I wanted to find out what would happen. The magical elements were so cool and I loved the incorporation of Jewish culture and stories. I also really enjoyed the historical Russian setting. This book was really well researched and very enjoyable. The Forbidden Book will be published on October 1–check it out!