A National Jewish Book Award finalist!
A smart and powerful story set in the Orthodox Jewish community about what it means to fit in, break out, and find your own way, by the award-winning author of The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen. This book is Gossip Girl + My Name Is Asher Lev + I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter.Yoyo Gold has always played the role of the perfect Jewish daughter. She keeps kosher, looks after her siblings, and volunteers at the local food bank. She respects the decisions of her rabbi father and encourages her friends to observe the rules of their Orthodox faith. But when she sees her best friend cast out of the community over a seemingly innocent transgression, Yoyo’s eyes are opened to the truth of her neighbors’ hypocrisies for the first time. And what she sees leaves her shocked and unmoored.
As Yoyo’s frustration builds, so does the pressure to speak out, even if she can only do so anonymously on TikTok, an app that’s always been forbidden to her. But when one of her videos goes viral—and her decisions wind up impacting not only her own life but also her relationship with the boy she’s falling for—Yoyo’s world is thrown into chaos. She is forced to choose which path to take, for her community, for her family, and most importantly, for herself.
Award-winning author Isaac Blum returns with a new novel that asks what it really means to be part of a community—and what it means to break free.
Isaac Blum (he/him) is the National Book Award-longlisted and Morris Award-winning author of
The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen. He’s taught English at several colleges and universities, and at Orthodox Jewish and public schools. He lives with his wife in Philadelphia, where he watches sports and reads books that make him laugh while showing him something true about the world. You can visit Isaac online at IsaacBlumAuthor.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @IsaacBlum_.
Praise for The Judgment of Yoyo Gold:
NPR Books We Love ♦ A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year ♦ A Horn Book Best Book of the Year ♦ ALA's Rise: A Feminist Book Project Top Ten Title ♦ Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books of the Year ♦ New York Public Library Best Books for Teens * "Blum’s depiction of a teenage Orthodox Jewish girl is remarkable in its precision and authenticity, along with the depth he gives Yoyo as she experiences life outside her community and contemplates her future. [C]onvincing and appealing." —
Booklist, STARRED review
* "[E]ach potential hot-button issue is handled with delicacy and nuance . . . the characters have dimension and agency, and Yoyo models a level of integrity that feels both genuine and aspirational." —
Horn Book Magazine, STARRED review"A deeply modern and moving YA novel set in a tightly closed community, this book is a near perfect exploration of teen self-discovery." —
NPR"A nuanced novel about finding oneself amid the perceived constraints and comforts of one’s environment." —
Publishers Weekly"A kosher coming-of-age story with a bissel of romance."
—Kirkus Reviews
“Witty, perceptive Yoyo Gold leaps off the page and straight into your heart. You’ll cheer her on as she fights for her best friend and her right to express herself. Readers of all ages will relate to Yoyo’s struggle to find her place in a world she loves but finds limiting, with people she loves, who sometimes don’t understand her.” –
Lori Banov Kaufmann, National Jewish Book Award-winning author of Rebel Daughter“Earnest and passionate, and yet perfectly flawed, Yoyo and Shua will enthrall readers as they search for truth in their insulated community. Blum again portrays the Orthodox Jewish world with sensitivity and understanding, while exploding tropes and finding humor in even the most heart wrenching moments. Yoyo and Shua’s chemistry is electric and will keep readers turning the pages and hoping for more."
–Leah Scheier, Sydney Taylor Honor author of The Last Words We Said“Isaac Blum’s specialty is colliding worlds and seeing how the Venn diagram forms. Yoyo Gold has to pass through disillusionment with her known world, in order to realize what she really wants. Somewhere in the intersection of past expectations and future hopes, she finds the elusive path forward.”
–Vesper Stamper, National Book Award-nominated author of What the Night Sings“
The Judgment of Yoyo Gold showcases the power of following your heart and doing what’s right in the face of community pressure. With a funny, biting, realistically teenage protagonist and packed with loving social critique, this book is for anyone who’s ever got tired of swallowing their righteous anger.”
–Sacha Lamb, Sydney Taylor Award-winning author of When the Angels Left the Old Country
