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Reviewed by:
  • Since You Left Me
  • Karen Coats
Zadoff, Allen . Since You Left Me. Egmont, 2012. [320p]. Trade ed. ISBN 978-1-60684-296-6 $16.99 E-book ed. ISBN 978-1-60684-297-3 $16.99 Reviewed from galleys Ad Gr. 7-10.

When Sanskrit's flaky mother forgets to show up for a parent/teacher conference yet again, he makes up a story that she has been in a terrible car accident and is hanging on by a thread. The tight-knit Jewish community of the school immediately rallies to his side, forgiving his substandard academic performance and his reluctance to participate in any religious observances. Truth be told, Sanskrit is only going to the prestigious Jewish school so that he can get the trust fund left to him by his grandfather, who made a Jewish education a condition of his bequest. Sanskrit persists in his lie, managing to keep his mother from finding out while his teachers and classmates organize a fundraiser on his behalf. Sanskrit's voice is funny and irreverent as he tries to sort out the complicated relationships in his life and decide what he believes in the midst of so many conflicting voices. The premise of the book strains credulity, however, as Sanskrit's lie remains undiscovered until the most inconvenient moment, despite the set-up of a school that prides itself on the involvement of the entire family. While this could be read as part of a larger theme of the hypocrisy Sanskrit finds everywhere he turns, it seems more like overly convenient plotting. Still, many truth-seekers will find their questions echoed in Sanskrit's turbulent and exasperated angst.


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