Wrath Becomes Her by Aden Polydoros (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Wrath Becomes Her by Aden Polydoros Natalie Berglind Polydoros, Aden Wrath Becomes Her. Inkyard, 2023 [384p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781335458032 $19.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780369736628 $9.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 7-10 It's 1943 in Lithuania, and Ezra has one goal: to avenge his murdered teenage daughter, Chaya, by creating a golem to hunt down the men who killed her. Vera, the golem, is more than just clay. She has literal pieces of Ezra's daughter within her along with Chaya's memories, which make it particularly confusing for her to sort out how much of her is Chaya and how much is her unique self. When Ezra goes missing, Vera is left to her own devices, killing Chaya's murderers with brute strength but unraveling a deeper plot to steal Ezra's ancient magical texts. Along the way, she will run into Chaya's friends, who treat her alternatively with repulsion and relief, and she'll kill many Nazis to get revenge and be reunited with her creator. The historical backdrop makes an interesting setting for the debate over android autonomy and personhood usually reserved for sci-fi, and Polydoros' creative blend of Frankenstein and Jewish folklore delivers a unique premise by giving power back to a near-indestructible teenage girl. Vera is a sympathetic protagonist, grappling with her identity and individual desires even as she must strategize to right the societal injustices she encounters. Her awkwardness around describing her emotions, however, occasionally renders her anger distant from the reader, and the theme of revenge carries out indecisively, sometimes indicating that revenge is unsatisfying and sometimes that revenge is warranted. Even so, a generation of teens who may be feeling particularly helpless will be glad for a teenage girl who is able to do something about her oppression and help others. A glossary of terms used in the text is included. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois