Aviva vs. the Dybbuk
by Mari Lowe
Levine Querido, 2022, 172 pages.
Review written August 5, 2022, from a library book
This book tells about an girl named Aviva who lives with her mother in an apartment over a mikvah next to the shul in their Orthodox Jewish community. They’ve lived there since Aviva’s father died, and it’s all her mother can manage to take care of the mikvah.
But there’s a dybbuk, a mischievous spirit, in the mikvah, and only Aviva can see him. She can’t control him, but she can clean up after him.
Meanwhile, at school Aviva and her former best friend get in trouble and assigned to do a project together. Maybe that will build some bridges. But why is the dybbuk getting even worse in the trouble he’s causing?
There’s a lot of sadness in this book. But ultimately a hopeful ending as events in the book help both Aviva and her mother start to go beyond their sad loss with the help of their loving community.
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