How to Excavate a Heart

Starred review from September 12, 2022
Queer, Jewish Shani’s winter break is derailed by unexpected romance in this frothy enemies-to-lovers holiday rom-com by Arlow (Almost Flying). Shani is intent on leaving her disastrous first semester at college behind her. Determined not to think about how her girlfriend broke her heart, she plans to focus solely on her paleichthyology internship at the Smithsonian. That gets off to a rough start when, trying to navigate snow-laden streets, she and her mother almost run over a pedestrian with their car. Despite the hiccup, Shani dives headfirst into her internship until a dog-walking gig puts her face-to-face with Jewish May, the girl she almost ran over. Their relationship is civil at best, but when they’re snowed in together on Christmas Eve, their antagonism thaws. Even as Shani’s feelings for May grow, however, she fears taking another chance on love. This dialogue-rich narrative, told from Shani’s simultaneously biting and sincere first-person perspective, expertly conveys two romantically unconfident girls’ hesitancy to act on their feelings despite boundless chemistry. May and Shani’s clever banter, coupled with their myriad relationship ups and downs, make for a cozy and sharply funny confection. Main characters cue as white. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jim McCarthy, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret.

November 1, 2022
Grades 9-12 Shani has two plans for winter break after a painful first semester at college: spend some quality time with fish fossils and avoid any kind of romance. With an internship in DC at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and fresh off a soul-crushing breakup, both items on her to-do list seem simple. But when an almost car crash and an adorable dog lead her to the intriguing May, not falling in love starts to get a lot harder. How to Excavate a Heart is a hysterically funny book. Any romance fan will immediately be charmed by Shani and May's instant chemistry, but it's Shani's witty asides that set the novel apart from even the most swoon-worthy YA romcom. The entire cast of characters, from the (very) elderly family friend who wholeheartedly welcomes everyone, to the introverted paleichthyologist who's a bit of a weatherman fanboy, is compelling. Arlow's latest is bound to become a holiday classic that readers will pick up whenever they need to be reminded of the magic of a snowy day.

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December 23, 2022

Gr 9 Up-Shani is in Washington, D.C., for an internship on winter break from college with a self-assigned to-do list. On her list: live like a Jewish nun, absorb as much knowledge about paleoichthyology as possible, explore museums, avoid her mom's texts, and try to forget about Sadie, her ex. Not on her list? Flirting with May, the cute girl she keeps running into (quite literally). However, kismet and snowstorms have other plans, and soon Shani's crush is inescapable. With a cast of lovely supporting characters (her understanding but firm supervisor, her effusive nonagenarian landlord, her encouraging bestie), Shani opens up and takes tentative steps towards love again-and explores the psychological barriers blocking her from emotional and physical intimacy with May. The flirty enemies-to-lovers story is sweet and optimistic, but the most remarkable feat is the authentic portrayal of nervous teenagers working through their relationship anxieties. Both Shani and May are Jewish and are coded as white-it's wonderful to see Jewish characters falling in love during Hanukkah and using Jewish references, but it would've been even sweeter to have the fairy tale extended to the point where Christmas is barely discussed. VERDICT Purchase for any teen collections where romance is popular, but especially for any readers who love to read sharp banter as much as they love to swoon.-Susannah Goldstein

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from September 1, 2022
Queer Jewish love stubbornly blooms despite the cold of a Washington, D.C., winter. Fresh off a cataclysmic first semester of college, Shani is determined to pass her winter break internship at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History like a Jewish nun: no girls, no distractions, just fossils. Like all the best-laid plans, hers go awry when she finds herself on a literal collision course with a very cute girl named May. Hallmark movie-style shenanigans ensue. Arlow demonstrates a nimble command of the genre, executing a lean, character-centric plot with a satisfying balance of sweet, funny, and heavy moments. The text is rich in dialogue, the first-person voice distinct and controlled. Shani's journey to understanding her history and its ramifications for her present is never overwrought and all the more poignant for it. Sexual assault features in the story; it's an aspect of the lesbian experience that is not often depicted, and it's handled with sensitivity and compassion. Shani and May are both of Ashkenazi Jewish heritage, and their shared background adds an enriching ripple to this buoyant reimagining of a familiar story. Optimism grows like a weed in the would-be-salted earth of Shani's heart; this is a tonic and a testament for the times. Warming as hot chocolate in a blizzard; a familiar favorite made fresh from scratch. (Romance. 14-18)

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