Rubens, Michael. Sons of the 613.

Rubens, Michael.  Sons of the 613.  Houghton Mifflin/Clarion  305p  $16.99 978-0-547-61216-4    2012  hs    E-BN        Realistic Fiction

This is a very funny, and finally tragic, story of the relationship between two brothers.  The older, street-smart brother, Josh, takes advantage of a trip to Italy with his parents to teach his younger brother Isaac, about to be bar-mitzvahed, how to be a man.     

Sons of the 613 is an absolutely wonderful coming-of-age story that will be embraced by all YA readers, although it revolves around the Jewish rite of passage of bar mitzvah.  The book seems very light-hearted at first, pulling the reader into the story with lots of humor.  The humor continues, but the story turns gritty as well.  While there are dicey situations between the brothers, as well as places less traveled by most, and the language is blue at times, this only adds to the reality of the story.  The relationship between the brothers is explored and stretched, as well as the way they interact with both Isaac and Josh’s friends.  The tragedy at the end only emphasizes the reality that people are who and what they are, no matter how much love you throw at them.

Brothers-Fiction                                           --Lynn Fisher