Ring of Solomon by Aden Polydoros (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Ring of Solomon by Aden Polydoros Sarah Sahn Polydoros, Aden Ring of Solomon. Inkyard, 2023 [256p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781335428639 $18.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780369722614 $9.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R* Gr. 4-7 When twelve-year-old Zach and his younger sister find a gold ring embossed with a Star of David at their local flea market, they know it'll be the perfect birthday gift for their mom, who loves to collect anything related to her Jewish heritage. It's not just any ring, however—Zach discovers that when he's touching it, he can talk to animals, and then a strange boy appears who identifies himself as Ashmedai, king of demons in Jewish folklore. Ash is on board to help Zach exact some payback on his bully Jeffrey, whose homophobic, racist, and antiSemitic harassment has made the seventh grade a living hell for Zach and his best friend Sandra. Other people are after the ring too, though, for considerably more sinister aims, and soon Zach, Sandra, and Ash are racing to avert the apocalypse. For all its action, this coming-of-age adventure stays close to home, centering on Zach's negotiation of his Jewish and gay identities and his growing friendship with Ash, who is by turns inscrutable as a thousands-years-old demon king and naïve and vulnerable like his [End Page 264] preteen counterpart. Zach's first-person narration veers between introspection and humor as he helps Ash try to navigate the modern world. Readers will only want to dive deeper into Ash and Zach's story and the world they inhabit—it's a good thing this is the opener to a planned trilogy. While they wait, Lamb's When the Angels Left the Old Country (BCCB 11/22) and Pasternack's Black Bird, Blue Road (BCCB 10/22) offer other recent incarnations of Jewish demons. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois