Book Review: Line Change
Line Change: Israel’s a New Zone for Ethan. Mark Lichtenfeld. Mazo Publishers, Florida, 2013, Trade Paperback and Kindle, 207 pages.
Reviewed by Mary-Megan Kalvig.
Mark Lichtenfeld’s new YA novel, Line Change: Israel’s a New Zone for Ethan (first place winner in December 2012 Writerstype.com First Chapter contest) has a strong message about priorities and what’s really important. Ethan Conners, a privileged Jewish teen in Chicago, with dreams of playing hockey at Ferris State, lands a spot on Team USA in the Maccabiah Games in Israel. While it’s a great opportunity, it completely ruins his summer plans with his girlfriend. In addition, after discovering that life in an Israeli border town is nothing like life in Chicago, Ethan must examine his own values more closely.
Lichtenfeld’s experience as USA Hockey and ACHA referee and writer for Hockey Stop and Rink Life comes through in the detailed hockey scenes.
The reader is thrown into the game with Ethan, fighting for the win and dealing with the heartbreak of defeat. The town of Kiryat Shemona is brought to life, from the chaos of the merchant market to the overcrowded swimming pool and filth of the falafel and pizza food court. Ethan’s teen voice is superbly captured in the narration; however, at times it can be overwhelming and distracting from the story. Ethan has a way of exaggerating and emphasizing his point. For example, “I mean, it’s like falafel idol worship or something. Seriously, Lior’s got this two-handed grip on his pita like a football center readying a shotgun snap.” The description is spectacular, and while it works to capture the voice of the teenager, the repetitive use of “I mean” and “Seriously” detract from the story telling.
Ethan struggles with identity, especially when he truly looks at the lives of the people in Kiryat Shemona. He comes to Israel with a chip on his shoulder, judging all of the Jews there in comparison to his Orthodox Jewish ways. As the book progresses, though, he begins to question who is the better Jew—the one who prays every day or the one willing to sacrifice himself for the Jewish State. This novel is a great reality check for a character sheltered from the reality of Israel’s struggles. The message is especially powerful for people of the Jewish faith; however, the emphasis on being Jewish, speaking Hebrew, and knowing the customs risks alienating readers who are not familiar with the traditions. While comments made in Hebrew were generally restated in English, this was not always the case, leaving certain words or phrases undefined. A glossary of terms might have helped this problem or even a quick definition clarifying certain terms as they appear. This doesn’t really detract from the story because there generally were enough context clues, but it makes the reading more of a struggle for readers who do not have this background knowledge.
Line Change is a powerful novel that will appeal not only to teen boys (especially boys who like hockey and/or of a Jewish background), but all young readers. Almost everyone at one point or another is guilty of judging someone else, and this novel forces the reader to look at how we judge others and what’s most important in life.