As a senior, Rachel wants nothing more than to enjoy her final year of high school by hanging out with friends, going to football games, and even to successfully complete her schoolwork, as she prepares to apply to college for the coming fall. Rachel is surrounded by a loving family and a wonderful group of friends but when her Zaide (grandfather) dies and when she begins to experience strange visions, her “typical” senior year becomes far from typical. Throughout the passing months, Rachel begins to feel that there is something deeper within herself that she is meant to tap into.

Although her family is secularly Jewish now, Rachel’s mother and mother’s father, her Zaide (grandfather) practiced Orthodox Judaism. Despite Rachel’s secular upbringing, she finds herself attending high holidays services at a local Orthodox synagogue. It is there that she meets a stranger, Yonatan, who reminds her of her Zaide and who becomes an important mentor to her, teaching her to connect to her God-given gifts. As their relationship develops, Rachel, too develops a greater understanding of what it means to be part of the Jewish people and how by growing into her own gifts, she can be of the highest service to others. Amdst these deep questions, Rachel works to balance being a “normal” teenager with her growing, mystical experiences.

In The  Prophetess a young adult fantasy novel, author Evonne Marzouk does a great job, balancing the many aspects of Rachel’s life. We read about the challenges Rachel experiences as a teenager with her parents, sister and friends. Marzouk craftily introduces many critical issues that teenagers deal with today including: insecurity, bullying, eating disorders, and addiction. One specific issue that feels especially timely is the inclusion of Rachel’s friend, Maya, whose mother is a Jewish convert born in the Philippines. Maya is teased because of her dual identity. As the good friend that she is, Rachel helps Maya deal with this insensitive bullying. Marzouk deftly handles all of these topics with thoughtfulness and yet, they are not too heavy, so as to detract from the main message of the book. Throughout the novel, we see Rachel learning to listen more closely to her gifts; thereby, better able to address those critical issues described above, by using her gifts to help those around her.

As a parent reading this young adult novel, a point that gave me pause relates to Rachel’s initial secrecy as she takes more interest in Jewish tradition and in her mystical training with Yonatan. While I acknowledge the reality that many teenagers feel the need for secrecy, especially when they are exploring new or different areas of interest, I wished that Rachel had felt more initially accepted and less judged by her family but that is me speaking as a parent, not me who probably would have been just as secretive as a teenager.

I found the book to be an enjoyable, deep read, providing much food for thought. Rachel’s character is real, honest, and vulnerable—all qualities that are needed to grow one’s own gifts. Kudos to Evonne Marzouk for writing such an engaging, thought-provoking young adult novel.

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Amy Grossblatt Pessah is a rabbi, author, spiritual director and mom. Serving various communities and demographics across the country, Amy has been a Jewish educator for over thirty years, with a specialization in Jewish Family Education. She received her Master’s degree in Jewish education from HUC-JIR and her semicha from Aleph: Alliance for Jewish Renewal. She lives in Florida with her husband and together they are the proud parents of three young adults. Follow her on instagram @parenting_on_a_prayer.  To learn more about Amy, visit: https://www.asoulfuljourney.com