Palaces of the Crow by Ray Nayler - OPTIONAL

Palaces of the Crow by Ray Nayler, 384 pages. MCD (Farrar, Straus and Giroux), 2026. $29.

Language: PG (7 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13 (illegal activity, mentions of alcohol and sexual harassment, innuendo, and nudity); Violence: PG13 (corpses, assault, implied sexual assault, gun use, blood and gore, battle scenes, cannibalism, mentions of suicide, genocide, and murder)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

During the summer, Neriya and her family live in the shtetl where she spends her time with the local, intelligent crows. One night in June of 1941, her crow Buster leads Neriya into the woods, saving her from the fate of the rest of the Jewish village. The crows also help other teenagers her age, gathering them in the forest as they avoid more threats than just the Germans.

Readers keep track of several points of view that also jump back and forth through time. While war is the driving force behind everything that happens, the story focuses on survival—how do these four kids take care of their needs in the forest and how are they changed by these experiences—rather than on violent action. This focus slows the story down, highlighting how WWII impacted individuals rather than the world at large. Neriya is Jewish, Czeslaw is Polish, and Kezia is Roma.

Reviewer: Carolina Johnson