Mazeltov A novel

Set in Israel and New York, filmmaker Zuzovsky's debut, a novel-in-stories, features Adam, 12-turning-13, gay, and Jewish, as protagonist, along with members of his family: his parents, grandmother, and cousin Ben, who, at Adam's bar mitzvah, has sex with Palestinian waiter Khalil, who will feature in several later stories. In one, Khalil, now a published poet, meets a young adult Adam in a gay bar in New York. Fittingly, one of the stories featuring Khalil is told in accomplished verse form. In other episodes, Adam's father gives him his ceremonial first haircut, and Adam prepares to sing a solo at a performance. Yet another piece, featuring Adam's friend Abigail, is epistolary in form. Regardless of form, though, each part of the novel is accomplished and beautifully written. With its generally melancholy and memorable tone, this excellent book will make readers feel lucky to discover it. Mazel tov to them!

Filmmaker Zuzovsky debuts with a shimmering novelization of his short film about an Israeli boy's coming-of-age. As Adam Weizmann's bar mitzvah looms, he's more focused on figuring out his sexuality and overcoming his stage fright in an upcoming school play. Zuzovsky portrays Adam from many characters' perspectives, beginning with his classmate Eleanor, who makes out with him during a camping trip until he politely withdraws. There's also his friend Abigail, who writes him a letter outlining everything that's special about their friendship ("like the friends from Friends, but cooler and less problematic"). In a flash-forward, Adam encounters bar mitzvah waiter Khalil in a New York City gay bar years later, prompting him to wonder at how he's longed for the other man for so much time despite never knowing him. The disparate perspectives on Adam occasionally feel diffuse, but Zuzovsky exhibits a knack for crisp phrasing ("Her tears were bitter, like black pepper"; "when it comes to Judaism, she is as ignorant as an empty jar of pickles"). It's an auspicious first outing. (Feb.)