The Opposite of Hallelujah

By: Anna Jarzab
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 2012
ISBN: 978-0-385-73836-1
Reviewed by: Amy Lignor 
Review Date: October 2012

In a YA world that delivers ninety percent vampires, wolves and things that go ‘bump in the night,’ coming across this engaging and truly cool novel was like a breath of fresh air.

Hannah is Caro’s much older sister. She was the absolute ‘Barbie,’ with her blonde hair and incredible popularity. But years ago, Hannah all of a sudden transformed and became a contemplative nun, moving into a convent that was beyond strict. Caro hasn’t seen Hannah in ages, and basically has told everyone she knows that her sister died. Caro actually has been happy with her home life - being the only child and getting to do whatever she wants. But when she’s told that Hannah has renounced her vows and is headed back to the house, Caro finds herself truly angry.

On top of everything else, Caro is dealing with breaking up with her boyfriend on the first day of school, and meeting up with Pawel (pronounced Pavel) who is a new student that she finds herself falling for.

Hannah, however, is a real ‘drag’ and more than a little odd. She acts like a distant person, as if she’s still living in her ‘cell’ at the nunnery. She barely eats and looks as if she’s going to go to her ‘maker’ very soon. Caro can’t figure out what to say to this absolute stranger living in her home, but when a secret from the past is revealed, the two sisters find themselves coming together in a very odd situation and learning to deal with issues that range from romance to death.

This is an incredible look at siblings and how two from the same family, who walk such different paths in life, can find a way to realize that no matter what happens, they’re still sisters and have each other’s back. In a world of ‘supernatural’ creatures, this is a novel that truly stands out!

Quill Says: Warmth, fear, pain and, most of all, the subject of faith, has a place in this novel that you won’t soon forget.