The Stranger Within Sarah Stein

Praise for The Stranger Within Sarah Stein:

“Describing ‘The Stranger Within Sarah Stein’ as just a children’s book would be selling it short. Rosenbaum has written a charming, New York-centric fantasy about a precocious 12-year-old girl whose identity is fractured by the separation of her parents.”

—New York Times

“Thane Rosenbaum skillfully mixes fantasy and tragedy in ‘The Stranger Within Sarah Stein,’ whose heroine weathers her parents’ divorce with pluck and defiance. . . . There is sadness between the lines, but also a bright fairy-tale aspect, a kind of ‘Willy Wonka’ meets ‘Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.'”

—Los Angeles Times

“Rosenbaum is skillful at writing from a child’s perspective about the very real challenges of divorce Sarah describes her new schedule with her parents in a pitch-perfect way . . . The story tackles many large issues, but it’s Sarah’s story of struggling with her parents and her new life that resonates the most. . . Rosenbaum gives us to follow a young girl, quirky and defiant, as she tries to reconcile the two people she is becoming since her parents’ divorce.”

—Chicago Tribune

“While Sarah, who’s compassionate, friendly, and forthright, feels herself pulled in different directions, veering from a punk-goth mélange to a goodie-two-shoes aesthetic depending on whether she’s with her father or mother, her journey is not a contemporary retelling of Lisa, Bright and Dark, the late 1990s hit that chronicles a girl’s descent into madness. It’s something weirder and more confusing, but not without some real pleasures for younger readers.”

—Tablet Magazine

“The Stranger Within Sarah Stein is more about ghosts than anything. And ghosts are what Thane writes about quite well. . . . I hope this book gets a wide readership, both adult and young adult . . . [a]nd much like Thane’s other works of fiction, you have the feeling as you make your way through Sarah Stein (and especially after you finish it) that what you’re reading may or may not be happening, that the events unfolding in the narrative seem to be happening in a nether world, some place in-between fantasy and what you understand as reality. Much like Sarah herself, you as a reader feel that you may be someplace between two realms and you’re not entirely certain what is transpiring. But that is the strength of Thane’s books: they all take place in a world that has been transformed by traumatic events, so much so that you feel out of place, alien . . . a stranger.”

—Derek Parker Royal

“Author/human rights law professor Thane Rosenbaum, a preeminent literary voice of second generation survivors, weaves a new story for young adults in which the World Trade Center tragedy brings relevance to the Holocaust.”

—The Times of Israel

“The last scene at City Hall, where some of the novel’s diverse strands are brought together happily, is so exciting I imagined it as the end of a riveting film. . . . I cannot wait to see the movie.”

—New Jersey Jewish Standard

“This book is a page turner. It deals with some interesting themes divorce and its effects, trauma and survival, . . . In addition to fantasy, suspense, and mystery, the author gives readers some wonderful descriptions of New York City . . . [and] also gives us glimpses into post 9/11 New York and the Holocaust.”

—Jewish Book World

“Sarah’s adventures will capture teens with mysteries within mysteries.”

—The Baytown Sun

“Although aimed at the young adult audience, Rosenbaum’s novel also provides food for thought for adults. The supernatural elements are so soothly integrated with the larger, very realistic story that I easily accepted them as factual. Parents will want to share this with their teenagers for what could be some very interesting conversations.”

—The Reporter (Barnes & Noble)

“The plot doubles back on itself to create a rich, multi-layered reflection about the meaning of family, friendships, legacies, and love.”

—ForeWord Reviews

“This book is a page turner.”

—Jewish Book Council