Hazel Says No

Hazel Says No by Jessica Berger Gross
6/17/25; 352 pages
Hanover Square Press

Hazel Says No by Jessica Berger Gross is a recommended coming-of-age novel tackling topical issues including the me too movement and cancelling people.

Gus Blum, an American studies professor, accepted a tenured position as department head at a college in Riverburg, Maine.  His wife Claire is a clothing designer, daughter Hazel is an eighteen-year-old high school senior and son Wolf is eleven-year-old sixth grader in middle school. His family moves from Brooklyn to the small town and try to find their place where they are one of the few Jewish families in town.

On the first day of school Hazel has the principal of her new high school call her to his office and proposition her. He also threatens her future college acceptances. The fall out from this impacts everyone in the family. Adding to the turmoil is the poorly planned first lecture her father gives, which was based on one he gave many years earlier. It results in a petition to fire him.

The narrative unfolds through the point-of-view of each family member in alternating chapters. Each of the members of the Blum family is struggling and experiencing stress from several different directions and sources. Obviously the harassment looms large, but the resulting fallout causes guilt, victim-blaming, and trauma among the family members. Additionally, it captures the struggles associated with moving to a small town and finding a way to try to fit in.

While the first half of this new adult novel is excellent, starts strong, and gives all the family members compelling, credible voices, in the second half it then evades the realistic direction it was taking. First the narrative suddenly loses track of what was making it successful and begins to takes on the author's voice rather than that of the characters. It becomes lecturing rather than leaving room for thoughtful reflection upon all the events. The unrealistic turn in the plot feels affected which totally changes the tone. I started out totally engrossed in the novel and was tempted to set it aside in the second half.

Hazel Says No is recommended for the right readers. It could be a good book club selection. Thanks to Hanover Square Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via Edelweiss. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.