Seventeen-year-old Carrie is lying in her backyard ignoring all the looming responsibilities in her life, when a fox makes a mad dash across the grass in front of her. After she manages to keep her dog from attacking the frightened animal, the fox turns to Carrie and bows in gratitude before disappearing into the bushes. All Carrie knows in that moment is that something has unexpectedly changed in her life. Carrie has been best friends with Lindsay Smith and Rebecca Campbell for years. During a summer when they should focus on choosing colleges, the girls suddenly find themselves swept away on the adventure of their lives. The fox reappears three days later and reveals to Carrie that he is Adom, emissary to the King of Hadariah. With his land of music and magic in peril, Adom has been sent to seek help from Carrie and her friends. In the blink of an eye, the three teenage girls go from living an average suburban life to being the champions of a world where they must contend with giants, witches, and magical beings. Will they ever make it home once more? Alisse Lee Goldenberg effortlessly weaves together Jewish folklore and an empowering tale of friendship to create a truly delightful new story. Underlying the adventure of travelling to a magical world to save it from darkness and doom is a message about solving problems with cooperation, honesty, and knowledge passed on from previous generations. I can't wait for the next installment! - Jen Frankel, award winning filmmaker and author of Undead Redhead Winner of The Literary Titan Silver Book Award ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Four Stars from Literary Titan The Song of Hadariah follows Carrie Eisen, a seventeen-year-old caught between the ordinary pressures of finishing high school and the extraordinary call of magic. When she encounters a talking fox named Adom, her world is turned upside down. Alongside her two best friends, she's drawn into Hadariah, a realm where music and spirit are one, and darkness has silenced its heart. Together, the girls set out to retrieve enchanted violin strings stolen by the demon king Asmodeus, hoping to restore harmony to a dying world. What starts as a whimsical fantasy quickly becomes a story about friendship, belief, and courage. Reading this book felt like stepping back into the kind of story I would've loved as a teenager. The writing is vivid and heartfelt, full of warmth and charm. Goldenberg's voice has this nostalgic rhythm to it. It moves like a bedtime story told by someone who truly believes in the power of magic. Sometimes the pacing slows a little, especially in the early chapters, but once the girls enter Hadariah, the world blossoms with texture and wonder. I liked how the author blended Jewish folklore with classic fantasy elements; it made the story feel both familiar and fresh. The dialogue among the girls felt genuine too, full of the easy banter and affection that comes from years of friendship. Their bond grounded the magic, made it feel real. There were moments when I wanted to see a little more from the story's darker side. Asmodeus, for instance, comes across as more symbolic than menacing, and the conflict feels gentler than I expected. But the real struggle isn't only against a demon, it's about growing up and finding the courage to believe when the world makes it hard to do so. I loved how Carrie wrestled with doubt and faith, logic and wonder. It reminded me that magic isn't always about spells or creatures, it's about trust, bravery, and the invisible threads between people. And that hit home for me. The Song of Hadariah is a lovely, thoughtful fantasy that captures the ache of adolescence and the pull of imagination. It's ideal for readers who miss the sincerity of early young adult fantasy, those who grew up on Narnia, Inkheart, or His Dark Materials, and still look at the world hoping to find a hidden doorway somewhere.