Good, could do better - Rated 
A good first attempt, but sadly lacking brilliance. The idea of the book is excellent, and the character of, Ronit, engaging. Unfortunately, the other characters are misty and one-dimensional, and the plot a little uncertain in what it is trying to say. Another problem is the rather sweeping references to British Jews, as though this one particular sect epitomized the entirety of British Jewry. (No more daft than comparing the Wee Frees with all British Christianity.) It would be wrong to say this book was unenjoyable. There is certainly talent there. And perhaps these days we're too used to demanding a bestseller immediately from every writer who happens to be published. This author shows talent, and hopefully will learn from her mistakes and continue to grow.
Perseverance is Required - Rated
The book jacket compares Alderman to Zadie Smith. I think this is unfair to both authors and the readers. Smith has a knack for wry humour and a deep understanding of what it is to be an alien in your own country, yet there is a great affection for her characters and geography always present. Alderman has some of this, but it is much patchier and less defined than Smith's work. She also has other gifts which are overlooked by this sweeping comparison. Alderman deals with the essence of what it is to be Jewish, and how to relate someone's fragile sense of humanity to the permanent solidity of 'God'. This seems to me to be the ovearching theme of the book. Each chapter is headed with passages from Jewish scriptures which are then discussed in a kind of mini sermon. These are dynamic and very interesting. Where the book falls down, for me, is in the characterisation. The central characters, Ronit, Esti and Dovid, who are locked in a peculiar and sympathetic love triangle, are intriguing but seem quite shadowy, subsumed by the issues with which Alderman wrestles: how to remain true to orthodox Judaism in the modern world, exile, what it is to be a Jewish woman, what it is to be a lesbian and a Jewish woman. These are big questions and ideas in what is a fairly short book, and as such the book often comes across as fragmented and bitty. There is lots to admire, but this is not, to me, a finished work. I would definitely read more of her work, as I want to see how she progresses as a writer. She shows great promise.
Thoughtful - Rated
I found this book engaging although not all the characters were equally sympathetic or even consistent. Alderman's writing is fresh and her imagery is often inventive, but the three-strand narration often felt uneven. Disobedience takes the reader deep inside Jewish London, but it also seems to read like a post-modern romcom.
This is a book to ponder rather than flip through, but in the end I'm not sure it's worth the effort.
a good read, but doesn't really cut the mustard - Rated
you're unlikely to remember this one, though it was an entertaining enough journey. you never really get into any of the characters, and the tone isn't in any way affecting... oh well!
***Fab book*** Gripping story. - Rated 
This book stayed with me for many months after I had read it. The scenes were intelligent, well thought out and emotionally evoking. I read it on a flight to Australia from cover to cover and couldn't put it down.
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