Review: "The Weight of One Pomegranate" by Brynne Rebele-Henry

The Weight of One Pomegrante by Brynne Rebele-Henry
Published July 2026 via Soho Teen
★★★

Isa's sister Eleni was her north star—but Eleni died recently, suddenly, unexpectedly, and her death has torn Isa's whole world apart. And to make matters worse, she's only now finding out just how much Eleni didn't tell her.

I read this largely on the strength of Rebele-Henry's Orpheus Girl. I'm cautious with books about grief these days, but I like a coming-of-age story and stories with queer characters, and, well, curiosity calls. Isa's grief is still new and raw, and she's still trying to understand her place in the world now that her sister is no longer there to show her the way.

Some mornings, when I wake up, I've forgotten. Then I swing open the bedroom door only to realize that it's not the door to our room anymore. And something dark and sharp edges its way into my throat and makes it hard to speak. It's like falling, the remembering. (loc. 49*)

That grief is visceral and real, but I struggled to connect with the characters in other ways. Isa's parents are shadows of themselves and whispers on the page (or, more often, off the page); she starts to understand her sexuality throughout the book, but it's unclear how close she really is to the person she likes and whether she really likes them or more the idea of them. I can read Isa as neurodivergent or as someone who simply hasn't found her people yet, and though it doesn't really matter for the purposes of the story, I'm left with a lot of questions. (There are some letters in the book, incidentally, one of which brings Isa some peace but for me again raises some questions.)

The language is lovely, and I do wonder whether I might take more away from this one if I come back to it in the future. Not a bad one to pick up for poetic writing and a quieter look at grief.

*Quotes are from an ARC and may not be final.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.