Check­points is a fic­tion­al first-per­son nar­ra­tive told by sev­en­teen-year-old Noa, a teenag­er liv­ing in Jerusalem and try­ing to come to terms with the con­flict between the Pales­tini­ans and the Jews. By read­ing her thoughts and reflec­tions the read­er comes to under­stand her fear of becom­ing a vic­tim of a ter­ror­ist attack, cou­pled with the anx­i­eties, crush­es, and social inad­e­qua­cies that plague most young adults of this age. When her worst fears mate­ri­al­ize and her fam­i­ly mem­bers become vic­tims of a ter­ror­ist attack, Noa is thrown off-bal­ance and becomes angry, resent­ful at those she loves most and unfor­giv­ing in her atti­tude toward the Pales­tini­ans and their plight. But grad­u­al­ly, with the help of coun­sel­ing and the sup­port of her fam­i­ly and friends, she is inspired to look beyond the inci­dent and see some hope in her country’s future. Levy’s book tack­les many of the hard ques­tions faced by Israelis every day, and does so with real­ism, vivid descrip­tions, and a nov­el that should riv­et young adults and give them a deep­er under­stand­ing of life in Israel.