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sydneyrcruse's review against another edition
1.0
Not for me. I refuse to DNF which is the only reason I kept reading.
indigodrag0n's review
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Self harm and Suicide
Minor: Forced institutionalization and Cursing
marieintheraw's review
3.0
I think Shaun David Hutchinson does a wonderful job weaving the narrative of this collection. Some of the stories in this work didn't work for me, but most I liked!
littlepepperguy's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
2.0
I only choose to read this bc it popped up in the search for Justina Ireland on my library website. She wrote one story and surprise surprise it was the only story I liked.
It's going to be hard to have flow from story to story when they're interconnected and written by 10 dif people but this struggled more than necessary. Like the POVs weren't consistent for the short stories; sometime they were framed as if the person was sitting there actually telling the story and others it was just a story out in the ether on it's own - no connection to the fact it's a "story telling contest" between 10 kids in the woods.
The ending sucks, witerally nothing happens. It's clearing referential of the breakfast club but ass.
Super disjunctive and the subject matter for each story was pretty dark and not handled well. One of the kids is telling a story about recording his 13 y/o sister cumming in her sleep and posting it on Youtube like I'm sorry wtf. Overall just sloppy and not worth the read. super lack luster ending
It's going to be hard to have flow from story to story when they're interconnected and written by 10 dif people but this struggled more than necessary. Like the POVs weren't consistent for the short stories; sometime they were framed as if the person was sitting there actually telling the story and others it was just a story out in the ether on it's own - no connection to the fact it's a "story telling contest" between 10 kids in the woods.
The ending sucks, witerally nothing happens. It's clearing referential of the breakfast club but ass.
Super disjunctive and the subject matter for each story was pretty dark and not handled well. One of the kids is telling a story about recording his 13 y/o sister cumming in her sleep and posting it on Youtube like I'm sorry wtf. Overall just sloppy and not worth the read. super lack luster ending
wyrnn's review
2.0
This book was honestly not my cup of tea. I had fun with about three of the stories and the end did not leave me satisfied. Honestly, when I got to the ending my thoughts were mostly “that is the best you could come up with?”
Compared to other works that I have read from Hutchinson, this was disappointing.
Compared to other works that I have read from Hutchinson, this was disappointing.
perpetualephemeral's review
3.0
I remember getting a free copy of Feral Youth as a part of my secondary school's book club years ago, and always put it off because I thought it would be 10 different perspectives all at once. But upon picking this book up again, I realised it's more of an anthology - 10 troubled teens each voicing their story with a drifting narrator telling the story of the group in between.
This book felt a little disjointed to me. It's difficult to keep up with all the characters at the beginning as you know nothing about them bar their names, but obviously you get a window into their life through the story they tell.
As each story is written by a different author, the quality and depth of each vary. However, they all share a crucial similarity - they express their own unfortunate entrapping due to the rules of their society.
The narrative between the stories these teens tell just didn't really do much for me. It felt a little pointless up until the ending, which is admittedly quite smart. But otherwise, this easily could've been a short story collection.
To round out, here's my ranking of all the stories told.
1. Tino - fantastically layered ghost story
2. Lucinda
3. Jackie
4. Georgina
5. Cody
6. Jenna
7. Sunday
8. David
9. Jalia - a weird, lucidly mythological story that didn't hit the mark
I give Feral Youth three to three and a half stars.
This book felt a little disjointed to me. It's difficult to keep up with all the characters at the beginning as you know nothing about them bar their names, but obviously you get a window into their life through the story they tell.
As each story is written by a different author, the quality and depth of each vary. However, they all share a crucial similarity - they express their own unfortunate entrapping due to the rules of their society.
The narrative between the stories these teens tell just didn't really do much for me. It felt a little pointless up until the ending, which is admittedly quite smart. But otherwise, this easily could've been a short story collection.
To round out, here's my ranking of all the stories told.
1. Tino - fantastically layered ghost story
2. Lucinda
3. Jackie
4. Georgina
5. Cody
6. Jenna
7. Sunday
8. David
9. Jalia - a weird, lucidly mythological story that didn't hit the mark
I give Feral Youth three to three and a half stars.
swah's review
4.0
3.5 stars
The premise is amazing. I really enjoyed the concept of multiple stories within one story, and the outcome was mostly positive. I take away points for the stories in the book that I thought slowed it down. I thoroughly enjoyed A Cautionary Tale, The Butterfly Effect, The Chaos Effect, and A Violation of Rule 16. Although, I found a few stories in here to be a little dull even though I understand that each author wrote their own story and that the stories didn't have to be similar to one another.
This book was a great way of featuring multiple authors at once and I will certainly be looking into the other works by the these authors.
The premise is amazing. I really enjoyed the concept of multiple stories within one story, and the outcome was mostly positive. I take away points for the stories in the book that I thought slowed it down. I thoroughly enjoyed A Cautionary Tale, The Butterfly Effect, The Chaos Effect, and A Violation of Rule 16. Although, I found a few stories in here to be a little dull even though I understand that each author wrote their own story and that the stories didn't have to be similar to one another.
This book was a great way of featuring multiple authors at once and I will certainly be looking into the other works by the these authors.
giulay's review
4.0
"We are people. We are real. And we will not be ignored."
Mini Reviews
TW: sexual abuse, homophobia, suicide, homicide, rape, self-harm, drugs.
The Butterfly Effect by Marieke Nijkamp: 3.5 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: girl with traumatic past loves fire. Something burns. Her past and present are presented and it isn’t really a pretty picture. Things aren’t clear.
Ridiculously short personal comment: I am…confused? But still very much intrigued? I liked the writing style and the mysterious atmosphere of the story. Only major complain: what the actual fuck? What happened? I mean, I can imagine but…when the story was over I honestly thought that the ending was missing from my Kindle Edition - hence the mysterious atmosphere. And it was so frustrating because I was incredibly into the plot and the characters - hence my fascination with the story. Dunno, I’m torn. But this was a very bizarre yet captivating beginning.
A Ruthless Dame by Tim Floreen: 3 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: young boy has a summer romance with another boy. Latter dude stops keeping in touch and reappears with a girlfriend. Main character plans then his revenge. It involves butter.
Ridiculously short personal comment: This was…strange? But I liked how strange it was? Also, kinda enjoyed the whole revenge based on a psychological plan and the presence of religion as an undertone throughout the story. Overall, though, I was not blown away by it and, in the end, I found it rather dull, as it did not really have a bite or a twist.
Look Down by Robin Talley: 3.5 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: scary stories told during camp turn out to be something more. Moral of the story: don’t go to the bathroom in the dead of night.
Ridiculously short personal comment: Here me out: I am a chicken. I do not read horror stories. I’m not saying that this was one, by any means, but…yeah, for my standards, it was close. And I’ll be damned but I liked it: it was atmospheric and creepy. Very simple in the creepy aspect, the plot was predictable and the setting was rather cliché but very effective for my chicken-mind. Not bad, really.
Big Brother, Part 1 and Part 2 by E. C. Myers: 1 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: tbh, I fucking refuse to even write down a short synopsis. With all the dues respect, this story was disgusting and sick.
Ridiculously short personal comment: what…the…actual…fucking fuck? What did I just read? What was this fuckery? You made me read it with my very own two eyes. No. Did not like this. My god, it was disgusting.
The Subjunctive by Alaya Dawn Johnson: 2 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: girl with fire-breath comes back and meets sister who can call the wind. Together they go look for their coyote-brother (you wish I was making this up)
Ridiculously short personal comment: I didn’t like this one. It was magical realism and it didn’t make sense in the slightest. I didn’t understand the relationship (and therefore thought they were unnatural) and didn’t see the whole point of the story. The writing style too was not really my taste :/ Confusing. This story was simply confusing.
A Cautionary Tale by Stephanie Kuehn: 5 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: a party during the equinox takes and unpredictable turn when a tale about a mass murderer is shared.
Ridiculously short personal comment: Oh. My. God. This was good. Just simply and plainly GOOD.
Jackie’s Story by Justina Ireland: 3 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: three brothers move to the city and establish a close-knitted “Cosa Nostra”. Beware the enemies, though.
Ridiculously short personal comment: Oh, I really enjoyed this one! I liked how it started fan-fiction like and then developed and became basically a retelling of The Three Little Pigs. It was clever; I liked it!
Self-portrait by Brandy Colbert: 4.5 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: during gal’s first day in a new school, she meets two brothers who are going to influence her future.
Ridiculously short personal comment: this was such a simple contemporary but oh so good. I liked the writing style; I loved Sunday as a character and her decisions and her strength were inspiring. I’d love to read the whole novel, thank you very much :)
A Violation of Rule 16 by Suzanne Young: 5 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: girl fights her school when she gets yet another day in detention because of the clothes.
Ridiculously short personal comment: YES!!! HOLY HELL THIS WAS PHENOMENAL! The feminist read that everybody needs to read. Short and straight to the point: beautiful. Fantastic. Spectacular. Stellar. Amazing.
The Chaos Effect by Marieke Nijkamp: 4.5 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: Continuation and ending of the first short story. The fire burns even brighter.
Ridiculously short personal comment: I am shooketh. I loved it. this was the continuation of the first story and HOT DAMN it was fantastic. Now all the confusion dictated by the first part of the story has been completely erased and a unflinching, brutal and phenomenal short story was created. Wow, just wow.
Overall
Actual rating: 3.5 ⭐ rounded up because the ones I loved I seriously loved.
So, this was a rollercoaster.
First, it is important to know that, relatively randomly, I am a huge fan of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and of dysfunctional (and morally-gray) characters. So this anthology was literally created for me. And I have to admit that I was not disappointed.
I particularly enjoyed the diversity in genre (from simple contemporary, to mystery, to horror, to fable, to sci-fi. Everything was present), the diversity in sexualities (bi-, gay, lesbian) and the diversity in race. Moreover, the fact that the majority of the stories had religious undertones (specifically Christianity) was something I was not expecting but that I actually appreciated.
Another aspect I liked was the “filler-voice”. In fact, the narrator and his point of view were straightforward and no-nonsense. And that is something I adore.
As always, the good stories were GOOD™️ and the bad stories were BAD™️ but the overall experience was a surprisingly pleasant one.
"Our parents see us as these problems to solve, delinquents to deal with.
But we’re more than that."
Mini Reviews
TW: sexual abuse, homophobia, suicide, homicide, rape, self-harm, drugs.
The Butterfly Effect by Marieke Nijkamp: 3.5 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: girl with traumatic past loves fire. Something burns. Her past and present are presented and it isn’t really a pretty picture. Things aren’t clear.
Ridiculously short personal comment: I am…confused? But still very much intrigued? I liked the writing style and the mysterious atmosphere of the story. Only major complain: what the actual fuck? What happened? I mean, I can imagine but…when the story was over I honestly thought that the ending was missing from my Kindle Edition - hence the mysterious atmosphere. And it was so frustrating because I was incredibly into the plot and the characters - hence my fascination with the story. Dunno, I’m torn. But this was a very bizarre yet captivating beginning.
A Ruthless Dame by Tim Floreen: 3 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: young boy has a summer romance with another boy. Latter dude stops keeping in touch and reappears with a girlfriend. Main character plans then his revenge. It involves butter.
Ridiculously short personal comment: This was…strange? But I liked how strange it was? Also, kinda enjoyed the whole revenge based on a psychological plan and the presence of religion as an undertone throughout the story. Overall, though, I was not blown away by it and, in the end, I found it rather dull, as it did not really have a bite or a twist.
Look Down by Robin Talley: 3.5 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: scary stories told during camp turn out to be something more. Moral of the story: don’t go to the bathroom in the dead of night.
Ridiculously short personal comment: Here me out: I am a chicken. I do not read horror stories. I’m not saying that this was one, by any means, but…yeah, for my standards, it was close. And I’ll be damned but I liked it: it was atmospheric and creepy. Very simple in the creepy aspect, the plot was predictable and the setting was rather cliché but very effective for my chicken-mind. Not bad, really.
Big Brother, Part 1 and Part 2 by E. C. Myers: 1 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: tbh, I fucking refuse to even write down a short synopsis. With all the dues respect, this story was disgusting and sick.
Ridiculously short personal comment: what…the…actual…fucking fuck? What did I just read? What was this fuckery? You made me read it with my very own two eyes. No. Did not like this. My god, it was disgusting.
The Subjunctive by Alaya Dawn Johnson: 2 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: girl with fire-breath comes back and meets sister who can call the wind. Together they go look for their coyote-brother (you wish I was making this up)
Ridiculously short personal comment: I didn’t like this one. It was magical realism and it didn’t make sense in the slightest. I didn’t understand the relationship (and therefore thought they were unnatural) and didn’t see the whole point of the story. The writing style too was not really my taste :/ Confusing. This story was simply confusing.
A Cautionary Tale by Stephanie Kuehn: 5 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: a party during the equinox takes and unpredictable turn when a tale about a mass murderer is shared.
Ridiculously short personal comment: Oh. My. God. This was good. Just simply and plainly GOOD.
Jackie’s Story by Justina Ireland: 3 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: three brothers move to the city and establish a close-knitted “Cosa Nostra”. Beware the enemies, though.
Ridiculously short personal comment: Oh, I really enjoyed this one! I liked how it started fan-fiction like and then developed and became basically a retelling of The Three Little Pigs. It was clever; I liked it!
Self-portrait by Brandy Colbert: 4.5 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: during gal’s first day in a new school, she meets two brothers who are going to influence her future.
Ridiculously short personal comment: this was such a simple contemporary but oh so good. I liked the writing style; I loved Sunday as a character and her decisions and her strength were inspiring. I’d love to read the whole novel, thank you very much :)
A Violation of Rule 16 by Suzanne Young: 5 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: girl fights her school when she gets yet another day in detention because of the clothes.
Ridiculously short personal comment: YES!!! HOLY HELL THIS WAS PHENOMENAL! The feminist read that everybody needs to read. Short and straight to the point: beautiful. Fantastic. Spectacular. Stellar. Amazing.
The Chaos Effect by Marieke Nijkamp: 4.5 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: Continuation and ending of the first short story. The fire burns even brighter.
Ridiculously short personal comment: I am shooketh. I loved it. this was the continuation of the first story and HOT DAMN it was fantastic. Now all the confusion dictated by the first part of the story has been completely erased and a unflinching, brutal and phenomenal short story was created. Wow, just wow.
Overall
Actual rating: 3.5 ⭐ rounded up because the ones I loved I seriously loved.
So, this was a rollercoaster.
First, it is important to know that, relatively randomly, I am a huge fan of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and of dysfunctional (and morally-gray) characters. So this anthology was literally created for me. And I have to admit that I was not disappointed.
I particularly enjoyed the diversity in genre (from simple contemporary, to mystery, to horror, to fable, to sci-fi. Everything was present), the diversity in sexualities (bi-, gay, lesbian) and the diversity in race. Moreover, the fact that the majority of the stories had religious undertones (specifically Christianity) was something I was not expecting but that I actually appreciated.
Another aspect I liked was the “filler-voice”. In fact, the narrator and his point of view were straightforward and no-nonsense. And that is something I adore.
As always, the good stories were GOOD™️ and the bad stories were BAD™️ but the overall experience was a surprisingly pleasant one.
"Our parents see us as these problems to solve, delinquents to deal with.
But we’re more than that."
eash1920's review
4.0
I love a short story compilation, especially ones that could be Are You Afraid of the Dark episodes.