Reviews

Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens by Marieke Nijkamp

jenmangler's review against another edition

2.0

I really looked forward to reading this anthology, and ended up being disappointed. I think it's partly the result of expecting contemporary fiction and getting a bunch paranormal, sci fi, and futuristic material instead. I wish the book's description had made that clearer. Also, it often took me well into a story to figure out what was going on. There was a lot of confusion. Finally, many of the stories didn't feel fully developed. It just felt like many of them needed more story to fully tell the tale.

shannonreadssometimes's review

adventurous challenging emotional informative inspiring sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

this was a really powerful and uplifting collection of short stories centering on disabled characters. it celebrates diversity and resilience and I personally found it really refreshing. you couldn't put this short story into one genre has it literally touches on everything. there are stories set centuries in the future about a young girl in space trying to save the world with anxiety, or a present-day boy with idiopathic chronic pain that accidentally makes fictional characters real, or a girl gradually losing her eyesight who loves to cycle and race, and even a horror story about a girl in a wheelchair trying to save her sapphic love interest from possession (it ends heartbreakingly). it also covers a surprising range of lgbt identities which I did not expect at all?! honestly, I hate short story collections, I think I've read maybe 3 others in my lifetime, but this was beautiful. 

I'm from the UK, and I think with what that pig rishi sunak has been saying recently, it's even more important that ever to educate yourself on disabilities. the world is seemingly declaring that people with disabilities are a burden that should be ignored by those able-bodied and of good mental health, and that those with disabilities just need to suck it up and try harder. This is not and never will be true. Disabled people are genuine human beings with so many skills and can contribute to society in just as many ways as as an able-bodied person, if not more. and this book helps demonstrate that while disabilities of all kinds can complicate and make life hard in ways others will never understand, they should never be brushed aside. Of 16 different stories, there was only maybe one or two that I didn't totally love, and that is for sure a very impressive thing. 

oracleofoaks's review

5.0

(View this post on my blog HERE)
One review is not long enough to express how much Unbroken means to me. I usually have trouble giving a star rating to anthologies because the stories can vary so much in quality and style, but I didn’t have that problem with Unbroken. Almost every single story was a 4.5 or 5 star story for me and several brought me to tears because of how much they impacted me. While there were certainly some stories I enjoyed more than others, this book is without a doubt a fantastic anthology filled with incredibly important and enjoyable stories. These stories are going to make disabled teens feel seen and, for some, will be the first time they see themselves as the star of the story.

There were so many moments in this book that made me feel seen. There were small but important moments like the relatability of Fox Benwell’s character being offered Advil by well-meaning people who just didn’t understand the nature of chronic pain. There were big and painful moments like when Kody Keplinger’s character struggled with feeling like a burden to those who wanted to help her. There were moments that were complicated and real like when Katherine Locke’s character grappled with whether or not she wanted her family to still expect things of her when she was having a hard time. Even when these characters had different disabilities from me, there was a sense of universal experience that connected me to each of their stories in such a meaningful way.

The intersectionality of this anthology also cannot be overstated. The diversity of the authors is reflected into each of these stories, not only in their disabilities, but also in their races, backgrounds, religions, sexualities, and genders. There are characters with mental disabilities, characters with physical disabilities, and characters with both. This entire book very clearly benefitted from having ownvoices authors telling the stories because every aspect was real and authentic to the diverse experiences of disabled readers.

This anthology also isn’t afraid to explore both genre and theme in every direction. There are historical, fantasy, science fiction, paranormal, and contemporary stories side by side. Reading these stories, it felt like the authors were making up for years of disabled readers being pushed out of their own stories. From start to finish, Unbroken shouted that every genre can have a disabled hero. No single book can represent every disability and illness, but Unbroken told so many stories that have been underrepresented in young adult literature for years. I hope every young adult reader picks up this anthology and gives it a chance because I guarantee you will find a story that is for you.

panda_charlotte's review

emotional inspiring tense

2.5

fiveferretsinatrenchcoat's review

(Writing this review for my own reference)

I really enjoyed:
“The Leap and the Fall” by Kayla Whaley
“Plus One” by Karuna Riazi
“The Day the Dragon Came” by Marieke Nijkamp
“Dear Nora James, You Know Nothing About Love” by Dhonielle Clayton
“Ballad of Weary Daughters” by Kristine Wyllys
“A Curse, a Kindness” by Corinne Duyvis

bethl's review against another edition

hopeful lighthearted

4.0

Short stories collections are hard to review but it was nice to have so many different conditions represented. I think my favourite story was Brit & the bike god 

annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review

4.0

More than ever I'm craving stories with girls like me. Now the outside world has officially declared that people with disabilities are a burden and should just be locked up so the rest of the world can move on, I kinda start to feel disliked and hated. And that's not how I want to feel and not how I deserve to feel. I'm a person. I'm more than my disability. Yes, it might complicate things, but I'm still worth it. So, this book couldn't have reached me at a better time.

It's always hard to rate a collection of short stories. Some resonated a little better with me than others, but I can truly say that in this case I found something beautiful in each and every story. Mostly because the journeys and decisions were so relatable. The one story where a girl is trying to get rid of her monster and where she eventually learns that she's okay with it, that she doesn't have to get rid of it to be worth it, was so beautiful.

Just like the story where the main character knows that doing the play is too much, but knows it's worth it and goes through with it anyway. Or the one story where the girl feels like a burden and fears the poor boy hates her because she's holding him back, while he is equally frustrated because he believes that his clumsiness is ruining her day and her pleasure. Or the one story where a girl uses her intelligence to save the girl she loves.

There's a lot of diversity in this story. Not just when it comes to disabilities (there's literally a bit of everything there!), but also when it comes to race, gender and sexuality. And it never feels forced. It never feels too much. I therefore really closed the book with a smile on my face. I needed this. I really needed this. I needed to feel that I could be the main character in an exciting story and that somewhere out there there is someone who will love me anyway.

nasty_pancake's review

challenging emotional hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

katiegrrrl's review

5.0

These were really good short stories. Many I would have loved to be longer.

bekelley's review against another edition

adventurous reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

Bit hit and miss for me. Loved some of the stories, but others felt a bit flat. Would definitely recommend though as they all were cute.