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FORESHADOW: Stories to Celebrate The Magic of Reading & Writing YA by Nova Ren Suma, Emily X.R. Pan
saschadarlington's review against another edition
5.0
I had many thoughts as I read the stories in Foreshadow: Stories to Celebrate the Magic of Reading and Writing YA, one of the biggest was that I didn’t know I needed this book in my life at this time. Maybe that sounds hokey, but there’s something about reading stories from different cultural perspectives that place the current world in context. While almost all of these stories are set in the United States, it is not the one of my daily life, but still one of a shared humanity.
Some of the stories resonated more with me than others. For instance, the very first story “Risk” is about Marnie, a high school girl who becomes a lobster. It’s metaphor beautifully executed. “Sweetmeats” is a very different take on Hansel and Gretel set in current times as two girls are kidnapped by a witch, but no one believes them. “Solace” vies for being my favorite story. It’s about Laila who lost her younger brother and has punished herself since. The writing is stunning, so poetic and evocative, and it brought me to tears as I read it. Just a beautiful story that resonates with hope. And “Resilient” is probably my second favorite because it made me think and feel. It depicted the resilience of the human spirit and had me caring about the characters in such a short space of time. It was visceral, showing me a landscape that made me feel sad. So many thoughts went through my mind while reading this story, which is definitely the sign of a good story. In the midst of all of these thought-provoking ones, we have “Break,” which, on its surface seems light and romantic until you get to the guts–the stark realization of how people are sometimes dismissed for their color or ethnicity via a supposed compliment. “Monsters” is about Milagros who has come to New York from Venezuela; she sees monsters. Monsters take all forms and some people see them, some don’t. Are all of the monsters evil or just misunderstood? And what of the people who don’t see the monsters or don’t believe?
Besides the stories themselves, there is an introduction to each story by well-known authors; each story is followed by the writer’s thoughts about their story, its origins; and lastly the editors have included thoughts and prompts to give the writer/reader ideas.
Like I said above, I didn’t know I needed this until I found it. An exquisite exploration of own voices that will continue to resonate with me.
I would recommend Foreshadow for readers who like short stories, particularly literary ones. YA readers who are open to reading literary short stories would enjoy this book as well. And, I highly recommend it for anyone wanting to read diverse voices.
I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Some of the stories resonated more with me than others. For instance, the very first story “Risk” is about Marnie, a high school girl who becomes a lobster. It’s metaphor beautifully executed. “Sweetmeats” is a very different take on Hansel and Gretel set in current times as two girls are kidnapped by a witch, but no one believes them. “Solace” vies for being my favorite story. It’s about Laila who lost her younger brother and has punished herself since. The writing is stunning, so poetic and evocative, and it brought me to tears as I read it. Just a beautiful story that resonates with hope. And “Resilient” is probably my second favorite because it made me think and feel. It depicted the resilience of the human spirit and had me caring about the characters in such a short space of time. It was visceral, showing me a landscape that made me feel sad. So many thoughts went through my mind while reading this story, which is definitely the sign of a good story. In the midst of all of these thought-provoking ones, we have “Break,” which, on its surface seems light and romantic until you get to the guts–the stark realization of how people are sometimes dismissed for their color or ethnicity via a supposed compliment. “Monsters” is about Milagros who has come to New York from Venezuela; she sees monsters. Monsters take all forms and some people see them, some don’t. Are all of the monsters evil or just misunderstood? And what of the people who don’t see the monsters or don’t believe?
Besides the stories themselves, there is an introduction to each story by well-known authors; each story is followed by the writer’s thoughts about their story, its origins; and lastly the editors have included thoughts and prompts to give the writer/reader ideas.
Like I said above, I didn’t know I needed this until I found it. An exquisite exploration of own voices that will continue to resonate with me.
I would recommend Foreshadow for readers who like short stories, particularly literary ones. YA readers who are open to reading literary short stories would enjoy this book as well. And, I highly recommend it for anyone wanting to read diverse voices.
I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
vickycbooks's review against another edition
reviews of each short story to come! some of my favorites were BREAK, FOOLS, RISK, and PAN DULCE!
simply_fran's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
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
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Top 3 stories were
Solace, by Nora Elghazzawi
Princess, by Maya Prasad
Break, by Sophie Meridien
Solace, by Nora Elghazzawi
Princess, by Maya Prasad
Break, by Sophie Meridien
seventhchariot's review against another edition
4.0
OMG this anthology has everything!! POC rep. from multiple backgrounds, f/f relationships and friendships, all the amazing YA feels, cool author notes and inspirations, and writing advice (which I will totally be implementing for NaNoWriMo this year)!!!
TW: grief, suicide, body horror, death of an animal, cannibalism, and more that I may be forgetting
My favorite short story out of this collection was Sweetmeats by Linda Cheng! This had everything in a story that I could ever ask for! It's very much like Wilder Girls by Rory Power (one of my fav books) in that it has f/f friendship at its core and lots of interesting body horror stuff going on! It was a really unique retelling of Hansel and Gretel and I am so sad that this isn't a full-length novel because I could read this all day long!!
A couple of other stories that I also really enjoyed were Risk by Rachel Hylton, Fools by Gina Chen, and Break by Sophie Meridien!
The writing advice was probably my favorite because I loved how it wove inspiration from the previous story and made it into motivating and encouraging advice with lots of questions and tasks to keep you involved!
I received an eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I am also apart of a blog tour hosted by the publishers. This in no way influenced my review which is entirely my own.
TW: grief, suicide, body horror, death of an animal, cannibalism, and more that I may be forgetting
My favorite short story out of this collection was Sweetmeats by Linda Cheng! This had everything in a story that I could ever ask for! It's very much like Wilder Girls by Rory Power (one of my fav books) in that it has f/f friendship at its core and lots of interesting body horror stuff going on! It was a really unique retelling of Hansel and Gretel and I am so sad that this isn't a full-length novel because I could read this all day long!!
A couple of other stories that I also really enjoyed were Risk by Rachel Hylton, Fools by Gina Chen, and Break by Sophie Meridien!
The writing advice was probably my favorite because I loved how it wove inspiration from the previous story and made it into motivating and encouraging advice with lots of questions and tasks to keep you involved!
I received an eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I am also apart of a blog tour hosted by the publishers. This in no way influenced my review which is entirely my own.
throneofpages1's review against another edition
4.0
Foreshadow is so much more than just a collection of short stories. It's a deep dive into the art of storytelling and the magic behind the craft. We get to read 13 unique short stories written by new, underrepresented voices in YA fiction. Stories that range from science fiction, fantasy and gothic fairytales to contemporary, dystopian and magical realism. There's a story for every type of reader, and I fell a little bit in love with the magic hidden in between these pages.
Just when you thought it couldn't get any better, we also get an in-depth analysis written by the editors of this anthology that explore the different themes, symbolisms, motifs, and other elements of the story.
As someone who loves to read beyond the pages and learn all there is to know about a story, these short but relevant discussions were invaluable to me, as I'm sure they'll be to future readers alike! I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves discovering new, diverse voices and also enjoy wildly unique stories.
A big thank you to Algonquin Books for providing me with an ARC!
Just when you thought it couldn't get any better, we also get an in-depth analysis written by the editors of this anthology that explore the different themes, symbolisms, motifs, and other elements of the story.
As someone who loves to read beyond the pages and learn all there is to know about a story, these short but relevant discussions were invaluable to me, as I'm sure they'll be to future readers alike! I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves discovering new, diverse voices and also enjoy wildly unique stories.
A big thank you to Algonquin Books for providing me with an ARC!
sdropek's review against another edition
5.0
Such amazing stories, wonderful quick craft talk, and a much needed baby glimpse into publishing and the YA world. Pick it up, you will adore these stories too, I promise.
mdfn's review against another edition
2.0
I usually like anthologies as a taste of new authors, their style, etc.
However, the overly narrative style of this anthology was not to my taste. One of the most common things I tell students is that there is no right answer, which this anthology contradicts with every post-story breakdown.
However, the overly narrative style of this anthology was not to my taste. One of the most common things I tell students is that there is no right answer, which this anthology contradicts with every post-story breakdown.
showthisbooksomelove's review against another edition
5.0
A fascinating collection of short stories, each based around a different prompt, many of which are horror or have a large unusual twist. At the beginning of each story is a quote from a well known YA author, and at the end, the author and editor process about the story devices.
This is a good book for anyone who liked story telling. These stories are really well done, and so many of them I found to be captivating. this is also a great book for anyone looking to understand more about literary tools in story telling, or to improve their writing independently, as each story is talked through at the end.
I did really like hearing about the inspiration behind the piece at the end of each story. I hope to hear more from these authors down the road!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a good book for anyone who liked story telling. These stories are really well done, and so many of them I found to be captivating. this is also a great book for anyone looking to understand more about literary tools in story telling, or to improve their writing independently, as each story is talked through at the end.
I did really like hearing about the inspiration behind the piece at the end of each story. I hope to hear more from these authors down the road!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
cocoawithbooks's review against another edition
5.0
The collaborative effort by Emily X.R. Pan and Nova Ren Suma, which originated from their website, has brought together a short story compilation from 13 bold new YA voices entitled, Foreshadow: Stories to Celebrate the Magic of Reading and Writing YA. “Ranging from contemporary romance to mind-bending fantasy, the Foreshadow stories showcase underrepresented voices and highlight the beauty and power of YA fiction.” Each story is cradled by an introduction from YA powerhouses such as Laurie Halse Anderson and Jason Reynolds and a closer look at the techniques that each story uses by editors Emily and Nova. There are many layers of richness in this book that would make this a great resource in the classroom. As readers, you and your students will love the twists and turns in the short stories. As teachers of writing and for some of us who are also writers you will have a deep appreciation for the essays on craft and technique that Emily and Nova include, along with the writing prompts that encourage you to be brave and try that technique yourself.