Scan barcode
imstephtacular's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
I usually struggle with anthologies and story collection, but this piqued my interest. I was fascinated by the differing stories and found this collection helpful as a white woman for understanding and unlearning some of the harmful language I’ve use myself when interacting with adoptees in the past. I am glad this book exists, even if not every story was a knockout in my opinion. I appreciated the variety of stories even though they shared similar themes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Xenophobia
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Cursing, Abandonment, Bullying, Mental illness, Grief, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Drug use, and Pregnancy
Minor: War, Adult/minor relationship, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Violence, Colonisation, Animal death, Classism, and Infertility
_seashells_'s review against another edition
5.0
I LOVED this anthology. It's clear that so much love was poured into this connection. Many of the stories left me wanting to read more, especially Haunt Me, Then by Meme Collier. Fingers crossed that it becomes a full length book. I highly recommend this book!
aglclark's review
i was not the intended audience. It seems like its likely a very good book!
elementarymydear's review
4.0
Adoption is a topic that has always interested me, and as an adult I’ve begun thinking about it in a more nuanced way. The conversation is finally turning towards the experiences of adoptees and so I jumped at the chance to review this book, which puts adoptees at the centre of their own stories.
No two people’s experiences are the same, and neither are the stories in this book. While most of them have a contemporary setting, there is some sci-fi and fantasy in there as well. Some of the stories focus specifically on feelings of displacement, or home, or loss of identity; others are about something else entirely, with their adoptee status being one part of their story.
📚Blog📖YouTube📖Instagram📚
The stories in this book are specifically about trans-racial adoption, where the adopting parents and the adoptees have a different racial heritage. Again, everyone’s story is different, and this was reflected in this book. Some characters had parents who encouraged them to engage with their heritage, others who tried but weren’t sure, and some who felt morally righteous for raising children of colour. Prepare to be outraged by some of the parents in this book!
There were multiple narrators on this book, which audibly made it really easy to distinguish between each story. They were all excellently narrated, and it made for a very enjoyable listening experience.
As with every short story collection, there were some that I loved and some that I didn’t. But this is a powerful, much-needed collection, that is helping open up the conversation around adoption.
I received a free copy for an honest review.
No two people’s experiences are the same, and neither are the stories in this book. While most of them have a contemporary setting, there is some sci-fi and fantasy in there as well. Some of the stories focus specifically on feelings of displacement, or home, or loss of identity; others are about something else entirely, with their adoptee status being one part of their story.
📚Blog📖YouTube📖Instagram📚
The stories in this book are specifically about trans-racial adoption, where the adopting parents and the adoptees have a different racial heritage. Again, everyone’s story is different, and this was reflected in this book. Some characters had parents who encouraged them to engage with their heritage, others who tried but weren’t sure, and some who felt morally righteous for raising children of colour. Prepare to be outraged by some of the parents in this book!
There were multiple narrators on this book, which audibly made it really easy to distinguish between each story. They were all excellently narrated, and it made for a very enjoyable listening experience.
As with every short story collection, there were some that I loved and some that I didn’t. But this is a powerful, much-needed collection, that is helping open up the conversation around adoption.
I received a free copy for an honest review.
qujoy's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
This short story collection by adoptees gives a voice to the experiences of BIPOC and transnational adoptees. There’s a range of tones and insights, and I’m so glad it exists.
magpie4's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-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
3.5
This was a much need anthology and a very personal read for me. That alone, necessitates 3 stars. I’ve never felt so normalized about my own life. I was just amazed by the collection of authors, all adult transracial adoptees, who felt so adamant for the need for a book like this. Where a fellow adoptee sought out a voice like mine to tell story. While I had a universal affinity for these stories and characters, I learned about many experiences outside my own, which is worth the read.
With personal bias out of the way, I had a huge critique with this anthology. The writing was juvenile. It’s branded as a YA anthology, yet middle grade seems more accurate. The themes and conflicts were spoon fed to the reader making little room for nuance and inferences. Every story was pretty short, which did not help the character development. Some stories were stronger than others. However, despite the gripes, I cherish this collection, if not for its prose and writing, but as proof that someone values our voices and experiences.
With personal bias out of the way, I had a huge critique with this anthology. The writing was juvenile. It’s branded as a YA anthology, yet middle grade seems more accurate. The themes and conflicts were spoon fed to the reader making little room for nuance and inferences. Every story was pretty short, which did not help the character development. Some stories were stronger than others. However, despite the gripes, I cherish this collection, if not for its prose and writing, but as proof that someone values our voices and experiences.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm and Suicide attempt
jess_brooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
4.0