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agf523's review against another edition
5.0
Honestly, this book is truly for people who feel like all hope is lost due to the state of our world. This book lifted me up and gave me small little pieces of hope to keep going when things seem at their worst. I loved hearing personal stories from authors I love and finding out about some new (to me) authors as well! I recommend this to anyone who needs/is looking for hope. This book reminds you that sometimes you have to find that glimpse of hope in the darkest of places, but it’s there—never give up and if you start to (or even if you aren’t), you should read this book!
librarianryan's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Hope Nation is a collection of essays, letters, and stories by popular YA authors seeking to either give others hope or show that hope can lead to better things. It was put together in 2018 after the devesting break in American society with the election of Donald Trump. It reminds people that things will get better eventually. Some of my favorite stories were Libba Bray and her car accident, Angie Thomas talking about how worried she was for the release of the hate you give, or (I can not remember which author) talking about their immigrant experience and having to be told as a teenager to remember they are an immigrant. This was not a book I set out with a purpose to read, other than to fill a challenge, but the idea of hope worked. Listening to these stories made my day lighter and had me looking and fighting for a brighter and better future for myself and others.
iemalyon's review against another edition
5.0
There were several times when, as I was reading this book, I would copy down a favorite quote to share with my favorite reader friends. This was a very good book and helped me see new perspectives from authors I already admire greatly
scherer5127's review against another edition
4.0
This was a fun collection of short stories from many authors. It was a very fast read since it was a collection. I really enjoyed hearing where hope comes from for so many different people and perspectives.
unabridgedreader's review against another edition
3.0
This was an interesting read. I think it's very clear what prompted this collection of essays. A number of these authors, like many Americans, were impacted by the results of the 2016 election. Questions such as, "what does this mean for our nation?" and "is my well-being at risk?" raced through the minds of many, myself included. It's fascinating to see these political trends among such an admirable group of creative thinkers.
Anyways, though. This collection of short essays was fascinating. Of course I enjoyed some more than others but I believe each story was worth telling and worth reading. The candor of some of these authors was incredibly moving. I just wish each piece was accompanied by visuals; photos of the author or of a particular setting would have made each narrative a bit more memorable (there were over 20 essays, after all!)
Anyways, though. This collection of short essays was fascinating. Of course I enjoyed some more than others but I believe each story was worth telling and worth reading. The candor of some of these authors was incredibly moving. I just wish each piece was accompanied by visuals; photos of the author or of a particular setting would have made each narrative a bit more memorable (there were over 20 essays, after all!)
libraryjen's review against another edition
5.0
I had never heard of this book before starting it so I had no idea what to expect. I listened to this as part of the audiobooksync.com summer 2020 lineup. Since I was familiar with 15 of the 24 contributing authors, I was hopeful. I was not disappointed! The entries were a little unevenly paced and some appealed to me, personally, more than others, but that's to be expected in an anthology. However, over all this book was wonderful! I wasn't ever bored, and I learned things from every single essay. I discovered new authors that I now want to read because I was so impressed with their essays and touched by their experiences.
I particularly enjoyed Aisha Saeed and Atia Abawi (neither of whom I had heard of before), but my favorites were Jason Reynolds, Nicola Yoon (no surprise, I love books by both of them), and Jeff Zentner (whom I had never heard of but will now seek out).
I highly recommend this compilation of essays! You will experience tragedy and triumph and racism and fear but, ultimately, you will come away feeling hopeful and inspired to make the world a better place. 5 enthusiastic stars!
I particularly enjoyed Aisha Saeed and Atia Abawi (neither of whom I had heard of before), but my favorites were Jason Reynolds, Nicola Yoon (no surprise, I love books by both of them), and Jeff Zentner (whom I had never heard of but will now seek out).
I highly recommend this compilation of essays! You will experience tragedy and triumph and racism and fear but, ultimately, you will come away feeling hopeful and inspired to make the world a better place. 5 enthusiastic stars!
tomesandtextiles's review against another edition
4.0
This book gave me the hope and motivation to want to change the world. I can only imagine what a teen reader picking it up would feel like reading all these incredibly inspiring stories and works. Full review to come.
chyreads's review against another edition
It's taken me way too long to read this and I've gotten close to the end, but gave up on it. I think it doesn't work for me because lately, I'm not really in the space to feel receptive to what it is trying to convey. There were some stories/essays I enjoyed, but for the most part, I dragged myself through. I might revisit it in the near future.