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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 against another edition
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.
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 against another edition
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 against another edition
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.
studiouspoppy's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
hamckeon's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed some of the stories, but found others too vague or lacking. Some felt underdeveloped though I really support the idea behind the collection.
aelbergan's review against another edition
4.0
I actually really liked this short story collection. I liked how 'disabled' was defined in a broad manner, and it encompassed everything from anxiety to chronic illness to physical disabilities like being unable to walk. I found one character in particular to whom I could relate, which was nice. Overall a good book!
goosemixtapes's review against another edition
4.0
giving this a collective four stars because i enjoyed the majority of the stories! i've made a mini-review for each one because... i don't know why. i have thoughts + too much down time during my classes.
overall favorites: found objects + a play in many parts
the long road: 3 stars
--> cool setting details + i liked seeing how bipolar could be represented in a non-modern setting; however, the characters weren’t super distinct + it felt a little too short for me to get really attached to the story
britt and the bike god: 3 stars
--> this was well-written but it really wasn't my kind of story! i am not super into romances and i ended up finding it kind of dull
the leap and the fall: 4 stars
-->the writing/execution was a little shaky imo (i would really really love to see More of just about everything here. character, backstory, etc.) but i love the concept so so much
per aspera ad astra: 3 stars
--> fuck yeah for anxiety rep and also a side nonbinary character!! that said, hard scifi isn’t really my thing and i think this story could have been twice as effective in half the length
found objects: 5 stars
--> easily and absolutely my favorite. this fucking goes off. it’s shorter than some of the other stories, but it’s long enough to give the pov character a distinct voice (and i love the way it plays w/ narration in first and second person), to establish some REALLY excellent worldbuilding (i’d read so much more about this family), and to create a cool plot (i’m a sucker for theatre, particularly shakespeare, but even if i wasn’t this would still be rad as hell).
plus one: 4 stars
--> i loved the writing style and description here so much, but i do think this one was hurt by the lack of clarity about what, exactly, hafsah is dealing with. i’m not saying every story needs to come with an exact diagnosis; i think at some point the question “yeah but what do you HAVE” can be nosy and ableist. that said, i wasn’t even sure if she was struggling with mental or physical illness, and while i loved the personification of It, i think being clearer on what It was would have really made this one sing. as it is, it feels ALMOST finished but not quite.
the day the dragon came: 3 stars
--> fuck yeah for trans rights and dragons! that said, i just really wanted more from this one. the setting and characters were intriguing, but i felt like the story never got deep enough into either for me to be really invested.
captain, my captain: 5 stars
--> this one is very quiet and there’s not much action but the character work and the way it ends… hoogh…. Gorgeous
dear nora james, you know nothing about love: 4 stars
--> really solid short story!! i like the way the main character’s desire not to be in a relationship isn’t demonized; there’s a feeling that she just isn’t ready yet and that’s fine. i didn’t feel super personally connected to this one but it was well-written!
a play in many parts: 5 stars
--> maybe it’s the theater kid in me, maybe it’s the way this one plays with format, maybe it’s the nonbinary POV character, but i never wanted this one to end. would read a full novel of this
ballad of weary daughters: 4 stars
--> it took me a little while to get into this one, but the emotional connection between the two main characters is just so strong and powerful and the ending scene almost made me tear up ;__;
mother nature’s youngest daughter: 2 stars
--> ill be honest i just don’t think this one was well-written on a technical level
a curse, a kindness: 5 stars
--> this is such a gorgeous perfect note to end this book on and it left me feeling incredibly soft. heart warmed like a pizza pocket
overall favorites: found objects + a play in many parts
the long road: 3 stars
--> cool setting details + i liked seeing how bipolar could be represented in a non-modern setting; however, the characters weren’t super distinct + it felt a little too short for me to get really attached to the story
britt and the bike god: 3 stars
--> this was well-written but it really wasn't my kind of story! i am not super into romances and i ended up finding it kind of dull
the leap and the fall: 4 stars
-->the writing/execution was a little shaky imo (i would really really love to see More of just about everything here. character, backstory, etc.) but i love the concept so so much
per aspera ad astra: 3 stars
--> fuck yeah for anxiety rep and also a side nonbinary character!! that said, hard scifi isn’t really my thing and i think this story could have been twice as effective in half the length
found objects: 5 stars
--> easily and absolutely my favorite. this fucking goes off. it’s shorter than some of the other stories, but it’s long enough to give the pov character a distinct voice (and i love the way it plays w/ narration in first and second person), to establish some REALLY excellent worldbuilding (i’d read so much more about this family), and to create a cool plot (i’m a sucker for theatre, particularly shakespeare, but even if i wasn’t this would still be rad as hell).
plus one: 4 stars
--> i loved the writing style and description here so much, but i do think this one was hurt by the lack of clarity about what, exactly, hafsah is dealing with. i’m not saying every story needs to come with an exact diagnosis; i think at some point the question “yeah but what do you HAVE” can be nosy and ableist. that said, i wasn’t even sure if she was struggling with mental or physical illness, and while i loved the personification of It, i think being clearer on what It was would have really made this one sing. as it is, it feels ALMOST finished but not quite.
the day the dragon came: 3 stars
--> fuck yeah for trans rights and dragons! that said, i just really wanted more from this one. the setting and characters were intriguing, but i felt like the story never got deep enough into either for me to be really invested.
captain, my captain: 5 stars
--> this one is very quiet and there’s not much action but the character work and the way it ends… hoogh…. Gorgeous
dear nora james, you know nothing about love: 4 stars
--> really solid short story!! i like the way the main character’s desire not to be in a relationship isn’t demonized; there’s a feeling that she just isn’t ready yet and that’s fine. i didn’t feel super personally connected to this one but it was well-written!
a play in many parts: 5 stars
--> maybe it’s the theater kid in me, maybe it’s the way this one plays with format, maybe it’s the nonbinary POV character, but i never wanted this one to end. would read a full novel of this
ballad of weary daughters: 4 stars
--> it took me a little while to get into this one, but the emotional connection between the two main characters is just so strong and powerful and the ending scene almost made me tear up ;__;
mother nature’s youngest daughter: 2 stars
--> ill be honest i just don’t think this one was well-written on a technical level
a curse, a kindness: 5 stars
--> this is such a gorgeous perfect note to end this book on and it left me feeling incredibly soft. heart warmed like a pizza pocket
donnereads's review against another edition
4.0
There are a few really awesome stories in here that I'm sad are not full length novels :(