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janaybrazier's review
4.0
Read as part of my 24 hour readathon for Rays of Sunshine Children’s Charity. Longer review will be over on my blog. I really enjoyed this, the various authors all had such a different take on this concept and I thought every story and poem was so unique. Definitely recommend.
powisamy's review
4.0
Book Review:
I had been excited for a long time before finding out about A Change Is Gonna Come so when I got the chance to read it I was very happy and the anthology did not disappoint and it is something that everyone should read.
A Change Is Gonna Come is a very diverse book which was a very quick read for me as it kept me entertained throughout. I really liked that there was a wide variety of genres in the book especially Catherine Johnson's historical fiction read which I found really interesting to read about and really enjoyed and I would love to read more stories like this in the future.
The book also gave new voices the chance to be published in the book and these were really enjoyable to read from. I especially liked Mary Bello and Aisha Bushby's story as it focused on OCD and it was just really well written and is a story that I would not forget it.
I also really love Nikesh Shukla's story as it really did fit into Brexit Britain and I really the concept and I can't wait to read more of his books in the future, YA or otherwise.
The Verdict:
A Change Is Gonna Come is a widely diverse short story collection that has stories for everyone and kept me engaged throughout.
I had been excited for a long time before finding out about A Change Is Gonna Come so when I got the chance to read it I was very happy and the anthology did not disappoint and it is something that everyone should read.
A Change Is Gonna Come is a very diverse book which was a very quick read for me as it kept me entertained throughout. I really liked that there was a wide variety of genres in the book especially Catherine Johnson's historical fiction read which I found really interesting to read about and really enjoyed and I would love to read more stories like this in the future.
The book also gave new voices the chance to be published in the book and these were really enjoyable to read from. I especially liked Mary Bello and Aisha Bushby's story as it focused on OCD and it was just really well written and is a story that I would not forget it.
I also really love Nikesh Shukla's story as it really did fit into Brexit Britain and I really the concept and I can't wait to read more of his books in the future, YA or otherwise.
The Verdict:
A Change Is Gonna Come is a widely diverse short story collection that has stories for everyone and kept me engaged throughout.
aimeesbookishlife's review
4.0
A fantastic collection of short stories by BAME authors and poets in the UK.
I picked this up in my local library on a whim, attracted by the bright yellow cover. Some of the authors were ones I'd heard of before - Nikesh Shukla ([b:The Good Immigrant|28668534|The Good Immigrant|Nikesh Shukla|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1471514680s/28668534.jpg|48857467]) and Patrice Lawrence [b:Orangeboy|25699515|Orangeboy|Patrice Lawrence|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1456732724s/25699515.jpg|45530887]), for instance - but the majority were new to me so I have discovered some great new writers.
There wasn't a single story I didn't like, although obviously I had my favourites. My top three:
- We Who? by Nikesh Shukla - an unnamed narrator (and we're not told their gender either, which was interesting) tries to deal with their best friend becoming a far-right extremist
- Dear Asha by Mary Bello - a young woman travels to her late mother's homeland (Nigeria) to bury her, and gets a warm welcome from her extended family
- A Refuge by Ayisha Malik - a girl takes a trip to the Calais jungle and befriends a young refugee
Special mention for Marionette Girl by Aisha Bushby - about a Harry Potter fan with OCD - because Hermione is a great name for a cat.
The stories were powerful, moving and often funny too. Best of all they were really diverse, not only featuring people of colour but also people with mental illnesses and disabilities, intersectional viewpoints you don't often see in books. It's great that these authors have been given a chance to shine and I hope that, like me, other people will now seek out their other books and give them the attention they deserve.
I picked this up in my local library on a whim, attracted by the bright yellow cover. Some of the authors were ones I'd heard of before - Nikesh Shukla ([b:The Good Immigrant|28668534|The Good Immigrant|Nikesh Shukla|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1471514680s/28668534.jpg|48857467]) and Patrice Lawrence [b:Orangeboy|25699515|Orangeboy|Patrice Lawrence|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1456732724s/25699515.jpg|45530887]), for instance - but the majority were new to me so I have discovered some great new writers.
There wasn't a single story I didn't like, although obviously I had my favourites. My top three:
- We Who? by Nikesh Shukla - an unnamed narrator (and we're not told their gender either, which was interesting) tries to deal with their best friend becoming a far-right extremist
- Dear Asha by Mary Bello - a young woman travels to her late mother's homeland (Nigeria) to bury her, and gets a warm welcome from her extended family
- A Refuge by Ayisha Malik - a girl takes a trip to the Calais jungle and befriends a young refugee
Special mention for Marionette Girl by Aisha Bushby - about a Harry Potter fan with OCD - because Hermione is a great name for a cat.
The stories were powerful, moving and often funny too. Best of all they were really diverse, not only featuring people of colour but also people with mental illnesses and disabilities, intersectional viewpoints you don't often see in books. It's great that these authors have been given a chance to shine and I hope that, like me, other people will now seek out their other books and give them the attention they deserve.
thebookguru's review
4.0
A much needed anthology. Kind of like The Good Immigrant but for teenagers...accept this is fiction and short stories/poetry and they all had to write a story dealing with change.
My fave stories:
Marionette Girl- I REALLY WANT A FULL NOVEL OF THIS I WAS SO INVESTED IN HE CHARACTER AND HER LIFE AND HER POOR CAT JHGKDFJGKF
Hackney Moon- this was cute and defo felt like a...timely story like there was a girl who wore a Black Girl Magic top and they made zines so yeah
We Who? by Nikesh Shukla was very confusing at times but the overall message is important. it reminded me of Randa Abdel Fattah's book The Lines We Cross...the whole 'my friend is a far right supporter can i still be friends with them if they don't think i should be here?'
like...the friend said: you're okay tho...it's the OTHER PEOPLE...that aren't okay.
The Clean Sweep by Patrice Lawrence- it was confusing at times but i liked it and i wouldn't mind a full novel or something similair...especially as it's to do with young people and prisons and reality tv and the scary thing is...it sounds like something that could happen one day
the story by Irfan Master is defo one of my faves as i LOVE TIME TRAVEL and it was super cool and interesting and i'd like to see more from that character.
last but not least...Fortune Favours the Bold is an important story...because every muslim in the west has been there...'urgh i hope it isn't a muslim' and then increasing islamophobia as well so well done Yasmin!!!! PLEASE WRITE MORE ABOUT THE TWINS!!!
those are just some of my fave stories. but please pick this book up and give it a read...buy it for a friend or a sibling or your school library. it's important for the marginalised in society to feel represented in art and our stories do need to be told whether it's to do with religion or sexuality or race or culture etc etc
Happy Reading (most of the stories are actually just kind of....sad...heartbreaking...thought provoking etc)
My fave stories:
Marionette Girl- I REALLY WANT A FULL NOVEL OF THIS I WAS SO INVESTED IN HE CHARACTER AND HER LIFE AND HER POOR CAT JHGKDFJGKF
Hackney Moon- this was cute and defo felt like a...timely story like there was a girl who wore a Black Girl Magic top and they made zines so yeah
We Who? by Nikesh Shukla was very confusing at times but the overall message is important. it reminded me of Randa Abdel Fattah's book The Lines We Cross...the whole 'my friend is a far right supporter can i still be friends with them if they don't think i should be here?'
like...the friend said: you're okay tho...it's the OTHER PEOPLE...that aren't okay.
The Clean Sweep by Patrice Lawrence- it was confusing at times but i liked it and i wouldn't mind a full novel or something similair...especially as it's to do with young people and prisons and reality tv and the scary thing is...it sounds like something that could happen one day
the story by Irfan Master is defo one of my faves as i LOVE TIME TRAVEL and it was super cool and interesting and i'd like to see more from that character.
last but not least...Fortune Favours the Bold is an important story...because every muslim in the west has been there...'urgh i hope it isn't a muslim' and then increasing islamophobia as well so well done Yasmin!!!! PLEASE WRITE MORE ABOUT THE TWINS!!!
those are just some of my fave stories. but please pick this book up and give it a read...buy it for a friend or a sibling or your school library. it's important for the marginalised in society to feel represented in art and our stories do need to be told whether it's to do with religion or sexuality or race or culture etc etc
Happy Reading (most of the stories are actually just kind of....sad...heartbreaking...thought provoking etc)
paperbackd's review
4.0
As a Brit, I’m always on the lookout for local authors to support, but it’s not easy - American authors dominate the ‘Teen and YA’ sections of most British bookshops. It’s even harder to find diverse #UKYA lit. We’re behind the times when it comes to diversifying our shelves - with some notable exceptions (Patrick Ness, Malorie Blackman and Juno Dawson to name a few), the biggest names in British children’s literature are overwhelmingly straight and white. So when I heard about A Change Is Gonna Come - an anthology of black, Asian and minority ethnic British authors - I was immediately excited.
The poems and short stories in this anthology explore the theme of ‘change’, and the authors’ interpretations of the theme vary widely, but each story feels undeniably relevant to modern British teenagers - from Nikesh Shukla’s exploration of a teenage friendship torn apart by post-Brexit racial tensions, to Patrice Lawrence’s frighteningly familiar dystopian version of my own city.
Like most anthologies, there’s something for everyone in A Change Is Gonna Come, whether you’re a fan of historical fiction, science fiction, fantasy or contemporary. Celebrating and championing the voices of British people of colour, A Change Is Gonna Come is a much-needed collection of stories, and I hope to see it gracing the shelves of libraries and schools up and down the country.
Many thanks to Stripes Publishing for providing a copy of A Change Is Gonna Come. The opinions expressed in this review are my own. A Change Is Gonna Come will be released on August 10th.
Publisher: Stripes Publishing
Rating: 4 stars | ★★★★✰
Review cross-posted to Paperback'd Reviews
The poems and short stories in this anthology explore the theme of ‘change’, and the authors’ interpretations of the theme vary widely, but each story feels undeniably relevant to modern British teenagers - from Nikesh Shukla’s exploration of a teenage friendship torn apart by post-Brexit racial tensions, to Patrice Lawrence’s frighteningly familiar dystopian version of my own city.
Like most anthologies, there’s something for everyone in A Change Is Gonna Come, whether you’re a fan of historical fiction, science fiction, fantasy or contemporary. Celebrating and championing the voices of British people of colour, A Change Is Gonna Come is a much-needed collection of stories, and I hope to see it gracing the shelves of libraries and schools up and down the country.
Many thanks to Stripes Publishing for providing a copy of A Change Is Gonna Come. The opinions expressed in this review are my own. A Change Is Gonna Come will be released on August 10th.
Publisher: Stripes Publishing
Rating: 4 stars | ★★★★✰
Review cross-posted to Paperback'd Reviews
fiendfull's review
4.0
A Change Is Gonna Come is an anthology of short stories and poetry by BAME authors aimed at a young adult audience. They touch on culture and identity in Britain and further afield today, using modern culture, alternate universes, and complex issues to tell stories about relatable characters. The authors are a mix of established names and fresh talent and the anthology is likely to be shared in classrooms as well as being a great read for teenagers, those who can remember being one, and anyone who wants to celebrate and enjoy diversity in YA writing.
A memorable early story in the collection is Aisha Busby’s ‘Marionette Girl’, which features a mixed race teenager with OCD charting the minutiae of her days, showing the frustrations of her condition as well as what makes her happy. ‘Hackney Moon’ by Tanya Byrne is a smart love story about Esther, half-Guyanese and half-English and in love with her female best friend, who meets Alesha at Rich Mix in Shoreditch and finds a place in the world. Byrne also uses a quirky, self-aware narratorial voice which adds a nice touch, commenting on teenage love and people being more than just ordinary. Nikesh Shukla’s ‘We Who?’ tells a Brexit story from a young adult perspective whilst looking at what happens when bigotry starts coming from supposed friends. And the emotional twist in Patrice Lawrence’s ‘The Clean Sweep’ can shock when it hits in a Black Mirror-esque story of justice systems and reality TV.
This is the kind of anthology to buy for yourself, for any (other) teenagers in your life, and for anyone who wants modern, diverse short fiction (and the odd poem). As the title suggests, it is full of characters looking and fighting for change, whether in their everyday lives or on a larger scale, and also dealing with a variety of things in their lives such as mental health issues, sexuality, and identity. Fiction has power, and this anthology is looking to prove it.
A memorable early story in the collection is Aisha Busby’s ‘Marionette Girl’, which features a mixed race teenager with OCD charting the minutiae of her days, showing the frustrations of her condition as well as what makes her happy. ‘Hackney Moon’ by Tanya Byrne is a smart love story about Esther, half-Guyanese and half-English and in love with her female best friend, who meets Alesha at Rich Mix in Shoreditch and finds a place in the world. Byrne also uses a quirky, self-aware narratorial voice which adds a nice touch, commenting on teenage love and people being more than just ordinary. Nikesh Shukla’s ‘We Who?’ tells a Brexit story from a young adult perspective whilst looking at what happens when bigotry starts coming from supposed friends. And the emotional twist in Patrice Lawrence’s ‘The Clean Sweep’ can shock when it hits in a Black Mirror-esque story of justice systems and reality TV.
This is the kind of anthology to buy for yourself, for any (other) teenagers in your life, and for anyone who wants modern, diverse short fiction (and the odd poem). As the title suggests, it is full of characters looking and fighting for change, whether in their everyday lives or on a larger scale, and also dealing with a variety of things in their lives such as mental health issues, sexuality, and identity. Fiction has power, and this anthology is looking to prove it.
piperbunny's review
4.0
I don't usually read short stories but I picked this book up at YALC after listening to a panel that Tanya Byrne was on. This was a great introduction to some new BAME authors I've not come across before. I really enjoyed the following stories and will be adding their books to my TBR if they're not already on there.
Marionette Girl by Aisha Bushby
We Who? by Nikesh Shukla
Dear Asha by Mary Bello
A Refuge by Ayisha Malik
Fortune Favours the Bold by Yasmin Rahman
Marionette Girl by Aisha Bushby
We Who? by Nikesh Shukla
Dear Asha by Mary Bello
A Refuge by Ayisha Malik
Fortune Favours the Bold by Yasmin Rahman
maxtaz's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.25