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spellboundliz's review against another edition
4.0
This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Update: 7/5/2020
When I first received this book in 2018, I was unable to complete my full review. I have now compiled my status updates from then into a full review of each story in this anthology. (The updates have been edited for grammar, accuracy, and content warnings.)
I was very excited to review this book because I have been a huge supporter of We Need Diverse Books and their effort to promote diversity in YA and other children's lit. As one might expect, there is a lot of diversity in this anthology, and as a white LGBT reviewer, I am only able to speak on some of the representation in the book as an OwnVoices reviewer. If you are reading this, I encourage you to explore other reviews by OwnVoices reviewers on the stories that I myself cannot speak on regarding their specific representation.
7/30/18-8/2/18
Eraser Tattoo by Jason Reynolds: 3/5
This was a cute little story about a teenage couple in Brooklyn saying goodbye as one of them moves away. Over, the story was nice, and I thought it was cool that the character was moving to a place that’s an hour or so from where I live, but at times I felt like there was a lot of telling instead of showing in the writing. Also, the ‘eraser tattoo’ - just, ouch!
Meet Cute by Malinda Lo: 4/5
THIS WAS PRECIOUS. I love The X Files and Star Trek so I feel like this was personally made for me. I thought the meet-cute was lovely and I didn’t want to stop reading. However, I wonder how entertaining this story would be for people who aren’t the fans of the things it references quite heavily.
Don’t Pass Me By by Eric Gansworth: 4/5
This was a really powerful story that points out the failings of teachers towards students of color and exposes the microaggressions and racism that Native Americans face in the education system. I really enjoyed this short story and the end felt like a triumph when the main character stood up to his teacher for his casual racism. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Be Cool For Once by Aminah Mae Safi: 3/5
This is a really hard story to review because I felt like it was cute, but it didn’t work for me personally. I like elements of the story, like the setting and the band, as well as the backgrounds of the characters and how that interacted with their daily life, but other things just didn’t work for me. Someone else might really connect with it, though, so I give it kudos for that.
Tags by Walter Dean Myers: 5/5
(7/5/2020: I did not initially give this story a review because I wanted to write out a more thoughtful one, but now, as it is two years later, I am unable to give a full review of this story because of how much time has passed. However, I did give it 5 stars, so I was clearly impressed.)
Why I Learned to Cook by Sara Farizan: 5/5
This story really hit home for me. My grandma wasn’t an immigrant, and both she and I were/are white, but I felt very connected to this story because my grandma and I had a relationship that revolved around food. Like the main character, I’m also bi and I wish that I could have shared that part of my life with my grandma before she passed the way that Yasi did in this story.
A Stranger at the Bochinche by Daniel José Older: 3/5
This was very interesting but hard to grasp at times, I think because of the world-building and the fact that very little was explained - you just kind of had to go along with it. I think I would have caught on a little better had there been more story, but it was cool for what it was.
A Boy’s Duty by Sharon G Flake: 3.5/5
This was a historical fiction story about a boy struggling with homelessness and poverty trying to chase his dreams, while also dealing with the racism he faces for being Black. This was an eye-opening story but some of the dialogue felt stilted and the story felt rushed from time-to-time. I liked the conclusion though.
One Voice by Melissa de la Cruz: 4/5
I enjoyed this story! It discusses a string of hate crimes targeting people of color at Stanford and how it affects the community of the university. I felt like this was a very necessary story, especially for young readers. The ending, however, did feel rushed.
Paladin/Samurai by Gene Luen Yang, Illustrations by Thien Pham: 3.5/5
This was a short comic about a microaggression that a Japanese boy faces from the GM during a D&D-like game with his friends. I enjoyed it even though I’ve never played D&D (I do listen to actual-play podcasts though!) and it was a nice break from the heavier prose that makes up most of this anthology.
Catch, Pull, Drive by Schuyler Bailar: 5/5
This was a powerful story about a trans boy who has to face his first day back on the swim team after coming out as transgender. The author is a trans man himself and the first openly trans NCAA Division I swimmer. The story was well written; I loved how it was told partially through flashbacks during a swim race. I feel like everyone should read it. Content warnings for bullying, transphobia, hate speech, transphobic slurs, and the use of the trans character's dead name (these are challenged in the story and not condoned).
Super Human by Nicola Yoon: 5/5
This story is about a superhero and discusses police brutality towards Black people in America. I felt like this was a necessary topic that I was hoping would be addressed in this anthology and the story was a poignant and unique approach to the subject. This is exactly what I wanted from this anthology.
Overall, I gave this anthology a 4/5 because many of the stories hit home or made an emotional impact on me. Regardless of this, I feel that everyone should read this anthology because it has something for everyone, whether it could help them feel represented or seen, or if it could teach them about a culture/identity they didn't already know about.
This is by no means an exhaustive review, but I thought I would compile what thoughts I had while reading these stories so that others might be able to know if this anthology is for them (although I feel it's really for anyone who reads YA). If you would like to check out some more thorough (and probably better written) reviews, feel free to check out Melanie's review here or Destiny's review here.
Update: 7/5/2020
When I first received this book in 2018, I was unable to complete my full review. I have now compiled my status updates from then into a full review of each story in this anthology. (The updates have been edited for grammar, accuracy, and content warnings.)
I was very excited to review this book because I have been a huge supporter of We Need Diverse Books and their effort to promote diversity in YA and other children's lit. As one might expect, there is a lot of diversity in this anthology, and as a white LGBT reviewer, I am only able to speak on some of the representation in the book as an OwnVoices reviewer. If you are reading this, I encourage you to explore other reviews by OwnVoices reviewers on the stories that I myself cannot speak on regarding their specific representation.
7/30/18-8/2/18
Eraser Tattoo by Jason Reynolds: 3/5
This was a cute little story about a teenage couple in Brooklyn saying goodbye as one of them moves away. Over, the story was nice, and I thought it was cool that the character was moving to a place that’s an hour or so from where I live, but at times I felt like there was a lot of telling instead of showing in the writing. Also, the ‘eraser tattoo’ - just, ouch!
Meet Cute by Malinda Lo: 4/5
THIS WAS PRECIOUS. I love The X Files and Star Trek so I feel like this was personally made for me. I thought the meet-cute was lovely and I didn’t want to stop reading. However, I wonder how entertaining this story would be for people who aren’t the fans of the things it references quite heavily.
Don’t Pass Me By by Eric Gansworth: 4/5
This was a really powerful story that points out the failings of teachers towards students of color and exposes the microaggressions and racism that Native Americans face in the education system. I really enjoyed this short story and the end felt like a triumph when the main character stood up to his teacher for his casual racism. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Be Cool For Once by Aminah Mae Safi: 3/5
This is a really hard story to review because I felt like it was cute, but it didn’t work for me personally. I like elements of the story, like the setting and the band, as well as the backgrounds of the characters and how that interacted with their daily life, but other things just didn’t work for me. Someone else might really connect with it, though, so I give it kudos for that.
Tags by Walter Dean Myers: 5/5
(7/5/2020: I did not initially give this story a review because I wanted to write out a more thoughtful one, but now, as it is two years later, I am unable to give a full review of this story because of how much time has passed. However, I did give it 5 stars, so I was clearly impressed.)
Why I Learned to Cook by Sara Farizan: 5/5
This story really hit home for me. My grandma wasn’t an immigrant, and both she and I were/are white, but I felt very connected to this story because my grandma and I had a relationship that revolved around food. Like the main character, I’m also bi and I wish that I could have shared that part of my life with my grandma before she passed the way that Yasi did in this story.
A Stranger at the Bochinche by Daniel José Older: 3/5
This was very interesting but hard to grasp at times, I think because of the world-building and the fact that very little was explained - you just kind of had to go along with it. I think I would have caught on a little better had there been more story, but it was cool for what it was.
A Boy’s Duty by Sharon G Flake: 3.5/5
This was a historical fiction story about a boy struggling with homelessness and poverty trying to chase his dreams, while also dealing with the racism he faces for being Black. This was an eye-opening story but some of the dialogue felt stilted and the story felt rushed from time-to-time. I liked the conclusion though.
One Voice by Melissa de la Cruz: 4/5
I enjoyed this story! It discusses a string of hate crimes targeting people of color at Stanford and how it affects the community of the university. I felt like this was a very necessary story, especially for young readers. The ending, however, did feel rushed.
Paladin/Samurai by Gene Luen Yang, Illustrations by Thien Pham: 3.5/5
This was a short comic about a microaggression that a Japanese boy faces from the GM during a D&D-like game with his friends. I enjoyed it even though I’ve never played D&D (I do listen to actual-play podcasts though!) and it was a nice break from the heavier prose that makes up most of this anthology.
Catch, Pull, Drive by Schuyler Bailar: 5/5
This was a powerful story about a trans boy who has to face his first day back on the swim team after coming out as transgender. The author is a trans man himself and the first openly trans NCAA Division I swimmer. The story was well written; I loved how it was told partially through flashbacks during a swim race. I feel like everyone should read it. Content warnings for bullying, transphobia, hate speech, transphobic slurs, and the use of the trans character's dead name (these are challenged in the story and not condoned).
Super Human by Nicola Yoon: 5/5
This story is about a superhero and discusses police brutality towards Black people in America. I felt like this was a necessary topic that I was hoping would be addressed in this anthology and the story was a poignant and unique approach to the subject. This is exactly what I wanted from this anthology.
Overall, I gave this anthology a 4/5 because many of the stories hit home or made an emotional impact on me. Regardless of this, I feel that everyone should read this anthology because it has something for everyone, whether it could help them feel represented or seen, or if it could teach them about a culture/identity they didn't already know about.
This is by no means an exhaustive review, but I thought I would compile what thoughts I had while reading these stories so that others might be able to know if this anthology is for them (although I feel it's really for anyone who reads YA). If you would like to check out some more thorough (and probably better written) reviews, feel free to check out Melanie's review here or Destiny's review here.
whomever_0's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
mandreads213's review against another edition
5.0
I loved reading these unique and personal stories. Each one was different but made you feel something. They were all beautiful and I loved every single one of them.
maggiedoodlez's review against another edition
3.0
My definite favorite in this collection is “Why I Learned to Cook” by Sara Farizan. I know it’s a short story anthology, but I found myself frustrated by the pacing in this collection. A lot of stories felt rushed and so some of my favorite premises didn’t land for me. A really incredible lineup of authors, though!
itsalljustsemantics's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
booksnbeanies's review against another edition
4.0
Fresh Ink is a collection of short stories with diverse characters by popular young adult authors such as Jason Reynolds, Nicola Yoon, Sara Farizan and Sharon G. Flake. Lamar Giles composed this collection of stories because the characters are not the norm. This book contains African American, lesbian, and transgender main characters, which would be the meaning of this collection of stories. In the foreword, Lamar Giles explains his feeling towards reading, and how with every book he read, he could never find a relatable main character, which led him to compose this book. Everone can relate to at least one character from one of these stories. I think this book was done wonderfully and the stories in it were great.
jwinchell's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this radically inclusive, widely representative modern collection of short stories by some of the best.
mbrandmaier's review against another edition
4.0
Short stories for teens starring protagonists of diverse backgrounds. My favorites were Eraser Tattoo, Tags, and Catch, Pull, Dive.
andeez's review against another edition
4.0
Soon I'll be giving short story book talks to my library students and I wanted to include this companion to Flying Lessons. It fits my purpose.
I'm a cisgender, white, suburban mom who has never had anything but privilege. However, the students I serve can find a story in this book with which to identify for sure. The stories give me the insight into their lives and I finished the book with a renewed compassion.
Some of my favorite authors are in here: Jason Reynolds, Walter Dean Myers, Nicola Yoon. Some are authors I'm reading for the first time. This is the brilliance of a story collection - I know have more authors to seek in order to have more books to share.
I'm a cisgender, white, suburban mom who has never had anything but privilege. However, the students I serve can find a story in this book with which to identify for sure. The stories give me the insight into their lives and I finished the book with a renewed compassion.
Some of my favorite authors are in here: Jason Reynolds, Walter Dean Myers, Nicola Yoon. Some are authors I'm reading for the first time. This is the brilliance of a story collection - I know have more authors to seek in order to have more books to share.