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A review by littlecornerreads
FORESHADOW: Stories to Celebrate The Magic of Reading & Writing YA by Emily X.R. Pan, Nova Ren Suma
4.0
I've always loved stories. Books, movies, personal anecdotes, even the occasional fanfic or two...I love stories like a foodie loves food, so when I saw an anthology celebrating the magic of reading YA--an oft scorned and under-appreciated genre--I knew I had to read it.
Of all the anthologies I've read thus far, this is my favorite by a long shot. Even its premise is unique:
1) it analyzes of the writing process
2) it focuses on new voices in YA
3) it includes underrepresented voices
1) This is like a YA Fiction primer. I wish this had been around when I was in school. It makes lit analysis so fun and approachable. It strips the stories down to their technical make-up, breaking them down to their nuts and bolts to show us what goes into a good story. With practical advice like tips on world building, imagery, and characterization, it's the perfect workbook for aspiring or actual authors.
I’m not a writer by any stretch of imagination, but Foreshadow makes me think maybe I could be one. Putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) can seem so intimating, but Foreshadow makes the process accessible to writers of all levels. It breaks it down into easily digestible steps and offers simple prompts that makes writing a story a fun and achievable goal.
2) I don't know how this is the first published work for so many of these authors because each work shows a command of the English language that rivals (or surpasses) the work of many established YA writers out there. In the intro, Pan explains why a good short story is so hard to write, which makes this collection even more impressive. The economic use of language, the compacted world-building, the gorgeous prose...it’s a reminder that being unpublished doesn't make you any less legitimate as an author. But this is more than a MasterClass in the use of literary devices. There's an art of crafting the perfect story, and each work is the perfect alchemy of technique and storytelling.
Let's be real, there's a reason YA gets so flak for being clichéd, predictable, and derivative. Don't get me wrong, I love YA. Take one look at my bookshelf, and you'll see that I'm not ashamed to indulge in the occasional (or not-so-occasional) fluffy piece of fiction. But sometimes you just want something a little substantial, and that's the beauty of Foreshadow. It explores the expanse of Young Adult fiction by going beyond the stereotypical love triangle, Chosen One trilogies. This has horror and magical realism and, yes, a contemporary romance or two, but they're all done in a way that’s refreshingly original. These stories are meant to entertain, but they're also thought-provoking, evocative, and moving. There's something about this collection that resonates with the reader. The stories vary from the fantastical to somewhat ordinary, but they're all grounded in something that's real and manage to capture the essence of that strange in-between of being not quite grown but not quite child.
3) This has so much rep, and I love it. I don't think I've read such a diverse set of stories back-to-back-to-back, well...ever. It's refreshing to read such a varied collection of perspectives. Even if the stories aren't autobiographical in nature, it's obvious how each of the author's upbringing and background has influenced their work. If you're wondering why "We Need Diverse Books" and #ownvoices are starting to make waves in YA, I think Adriana Marachlian puts it best: "The first time I saw my country mentioned in a young adult novel. I cried. I remembered it was a throwaway comment, an exotic detail in a list of other interesting bits, with no bearing on the characters or plot, but all the bearing on the world to me...The thrill of being seen, even briefly, never left me. Vines can grow from a single tendril, and here was mine: I could do that for someone else."
A full breakdown of the individual stories can be found on my blog.
Flight ([a:Tanya Aydelott|20269413|Tanya Aydelott|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]) 2 stars
Risk([a:Rachel Hylton|19277033|Rachel Hylton|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]) 4 stars
Sweetmeats ([a:Linda Cheng|19322823|Linda Cheng|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1602408535p2/19322823.jpg]) 5 stars
Glow ([a:Joanna Truman|16389095|Joanna Truman|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1603051711p2/16389095.jpg]) 3 stars
Escape ([a:Tanvi Berwah|20269414|Tanvi Berwah|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1591110459p2/20269414.jpg]) 1.5 stars
Pan Dulce ([a:Flor Salcedo|20269412|Flor Salcedo|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]) 4 stars
Solace ([a:Nora Elghazzawi|19277032|Nora Elghazzawi|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1600022378p2/19277032.jpg]) 4.5 stars
Princess ([a:Maya Prasad|19277035|Maya Prasad|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1599441309p2/19277035.jpg]) 4.5 stars
Fools ([a:Gina Chen|19277030|Gina Chen|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1602279614p2/19277030.jpg]) 5+ stars
Monsters ([a:Adriana Marachlian|14109123|Adriana Marachlian|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1434648530p2/14109123.jpg]) 3 stars
Break ([a:Sophie Meridien|19277034|Sophie Meridien|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]) 5 stars
Resilient ([a:Mayra Cuevas|19277031|Mayra Cuevas|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1562624846p2/19277031.jpg]) 5 stars
Belly ([a:Desiree S. Evans|20269415|Desiree S. Evans|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]) 1 star
Major shout out to Algonquin Young Readers for the ARC!
Of all the anthologies I've read thus far, this is my favorite by a long shot. Even its premise is unique:
1) it analyzes of the writing process
2) it focuses on new voices in YA
3) it includes underrepresented voices
1) This is like a YA Fiction primer. I wish this had been around when I was in school. It makes lit analysis so fun and approachable. It strips the stories down to their technical make-up, breaking them down to their nuts and bolts to show us what goes into a good story. With practical advice like tips on world building, imagery, and characterization, it's the perfect workbook for aspiring or actual authors.
I’m not a writer by any stretch of imagination, but Foreshadow makes me think maybe I could be one. Putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) can seem so intimating, but Foreshadow makes the process accessible to writers of all levels. It breaks it down into easily digestible steps and offers simple prompts that makes writing a story a fun and achievable goal.
2) I don't know how this is the first published work for so many of these authors because each work shows a command of the English language that rivals (or surpasses) the work of many established YA writers out there. In the intro, Pan explains why a good short story is so hard to write, which makes this collection even more impressive. The economic use of language, the compacted world-building, the gorgeous prose...it’s a reminder that being unpublished doesn't make you any less legitimate as an author. But this is more than a MasterClass in the use of literary devices. There's an art of crafting the perfect story, and each work is the perfect alchemy of technique and storytelling.
Let's be real, there's a reason YA gets so flak for being clichéd, predictable, and derivative. Don't get me wrong, I love YA. Take one look at my bookshelf, and you'll see that I'm not ashamed to indulge in the occasional (or not-so-occasional) fluffy piece of fiction. But sometimes you just want something a little substantial, and that's the beauty of Foreshadow. It explores the expanse of Young Adult fiction by going beyond the stereotypical love triangle, Chosen One trilogies. This has horror and magical realism and, yes, a contemporary romance or two, but they're all done in a way that’s refreshingly original. These stories are meant to entertain, but they're also thought-provoking, evocative, and moving. There's something about this collection that resonates with the reader. The stories vary from the fantastical to somewhat ordinary, but they're all grounded in something that's real and manage to capture the essence of that strange in-between of being not quite grown but not quite child.
3) This has so much rep, and I love it. I don't think I've read such a diverse set of stories back-to-back-to-back, well...ever. It's refreshing to read such a varied collection of perspectives. Even if the stories aren't autobiographical in nature, it's obvious how each of the author's upbringing and background has influenced their work. If you're wondering why "We Need Diverse Books" and #ownvoices are starting to make waves in YA, I think Adriana Marachlian puts it best: "The first time I saw my country mentioned in a young adult novel. I cried. I remembered it was a throwaway comment, an exotic detail in a list of other interesting bits, with no bearing on the characters or plot, but all the bearing on the world to me...The thrill of being seen, even briefly, never left me. Vines can grow from a single tendril, and here was mine: I could do that for someone else."
A full breakdown of the individual stories can be found on my blog.
Flight ([a:Tanya Aydelott|20269413|Tanya Aydelott|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]) 2 stars
Risk([a:Rachel Hylton|19277033|Rachel Hylton|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]) 4 stars
Sweetmeats ([a:Linda Cheng|19322823|Linda Cheng|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1602408535p2/19322823.jpg]) 5 stars
Glow ([a:Joanna Truman|16389095|Joanna Truman|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1603051711p2/16389095.jpg]) 3 stars
Escape ([a:Tanvi Berwah|20269414|Tanvi Berwah|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1591110459p2/20269414.jpg]) 1.5 stars
Pan Dulce ([a:Flor Salcedo|20269412|Flor Salcedo|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]) 4 stars
Solace ([a:Nora Elghazzawi|19277032|Nora Elghazzawi|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1600022378p2/19277032.jpg]) 4.5 stars
Princess ([a:Maya Prasad|19277035|Maya Prasad|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1599441309p2/19277035.jpg]) 4.5 stars
Fools ([a:Gina Chen|19277030|Gina Chen|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1602279614p2/19277030.jpg]) 5+ stars
Monsters ([a:Adriana Marachlian|14109123|Adriana Marachlian|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1434648530p2/14109123.jpg]) 3 stars
Break ([a:Sophie Meridien|19277034|Sophie Meridien|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]) 5 stars
Resilient ([a:Mayra Cuevas|19277031|Mayra Cuevas|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1562624846p2/19277031.jpg]) 5 stars
Belly ([a:Desiree S. Evans|20269415|Desiree S. Evans|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]) 1 star
Major shout out to Algonquin Young Readers for the ARC!