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A review by fictionaladventures
Brave New Love: 15 Dystopian Tales of Desire by Paula Guran
2.0
<b>"Hidden Ribbon" by John Shirley: 2 stars (read Aug 25, 2022)</b>
Even though this takes place in the future, it kinda felt like it was a 90s story?? Idk. There was a lot of telling instead of showing. Wasn’t feeling this one.
<b>"The Salt Sea and the Sky" by Elizabeth Bear: 3 stars (read Aug 25, 2022)</b>
This was really well written! The dystopian elements were pretty subtle but the idea of rightminding was super interesting to me.
<b>"In the Clearing" by Kiera Cass: 3 stars (read Sept 8, 2022)</b>
This was about a girl named Mackenzie who is kidnapped by a guy named Dylan. Mackenzie was living in this society that is super drugged and unfeeling and Dylan shows her what life is like when there aren’t a ton of opiates in your food. It was fine but not necessarily special. I didn’t really believe Mackenzie’s lack of disdain for her kidnappers lol. The story was touching at times though.
<b>"Otherwise" by Nisi Shawl: DNF (read Sept 8, 2022)</b>
Couldn’t get into the writing style of this one.
<b>"Now Purple with Love's Wound" by Carrie Vaughn: 3.5 stars (read Sept 9, 2022)</b>
The idea of a dystopian world where wives are given potion to make them love their husbands was great because I can imagine our messed up world doing something like that. Overall the story was enjoyable, though I would have liked more resolution.
<b>"Berserker Eyes" by Maria V. Snyder: 3.5 stars (read Sept 9, 2022)</b>
A world where people who might have a recessive gene to make them “serk” (basically get super angry and violent) are feared and controlled and used. This was pretty good and I was into it!
<b>"Arose from Poetry" by Steve Berman: 1 star (read Sept 9, 2022)</b>
Very political. I wasn’t a fan. Too short for any kind of investment.
<b>"Red" by Amanda Downum: 4 stars (read Sept 10, 2022)</b>
This one had zombies! The world building was super good for a short story. I was invested.
<b>"Foundlings" by Diana Peterfreund: DNF (read Sept 10, 2022)</b>
This was soooooo weird and I DNF’d pretty quickly.
<b>"Seekers in the City" by Jeanne DuPrau: 4 stars (read Sept 21, 2022)</b>
This was really cute and wholesome! The dystopian element was definitely more subtle in this story. It was about two teenagers who feel a connection when they see each other once and spend the rest of the story trying to find their way back to each other!
<b>"The Up" by Nina Kiriki Hoffman: 1 star (read Oct 6, 2022)</b>
That was weird… And not my kind of weird. I pretty much DNF’d it, just skimming the last part.
<b>"The Dream Eater" by Carrie Ryan: 3 stars (read Oct 13, 2022)</b>
This was good, but the repetition got a little boring. I liked the idea though, about a society where one girl takes everyone’s bad memories so they’re only left with good ones.
<b>"357" by Jesse Karp: 2 stars (read Oct 18, 2022)</b>
A little confusing? I sorta liked what I could follow though.
<b>"Eric and Pan" by William Sleator: 2 stars (read Oct 21, 2022)</b>
I don’t really know what to say about this? The world was very homophobic and racist but I can’t tell whether it was written well or not.
<b>"The Empty Pocket" by Seth Cadin: 1 star (read Oct 21, 2022)</b>
I honestly have no idea what I just read.
Even though this takes place in the future, it kinda felt like it was a 90s story?? Idk. There was a lot of telling instead of showing. Wasn’t feeling this one.
<b>"The Salt Sea and the Sky" by Elizabeth Bear: 3 stars (read Aug 25, 2022)</b>
This was really well written! The dystopian elements were pretty subtle but the idea of rightminding was super interesting to me.
<b>"In the Clearing" by Kiera Cass: 3 stars (read Sept 8, 2022)</b>
This was about a girl named Mackenzie who is kidnapped by a guy named Dylan. Mackenzie was living in this society that is super drugged and unfeeling and Dylan shows her what life is like when there aren’t a ton of opiates in your food. It was fine but not necessarily special. I didn’t really believe Mackenzie’s lack of disdain for her kidnappers lol. The story was touching at times though.
<b>"Otherwise" by Nisi Shawl: DNF (read Sept 8, 2022)</b>
Couldn’t get into the writing style of this one.
<b>"Now Purple with Love's Wound" by Carrie Vaughn: 3.5 stars (read Sept 9, 2022)</b>
The idea of a dystopian world where wives are given potion to make them love their husbands was great because I can imagine our messed up world doing something like that. Overall the story was enjoyable, though I would have liked more resolution.
<b>"Berserker Eyes" by Maria V. Snyder: 3.5 stars (read Sept 9, 2022)</b>
A world where people who might have a recessive gene to make them “serk” (basically get super angry and violent) are feared and controlled and used. This was pretty good and I was into it!
<b>"Arose from Poetry" by Steve Berman: 1 star (read Sept 9, 2022)</b>
Very political. I wasn’t a fan. Too short for any kind of investment.
<b>"Red" by Amanda Downum: 4 stars (read Sept 10, 2022)</b>
This one had zombies! The world building was super good for a short story. I was invested.
<b>"Foundlings" by Diana Peterfreund: DNF (read Sept 10, 2022)</b>
This was soooooo weird and I DNF’d pretty quickly.
<b>"Seekers in the City" by Jeanne DuPrau: 4 stars (read Sept 21, 2022)</b>
This was really cute and wholesome! The dystopian element was definitely more subtle in this story. It was about two teenagers who feel a connection when they see each other once and spend the rest of the story trying to find their way back to each other!
<b>"The Up" by Nina Kiriki Hoffman: 1 star (read Oct 6, 2022)</b>
That was weird… And not my kind of weird. I pretty much DNF’d it, just skimming the last part.
<b>"The Dream Eater" by Carrie Ryan: 3 stars (read Oct 13, 2022)</b>
This was good, but the repetition got a little boring. I liked the idea though, about a society where one girl takes everyone’s bad memories so they’re only left with good ones.
<b>"357" by Jesse Karp: 2 stars (read Oct 18, 2022)</b>
A little confusing? I sorta liked what I could follow though.
<b>"Eric and Pan" by William Sleator: 2 stars (read Oct 21, 2022)</b>
I don’t really know what to say about this? The world was very homophobic and racist but I can’t tell whether it was written well or not.
<b>"The Empty Pocket" by Seth Cadin: 1 star (read Oct 21, 2022)</b>
I honestly have no idea what I just read.