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A review by rachelmariereads
Our Stories, Our Voices: 21 YA Authors Get Real About Injustice, Empowerment, and Growing Up Female in America by Hannah Moskowitz, Amy Reed, Tracy Deonn Walker, Sandhya Menon, Ellen Hopkins, Amber Smith, Sona Charaipotra, Somaiya Daud, Stephanie Kuehnert, Julie Murphy, I.W. Gregorio, Tracy Deonn, Anna-Marie McLemore, Martha Brockenbrough, Christine Day, Jaye Robin Brown, Aisha Saeed, Alexandra Duncan, Jenny Torres Sanchez, Brandy Colbert, Maurene Goo, Nina LaCour
5.0
If you’re a woman living in the United States, you NEED to read this book. Featuring 21 stories from beloved YA authors such as Anna-Marie McLemore, Ellen Hopkins, Maurene Goo, and many more, this anthology discusses the injustice and empowerment women feel living in the USA, and under the Trump administration.
The anthology takes aim at sexism first and foremost, but also racism, classism, xenophobia, religious prejudice, and discrimination based on sexual orientation. This book had representation of every color, creed and sexuality. The only thing it lacked was a story from a trans-woman, but I appreciated that the preface calls out this fact.
There were so many stories that spoke to me on such a deep level. I was moved to tears and I pumped my fist with joy multiple times. There was Amy Reed’s story of sexual assault, and how she struggled with blaming herself before coming to terms with the fact that she’s a survivor. Christine Day’s story of embracing her indigenous identity. She opened my eyes to the struggles Native Americans face, which I know very little about. Nina LaCour’s story of finding her voice within the LGBTQ+ community.
But I’ve never felt so seen as when I read Hannah Moskowitz’s story. Though her life differs from mine in many ways, she too grew up with a Christian-born mother and Jewish father. She identifies as Jewish, but talks about the struggles of feeling too Jewish in some circles, and not Jewish enough in others. I’ve never been able to properly put that into words before, and seeing it written out on the page knocked the wind out of me. Someone out there gets it!
So many of their stories talked about being stereotyped, or even feeling like they don’t fit into a stereotype enough to claim that identity. They talked about toeing the line between multiple selves and finding a resting place that appreciates all part of their experience. They talk about the love that comes with acceptance, from inside yourself and from the people in your life. This was one of the most powerful and impactful reading experiences I’ve ever had. This needs to be read by everyone. ❤️
The anthology takes aim at sexism first and foremost, but also racism, classism, xenophobia, religious prejudice, and discrimination based on sexual orientation. This book had representation of every color, creed and sexuality. The only thing it lacked was a story from a trans-woman, but I appreciated that the preface calls out this fact.
There were so many stories that spoke to me on such a deep level. I was moved to tears and I pumped my fist with joy multiple times. There was Amy Reed’s story of sexual assault, and how she struggled with blaming herself before coming to terms with the fact that she’s a survivor. Christine Day’s story of embracing her indigenous identity. She opened my eyes to the struggles Native Americans face, which I know very little about. Nina LaCour’s story of finding her voice within the LGBTQ+ community.
But I’ve never felt so seen as when I read Hannah Moskowitz’s story. Though her life differs from mine in many ways, she too grew up with a Christian-born mother and Jewish father. She identifies as Jewish, but talks about the struggles of feeling too Jewish in some circles, and not Jewish enough in others. I’ve never been able to properly put that into words before, and seeing it written out on the page knocked the wind out of me. Someone out there gets it!
So many of their stories talked about being stereotyped, or even feeling like they don’t fit into a stereotype enough to claim that identity. They talked about toeing the line between multiple selves and finding a resting place that appreciates all part of their experience. They talk about the love that comes with acceptance, from inside yourself and from the people in your life. This was one of the most powerful and impactful reading experiences I’ve ever had. This needs to be read by everyone. ❤️