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A review by novelsandnightcaps
Fresh Ink by Sharon G. Flake, Eric Gansworth, Malinda Lo, Sara Farizan, Daniel José Older, Nicola Yoon, Schuyler Bailar, Thien Pham, Walter Dean Myers, Gene Luen Yang, Melissa de la Cruz
4.0
I’ve been reading more anthologies lately, and this is definitely one of the best ones so far. These stories were intentionally cut off to allow the reader to decide how the stories end, without sacrificing character development or exposition. I liked that imaginative aspect, and I actually think it helped fill in the worlds and reveal the personalities of the characters.
Most of the pieces were short stories, but there was also a play, and graphic novel included. I liked those, but I found them a bit confusing at first because of format.
The thing everyone's talking about with this book is its diversity, and I was absolutely blown away. There were so many different issues touched on, from immigration to systematic oppression to the social pressure for LGBT individuals to “conform,” and so many backgrounds and perspectives shown. My one small quibble is that there weren’t any stories with Indian characters. I’m always looking for that representation, especially in anthologies, and I was a bit disappointed to not find it here.
On another note, my favorite stories:
Meet Cute by Malinda Lo. Gender and race-bent cosplay, a wlw romance, and soooo much cuteness? YES!
Super Human by Nicola Yoon. An extremely moving story about how not even black superheroes are safe from police brutality, and what it takes to believe in humanity. This story was such a powerful way to end the anthology, and I loved it.
Other favorites: Why I Learned to Cook by Sara Farizan; Catch, Pull, Drive by Schuyler Bailar; One Voice by Melissa de la Cruz.
Side note: This anthology was edited by Lamar Giles, co founder of We Need Diverse Books. Theirs is an important cause, dedicated to promoting diversity in YA, and I wholeheartedly support it.
Most of the pieces were short stories, but there was also a play, and graphic novel included. I liked those, but I found them a bit confusing at first because of format.
The thing everyone's talking about with this book is its diversity, and I was absolutely blown away. There were so many different issues touched on, from immigration to systematic oppression to the social pressure for LGBT individuals to “conform,” and so many backgrounds and perspectives shown. My one small quibble is that there weren’t any stories with Indian characters. I’m always looking for that representation, especially in anthologies, and I was a bit disappointed to not find it here.
On another note, my favorite stories:
Meet Cute by Malinda Lo. Gender and race-bent cosplay, a wlw romance, and soooo much cuteness? YES!
Super Human by Nicola Yoon. An extremely moving story about how not even black superheroes are safe from police brutality, and what it takes to believe in humanity. This story was such a powerful way to end the anthology, and I loved it.
Other favorites: Why I Learned to Cook by Sara Farizan; Catch, Pull, Drive by Schuyler Bailar; One Voice by Melissa de la Cruz.
Side note: This anthology was edited by Lamar Giles, co founder of We Need Diverse Books. Theirs is an important cause, dedicated to promoting diversity in YA, and I wholeheartedly support it.