A refreshing anthology depicting worlds where everyone can belong.
A collection of stories diverse in plot, character, and setting.
Fifteen prominent YA authors come together to present speculative works that center identities that the genre has a history of excluding from the front lines. While all the entries are solidly entertaining, a few standout stories steal the show: Anna-Marie McLemore’s triumphant queer and trans-affirming “Cinderella” retelling, “Cristal y Ceniza”; “Wish,” Jenni Balch’s inventive tale about a curious girl on Venus who receives a mysterious wish-granting visitor; Samira Ahmed’s “The Coldest Spot in the Universe,” a haunting recounting of those who find the artifacts of a long-lost civilization; and Tessa Gratton’s effortlessly original and stirring political fantasy, “The Beginning of Monsters,” starring a nonbinary main character. Characters of varied genders, races, sexualities, and backgrounds feature heavily. Some authors place their characters in worlds where oppression is no more, allowing for a cathartic imagining of how life could be for those with marginalized identities; others immerse the reader in dystopian landscapes where they paint inspiring portraits of resistance. There will be something in this collection for every fan of the genre to enjoy. Daunting topics like colonialism, liberation, and ability are also woven into the stories with nuance, rarely in a way that feels heavy-handed.
A refreshing anthology depicting worlds where everyone can belong. (Speculative fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: Dec. 8, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-984896-20-9
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Nov. 8, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2020
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in.
Black is back with another dark tale of Faerie, this one set in Faerie and launching a new trilogy.
Jude—broken, rebuilt, fueled by anger and a sense of powerlessness—has never recovered from watching her adoptive Faerie father murder her parents. Human Jude (whose brown hair curls and whose skin color is never described) both hates and loves Madoc, whose murderous nature is true to his Faerie self and who in his way loves her. Brought up among the Gentry, Jude has never felt at ease, but after a decade, Faerie has become her home despite the constant peril. Black’s latest looks at nature and nurture and spins a tale of court intrigue, bloodshed, and a truly messed-up relationship that might be the saving of Jude and the titular prince, who, like Jude, has been shaped by the cruelties of others. Fierce and observant Jude is utterly unaware of the currents that swirl around her. She fights, plots, even murders enemies, but she must also navigate her relationship with her complex family (human, Faerie, and mixed). This is a heady blend of Faerie lore, high fantasy, and high school drama, dripping with description that brings the dangerous but tempting world of Faerie to life.
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-316-31027-7
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 25, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
A thoughtful and thrilling story of life, death, and meaning.
Two teens train to be society-sanctioned killers in an otherwise immortal world.
On post-mortal Earth, humans live long (if not particularly passionate) lives without fear of disease, aging, or accidents. Operating independently of the governing AI (called the Thunderhead since it evolved from the cloud), scythes rely on 10 commandments, quotas, and their own moral codes to glean the population. After challenging Hon. Scythe Faraday, 16-year-olds Rowan Damisch and Citra Terranova reluctantly become his apprentices. Subjected to killcraft training, exposed to numerous executions, and discouraged from becoming allies or lovers, the two find themselves engaged in a fatal competition but equally determined to fight corruption and cruelty. The vivid and often violent action unfolds slowly, anchored in complex worldbuilding and propelled by political machinations and existential musings. Scythes’ journal entries accompany Rowan’s and Citra’s dual and dueling narratives, revealing both personal struggles and societal problems. The futuristic post–2042 MidMerican world is both dystopia and utopia, free of fear, unexpected death, and blatant racism—multiracial main characters discuss their diverse ethnic percentages rather than purity—but also lacking creativity, emotion, and purpose. Elegant and elegiac, brooding but imbued with gallows humor, Shusterman’s dark tale thrusts realistic, likable teens into a surreal situation and raises deep philosophic questions.
A thoughtful and thrilling story of life, death, and meaning. (Science fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Nov. 29, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4424-7242-6
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 25, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2016
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