An anthology packed with tales of queer love that will launch readers into alternate realities and distant futures.
What if every straight person in the world suddenly vanished? What if you could transfer your consciousness to a new body on Mars? What if you could commune with souls and give everyone a proper homegoing? Asked to write the story they needed as teens, the 17 contributing authors present narratives centered on love, acceptance, and hope that span a multitude of genres, from epic space adventures to fervent romances, each infused with science-fiction elements. Reflecting the authors themselves, these short stories include characters of diverse races, ethnicities, genders, and sexualities and offer much-needed mirrors to queer readers young and old. Readers will encounter familiar names from YA such as K. Ancrum, Alechia Dow, Leah Johnson, Alex London, Abdi Nazemian, Adam Sass, and more. The seamless flow between each entry keeps readers engaged and immersed in worlds known and unknown. The stories are overall very well written, fleshed out with just enough details to keep readers fascinated by reimagined futures summed up in gratifying endings. Most delve into issues such as the microaggressions queer people face, oppressive governments, and humans’ environmental impact on the world. However, none of this deters the protagonists from finding community and wholly embracing themselves.
An enchanting collection. (contributors' biographies) (Science-fiction anthology. 14-18)Pub Date: June 7, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-335-42589-8
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2022
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The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
Categories: TEENS & YOUNG ADULT ROMANCE | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES
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Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in.
26
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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
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