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Feral Youth
At Zeppelin Bend, an outdoor education program designed to teach troubled youth the value of hard work, cooperation, and compassion, ten teens are left alone in the wild. The teens are a diverse group who come from all walks of life, and they were all sent to Zeppelin Bend as a last chance to get them to turn their lives around. They’ve just spent nearly two weeks learning to survive in the wilderness, and now their instructors have dropped them off eighteen miles from camp with no food, no water, and only their packs, and they’ll have to struggle to overcome their vast differences if they hope to survive.
Inspired by The Canterbury Tales, Feral Youth features characters, each complex and damaged in their own ways, who are enticed to tell a story (or two) with the promise of a cash prize. The stories range from noir-inspired revenge tales to mythological stories of fierce heroines and angry gods. And while few of the stories are claimed to be based in truth, they ultimately reveal more about the teller than the truth ever could.
Inspired by The Canterbury Tales, Feral Youth features characters, each complex and damaged in their own ways, who are enticed to tell a story (or two) with the promise of a cash prize. The stories range from noir-inspired revenge tales to mythological stories of fierce heroines and angry gods. And while few of the stories are claimed to be based in truth, they ultimately reveal more about the teller than the truth ever could.
310 pages, Hardcover
First published September 5, 2017
79 people are currently reading
4521 people want to read
About the author
Shaun David Hutchinson
30 books5,024 followersShaun is a major geek and all about nerdy shenanigans. He is the author of many queer books for young adults. Find out more information at shaundavidhutchinson.com. He currently lives in Seattle and watches way too much Doctor Who.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 330 reviews
September 4, 2017
Ahhh this is just the coolest book premise; it's a collaborative story and an anthology all in one! A group of teens at an outdoor education program for troubled youth tell each other stories to pass the time. I love survival type narratives, and I thought this would remind me of that show from like 15 years ago called Brat Camp (which I loved!) but the focus was definitely more on their stories rather than their time in the wilderness. Full of really solidly written pieces; Nikjamp and Young being particular stand outs for me.
July 31, 2018
Feral Youth is an anthology / book hybrid about teens – teens who rebel, teens who feel screwed over by a world that wants the impossible of them, teens who are not the mainstream, and most importantly, teens who kick ass.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that a book like this is so diverse - with the majority of authors nonwhite or openly queer or both, this anthology feels like an absolutely authentic cry for recognition, for someone to see. And that is exactly what I wanted, and exactly what makes this story so powerful.
Feral Youth follows a group of campers stuck in what is essentially a punishment camp, and is written in a very unusual story format - Hutchinson writes a coherent story involving several characters, and several authors come in to add full stories that each of these characters tell. It’s an interesting format, although one that feels a bit clumsily executed - many characters with amazing stories have very little development within the actual story. Actually, the real story felt like not much more than a framing device, though it obviously tried to be more and at points succeeded.
My average rating for this anthology was 3.78 Stars , which is pretty awesome and above my anthology average, which usually hangs out around 3.4. My absolute favorites from this one were Robin Talley’s Look Down and Stephanie Kuehn’s A Cautionary Tale, with honorable mentions to Suzanne Young’s Rule 16 and Justina Ireland’s hilarious Supernatural parody. The worst was the Incest Jokes and Bi Stereotypes One. (You’ll see.) Without further ado, a rundown!
♔ The Butterfly Effect and The Chaos Effect by Marieke Nijkamp - ★★★★☆ 🇸🇱
Jenna turns to pyromania as a solution to her problems, and god, if that doesn’t sound cheesy. I am so sorry to every author in this collection for typing that. I felt about this the way I feel about a lot of Nijkamp writing - it feel as if I should love it, but it feels juuuuuust manipulative of the audience enough that I couldn’t fully. Maybe that’s just my preconceived opinions of her writing and I wouldn’t have fully noticed if not for my experience with Before I Let Go. The other issue is that you can totally guess the story’s whole arc from part one, so the end feels anticlimactic. But overall, I did enjoy this story - Nijkamp really uses her talent for actual writing here and the theme and ending rocked.
♔ A Ruthless Dame by Tim Floreen - ★★★★☆ 🇸🇱
Closeted teen Cody pulls a revenge heist on a pervert who’s screwed him over. I thought this was kind of awesome, but for some reason I didn’t have much of an emotional reaction to this – I find Floreen’s writing very pat, as a rule.
♔ Look Down by Robin Talley - ★★★★★ 🇸🇱
Georgia tells ghost stories about her summer camp. This was horrifying on like eight different levels, whirling between supernatural and very, very human. I love how it touches on both the typical horrors of life and of homophobia AND touches on some just plain terrifying notes.
♔ Big Brother, p.1 and Big Brother, p.2 by E.C. Carter - ★☆☆☆☆
This was just a vaguely unsettling story? Brother keeps hearing his sister masturbate. It’s weird as hell. It has the biggest nonending ever for no reason other than, apparently, the author had written themselves into a fucking corner. And doesn’t offer much insight into David’s character, who is essentially a joke. But my biggest issue is probably the fact that the book’s only bi character is – you guessed it – a sex addict. Please.
♔ The Subjunctive by Alaya Dawn Johnson - ★★☆☆☆ ☀️
So… can someone explain what this meant? I love Johnson’s writing, and continued to in this story, but it didn’t grab me in the way her earlier A Hundred Thousand Threads did. And the confusing plot made the insight into Jaila’s character far less compelling. Overall… meh.
♔ A Cautionary Tale by Stephanie Kuehn - ★★★★★ ☀️
Guys. This is the best story in the whole book. The exploration of privilege is so lovely. Honestly, though, my favorite was how terrifying this was. It was one of those scared-in-a-good-way stories. My one complaint would be that the story offers less concrete backstory for Tino than I’d hoped.
♔ Jackie’s Story by Justina Ireland - ★★★★☆ ☀️
This story begins with Jackie retelling an obvious parody of Supernatural, which is just about the funniest thing I’ve ever read. Danny and Sean Williamson and some girl named Cass dating Danny. Listen, maybe my sense of humor is just shit, but that was awesome. Part two was… decent but not amazing. There’s an interesting three little pigs retelling with a twist, but honestly forgettable and offers barely anything into Jackie’s character. Would be a three if not for that damn parody.
♔ Self-Portrait by Brandy Colbert - ★★★★☆ ☀️
I finally liked a Colbert again! I feel like I’ve liked but not loved all her recent books and it’s so annoying to me. Her style is very matter-of-fact and very slice-of-life, meaning an authentic feeling but a lack of dramatic tension or plot arc, but for a story with an established climax, that works. Thematic moments could’ve been built up earlier, but overall a success - guys, I adored Sunday as a main character. Seriously.
♔ A Violation of Rule 16 by Suzanne Young - ★★★★★
Lucinda fights back against the dress code in the most badass way possible. I don’t know, guys, I just really liked this? Young’s style is awesome and her girl protagonists are always fun. And for some reason the tiny romance element here stood out - know-it-all guy who happens to totally love Lucinda and make men are trash jokes. Honestly, the perfect man.
Overall, I thought this book was super entertaining and fun and would love if you would all read it too. It's so worth the read.
Blog | Goodreads | Twitter | Youtube
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that a book like this is so diverse - with the majority of authors nonwhite or openly queer or both, this anthology feels like an absolutely authentic cry for recognition, for someone to see. And that is exactly what I wanted, and exactly what makes this story so powerful.
Feral Youth follows a group of campers stuck in what is essentially a punishment camp, and is written in a very unusual story format - Hutchinson writes a coherent story involving several characters, and several authors come in to add full stories that each of these characters tell. It’s an interesting format, although one that feels a bit clumsily executed - many characters with amazing stories have very little development within the actual story. Actually, the real story felt like not much more than a framing device, though it obviously tried to be more and at points succeeded.
My average rating for this anthology was 3.78 Stars , which is pretty awesome and above my anthology average, which usually hangs out around 3.4. My absolute favorites from this one were Robin Talley’s Look Down and Stephanie Kuehn’s A Cautionary Tale, with honorable mentions to Suzanne Young’s Rule 16 and Justina Ireland’s hilarious Supernatural parody. The worst was the Incest Jokes and Bi Stereotypes One. (You’ll see.) Without further ado, a rundown!
♔ The Butterfly Effect and The Chaos Effect by Marieke Nijkamp - ★★★★☆ 🇸🇱
Jenna turns to pyromania as a solution to her problems, and god, if that doesn’t sound cheesy. I am so sorry to every author in this collection for typing that. I felt about this the way I feel about a lot of Nijkamp writing - it feel as if I should love it, but it feels juuuuuust manipulative of the audience enough that I couldn’t fully. Maybe that’s just my preconceived opinions of her writing and I wouldn’t have fully noticed if not for my experience with Before I Let Go. The other issue is that you can totally guess the story’s whole arc from part one, so the end feels anticlimactic. But overall, I did enjoy this story - Nijkamp really uses her talent for actual writing here and the theme and ending rocked.
♔ A Ruthless Dame by Tim Floreen - ★★★★☆ 🇸🇱
Closeted teen Cody pulls a revenge heist on a pervert who’s screwed him over. I thought this was kind of awesome, but for some reason I didn’t have much of an emotional reaction to this – I find Floreen’s writing very pat, as a rule.
♔ Look Down by Robin Talley - ★★★★★ 🇸🇱
Georgia tells ghost stories about her summer camp. This was horrifying on like eight different levels, whirling between supernatural and very, very human. I love how it touches on both the typical horrors of life and of homophobia AND touches on some just plain terrifying notes.
♔ Big Brother, p.1 and Big Brother, p.2 by E.C. Carter - ★☆☆☆☆
This was just a vaguely unsettling story? Brother keeps hearing his sister masturbate. It’s weird as hell. It has the biggest nonending ever for no reason other than, apparently, the author had written themselves into a fucking corner. And doesn’t offer much insight into David’s character, who is essentially a joke. But my biggest issue is probably the fact that the book’s only bi character is – you guessed it – a sex addict. Please.
♔ The Subjunctive by Alaya Dawn Johnson - ★★☆☆☆ ☀️
So… can someone explain what this meant? I love Johnson’s writing, and continued to in this story, but it didn’t grab me in the way her earlier A Hundred Thousand Threads did. And the confusing plot made the insight into Jaila’s character far less compelling. Overall… meh.
♔ A Cautionary Tale by Stephanie Kuehn - ★★★★★ ☀️
Guys. This is the best story in the whole book. The exploration of privilege is so lovely. Honestly, though, my favorite was how terrifying this was. It was one of those scared-in-a-good-way stories. My one complaint would be that the story offers less concrete backstory for Tino than I’d hoped.
♔ Jackie’s Story by Justina Ireland - ★★★★☆ ☀️
This story begins with Jackie retelling an obvious parody of Supernatural, which is just about the funniest thing I’ve ever read. Danny and Sean Williamson and some girl named Cass dating Danny. Listen, maybe my sense of humor is just shit, but that was awesome. Part two was… decent but not amazing. There’s an interesting three little pigs retelling with a twist, but honestly forgettable and offers barely anything into Jackie’s character. Would be a three if not for that damn parody.
♔ Self-Portrait by Brandy Colbert - ★★★★☆ ☀️
I finally liked a Colbert again! I feel like I’ve liked but not loved all her recent books and it’s so annoying to me. Her style is very matter-of-fact and very slice-of-life, meaning an authentic feeling but a lack of dramatic tension or plot arc, but for a story with an established climax, that works. Thematic moments could’ve been built up earlier, but overall a success - guys, I adored Sunday as a main character. Seriously.
♔ A Violation of Rule 16 by Suzanne Young - ★★★★★
Lucinda fights back against the dress code in the most badass way possible. I don’t know, guys, I just really liked this? Young’s style is awesome and her girl protagonists are always fun. And for some reason the tiny romance element here stood out - know-it-all guy who happens to totally love Lucinda and make men are trash jokes. Honestly, the perfect man.
Overall, I thought this book was super entertaining and fun and would love if you would all read it too. It's so worth the read.
Blog | Goodreads | Twitter | Youtube
February 11, 2018
“People spend a lot of time thinking about the planets that might orbit all those stars, but they ignore the worlds inside themselves.”
This was the best anthology I've read so far. And that's not because of the stories itself but because they hade more in common than just a certain topic that connected them all. It was because of the amazing frame narrative written by Shaun David Hutchinson. It set the right atmosphere and really fleshed out the characters. It was much easier to engage with them and their stories than if they would have stood for themselves. I'm sure this is not a revolutionary thing to do and there might be more anthologies out there that have the same concept but this was a first for me.
The short stories were overall intriguing. Of course, with many different authors come many kinds of stories, some that resonate more with the reader than others.
Most of them really fit into the atmosphere that Shaun had set with his frame narrative while a couple of them failed to do so. And some of them were kind of creepy and disturbing in a weirdly good way? All of them were told by unreliable narrators, and while you tend to form your own opinion on what is true and what isn't, some of them were too over the top to be believable. Ghost stories really fit into this book's setting, but the retelling of The Three Little Pigs felt out of sync with the other stories. Some characters were simply unsympathetic but their stories still captured my attention. And some stories were overall not my taste.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and can't wait to read more from Shaun David Hutchinson.
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This was the best anthology I've read so far. And that's not because of the stories itself but because they hade more in common than just a certain topic that connected them all. It was because of the amazing frame narrative written by Shaun David Hutchinson. It set the right atmosphere and really fleshed out the characters. It was much easier to engage with them and their stories than if they would have stood for themselves. I'm sure this is not a revolutionary thing to do and there might be more anthologies out there that have the same concept but this was a first for me.
The short stories were overall intriguing. Of course, with many different authors come many kinds of stories, some that resonate more with the reader than others.
Most of them really fit into the atmosphere that Shaun had set with his frame narrative while a couple of them failed to do so. And some of them were kind of creepy and disturbing in a weirdly good way? All of them were told by unreliable narrators, and while you tend to form your own opinion on what is true and what isn't, some of them were too over the top to be believable. Ghost stories really fit into this book's setting, but the retelling of The Three Little Pigs felt out of sync with the other stories. Some characters were simply unsympathetic but their stories still captured my attention. And some stories were overall not my taste.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and can't wait to read more from Shaun David Hutchinson.
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September 6, 2017
4.5
Solid short story collaboration! Feral Youth is inspired by The Caterbury Tales, which was all about people taking a journey and having a short story telling contest.
In this book we follow a group of teens who are sent to Zepplin Band, a camp for trouble youth. They spend some time learning to survive in the wilderness and then are promptly dropped off in the middle of just that.
They have to find their way back to camp and while doing so they all tell stories for a cash prize.
I was somewhat surprised of how much I enjoyed this. Some of the stories were about mental health, and some were creepy tales. Honestly this is a perfect book to read near Halloween. At least 3 of the story's were spooky and eerie, which I enjoyed.
I would def. recommend this book, and overall really enjoyed it.
Solid short story collaboration! Feral Youth is inspired by The Caterbury Tales, which was all about people taking a journey and having a short story telling contest.
In this book we follow a group of teens who are sent to Zepplin Band, a camp for trouble youth. They spend some time learning to survive in the wilderness and then are promptly dropped off in the middle of just that.
They have to find their way back to camp and while doing so they all tell stories for a cash prize.
I was somewhat surprised of how much I enjoyed this. Some of the stories were about mental health, and some were creepy tales. Honestly this is a perfect book to read near Halloween. At least 3 of the story's were spooky and eerie, which I enjoyed.
I would def. recommend this book, and overall really enjoyed it.
August 25, 2017
4.5 Stars
I love anthologies and retellings so this was a perfect combination for me. The narration is fantastic – dark, humorous, honest. The transitions between stories are great, and I really liked the different character dynamics we get to see. Feral Youth follows 10 troubled teens who are left alone in the woods and must make it back to their camp. To pass the time, they decide to tell stories, and what we get is engaging POV stories from different authors reflecting the different characters. Feral Youth is a story within a story - we see into these characters lives, and see their truths, or what they present as their truths, and we see their growth. It’s such a unique and fun reading experience!
Things I Liked
I loved the narration and Gio as the narrator. It was blunt, honest, and biting. I loved the candor Gio spoke with and the humor we got from all the characters interacting. There were many stubborn personalities, and their clashing provided excellent entertainment. I love that Gio presents himself as truthful, but he is still an unreliable narrator.
I also thought the transitions between the character stories and the narration was done very well. The lead-ins to the character stories flowed naturally from the situation or from character’s conversation, when they easily could have been clunky or abrupt.
The character’s stories themselves were fantastic! I loved that we got a mix of personal/biographical stories and ones that were fiction. It was a nice balance, and even the non-biographical stories were personal to the characters and showed more about them. I like how Gio says that stories aren’t about truthfulness, but about the belief and intent of the storyteller. It becomes their truth, and thereby the truth.
I liked seeing the character growth through the 3 day trek through the woods. We see the characters learn more about themselves. We see them examine how they are viewed by society and others, what expectations are placed on them, how people interact with them and how they interact with the world around them. All the characters learn something that impacts them. Which is best shown in this quote:
Favorite stories: “Jackie’s Story” by Justina Ireland & “Self-Portrait” by Brandy Colbert
Things I Didn’t Like
I don’t even think you can call them chapters really, but the sections sometimes felt a little long, and I found myself taking breaks in the middle of a story. So I wasn’t as invested as I would have liked to have been during parts. This is purely a personal preference, as I tend to prefer shorter chapters and sections in books. And as this majorly focuses on characters, I feel like being invested is needed for me as a reader.
Least favorite story: “Big Brother, Part 1” by E.C. Myers (I did like Part 2!)
Feral Youth is a love story to the downtrodden, misguided misunderstood, and disrespected. We see these characters, who for some reason or another, are shunned as “troubled” and “bad” by those around them. This is their story and their truths. This is a band of misfits coming together and embracing themselves and their experiences. I loved basically everything about the story and I will definitely be reading more from all of these authors in the future!
Trigger Warnings: self harm (“The Butterfly Effect”), rape (“The Chaos Effect”)
I received a copy of the book from Simon Pulse via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
“THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS AN OBJECTIVE TRUTH ANYMORE. IT’S ALL ABOUT WHAT YOU BELIEVE. BELIEVE SOMETHING HARD ENOUGH AND – TO YOU AT LEAST – THAT’S THE TRUTH FOREVER AND EVER, AND FUCK ANYONE WHO TRIES TO TELL YOU OTHERWISE.”
I love anthologies and retellings so this was a perfect combination for me. The narration is fantastic – dark, humorous, honest. The transitions between stories are great, and I really liked the different character dynamics we get to see. Feral Youth follows 10 troubled teens who are left alone in the woods and must make it back to their camp. To pass the time, they decide to tell stories, and what we get is engaging POV stories from different authors reflecting the different characters. Feral Youth is a story within a story - we see into these characters lives, and see their truths, or what they present as their truths, and we see their growth. It’s such a unique and fun reading experience!
Things I Liked
I loved the narration and Gio as the narrator. It was blunt, honest, and biting. I loved the candor Gio spoke with and the humor we got from all the characters interacting. There were many stubborn personalities, and their clashing provided excellent entertainment. I love that Gio presents himself as truthful, but he is still an unreliable narrator.
I also thought the transitions between the character stories and the narration was done very well. The lead-ins to the character stories flowed naturally from the situation or from character’s conversation, when they easily could have been clunky or abrupt.
The character’s stories themselves were fantastic! I loved that we got a mix of personal/biographical stories and ones that were fiction. It was a nice balance, and even the non-biographical stories were personal to the characters and showed more about them. I like how Gio says that stories aren’t about truthfulness, but about the belief and intent of the storyteller. It becomes their truth, and thereby the truth.
I liked seeing the character growth through the 3 day trek through the woods. We see the characters learn more about themselves. We see them examine how they are viewed by society and others, what expectations are placed on them, how people interact with them and how they interact with the world around them. All the characters learn something that impacts them. Which is best shown in this quote:
“Our parents and teachers and all the other adults in our lives might have seen us as animals, as feral youth, determined to destroy our lives and the lives of those around us, but we weren’t. We were people, and we would not be ignored anymore.”
Favorite stories: “Jackie’s Story” by Justina Ireland & “Self-Portrait” by Brandy Colbert
Things I Didn’t Like
I don’t even think you can call them chapters really, but the sections sometimes felt a little long, and I found myself taking breaks in the middle of a story. So I wasn’t as invested as I would have liked to have been during parts. This is purely a personal preference, as I tend to prefer shorter chapters and sections in books. And as this majorly focuses on characters, I feel like being invested is needed for me as a reader.
Least favorite story: “Big Brother, Part 1” by E.C. Myers (I did like Part 2!)
Feral Youth is a love story to the downtrodden, misguided misunderstood, and disrespected. We see these characters, who for some reason or another, are shunned as “troubled” and “bad” by those around them. This is their story and their truths. This is a band of misfits coming together and embracing themselves and their experiences. I loved basically everything about the story and I will definitely be reading more from all of these authors in the future!
Trigger Warnings: self harm (“The Butterfly Effect”), rape (“The Chaos Effect”)
I received a copy of the book from Simon Pulse via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
September 21, 2017
--
Initial post reading thoughts:
I think Feral Youth may be one of the first anthologies I have ever read. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about reading multiple short stories by various authors, but this really worked. I think it gave a unique voice to each of the characters and their stories/perspectives.
Stay tuned for a full review coming soon!
Read
November 20, 2017Framed and modeled off THE CANTERBURY TALES, this anthology is a really clever look at storytelling. Who tells the truth and who tells the truth with a slant? I found most of the stories utterly fabulous, and the ones I didn't love as much were still really solid. Favorites were "Rule 16" and "Self-Portrait" and "A Cautionary Tale." Readers who love stories about "bad" and "misunderstood" teens will eat this one up.
Shaun does some of the most clever YA anthologies.
Shaun does some of the most clever YA anthologies.
September 9, 2017
3.5 stars
While I was a bit disappointed by this one, I would still recommend it. There were a few hit and miss stories, but the amazinng ones made this collection for me.
Full review to come soon on Teenreads.com!
While I was a bit disappointed by this one, I would still recommend it. There were a few hit and miss stories, but the amazinng ones made this collection for me.
Full review to come soon on Teenreads.com!
September 23, 2025
Just reviewing now. I remember this was mad interesting and pretty cool of a concept
December 27, 2017
3.5/5stars
DISCLAIMER: I ONLY READ THE STORY "A RUTHLESS DAME" BY TIM FLOREEN FROM THIS COLLECTION
not gonna lie I was expecting more. It was cute and kinda funny, but mostly I couldn't tell Tim Floreen had written it. I was expecting something WAYY bigger than the ending with how Tim always manages to have me gasping and screaming at the pages by the end of his novels. It was definitely cute though so I'll give it that.
DISCLAIMER: I ONLY READ THE STORY "A RUTHLESS DAME" BY TIM FLOREEN FROM THIS COLLECTION
not gonna lie I was expecting more. It was cute and kinda funny, but mostly I couldn't tell Tim Floreen had written it. I was expecting something WAYY bigger than the ending with how Tim always manages to have me gasping and screaming at the pages by the end of his novels. It was definitely cute though so I'll give it that.
May 28, 2018
This book had it's ups and downs, overall I'm giving it 3.5 stars. This is a sort of mash-up between short stories and a regular plot, which I liked. And I liked most of the stories as well.
I'll give them each a really short review + rating:
The Butterfly Effect and The Chaos Effect by Marieke Nijkamp 4 stars
About a girl who burned down her grandpa's car and why - I really liked this, but by the time I got to part two of the story I had already forgotten what happened in part 1. It was still understandable though. I really liked how the author characterized the MC even though the story was quite short.
A Ruthless Dame by Tim Floreen - 4 stars
Boy takes revenge when another boy screws him over - This was so genius. I love the revenge plot and how smart everything fitted together, but it did lack a certain something, that I can't quite put my finger on.
Look down by Robin Talley - 3 stars
After being told ghost stories, a girl starts to hear them - I didn't quite get this story, and the ending left me feeling very unsatisfied.
Big Brother p1+2 by EC Carter - 1 star
About a boy who posts his sister's masturbation tape online - I'D LIKE TO DELETE THIS STORY FROM MY MEMORY PLEASE
The Subjunctive by Alaya Dawn Johnson - 1 star
I don't even know what this story was about. There was a coyote, I think? But that could also be a person, I do not know.
A Cautionary Tale by Stephanie Kuehn - ??
To be quite honest, I don't remember what this was about and I can't look it up since I listened to it on audio so I have no clue.
Jackie's Story by Justina Ireland - ??
My mind is also a bit fuzzy on this one, I think it was a three little pigs retelling? Apparently there was also a Supernatural parody, which I completely missed which is a miracle since I watched pretty much every episode of Supernatural in existence and most of them even twice.
Self-Portrait by Brandy Colbert - 4,5 stars
New girl accidentally becomes friends with a drug dealer - I really really liked this one. I loved Sunday's character and the plot got me really invested!
A Violation of Rule 16 by Suzanne Young - 5 stars
A girl stands up for herself after being dress coded so many times - YASS GIRL POWER! I absolutely loved this and how powerful it was.
I'll give them each a really short review + rating:
The Butterfly Effect and The Chaos Effect by Marieke Nijkamp 4 stars
About a girl who burned down her grandpa's car and why - I really liked this, but by the time I got to part two of the story I had already forgotten what happened in part 1. It was still understandable though. I really liked how the author characterized the MC even though the story was quite short.
A Ruthless Dame by Tim Floreen - 4 stars
Boy takes revenge when another boy screws him over - This was so genius. I love the revenge plot and how smart everything fitted together, but it did lack a certain something, that I can't quite put my finger on.
Look down by Robin Talley - 3 stars
After being told ghost stories, a girl starts to hear them - I didn't quite get this story, and the ending left me feeling very unsatisfied.
Big Brother p1+2 by EC Carter - 1 star
About a boy who posts his sister's masturbation tape online - I'D LIKE TO DELETE THIS STORY FROM MY MEMORY PLEASE
The Subjunctive by Alaya Dawn Johnson - 1 star
I don't even know what this story was about. There was a coyote, I think? But that could also be a person, I do not know.
A Cautionary Tale by Stephanie Kuehn - ??
To be quite honest, I don't remember what this was about and I can't look it up since I listened to it on audio so I have no clue.
Jackie's Story by Justina Ireland - ??
My mind is also a bit fuzzy on this one, I think it was a three little pigs retelling? Apparently there was also a Supernatural parody, which I completely missed which is a miracle since I watched pretty much every episode of Supernatural in existence and most of them even twice.
Self-Portrait by Brandy Colbert - 4,5 stars
New girl accidentally becomes friends with a drug dealer - I really really liked this one. I loved Sunday's character and the plot got me really invested!
A Violation of Rule 16 by Suzanne Young - 5 stars
A girl stands up for herself after being dress coded so many times - YASS GIRL POWER! I absolutely loved this and how powerful it was.
October 2, 2017
That’s why I like stories. They usually wind up revealing more about a person than what they’re tell you about themselves. It’s not that they lie intentionally, but when people describe themselves they’re really describing what they see in a mirror, and most mirrors are too distorted to show the truth.
3.5! Rounded up because I liked the concept of it and the little parts connecting all of them together. Having studied the Canterbury Tales in both high school and college, I kinda see parallels and that was so so cool! It was the misfits and still a kind of commentary on the world right now - the corrupt and shitty things. TCT talked about different corrupt and shitty things, but I think this was done well. I would’ve just liked it to be longer (my problem with every anthologies) but especially because I grew attached to ALL the characters. Maybe even David.
The Butterfly Effect: ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌛 (I’ve decided that the crescent means .5)
The Chaos Effect: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I absolutely adored Marieke Nijkamp’s writing, and I’m definitely going to check out her works now, because Jenna got me deep in my heart. I developed such a soft spot and then it suddenly ended and I was like !!! But then it continued and I was happy so her whole story is five stars. Because she is freaking awesome & deserves the world and a girlfriend (if she wants).
I could stare at individual flames forever. They burn bright yellow and orange and red before succumbing to thick black smoke. They dance across the smoldering good of the car. Given time, I could find patterns in them. Or perhaps I would just find chaos. But chaos is enough.
The Ruthless Dame: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Um, this was GREAT. I LOVED Cody. I think the Cody written from Tim Floreen’s POV is the best character, but he becomes almost irrelevant in the main thing (by Hutchinson I think?) soo that sucks. I loved his obsession with film noir and his attitude and just !!! A legend. He was hilarious and dramatic and didn’t take himself too seriously.
Look Down: ⭐️⭐️🌛
Umm it was okay. I liked Georgia in this, but ghost stories aren’t really my thing. I just kind of liked Robin Talley’s writing and concept, and it did keep me guessing, so...
Big Brother, Part I: ⭐️⭐️
David’s just WEIRD. I don’t know what E.C. Carter was thinking. Like, I don’t know. I was hella pumped to see what happened next, so good work on the suspense I guess? I feel HORRIBLE for Allie though.
Big Brother, Part II: ⭐️🌛
Well, this did get me some sympathy for David but it was kind of anticlimactic and his story is my least favorite.
The Subjunctive: ⭐️⭐️🌛
This was so beautifully written, I loooveed Alaya Dawn Johnson’s use of words, but I had no idea what the fuck was happening. They kind of sum it up after, which helps, but...why am I supposed to care about some coyote again? What? Jaila’s great though.
The world was still; the world held its breath; the world waited, as the two girls waited, for what that bell had rung into existence.
A Cautionary Tale: ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌛
This was surprisingly good. I thought Stephanie Kuehn had lost me halfway, but the surprise ending was great. I didn’t expect it until the very end, so that was cool! First person thrillers give you so many opportunities and this proves that. I kind of wish it was about Tino, bc I still don’t know his entire deal but it was a cool short story.
I felt no anger in my heart, no wrath or vengeance, just the cool breeze of certitude. Hadn’t I known this was how it would be? Monsters never understood they were the ones in need of slaying.
Jackie’s Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I liked that Justina Ireland used a fake beginning, totally threw me off, but enjoyed it anyway! The three little pigs twist was kinda cool. I just feel like it’s forgettable.
Self-Portrait: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I feel like Sunday Taylor is one of the most open-minded and softest characters ever. She is so understanding and kind and loving and giving and she deserves so much more!!! Growing up with strict parents like her, I get her struggle with being good. I hate that they make fun of her for freaking out about one tiny incident, bc it means so much to us (bc it means so much to our parents). I definitely liked Brandy Colbert’s character.
A Violation of Rule 16: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
That was SO GOOD!!! Major props to Suzanne Young. I suddenly want to read everything she wrote. I loved Lucinda’s attitude, her anger, her little remarks, the “I kinda love him” moments. So good. I wish this was a short book on its own. It would blow up bc it discusses such an important and prevalent issue. Also because I just want to see more of Lucinda okay?
”They could be from an alternate universe where all the men are terrible,” Jameson adds.
“That’s an alternate universe?” I ask, then grin.
P.S. all these kids deserve better and I loved the diversity
If hope is the thing with feathers, then secrets are things with talons. They’re light at first, almost unnoticeable. They’re comfortable and easy to hold. But over time they grow heavier and develop sharp edges. Words become harder to share, and secrets cling to you and claw at you until they’ve dug themselves so deep, your have to read yourself apart to get rid of them.
(I really just want Jenna to be happy)
3.5! Rounded up because I liked the concept of it and the little parts connecting all of them together. Having studied the Canterbury Tales in both high school and college, I kinda see parallels and that was so so cool! It was the misfits and still a kind of commentary on the world right now - the corrupt and shitty things. TCT talked about different corrupt and shitty things, but I think this was done well. I would’ve just liked it to be longer (my problem with every anthologies) but especially because I grew attached to ALL the characters. Maybe even David.
The Butterfly Effect: ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌛 (I’ve decided that the crescent means .5)
The Chaos Effect: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I absolutely adored Marieke Nijkamp’s writing, and I’m definitely going to check out her works now, because Jenna got me deep in my heart. I developed such a soft spot and then it suddenly ended and I was like !!! But then it continued and I was happy so her whole story is five stars. Because she is freaking awesome & deserves the world and a girlfriend (if she wants).
I could stare at individual flames forever. They burn bright yellow and orange and red before succumbing to thick black smoke. They dance across the smoldering good of the car. Given time, I could find patterns in them. Or perhaps I would just find chaos. But chaos is enough.
The Ruthless Dame: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Um, this was GREAT. I LOVED Cody. I think the Cody written from Tim Floreen’s POV is the best character, but he becomes almost irrelevant in the main thing (by Hutchinson I think?) soo that sucks. I loved his obsession with film noir and his attitude and just !!! A legend. He was hilarious and dramatic and didn’t take himself too seriously.
Look Down: ⭐️⭐️🌛
Umm it was okay. I liked Georgia in this, but ghost stories aren’t really my thing. I just kind of liked Robin Talley’s writing and concept, and it did keep me guessing, so...
Big Brother, Part I: ⭐️⭐️
David’s just WEIRD. I don’t know what E.C. Carter was thinking. Like, I don’t know. I was hella pumped to see what happened next, so good work on the suspense I guess? I feel HORRIBLE for Allie though.
Big Brother, Part II: ⭐️🌛
Well, this did get me some sympathy for David but it was kind of anticlimactic and his story is my least favorite.
The Subjunctive: ⭐️⭐️🌛
This was so beautifully written, I loooveed Alaya Dawn Johnson’s use of words, but I had no idea what the fuck was happening. They kind of sum it up after, which helps, but...why am I supposed to care about some coyote again? What? Jaila’s great though.
The world was still; the world held its breath; the world waited, as the two girls waited, for what that bell had rung into existence.
A Cautionary Tale: ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌛
This was surprisingly good. I thought Stephanie Kuehn had lost me halfway, but the surprise ending was great. I didn’t expect it until the very end, so that was cool! First person thrillers give you so many opportunities and this proves that. I kind of wish it was about Tino, bc I still don’t know his entire deal but it was a cool short story.
I felt no anger in my heart, no wrath or vengeance, just the cool breeze of certitude. Hadn’t I known this was how it would be? Monsters never understood they were the ones in need of slaying.
Jackie’s Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I liked that Justina Ireland used a fake beginning, totally threw me off, but enjoyed it anyway! The three little pigs twist was kinda cool. I just feel like it’s forgettable.
Self-Portrait: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I feel like Sunday Taylor is one of the most open-minded and softest characters ever. She is so understanding and kind and loving and giving and she deserves so much more!!! Growing up with strict parents like her, I get her struggle with being good. I hate that they make fun of her for freaking out about one tiny incident, bc it means so much to us (bc it means so much to our parents). I definitely liked Brandy Colbert’s character.
A Violation of Rule 16: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
That was SO GOOD!!! Major props to Suzanne Young. I suddenly want to read everything she wrote. I loved Lucinda’s attitude, her anger, her little remarks, the “I kinda love him” moments. So good. I wish this was a short book on its own. It would blow up bc it discusses such an important and prevalent issue. Also because I just want to see more of Lucinda okay?
”They could be from an alternate universe where all the men are terrible,” Jameson adds.
“That’s an alternate universe?” I ask, then grin.
P.S. all these kids deserve better and I loved the diversity
If hope is the thing with feathers, then secrets are things with talons. They’re light at first, almost unnoticeable. They’re comfortable and easy to hold. But over time they grow heavier and develop sharp edges. Words become harder to share, and secrets cling to you and claw at you until they’ve dug themselves so deep, your have to read yourself apart to get rid of them.
(I really just want Jenna to be happy)
September 9, 2017
Compilation of short stories never really work for me but Feral Youth did and I'm very impressed! Probably because its not your typical compilation-- 10 teenagers were sent to a disciplinary camp for their crimes and so they shared their stories. Each short stories was written by different authors so obviously they have different styles and voices.
My particular favs:
1. The Butterfly Effect & The Chaos Effect - Marieke Nijkamp
2. A Ruthless Dame - Tim Floreen
3. Self-Portrait - Brandy Colbert
4. A Violation of Rule 16 - Suzanne Young
"If you listen hard enough, there's more truth in fiction than in all the other shit combined."
My particular favs:
1. The Butterfly Effect & The Chaos Effect - Marieke Nijkamp
2. A Ruthless Dame - Tim Floreen
3. Self-Portrait - Brandy Colbert
4. A Violation of Rule 16 - Suzanne Young
"If you listen hard enough, there's more truth in fiction than in all the other shit combined."
October 2, 2017
I was impressed by Sometimes We Tell the Truth which also The Canterbury Tales retelling, so this book automatically on my to read-next list. Add that with some author names who I already familiar with.
A group of students dropped into the wild and got 3 days to find their own way to the camp, by their instructor. The teens are a diverse group who come from all walks of life, and they were all sent to Zeppelin Bend camp as a last chance to get them to turn their lives around. Gio, the narrator, was an observer. He's came up with the idea for everyone to tell their story so they don't try to kill each other, with a hundred bucks prize for the best story. In the end , whose story was the best didn't matter any more.
My fave story in this book is Stephanie Kuehn's Cautionary Tale, it has Kuehn's trademark dark twist. Other stories were just so so to me. And I want to point out especially Marieke Nijkamp's writing which I found depressing me much.
A group of students dropped into the wild and got 3 days to find their own way to the camp, by their instructor. The teens are a diverse group who come from all walks of life, and they were all sent to Zeppelin Bend camp as a last chance to get them to turn their lives around. Gio, the narrator, was an observer. He's came up with the idea for everyone to tell their story so they don't try to kill each other, with a hundred bucks prize for the best story. In the end , whose story was the best didn't matter any more.
My fave story in this book is Stephanie Kuehn's Cautionary Tale, it has Kuehn's trademark dark twist. Other stories were just so so to me. And I want to point out especially Marieke Nijkamp's writing which I found depressing me much.
September 7, 2017
GRADE: C+
3.5 STARS
Ten teens from a therapeutic camp are on a three day survival trip. One of the boys offers $100 to whoever can tell the best story. Some tell stories of how they ended up in trouble, some use allegories and readers have to decide if the narrators are fully, partially or not at all reliable.
Shaun David Hutchinson's VIOLENT ENDS was one of my favorite 2016 novels and I reread several times to figure out all the connections. I had difficulty staying focused on FERAL YOUTH, because I never felt invested in the characters or stories. Though the tales shared a common thread of teens misunderstood or overlooked, they felt disconnected to me. I enjoyed all but one of the stories. I identified with Lucinda (minus the arson) most, frustrated with her school's dress code that penalized girls for "distracting boys" with their clothes. I was most sympathetic to Sunday's story.
FERAL YOUTH takes place over three days. I never felt any tension or fear the teens wouldn't come back. The end felt incomplete.
Readers who like short stories will enjoy FERAL YOUTH.
3.5 STARS
Ten teens from a therapeutic camp are on a three day survival trip. One of the boys offers $100 to whoever can tell the best story. Some tell stories of how they ended up in trouble, some use allegories and readers have to decide if the narrators are fully, partially or not at all reliable.
Shaun David Hutchinson's VIOLENT ENDS was one of my favorite 2016 novels and I reread several times to figure out all the connections. I had difficulty staying focused on FERAL YOUTH, because I never felt invested in the characters or stories. Though the tales shared a common thread of teens misunderstood or overlooked, they felt disconnected to me. I enjoyed all but one of the stories. I identified with Lucinda (minus the arson) most, frustrated with her school's dress code that penalized girls for "distracting boys" with their clothes. I was most sympathetic to Sunday's story.
FERAL YOUTH takes place over three days. I never felt any tension or fear the teens wouldn't come back. The end felt incomplete.
Readers who like short stories will enjoy FERAL YOUTH.
February 21, 2020
I didn’t like it
January 27, 2018
"We are people. We are real. And we will not be ignored."
Mini Reviews
TW: sexual abuse, homophobia, suicide, homicide, rape, self-harm, drugs.
The Butterfly Effect by Marieke Nijkamp: 3.5 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: girl with traumatic past loves fire. Something burns. Her past and present are presented and it isn’t really a pretty picture. Things aren’t clear.
Ridiculously short personal comment: I am…confused? But still very much intrigued? I liked the writing style and the mysterious atmosphere of the story. Only major complain: what the actual fuck? What happened? I mean, I can imagine but…when the story was over I honestly thought that the ending was missing from my Kindle Edition - hence the mysterious atmosphere. And it was so frustrating because I was incredibly into the plot and the characters - hence my fascination with the story. Dunno, I’m torn. But this was a very bizarre yet captivating beginning.
A Ruthless Dame by Tim Floreen: 3 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: young boy has a summer romance with another boy. Latter dude stops keeping in touch and reappears with a girlfriend. Main character plans then his revenge. It involves butter.
Ridiculously short personal comment: This was…strange? But I liked how strange it was? Also, kinda enjoyed the whole revenge based on a psychological plan and the presence of religion as an undertone throughout the story. Overall, though, I was not blown away by it and, in the end, I found it rather dull, as it did not really have a bite or a twist.
Look Down by Robin Talley: 3.5 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: scary stories told during camp turn out to be something more. Moral of the story: don’t go to the bathroom in the dead of night.
Ridiculously short personal comment: Here me out: I am a chicken. I do not read horror stories. I’m not saying that this was one, by any means, but…yeah, for my standards, it was close. And I’ll be damned but I liked it: it was atmospheric and creepy. Very simple in the creepy aspect, the plot was predictable and the setting was rather cliché but very effective for my chicken-mind. Not bad, really.
Big Brother, Part 1 and Part 2 by E. C. Myers: 1 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: tbh, I fucking refuse to even write down a short synopsis. With all the dues respect, this story was disgusting and sick.
Ridiculously short personal comment: what…the…actual…fucking fuck? What did I just read? What was this fuckery? You made me read it with my very own two eyes. No. Did not like this. My god, it was disgusting.
The Subjunctive by Alaya Dawn Johnson: 2 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: girl with fire-breath comes back and meets sister who can call the wind. Together they go look for their coyote-brother (you wish I was making this up)
Ridiculously short personal comment: I didn’t like this one. It was magical realism and it didn’t make sense in the slightest. I didn’t understand the relationship (and therefore thought they were unnatural) and didn’t see the whole point of the story. The writing style too was not really my taste :/ Confusing. This story was simply confusing.
A Cautionary Tale by Stephanie Kuehn: 5 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: a party during the equinox takes and unpredictable turn when a tale about a mass murderer is shared.
Ridiculously short personal comment: Oh. My. God. This was good. Just simply and plainly GOOD.
Jackie’s Story by Justina Ireland: 3 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: three brothers move to the city and establish a close-knitted “Cosa Nostra”. Beware the enemies, though.
Ridiculously short personal comment: Oh, I really enjoyed this one! I liked how it started fan-fiction like and then developed and became basically a retelling of The Three Little Pigs. It was clever; I liked it!
Self-portrait by Brandy Colbert: 4.5 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: during gal’s first day in a new school, she meets two brothers who are going to influence her future.
Ridiculously short personal comment: this was such a simple contemporary but oh so good. I liked the writing style; I loved Sunday as a character and her decisions and her strength were inspiring. I’d love to read the whole novel, thank you very much :)
A Violation of Rule 16 by Suzanne Young: 5 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: girl fights her school when she gets yet another day in detention because of the clothes.
Ridiculously short personal comment: YES!!! HOLY HELL THIS WAS PHENOMENAL! The feminist read that everybody needs to read. Short and straight to the point: beautiful. Fantastic. Spectacular. Stellar. Amazing.
The Chaos Effect by Marieke Nijkamp: 4.5 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: Continuation and ending of the first short story. The fire burns even brighter.
Ridiculously short personal comment: I am shooketh. I loved it. this was the continuation of the first story and HOT DAMN it was fantastic. Now all the confusion dictated by the first part of the story has been completely erased and a unflinching, brutal and phenomenal short story was created. Wow, just wow.
Overall
Actual rating: 3.5 ⭐ rounded up because the ones I loved I seriously loved.
So, this was a rollercoaster.
First, it is important to know that, relatively randomly, I am a huge fan of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and of dysfunctional (and morally-gray) characters. So this anthology was literally created for me. And I have to admit that I was not disappointed.
I particularly enjoyed the diversity in genre (from simple contemporary, to mystery, to horror, to fable, to sci-fi. Everything was present), the diversity in sexualities (bi-, gay, lesbian) and the diversity in race. Moreover, the fact that the majority of the stories had religious undertones (specifically Christianity) was something I was not expecting but that I actually appreciated.
Another aspect I liked was the “filler-voice”. In fact, the narrator and his point of view were straightforward and no-nonsense. And that is something I adore.
As always, the good stories were GOOD™️ and the bad stories were BAD™️ but the overall experience was a surprisingly pleasant one.
"Our parents see us as these problems to solve, delinquents to deal with.
But we’re more than that."
Mini Reviews
TW: sexual abuse, homophobia, suicide, homicide, rape, self-harm, drugs.
The Butterfly Effect by Marieke Nijkamp: 3.5 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: girl with traumatic past loves fire. Something burns. Her past and present are presented and it isn’t really a pretty picture. Things aren’t clear.
Ridiculously short personal comment: I am…confused? But still very much intrigued? I liked the writing style and the mysterious atmosphere of the story. Only major complain: what the actual fuck? What happened? I mean, I can imagine but…when the story was over I honestly thought that the ending was missing from my Kindle Edition - hence the mysterious atmosphere. And it was so frustrating because I was incredibly into the plot and the characters - hence my fascination with the story. Dunno, I’m torn. But this was a very bizarre yet captivating beginning.
A Ruthless Dame by Tim Floreen: 3 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: young boy has a summer romance with another boy. Latter dude stops keeping in touch and reappears with a girlfriend. Main character plans then his revenge. It involves butter.
Ridiculously short personal comment: This was…strange? But I liked how strange it was? Also, kinda enjoyed the whole revenge based on a psychological plan and the presence of religion as an undertone throughout the story. Overall, though, I was not blown away by it and, in the end, I found it rather dull, as it did not really have a bite or a twist.
Look Down by Robin Talley: 3.5 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: scary stories told during camp turn out to be something more. Moral of the story: don’t go to the bathroom in the dead of night.
Ridiculously short personal comment: Here me out: I am a chicken. I do not read horror stories. I’m not saying that this was one, by any means, but…yeah, for my standards, it was close. And I’ll be damned but I liked it: it was atmospheric and creepy. Very simple in the creepy aspect, the plot was predictable and the setting was rather cliché but very effective for my chicken-mind. Not bad, really.
Big Brother, Part 1 and Part 2 by E. C. Myers: 1 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: tbh, I fucking refuse to even write down a short synopsis. With all the dues respect, this story was disgusting and sick.
Ridiculously short personal comment: what…the…actual…fucking fuck? What did I just read? What was this fuckery? You made me read it with my very own two eyes. No. Did not like this. My god, it was disgusting.
The Subjunctive by Alaya Dawn Johnson: 2 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: girl with fire-breath comes back and meets sister who can call the wind. Together they go look for their coyote-brother (you wish I was making this up)
Ridiculously short personal comment: I didn’t like this one. It was magical realism and it didn’t make sense in the slightest. I didn’t understand the relationship (and therefore thought they were unnatural) and didn’t see the whole point of the story. The writing style too was not really my taste :/ Confusing. This story was simply confusing.
A Cautionary Tale by Stephanie Kuehn: 5 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: a party during the equinox takes and unpredictable turn when a tale about a mass murderer is shared.
Ridiculously short personal comment: Oh. My. God. This was good. Just simply and plainly GOOD.
Jackie’s Story by Justina Ireland: 3 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: three brothers move to the city and establish a close-knitted “Cosa Nostra”. Beware the enemies, though.
Ridiculously short personal comment: Oh, I really enjoyed this one! I liked how it started fan-fiction like and then developed and became basically a retelling of The Three Little Pigs. It was clever; I liked it!
Self-portrait by Brandy Colbert: 4.5 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: during gal’s first day in a new school, she meets two brothers who are going to influence her future.
Ridiculously short personal comment: this was such a simple contemporary but oh so good. I liked the writing style; I loved Sunday as a character and her decisions and her strength were inspiring. I’d love to read the whole novel, thank you very much :)
A Violation of Rule 16 by Suzanne Young: 5 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: girl fights her school when she gets yet another day in detention because of the clothes.
Ridiculously short personal comment: YES!!! HOLY HELL THIS WAS PHENOMENAL! The feminist read that everybody needs to read. Short and straight to the point: beautiful. Fantastic. Spectacular. Stellar. Amazing.
The Chaos Effect by Marieke Nijkamp: 4.5 ⭐
Ridiculously short synopsis: Continuation and ending of the first short story. The fire burns even brighter.
Ridiculously short personal comment: I am shooketh. I loved it. this was the continuation of the first story and HOT DAMN it was fantastic. Now all the confusion dictated by the first part of the story has been completely erased and a unflinching, brutal and phenomenal short story was created. Wow, just wow.
Overall
Actual rating: 3.5 ⭐ rounded up because the ones I loved I seriously loved.
So, this was a rollercoaster.
First, it is important to know that, relatively randomly, I am a huge fan of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and of dysfunctional (and morally-gray) characters. So this anthology was literally created for me. And I have to admit that I was not disappointed.
I particularly enjoyed the diversity in genre (from simple contemporary, to mystery, to horror, to fable, to sci-fi. Everything was present), the diversity in sexualities (bi-, gay, lesbian) and the diversity in race. Moreover, the fact that the majority of the stories had religious undertones (specifically Christianity) was something I was not expecting but that I actually appreciated.
Another aspect I liked was the “filler-voice”. In fact, the narrator and his point of view were straightforward and no-nonsense. And that is something I adore.
As always, the good stories were GOOD™️ and the bad stories were BAD™️ but the overall experience was a surprisingly pleasant one.
"Our parents see us as these problems to solve, delinquents to deal with.
But we’re more than that."
April 7, 2020
This was... very strange. Admittedly, I still very much enjoyed it. It's hard to describe my feelings on a collection of stories that vary so greatly. The standouts in here (to me) were "A Cautionary Tale" by Stephanie Kuehn, "A Ruthless Dame" by Tim Floreen, and oddly enough, "Big Brother" by E.C. Myers. I really appreciate what this book set out to do and the overall construction of it was very interesting.
Some stories were severely weird. And I don't mean that lightly. I have no idea where the idea for "Big Brother" came from, and frankly, I would rather let that remain a mystery. And, one must keep in mind, that my appreciation for "Big Brother" and "A Ruthless Dame" strictly come along with how the balance of fiction and fact was maintained by the narrator. If that extra layer had not been a factor, I would have found them significantly less meaningful.
Some of these stories were a bit underdeveloped and cliché like "Jackie's Story" by Justina Ireland, and others were cluttered and utterly confusing like Alaya Dawn Johnson's "The Subjunctive."
The ending of the book itself holds a message that undeniably aligns with Hutchinson's usual style.
Overall, this collection held a lot of valuable ideas, and I thoroughly enjoyed working my way through it.
Some stories were severely weird. And I don't mean that lightly. I have no idea where the idea for "Big Brother" came from, and frankly, I would rather let that remain a mystery. And, one must keep in mind, that my appreciation for "Big Brother" and "A Ruthless Dame" strictly come along with how the balance of fiction and fact was maintained by the narrator. If that extra layer had not been a factor, I would have found them significantly less meaningful.
Some of these stories were a bit underdeveloped and cliché like "Jackie's Story" by Justina Ireland, and others were cluttered and utterly confusing like Alaya Dawn Johnson's "The Subjunctive."
The ending of the book itself holds a message that undeniably aligns with Hutchinson's usual style.
Overall, this collection held a lot of valuable ideas, and I thoroughly enjoyed working my way through it.
Read
September 16, 2017Rating: 3.75/5
Review to come!
Review to come!
February 1, 2022
More of 3.5 - I enjoyed the ride. Set up like The Canterbury Tales and Haunted, these short stories come in the form of a narrative. Bonus points for featuring different authors - they added a wide range of voices.
A bunch of delinquents get tossed in the woods and need to find their way back to camp. Along the way, they each tell their stories of how they got there.
Summaries for my own reference:
"The Butterfly Effect" - Girl who plays with matchbooks finally lights a flame one day. Hints at something darker, which we'll uncover in the final story.
"A Ruthless Dame" - Homosexual boy loves a good femme fatale, gets exploited by an older boy, gets even in the best way.
"Look Down" - Girls tell ghosts stories, one gets too real.
"Big Brother, Part 1" - Sexual deviant catches pious sister getting orgasmic in her sleep. The listeners are appalled, tell him to shut up before the story can finish.
"The Subjunctive" - Something about coyotes and/or peyote. Not my favorite.
"A Cautionary Tale" - Campus escort meets a drunk guy on the beach. He's paranoid someone will die on the equinox - which is that night. They go to a college party. The drunk guy was right.
"Jackie's Story" - First tries to pass off a TV show as a story. Then gives a twisted retelling of the "Three Little Pigs."
"Big Brother, Part 2" - Sexual deviant tries to defend himself, saying that the video uploaded to YouTube on accident. Then aliens come into the picture because that makes sense.
"Self-Portrait" - Girl has extreme moral dilemma between her reputation, her drug-dealing friend, and her friend's brother who has a crush on her. Admirable nor not, I feel like she made the wrong choice.
"A Violation of Rule 16" - Headstrong girl gets suspended from school for wearing semi-revealing clothing. Can't understand why she's at fault when boys aren't treated the same (she has a point). Attempts revenge on the teacher and principal who tried to publicly shame her. I highly enjoyed this one.
"The Chaos Effect" - The first storyteller finishes her tale, alluding to sexual abuse as the reason for her unrest. We all come away wanting justice for her.
The title of the book alludes to the message of the book: "We are not animals." No matter how messed up or chaotic our actions may be, it's our humanity that makes the choice. It's our humanity that dictates how we cope and recover. I'm too plain to relate, but for anyone out there who is treated like something less than human, I feel for you.
I will say one more thing that holds just as much weight: Many of these youths don't appear to have decent respect for others or authority. That trait may have helped alleviate several of these situations - teach your kids well. Am I preaching in a Goodreads review? Oh goodness, I've hit a new low.
Randomly selected off library shelves.
A bunch of delinquents get tossed in the woods and need to find their way back to camp. Along the way, they each tell their stories of how they got there.
Summaries for my own reference:
"The Butterfly Effect" - Girl who plays with matchbooks finally lights a flame one day. Hints at something darker, which we'll uncover in the final story.
"A Ruthless Dame" - Homosexual boy loves a good femme fatale, gets exploited by an older boy, gets even in the best way.
"Look Down" - Girls tell ghosts stories, one gets too real.
"Big Brother, Part 1" - Sexual deviant catches pious sister getting orgasmic in her sleep. The listeners are appalled, tell him to shut up before the story can finish.
"The Subjunctive" - Something about coyotes and/or peyote. Not my favorite.
"A Cautionary Tale" - Campus escort meets a drunk guy on the beach. He's paranoid someone will die on the equinox - which is that night. They go to a college party. The drunk guy was right.
"Jackie's Story" - First tries to pass off a TV show as a story. Then gives a twisted retelling of the "Three Little Pigs."
"Big Brother, Part 2" - Sexual deviant tries to defend himself, saying that the video uploaded to YouTube on accident. Then aliens come into the picture because that makes sense.
"Self-Portrait" - Girl has extreme moral dilemma between her reputation, her drug-dealing friend, and her friend's brother who has a crush on her. Admirable nor not, I feel like she made the wrong choice.
"A Violation of Rule 16" - Headstrong girl gets suspended from school for wearing semi-revealing clothing. Can't understand why she's at fault when boys aren't treated the same (she has a point). Attempts revenge on the teacher and principal who tried to publicly shame her. I highly enjoyed this one.
"The Chaos Effect" - The first storyteller finishes her tale, alluding to sexual abuse as the reason for her unrest. We all come away wanting justice for her.
The title of the book alludes to the message of the book: "We are not animals." No matter how messed up or chaotic our actions may be, it's our humanity that makes the choice. It's our humanity that dictates how we cope and recover. I'm too plain to relate, but for anyone out there who is treated like something less than human, I feel for you.
I will say one more thing that holds just as much weight: Many of these youths don't appear to have decent respect for others or authority. That trait may have helped alleviate several of these situations - teach your kids well. Am I preaching in a Goodreads review? Oh goodness, I've hit a new low.
Randomly selected off library shelves.
September 16, 2017
Feral Youth is a YA retelling of The Canterbury Tales, edited by Shaun David Hutchinson, so I was incredibly excited to read this. This anthology follows a group of teen delinquents at wilderness camp who are on a 3-day trek back to camp, and have a story telling competition along the way.
The stories in this collection run the gamut of genres: there is folklore, fanfic, creepy, and contemporary. Each character’s story is written by a different YA author, with Shaun David Hutchinson taking the narrator’s perspective to weave it all together. I really enjoyed this premise, and I of course liked some stories more than others, but I still enjoyed nearly every single story. Feral Youth has great representation, both in terms of race and sexual orientation, and it’s a collection fundamentally about knowing that you’re more than your mistakes. This book confronts the treatment of “at risk” kids, disproportionately those who are people of color and often poor, and exposes the ways in which our society doesn’t give them a fair shot, much less an honest second chance.
*I received an eARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review.
The stories in this collection run the gamut of genres: there is folklore, fanfic, creepy, and contemporary. Each character’s story is written by a different YA author, with Shaun David Hutchinson taking the narrator’s perspective to weave it all together. I really enjoyed this premise, and I of course liked some stories more than others, but I still enjoyed nearly every single story. Feral Youth has great representation, both in terms of race and sexual orientation, and it’s a collection fundamentally about knowing that you’re more than your mistakes. This book confronts the treatment of “at risk” kids, disproportionately those who are people of color and often poor, and exposes the ways in which our society doesn’t give them a fair shot, much less an honest second chance.
*I received an eARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review.
June 2, 2019
Full review: https://bookpeopleteens.wordpress.com...
An OK try at updating the Canterbury Tales for teens. I didn’t really get into this book, but Shaun David Hutchinson is a good author, so I don’t really know what happened here. If this had just been a book of stories, and the escape from the forest plot had been a separate book, I would have loved both, but together neither felt necessary. Rating: Three/Five
For fans of: Classical to YA Adaptations, Survival Tales, Random Characters Thrown Together Through Circumstances Beyond Their Control
Favorite quotes:
- “The world burns from the inside out. You don’t see it until it’s too late.”
- “He can’t breathe because he’s got asthma, whereas you’re just an asshole for no reason.”
- “So what? Who gives a shit who’s banging who?” “Whom,” Jaila said. “What?” “Who’s banging whom.” Tino tensed. “I don’t need a fucking grammar lesson.”
An OK try at updating the Canterbury Tales for teens. I didn’t really get into this book, but Shaun David Hutchinson is a good author, so I don’t really know what happened here. If this had just been a book of stories, and the escape from the forest plot had been a separate book, I would have loved both, but together neither felt necessary. Rating: Three/Five
For fans of: Classical to YA Adaptations, Survival Tales, Random Characters Thrown Together Through Circumstances Beyond Their Control
Favorite quotes:
- “The world burns from the inside out. You don’t see it until it’s too late.”
- “He can’t breathe because he’s got asthma, whereas you’re just an asshole for no reason.”
- “So what? Who gives a shit who’s banging who?” “Whom,” Jaila said. “What?” “Who’s banging whom.” Tino tensed. “I don’t need a fucking grammar lesson.”
wishlist
September 12, 2017OMG I NEED THIS. SOON.
September 21, 2017
An anthology, which was masterfully tied together with a compelling overall story.
This is their last chance. Each one of these "feral youth" have committed so sort of crime, and have landed themselves on the wrong side of the law. This camp is their chance to "rehabilitate" themselves, and avoid greater punishment. Anthologies are hit or miss for me, but I would put this is the "hit" column for me. This collection was very cohesive, and that common thread is what grabbed me and kept me reading. I liked that this last-chance survival group was filled with people from different socioeconomic groups, with different skin colors, with different sexual preferences, and from different types of families. I liked that diversity, because it showed that we are different, but we are the same. We all make mistakes. We all hurt. We all feel pain and loss.
I liked the variety in the storytelling. Some stories read like an oral history. They appeared to be a true retelling of the events, while others hid the truth in fiction behind horror, lore, and mythology. These stories were not realistic, but I could find the "truths" that were concealed within the tale.
Two stories stood out for me. I found Marieke Nijkamp's story very powerful. It was split in two parts, and after reading the first part, I already knew what was going on in that character's life. The power was in what she said without actually coming out and saying it. It was the feelings she evoked and the sadness that wrapped around me. I also loved Suzanne Young's piece. I think I may have fist-pumped at one point, because she was saying things that I have felt for so long regarding the way young women are treated by society.
There were many good, even great, compelling tales shared by the different authors, however, I attribute this really working for me because of the parts that came in-between each story. We had a great narrator, and it was the overarching story, which gave greater meaning to each of the short stories contained therein. These in-between parts are where we learned a little more about each character, and also where we learned more about what really happened. We also saw how the characters were changing over those three days during those connecting parts, and I really believe that is what elevated this anthology for me.
**I would like to thank the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. Quotes are from an ARC and may change upon publication.
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"Nothing we did mattered because, to our families, we were only what we'd done to get sent here. It's all they would ever see."
This is their last chance. Each one of these "feral youth" have committed so sort of crime, and have landed themselves on the wrong side of the law. This camp is their chance to "rehabilitate" themselves, and avoid greater punishment. Anthologies are hit or miss for me, but I would put this is the "hit" column for me. This collection was very cohesive, and that common thread is what grabbed me and kept me reading. I liked that this last-chance survival group was filled with people from different socioeconomic groups, with different skin colors, with different sexual preferences, and from different types of families. I liked that diversity, because it showed that we are different, but we are the same. We all make mistakes. We all hurt. We all feel pain and loss.
"Whether a story is true isn't important if you're hurting all the same because of it."
I liked the variety in the storytelling. Some stories read like an oral history. They appeared to be a true retelling of the events, while others hid the truth in fiction behind horror, lore, and mythology. These stories were not realistic, but I could find the "truths" that were concealed within the tale.
"If you keep feeding the fire, it will grow and wait to devour you. You don't realize it until it's too late."
Two stories stood out for me. I found Marieke Nijkamp's story very powerful. It was split in two parts, and after reading the first part, I already knew what was going on in that character's life. The power was in what she said without actually coming out and saying it. It was the feelings she evoked and the sadness that wrapped around me. I also loved Suzanne Young's piece. I think I may have fist-pumped at one point, because she was saying things that I have felt for so long regarding the way young women are treated by society.
"My crime is being female in a place that values male education over mine."
There were many good, even great, compelling tales shared by the different authors, however, I attribute this really working for me because of the parts that came in-between each story. We had a great narrator, and it was the overarching story, which gave greater meaning to each of the short stories contained therein. These in-between parts are where we learned a little more about each character, and also where we learned more about what really happened. We also saw how the characters were changing over those three days during those connecting parts, and I really believe that is what elevated this anthology for me.
"I don't know how much of what any of them said was the truth, but it doesn't matter because the truth doesn't exist in our words but in the spaces between them."
**I would like to thank the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. Quotes are from an ARC and may change upon publication.
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September 9, 2017
This was a really good collection. Shaun David Hutchinson can seriously do no wrong in my opinion, and this was no exception. His narration fit perfectly with the full length stories, and tied everything together. The stories themselves...like always, there were some that I liked more than others. Here is my breakdown:
The Butterfly Effect and The Chaos Effect by Marieke Nijkamp: 4 Stars
I liked The Chaos Effect better than The Butterfly Effect, but they were both pretty good. There's something about Nijkamp's writing that I don't love, but I'm not sure what it is--I noticed it when I read This is Where it Ends. But overall, very solid and heart-wrenching.
A Duthless Dame by Tim Floreen: 5 Stars
This was one of my favorites! It was funny and amusing and dramatic. It definitely reinforced that I need to read some Tim Floreen.
Look Down by Robin Talley: 4 Stars
This was super creepy. There was a great build-up to the end and I was quaking it my boots a little bit. I regretted reading it late at night.
Big Brother, Part 1 & 2 by E.C. Myers: 4 Stars
This was a strange one, and I wasn't sure how I felt about it at first, but I ended up liking it. It's a little gross, but still interesting? I'm confused about why I like it, but I do.
The Subjunctive by Alaya Dawn Johnson: 2 Stars
This was my least favorite story. I was bored and confused, and just wanted it to be over. Maybe I would have liked a longer version of it, but I'm not sure.
A Cautionary Tale by Stephanie Kuehn: 3 1/2 Stars
Talk about a surprising tale! I loved most of the story, but the ending shocked me a little too much--I'm not sure if it matched the rest of it. But overall, really enjoyable.
Jackie's Story by Justina Ireland: 2 Stars
I was a little bored by this one as well, though it did have some good quotes. I just feel like it was extremely forgettable.
Self-Portrait by Brandy Colbert: 5 Stars
This was my other favorite. I would die of happiness if this was a full novel. I just wanted to know these characters more and live their lives. Brandy Colbert is a phenomenal writer.
A Violation of Rule 16 by Suzanne Young: 4 Stars
A story of female empowerment and equality is always going to be my jam. It was a good story of justice against the ridiculous dress codes many teens have to deal with every day.
The Butterfly Effect and The Chaos Effect by Marieke Nijkamp: 4 Stars
I liked The Chaos Effect better than The Butterfly Effect, but they were both pretty good. There's something about Nijkamp's writing that I don't love, but I'm not sure what it is--I noticed it when I read This is Where it Ends. But overall, very solid and heart-wrenching.
A Duthless Dame by Tim Floreen: 5 Stars
This was one of my favorites! It was funny and amusing and dramatic. It definitely reinforced that I need to read some Tim Floreen.
Look Down by Robin Talley: 4 Stars
This was super creepy. There was a great build-up to the end and I was quaking it my boots a little bit. I regretted reading it late at night.
Big Brother, Part 1 & 2 by E.C. Myers: 4 Stars
This was a strange one, and I wasn't sure how I felt about it at first, but I ended up liking it. It's a little gross, but still interesting? I'm confused about why I like it, but I do.
The Subjunctive by Alaya Dawn Johnson: 2 Stars
This was my least favorite story. I was bored and confused, and just wanted it to be over. Maybe I would have liked a longer version of it, but I'm not sure.
A Cautionary Tale by Stephanie Kuehn: 3 1/2 Stars
Talk about a surprising tale! I loved most of the story, but the ending shocked me a little too much--I'm not sure if it matched the rest of it. But overall, really enjoyable.
Jackie's Story by Justina Ireland: 2 Stars
I was a little bored by this one as well, though it did have some good quotes. I just feel like it was extremely forgettable.
Self-Portrait by Brandy Colbert: 5 Stars
This was my other favorite. I would die of happiness if this was a full novel. I just wanted to know these characters more and live their lives. Brandy Colbert is a phenomenal writer.
A Violation of Rule 16 by Suzanne Young: 4 Stars
A story of female empowerment and equality is always going to be my jam. It was a good story of justice against the ridiculous dress codes many teens have to deal with every day.
November 11, 2019
I loved this book! I've never read an anthology quite like this. It was a series of short stories written by different authors, but it was woven into a full book. So it wasn't just reading short story after short story. It was all threaded together. It was super cool. I think technically I'd give it 4.5 because I wasn't super into a couple stories. Otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed this. In my opinion though, this wasn't exactly teen material. A few places were not stories I'd want my teenager reading one day. Then again, I know what kind of stuff I was reading at 14 so I can't even talk. I turned out mostly okay. I think. Anyways, I loved this. It's free on the Simon Teen Riveted site until Nov. 30!
February 15, 2021
Feral Youth takes story telling around a campfire to a WHOLE new level.
The story follows 10 teens that got themselves into trouble back home and got sent to The Bend, a program meant to give them a last chance to get their lives back in order through teamwork, compassion and blah blah..
The instructors dropped the teens in the wilderness to fend for themselves, with no food or water.
During their trail back to the camp, the teens tell the story of how they got sent to The Zeppelin Bend in the first place.
The stories are raw, unapologetic and straight heartbreaking but the catch? We don't actually know which are true and which aren't.
Hutchinson and all the amazing contributors did a great job on this anthology.
The story follows 10 teens that got themselves into trouble back home and got sent to The Bend, a program meant to give them a last chance to get their lives back in order through teamwork, compassion and blah blah..
The instructors dropped the teens in the wilderness to fend for themselves, with no food or water.
During their trail back to the camp, the teens tell the story of how they got sent to The Zeppelin Bend in the first place.
The stories are raw, unapologetic and straight heartbreaking but the catch? We don't actually know which are true and which aren't.
Hutchinson and all the amazing contributors did a great job on this anthology.
May 19, 2018
4.5 stars!
These multiple-perspective books that Shaun David Hutchinson has been writing with other authors are fantastic! I highly recommend both this one and Violent Ends. There were a couple of stories in this one that I wasn't super crazy about but overall it's a really great collection.. flowed well, lots of diversity, powerful messages, etc. Look Down was super creepy too which I loved.
Favorites:
A Violation of Rule 16 - Suzanne Young
A Cautionary Tale - Stephanie Kuehn
Look Down - Robin Talley
A Ruthless Dame - Tim Floreen
These multiple-perspective books that Shaun David Hutchinson has been writing with other authors are fantastic! I highly recommend both this one and Violent Ends. There were a couple of stories in this one that I wasn't super crazy about but overall it's a really great collection.. flowed well, lots of diversity, powerful messages, etc. Look Down was super creepy too which I loved.
Favorites:
A Violation of Rule 16 - Suzanne Young
A Cautionary Tale - Stephanie Kuehn
Look Down - Robin Talley
A Ruthless Dame - Tim Floreen
October 21, 2017
This was a big disappointment to me. I only found one or two of the stories really managed to keep my attention, and the others I just found myself skimming through.
December 11, 2019
I love retellings of classic stories, and I particularly love it when those retellings correlate to classics I am currently reading. This semester, I took Brit Lit. I and read excerpts of The Canterbury Tales (because it's too long to read in full for class), and so I was delighted to see Feral Youth offered in November as one of RivetedLit's free reads.
Reframing The Canterbury Tales as a group of stories told by teens forcibly hiking through the woods for three days in a program for "troubled" teens was a smart move. I particularly liked how the narrator (written by Shaun David Hutchinson) introduces the contest and appears in short sections after each story. It's just a great update on The Canterbury Tales for teenagers.
Having each story being written by a different YA author gives this anthology a wider perspective, but it also does mean some of the stories were better than others. Let's do a quick run through.
1. "The Butterfly Effect" and "The Chaos Effect" by Marieke Nijkamp
Of all the stories, Jenna's might be my favorite. It's split into two parts, one that starts the novel and one that ends it. Jenna likes to set things on fire, but as she reveals in her stories her fires have a purpose. Her pain felt visceral and real in a why none of the other characters' emotions did. I'm now really interested in seeing more of Marieke Nijkamp's work.
Rating: 5/5
2. "A Ruthless Dame" by Tim Floreen
Cody's story is a fun tale of revenge against a skeezy ex, but it's not much else. I do love Cody's obsession with noir film, though.
Rating: 3/5
3. "Look Down" by Robin Talley
As a girl who went to cliquey summer camp, I can hardcore relate to Georgia. Still, I wish she had gotten more development.
Rating: 2/5
4. "Big Brother, Part 1" and "Big Brother, Part 2" by E.C. Myers
Myers does an incredible job of making a character who should be incredibly gross and awful sympathetic, but I still had trouble stomaching this story.
Rating: 2.5/5
5. "The Subjunctive" by Alaya Dawn Johnson
Jalia's story is weird and mystical and I love it! It has a great magical realism/mythology element, and it's perfect.
Rating: 5/5
6. "A Cautionary Tale" by Stephanie Kuehn
Oof, Tino's story is ROUGH. There's no good guy here, not really, but at least Tino seems to understand that. I'll be honest. I did not see the twist coming!
Rating: 4/5
7. "Jackie's Story" by Justina Ireland
Jackie's story is the most imaginative and inventive of the tales. I love a retelling within a retelling, and The Three Little Pigs is prime for that. Also, though, I would have still been down to just listen to her fanfiction.
Rating: 5/5
8. "Self-Portrait" by Brandy Colbert
Sunday's story felt anticlimactic to me. By the end, I still didn't understand why Sunday did what she did. I especially didn't understand why Eli did what he did. It all felt baffling and incomplete
Rating: 1/5
9. "A Violation of Rule 16" by Suzanne Young
Lucinda is a MVP in my book! **** school dress codes that discriminate against girls! Burn it all down! (In the case of this story, literally!)
Rating: 5/5
Overall, I'd recommend Feral Youth. It's a fun, weird anthology by a talented group of YA writers.
Reframing The Canterbury Tales as a group of stories told by teens forcibly hiking through the woods for three days in a program for "troubled" teens was a smart move. I particularly liked how the narrator (written by Shaun David Hutchinson) introduces the contest and appears in short sections after each story. It's just a great update on The Canterbury Tales for teenagers.
Having each story being written by a different YA author gives this anthology a wider perspective, but it also does mean some of the stories were better than others. Let's do a quick run through.
1. "The Butterfly Effect" and "The Chaos Effect" by Marieke Nijkamp
Of all the stories, Jenna's might be my favorite. It's split into two parts, one that starts the novel and one that ends it. Jenna likes to set things on fire, but as she reveals in her stories her fires have a purpose. Her pain felt visceral and real in a why none of the other characters' emotions did. I'm now really interested in seeing more of Marieke Nijkamp's work.
Rating: 5/5
2. "A Ruthless Dame" by Tim Floreen
Cody's story is a fun tale of revenge against a skeezy ex, but it's not much else. I do love Cody's obsession with noir film, though.
Rating: 3/5
3. "Look Down" by Robin Talley
As a girl who went to cliquey summer camp, I can hardcore relate to Georgia. Still, I wish she had gotten more development.
Rating: 2/5
4. "Big Brother, Part 1" and "Big Brother, Part 2" by E.C. Myers
Myers does an incredible job of making a character who should be incredibly gross and awful sympathetic, but I still had trouble stomaching this story.
Rating: 2.5/5
5. "The Subjunctive" by Alaya Dawn Johnson
Jalia's story is weird and mystical and I love it! It has a great magical realism/mythology element, and it's perfect.
Rating: 5/5
6. "A Cautionary Tale" by Stephanie Kuehn
Oof, Tino's story is ROUGH. There's no good guy here, not really, but at least Tino seems to understand that. I'll be honest. I did not see the twist coming!
Rating: 4/5
7. "Jackie's Story" by Justina Ireland
Jackie's story is the most imaginative and inventive of the tales. I love a retelling within a retelling, and The Three Little Pigs is prime for that. Also, though, I would have still been down to just listen to her fanfiction.
Rating: 5/5
8. "Self-Portrait" by Brandy Colbert
Sunday's story felt anticlimactic to me. By the end, I still didn't understand why Sunday did what she did. I especially didn't understand why Eli did what he did. It all felt baffling and incomplete
Rating: 1/5
9. "A Violation of Rule 16" by Suzanne Young
Lucinda is a MVP in my book! **** school dress codes that discriminate against girls! Burn it all down! (In the case of this story, literally!)
Rating: 5/5
Overall, I'd recommend Feral Youth. It's a fun, weird anthology by a talented group of YA writers.
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