Sundays: A #LoveOzYA Short Story

by Melissa Keil

A short story from BEGIN, END, A #LOVEOZYA ANTHOLOGY. This is a story about moving on, letting go, embracing change, and surviving those aimless, unfilled days.

Genres: Young Adult

31 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 1, 2017

About the author

Melissa Keil was born in Melbourne, Australia, and has been a giant book nerd for as long as she can remember. She studied Cinema and Anthropology at university, and then spent a few years dabbling in graduate study, including Professional Writing and Editing. In between she has been a high school teacher, Middle Eastern tour guide, waitress, community theatre dogsbody, and IT help desk person. Now, by day, she is a children’s book editor, and spends the rest of her time watching Star Wars content and wrangling a cheeky spoodle named Hugo. Her debut YA novel, Life in Outer Space, was the winner of the 2013 Ampersand Project and the 2014 Ena Noël award. Her subsequent YA novels, The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl and The Secret Science of Magic, are out now. She is also the author of the Barkly Mansion junior fiction series with illustrator Adele K Thomas. Her books have been shortlisted for the CBCA Book of the Year award, the Prime Minister’s Literary Award and the Gold Inky, and have been published around the world.

Reviews

[Prabhjot Kaur · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Everything ends. Life is meaningless and relationships are pointless. No-one sticks around and nothing lasts. We're all going to die alone anyway.'

Gabrielle is at a party with her friends Lou, Lara, Cam, Claire and Tommy. Cam and Claire are a couple and have been together for four years and the rest of the group is really invested in their relationship. When they find out that Cam and Claire have mutually broken up, rest of the group feels disoriented. They are all dealing with different things with their own families too so this news comes out of the blue and hits them harder than they ever expected it to.

I couldn't get into the story until halfway through and for a short story this felt too long with not much happening. A group of friends is dealing with changes, not just within the group but within their families as well as soon graduating high school and going to uni. I totally understand the feelings and anxiety of dealing with changes and I liked how the writer was trying to show this but as I couldn't really get into the story until a lot later, I couldn't enjoy it as much as I had wanted to. I also understand finding solace in your friend group and not expecting things to change and when they do even a tiny bit, how it affects everyone involved.

Another problem for me was not being able to connect with the main character and this story is pretty much her inner-thoughts, monologue and inner-struggles. I think if I had been able to connect to her, I would have liked the story better. I liked Lou and I adored Tommy.

And for a story titled Sundays, it actually takes places on a Saturday night going into Sunday. So, I don't know why it was titled, Sundays. May be it was the memories/anxieties associated with Sundays or they were getting brekky early Sunday morning or what but I didn't get it.

2.75 stars

[Siena · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW. This, folks, is how you do character development in a short story. "Sundays", my sixth adventure in the world of "Begin, End, Begin" grabbed my heart from the first page, and never let go. The protagonist Gabrielle is snarky without being mean, and Louis is too cute for words! I wish I could have a whole book about this characters, because I love 'em! I also really liked how the format of the story consisted of the hour by hour updates of what's got to be the most hilariously depressing party scene I've ever read in YA. BRB, just gonna go add all of Melissa Keil's books to my tbr list!

[Aimee Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

(This review was part of my full review on the Begin End Begin anthology)

OMG YES I love groups like this?? I don't really know what it is but big groups of dysfunctional friends becoming a sort of found family is such a soft spot for me. I especially love it when they kinda start to rely on the group and it, made of imperfect people, can't hold up to it.

I just really loved how well and how quickly this diverse group of characters was developed into compelling people I kinda wanted to be out adventuring with (even with all the drama). I think the resolution was what sold it for me. That the characters can be this family, but also change and shift apart and?? like that two are able to go their own way at that moment, but it doesn't mean end of the group

Also kinda loved Lou (what a big softie????) and Tommy (lovable hot mess nerd). Kinda want like an entire book of them?

[silene · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 stars
The topic of underage drinking in this book was something I did not like, but I liked how the author explored the importance of friendship in this short story.
Not recommended for under 13 years of age.

[Sean Harding · Rating 3 out of 5]

Keil ers #2
Fair dinkum Goodreads is difficult to use sometimes, the search function is so particular and titles just don't come up, anyway, another average tale from the anthology I am working through, nothing has been really memorable so far.

[Vhicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

For some reason, the characters reminded me to the series Skins. Loved the ending.

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.5*
I basically just re-read this cause Melissa Keil is great and I wanted to read more of her work. This as a fun short story with interesting characters, but nothing particularly remarkable.

[prathaaaaaaaa]

lately i've been playing a reading game called 'would this pass the prelim extension course or would prithy tear it to shreds'
this would pass.

[Sharlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was expecting lots of references that would give me context, or at least something OZ related. I know it was definitely different than reading a US YA... kids getting drunk thinking that their own dramas will end the world.