From the Outside Looking in: Short Stories for LDS Teenagers

by Chris Crowe (Editor)

Fifteen popular YA authors address feelings of teen isolation with thought-provoking and delightful stories designed to help. Using an engaging variety of voices and plots, they explore alienation from an LDS perspective and do so with a healthy dose of humor, sports, relationships, family, and faith. No matter what the circumstances, these stories are sure to uplift and reassure.

Genres: Young Adult

134 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1998

Reviews

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some really clever stories in here. Some so-so.

This had to be read for a class that focused on characterization, and many of the stories showed various ways how characters can be shaped and portrayed through good dialogue.

[Lindsay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Short stories provide authors a challenge to develop characters fully but within fewer words and sentences. I found this collection of stories to be interesting because they weren’t preachy or bad stories; however, I didn’t seem to relate with a lot of the characters because I found their development lacking. I think this lacking development of characters is to be expected because it is a short story. With that in mind I found that the short narratives provide a variety of genres that deal with teenagers who feel as if they are the only ones with their experience. The authors all dealt with the emotions and issues important to young adults. Overall the book achieves its quality because it consists of a variety in writing styles, stories, and characters, thus providing at least one story for a young adult to connect with in an essential way.

[JS · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a collection of stories about Mormon young adults who are facing issues at varying levels of seriousness. For example, one suffers from being a wallflower at a dance and another has moved out, refusing to be part of his family anymore because they are too “constraining.” Most of them do some degree of moralizing, though for Mormon stories they are not all that bad. The most touching was “A Light Still Burning,” about a young man and his family who would not give up on him though he strayed. The tone and subject matter varied widely, making it impossible to give an overall impression beyond the fact that they are definitely for Mormon teens who may or may not be facing serious questions and problems in their lives.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to read this for the class I took. It's decent, but a little dated and not awesome.

[Vernon Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with any short story collections there are good stories and less good stories. My favorite had something about Blue Jeans in the title.

[Marcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of thought-provoking short stories perfect for LDS teens.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was good.