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Cool. Awkward. Black.
A multi-genre YA anthology of bestselling, critically acclaimed Black authors challenging the concept of the geek, featuring contributions from Amerie, Kalynn Bayron, Terry J. Benton-Walker, Roseanne A. Brown, Elise Bryant, Tracy Deonn, Desiree S. Evans, Isaac Fitzsimons, Lamar Giles, Jordan Ifueko, Leah Johnson, Amanda Joy, Kwame Mbalia, Tochi Onyebuchi, Shari B. Pennant, K. Arsenault Rivera, Julian Winters, and Ibi Zoboi.
A girl who believes in UFOs; a boy who might have finally found his Prince Charming; a hopeful performer who dreams of being cast in her school's production of The Sound of Music; a misunderstood magician of sorts with a power she doesn't quite understand.
These plotlines and many more compose the eclectic stories found within the pages of this dynamic, exciting, and expansive collection featuring exclusively Black characters. From contemporary to historical, fantasy to sci-fi, magical to realistic, and with contributions from a powerhouse list of self-proclaimed geeks and bestselling, award-winning authors, this life-affirming anthology celebrates and redefines the many facets of Blackness and geekiness--both in the real world and those imagined.
A girl who believes in UFOs; a boy who might have finally found his Prince Charming; a hopeful performer who dreams of being cast in her school's production of The Sound of Music; a misunderstood magician of sorts with a power she doesn't quite understand.
These plotlines and many more compose the eclectic stories found within the pages of this dynamic, exciting, and expansive collection featuring exclusively Black characters. From contemporary to historical, fantasy to sci-fi, magical to realistic, and with contributions from a powerhouse list of self-proclaimed geeks and bestselling, award-winning authors, this life-affirming anthology celebrates and redefines the many facets of Blackness and geekiness--both in the real world and those imagined.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published January 10, 2023
40 people are currently reading
8319 people want to read
About the author
Karen Strong
10 books165 followersKaren Strong is the critically acclaimed author of several books for young readers. Her work has been praised by Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, and School Library Journal and has received recognition as a Southern Book Prize finalist, Ignyte Award finalist, and BCCB Blue Ribbon selection. Find her online at karen-strong.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
January 30, 2023
**3/11/2021**
Even the rights report of this made me emotional.... I would have LOVED for a book like this when I was a teen. My Black, Awkward, Cool geekish heart can't wait for this!
**01/17/2023**
As always with anthologies, there were some I liked and some not so much. I DID like how every type of nerd, from anime to theater kids to bookworms, all of it was in here. I just found that so cool and reassuring. Coming from someone who didn't get that when I was in grade school, I would have loved to have a book like this to make me feel less alone. Real review to come on my blog.
Even the rights report of this made me emotional.... I would have LOVED for a book like this when I was a teen. My Black, Awkward, Cool geekish heart can't wait for this!
**01/17/2023**
As always with anthologies, there were some I liked and some not so much. I DID like how every type of nerd, from anime to theater kids to bookworms, all of it was in here. I just found that so cool and reassuring. Coming from someone who didn't get that when I was in grade school, I would have loved to have a book like this to make me feel less alone. Real review to come on my blog.
January 17, 2023
Anthologies are always hit or miss for me when they are comprised of several authors, but I felt like this anthology was the ode to my Black, queer, nerdy heart. I related to so many of these stories and experiences. I don’t even think that I can pick a favorite because I could easily see myself in all of them. This right here is why representation matters!
Thank you Penguin Teen for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
Thank you Penguin Teen for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
December 9, 2022
Cool. Awkward. Black. is a YA anthology of stories by Black authors about Black teenagers who are awkward or nerdy or just into something really specific. This is an anthology celebrating difference and the unique things that make people who they are- specifically celebrating Black teens who don't fit into a stereotypical mold.
The included genres range from contemporary fiction to fantasy, paranormal, and sci-fi. Several of them center queer characters (including a great story about a trans boy on a cruise with his step-family), some deal with complex family dynamics, friendships, or romance. There's even a fun one where a D&D game takes on a life of it's own!
There's a wide range and not every story was a hit, but most of them were. There are some amazing authors in this collection and it's definitely worth a read. It's a very strong anthology. I received a copy of this book for review via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.
The included genres range from contemporary fiction to fantasy, paranormal, and sci-fi. Several of them center queer characters (including a great story about a trans boy on a cruise with his step-family), some deal with complex family dynamics, friendships, or romance. There's even a fun one where a D&D game takes on a life of it's own!
There's a wide range and not every story was a hit, but most of them were. There are some amazing authors in this collection and it's definitely worth a read. It's a very strong anthology. I received a copy of this book for review via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.
January 11, 2023
Thank you to Penguin Teen and Negalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest opinion. All opinions are my own.
This was such a lovely collection of short stories. I loved them all! Nina Evans, in the Round had me tearing up at the end, it was such a feel good story. I hope we continue to see more anthologies like this one and Reclaim the Stars: 17 Tales Across Realms & Space. I love anthologies and have gotten a fair number of queer ones so it's only time for ones by various ethnicities/races. I hope we continue to see these voices given their times and money. I hope we also see ones that have multiple marginalizations as well.
Really can't express how much I loved this collection and I will be obtaining a copy as soon as I can!
Rep: All Black MCs, a good majority are queer.
CWs: Racism, religious bigotry, misogyny, sexism.
This was such a lovely collection of short stories. I loved them all! Nina Evans, in the Round had me tearing up at the end, it was such a feel good story. I hope we continue to see more anthologies like this one and Reclaim the Stars: 17 Tales Across Realms & Space. I love anthologies and have gotten a fair number of queer ones so it's only time for ones by various ethnicities/races. I hope we continue to see these voices given their times and money. I hope we also see ones that have multiple marginalizations as well.
Really can't express how much I loved this collection and I will be obtaining a copy as soon as I can!
Rep: All Black MCs, a good majority are queer.
CWs: Racism, religious bigotry, misogyny, sexism.
February 3, 2023
3.5 ⭐️ It’s always hard for me to rate anthologies. Should you rate it based off of the total number of stories you enjoy, the cohesiveness of the stories, or maybe both? I try to take all of these things in to account.
Taken together, there were some stories I loved and other that were just okay; however I am not the target age group for this book and that has to be taken into account as well.
This is a book that I definitely wished that I had as a teenager because I like a lot of the protagonist in these stories, was in fact awkward and didn’t “fit in” because of this. Having a book like this definitely would have lifted my spirits.
This was such a fun book to read and I definitely could see myself picking it up again!
Taken together, there were some stories I loved and other that were just okay; however I am not the target age group for this book and that has to be taken into account as well.
This is a book that I definitely wished that I had as a teenager because I like a lot of the protagonist in these stories, was in fact awkward and didn’t “fit in” because of this. Having a book like this definitely would have lifted my spirits.
This was such a fun book to read and I definitely could see myself picking it up again!
November 8, 2022
I absolutely loved this! Novels like these are hard to rate just because of how contrasting the ratings between stories can be. I did overall think this was well done though. I started giving short reviews to each short story but promptly gave up around halfway when I realized how many there were. Here were the half that I did do though! The others were (mostly) great as well.
— "Our joy, Our Power" by Julian Winters
★★★★☆
I was super excited for this short story because of my love for Julian Winters! This was super sweet, especially the overarching message. The setting was adorable, and I liked the main couple even if we didn't get time to see them develop.
— "The Book Club" by Shari B. Pennant
★★★☆☆
I'm a sucker for a good bookstore setting and fantasy, so I knew I'd like this from the start. Secret magical societies are going to hit every time, so I wish I could've gotten more of this.
— "Nina Evans, in the Round" by Kalynn Bayron
★★★★☆
I'm like really not a fan of this author, so this was a bit a change. I quite liked the wholesomeness with the family dynamics and hopefulness of this one. I enjoyed the inclusion of theater in this historical setting.
— "Earth is Ghetto" by Ibi Zoboi
★☆☆☆☆
I'm not going to lie. I was confused for most of the start, but... ailens! I did like the relatability of the main character in ways but not much else. It's definitely an interesting idea, though? I ended up skimming this one.
— "Initiative Check" by K. Arsenault Rivera
★★★☆☆
This was so fun! Second chances in this magical setting. I wish I could spend more time with these characters and get more explanation on the fantasy, but it works as a short story.
— "Corner Booth" by Leah Johnson
★★★★☆
Another author, I'm not a huge fan of who surprised me! I'm finding that I just love most of these settings. This was nerdy and cute and just a good time. It was predictable, but I doubt it was really trying to throw you for a turn with the twist.
— "Betty's Best Craft" by Elise Bryant
★★☆☆☆
I can't really bring myself to like these second chance stories that much just because I feel like I need more attachment to the characters. But also, this relationship wasn't my favorite of the bunch. I did like the inclusion of crafts and such in this, though.
— "The Panel Shows the Girl" by Amanda Joy
★★★★★
I loved Anaya and her magical little sketchbook. I can't really say much without spoiling this one, but I thought the plot was creative and executed nicely as well!
— "Spirt-filled" by Jordan Ifueko
★★☆☆☆
I just wasn't really interested in this one. I also ended up skimming it. I'm also just not a fan of most works with religious themes.
— "Cole's Cruise Blues" by Issac Fitzsimons
★★★★★
Adored the trans rep in this one! Queer middle school stories are always just pleasant as a whole. There's always a tenderness to them. This was probably my favorite! I also adored the authors other novel so I expected to enjoy this one and was correct.
— "Our joy, Our Power" by Julian Winters
★★★★☆
I was super excited for this short story because of my love for Julian Winters! This was super sweet, especially the overarching message. The setting was adorable, and I liked the main couple even if we didn't get time to see them develop.
— "The Book Club" by Shari B. Pennant
★★★☆☆
I'm a sucker for a good bookstore setting and fantasy, so I knew I'd like this from the start. Secret magical societies are going to hit every time, so I wish I could've gotten more of this.
— "Nina Evans, in the Round" by Kalynn Bayron
★★★★☆
I'm like really not a fan of this author, so this was a bit a change. I quite liked the wholesomeness with the family dynamics and hopefulness of this one. I enjoyed the inclusion of theater in this historical setting.
— "Earth is Ghetto" by Ibi Zoboi
★☆☆☆☆
I'm not going to lie. I was confused for most of the start, but... ailens! I did like the relatability of the main character in ways but not much else. It's definitely an interesting idea, though? I ended up skimming this one.
— "Initiative Check" by K. Arsenault Rivera
★★★☆☆
This was so fun! Second chances in this magical setting. I wish I could spend more time with these characters and get more explanation on the fantasy, but it works as a short story.
— "Corner Booth" by Leah Johnson
★★★★☆
Another author, I'm not a huge fan of who surprised me! I'm finding that I just love most of these settings. This was nerdy and cute and just a good time. It was predictable, but I doubt it was really trying to throw you for a turn with the twist.
— "Betty's Best Craft" by Elise Bryant
★★☆☆☆
I can't really bring myself to like these second chance stories that much just because I feel like I need more attachment to the characters. But also, this relationship wasn't my favorite of the bunch. I did like the inclusion of crafts and such in this, though.
— "The Panel Shows the Girl" by Amanda Joy
★★★★★
I loved Anaya and her magical little sketchbook. I can't really say much without spoiling this one, but I thought the plot was creative and executed nicely as well!
— "Spirt-filled" by Jordan Ifueko
★★☆☆☆
I just wasn't really interested in this one. I also ended up skimming it. I'm also just not a fan of most works with religious themes.
— "Cole's Cruise Blues" by Issac Fitzsimons
★★★★★
Adored the trans rep in this one! Queer middle school stories are always just pleasant as a whole. There's always a tenderness to them. This was probably my favorite! I also adored the authors other novel so I expected to enjoy this one and was correct.
February 4, 2023
I absolutely loved this anthology! It feels so good to be seen and this is one I will recommend forever. I bought this the day it came out and I’m so so happy I finally got to it.
This book gathers black authors (both new and old to me) and they all have different versions of what it means to be weird and nerdy. I loved how different the stories were. We go from cosplayers and anime fans to kids who love competitive spelling and doing crafts. It goes from fantasy to contemporary and everything in between. I was so impressed by this.
My favorites were probably:
Nina Evans, in the round : Kalynn Bayron
Corner Booth: Leah Johnson
Betty’s best craft: Elsie Bryant
Cole’s Cruise Blues: Isaac Fitzsimons
High Strangeness: Desiree S. Evans.
Wolf tracks: Roseanne A. Brown
All of these stories spoke to me for different reasons, though. There isn’t just one way to be black. People may look at you and expect you to be a certain way, but that isn’t your job to live up to anyone’s expectations. You aren’t weird for what you love and there will always be people out there who accept you for who you are. If you’ve ever felt left out, weird, awkward, strange, or like you don’t belong for your hobbies, this is for you I also loved all the anime references as a weeb myself.
This book gathers black authors (both new and old to me) and they all have different versions of what it means to be weird and nerdy. I loved how different the stories were. We go from cosplayers and anime fans to kids who love competitive spelling and doing crafts. It goes from fantasy to contemporary and everything in between. I was so impressed by this.
My favorites were probably:
Nina Evans, in the round : Kalynn Bayron
Corner Booth: Leah Johnson
Betty’s best craft: Elsie Bryant
Cole’s Cruise Blues: Isaac Fitzsimons
High Strangeness: Desiree S. Evans.
Wolf tracks: Roseanne A. Brown
All of these stories spoke to me for different reasons, though. There isn’t just one way to be black. People may look at you and expect you to be a certain way, but that isn’t your job to live up to anyone’s expectations. You aren’t weird for what you love and there will always be people out there who accept you for who you are. If you’ve ever felt left out, weird, awkward, strange, or like you don’t belong for your hobbies, this is for you I also loved all the anime references as a weeb myself.
April 7, 2024
This was such a fun collection of short stories! I really loved all of them—there wasn’t a single bad one. It was a little hard for me to get through because I usually prefer longer stories/novels, but the content was fantastic. I loved all the queer, trans, and Black rep for teenagers! Highly recommend this collection!
March 11, 2023
I love this book! An anthology of short stories that celebrate black kids doing what they love. Very nerdy. Sometimes queer. Always ending hopefully.
July 3, 2022
I’m in this one🥰
January 14, 2023
Find my bookstagram tour stop for this book here :)
A wonderful anthology that's not just inclusive - it shows Black nerds carving out their own spot in fandom and geekdom, places where they are not always welcomed or represented. It's a really important book for teens seeking that representation, and important to share with non-Black teens too, so they grow to understand that diversity alone isn't enough and that a space needs to be truly inclusive to be welcoming.
I love the spread of authors and blend of genres in this anthology. I recommend for basically anyone, and I think reluctant readers will like the 20-page(ish) stories.
A wonderful anthology that's not just inclusive - it shows Black nerds carving out their own spot in fandom and geekdom, places where they are not always welcomed or represented. It's a really important book for teens seeking that representation, and important to share with non-Black teens too, so they grow to understand that diversity alone isn't enough and that a space needs to be truly inclusive to be welcoming.
I love the spread of authors and blend of genres in this anthology. I recommend for basically anyone, and I think reluctant readers will like the 20-page(ish) stories.
January 17, 2023
Great short story collection featuring Black heroes and heroines. Most of them have a sci-fi or fantasy element, but some are just generally nerdy. There were a couple that felt more like the first chapter to a novel than a closed short story but that’s not necessarily a problem. I enjoyed all of them, not a bad one in the lot.
This is my first NetGalley book that I have reviewed for thegeekywaffle.com. Full review there reads:
Cool. Awkward. Black. is a short story collection edited by Karen Strong to be released January 10, 2023. It contains eighteen stories about nerdy Black teenage protagonists, most leaning into the sci-fi or fantasy genre. These stories are appropriate for ages 12 and up, with some light violence and non-sexual romance throughout.
Short story collections are often a grab bag, where some stories will really resonate with you and others may be easily forgotten, but all eighteen of these YA stories were engaging and memorable. While featuring Black protagonists, there were also some other non-white protagonists and a good amount of queer representation as well. If this is the future of YA speculative fiction, I am so excited.
Two of the stories felt more like the first chapter of a novel, Shari B. Pennant’s “The Book Club” and Tracy Deonn’s “Catalyst Rising.” It’s not ideal to have a short story that feels like a first chapter because it leaves the audience with a cliffhanger to a story that may or may not ever be continued, rather than a closed loop with a satisfying conclusion. Then again, the stories were so strong on their own that I would rather have a cliffhanger than not have read them at all.
Pennant’s “The Book Club” introduces four Black teenage girls who have unique supernatural abilities that they need to fight an evil magician who has been trapped for centuries inside a book. And Deonn’s “Catalyst Rising” features a twist on the mythological Philosopher’s Stone with two groups fighting over its power. Given that Deonn’s Legendborn series is some of the best YA writing that I’ve ever read, I’m not surprised that her short story here also packs a punch. Pennant doesn’t currently have any novels published, but I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for any future works.
K. Arsenault Rivera’s “Initiative Check” will be a hit for any D&D fans, Elise Bryant’s “Betty’s Best Craft” has some superb character growth that would be a good blueprint for young writers, and Isaac Fitzsimons’ “Cole’s Cruise Blues” is a sweet trans coming of age story. I was really impressed with Roseanne A. Brown’s treatment of gender in “Wolf Tracks.” The men in the protagonist’s family are werewolves, which includes the trans men. Most gender-based powers in existing literature either willfully ignore trans people or give them the power of the wrong gender in favor of what sex was assigned at birth, but Brown refreshingly chooses to respect people’s chosen gender- proof that this respect is easily accomplished.
I could wax poetic about every single story in this collection, but it’s best experienced first-hand. Run to your local store or library for a copy of this volume, as it’s not only a great read on its own, but a list of eighteen authors to seek out further for more great writing.
This is my first NetGalley book that I have reviewed for thegeekywaffle.com. Full review there reads:
Cool. Awkward. Black. is a short story collection edited by Karen Strong to be released January 10, 2023. It contains eighteen stories about nerdy Black teenage protagonists, most leaning into the sci-fi or fantasy genre. These stories are appropriate for ages 12 and up, with some light violence and non-sexual romance throughout.
Short story collections are often a grab bag, where some stories will really resonate with you and others may be easily forgotten, but all eighteen of these YA stories were engaging and memorable. While featuring Black protagonists, there were also some other non-white protagonists and a good amount of queer representation as well. If this is the future of YA speculative fiction, I am so excited.
Two of the stories felt more like the first chapter of a novel, Shari B. Pennant’s “The Book Club” and Tracy Deonn’s “Catalyst Rising.” It’s not ideal to have a short story that feels like a first chapter because it leaves the audience with a cliffhanger to a story that may or may not ever be continued, rather than a closed loop with a satisfying conclusion. Then again, the stories were so strong on their own that I would rather have a cliffhanger than not have read them at all.
Pennant’s “The Book Club” introduces four Black teenage girls who have unique supernatural abilities that they need to fight an evil magician who has been trapped for centuries inside a book. And Deonn’s “Catalyst Rising” features a twist on the mythological Philosopher’s Stone with two groups fighting over its power. Given that Deonn’s Legendborn series is some of the best YA writing that I’ve ever read, I’m not surprised that her short story here also packs a punch. Pennant doesn’t currently have any novels published, but I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for any future works.
K. Arsenault Rivera’s “Initiative Check” will be a hit for any D&D fans, Elise Bryant’s “Betty’s Best Craft” has some superb character growth that would be a good blueprint for young writers, and Isaac Fitzsimons’ “Cole’s Cruise Blues” is a sweet trans coming of age story. I was really impressed with Roseanne A. Brown’s treatment of gender in “Wolf Tracks.” The men in the protagonist’s family are werewolves, which includes the trans men. Most gender-based powers in existing literature either willfully ignore trans people or give them the power of the wrong gender in favor of what sex was assigned at birth, but Brown refreshingly chooses to respect people’s chosen gender- proof that this respect is easily accomplished.
I could wax poetic about every single story in this collection, but it’s best experienced first-hand. Run to your local store or library for a copy of this volume, as it’s not only a great read on its own, but a list of eighteen authors to seek out further for more great writing.
January 5, 2023
This is an absolute powerhouse of an anthology with a lot of big names behind it (including many I've read before like Kalynn Bayron, Tracy Deonn, Leah Johnson, Julian Winters, and Ibi Zoboi to name a few)! This is a great anthology of talented black YA writers with the theme of scifi, fandom, and nerdiness. I like that there are queer authors and stories included, too. Like with most anthologies, there are some I loved and some I didn't like quite as much, but all were enjoyable and good in their own way! My absolute favorites were "Nina Evans, in the Round" (musical theater), "Corner Booth" (scrabble and words), and "Betty's Best Craft" (knitting/sewing).
Thank you so much to penguin teen for sending me a copy as part of their penguin teen partners in exchange for an honest review! Cool, Awkward, Black is available on 10 JAN 2023
Thank you so much to penguin teen for sending me a copy as part of their penguin teen partners in exchange for an honest review! Cool, Awkward, Black is available on 10 JAN 2023
February 9, 2023
Cool. Awkward. Black. accomplishes what it seeks to do: challenge the concept of the Black geek. We have wizards, comicon loving kids, witches, anime kids, theater lovers: the list could go on and on. Each story had something I liked about it. There wasn't a single dud in the mix. However, there were some I liked more than others.
Some of the stand out stories for me were:
"Initiative Check" by K. Arsenault Rivera
"Corner Booth" by Leah Johnson
"Requiem of Souls" by Terry J. Benton-Walker
"Wolf Tracks" by Roseanna A. Brown
All in all, a well rounded and profound collection.
I received this ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
Some of the stand out stories for me were:
"Initiative Check" by K. Arsenault Rivera
"Corner Booth" by Leah Johnson
"Requiem of Souls" by Terry J. Benton-Walker
"Wolf Tracks" by Roseanna A. Brown
All in all, a well rounded and profound collection.
I received this ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
February 3, 2023
This was the kind of book I wished existed when I was middle school. Oh, how this would not only be a great favorite but also a great comfort during rough times.
This analogy was so good. It was just a celebration of black nerdiness and I loved it.
This analogy was so good. It was just a celebration of black nerdiness and I loved it.
March 2, 2023
So many good stories!!
My favorites:
"The Book Club" by Shari B. Pennant
"Nina Evans, in the Rounds" by Kalynn Bayron
"Corner Booth" by Leah Johnson
"Catalyst Rising" by Tracy Deonn
"Wolf Tracks" by Roseanne A. Brown
Honorable mentions:
"Betty's Best Craft" by Elise Bryant
"Spirit-Filled" by Jordan Ifueko
My favorites:
"The Book Club" by Shari B. Pennant
"Nina Evans, in the Rounds" by Kalynn Bayron
"Corner Booth" by Leah Johnson
"Catalyst Rising" by Tracy Deonn
"Wolf Tracks" by Roseanne A. Brown
Honorable mentions:
"Betty's Best Craft" by Elise Bryant
"Spirit-Filled" by Jordan Ifueko
January 11, 2023
This was easily one of the most positive anthology reading experiences I've ever had. There was no story I really disliked. Huge thanks to PenguinTeen for sending a copy for me to read and share with students!
Here are my ratings for each story.
Our Joy, Our Power by Julian Winters - 5/5 stars
The Book Club by Shari B. Pennant - 4/5 stars
Nina Evans, in the Round by Kalynn Bayron - 5/5 stars
Earth is Ghetto by Ibi Zoboi - 3/5 stars
Initiative Check by K. Arsenault Rivera - 3/5 stars
Corner Booth by Leah Johnson - 5/5 stars
Betty's Best Craft by Elise Bryant - 4.5/5 stars
The Panel Shows the Girl by Amanda Joy - 4.5/5 stars
Spirit-Filled by Jordan Ifueko - 4/5 stars
Cole's Cruise Blues by Isaac Fitzsimmons - 4/5 stars
High Strangeness by Desiree M. Evans - 5/5 stars
Catalyst Rising by Tracey Deonn - 3.5/5 stars
Requiem of Souls by Terry J. Benton-Walker - 4/5 stars
Honor Code by Kwame Mbalia -3.5/5 stars
Drive Time by Lamar Giles - 3/5 stars
Wolf Tracks by Roseanne A. Brown - 4/5 stars
The Hero's Journey by Tochi Onyebuchi - 3/5 stars
Abyss by Amerie - 3.5/5 stars
Here are my ratings for each story.
Our Joy, Our Power by Julian Winters - 5/5 stars
The Book Club by Shari B. Pennant - 4/5 stars
Nina Evans, in the Round by Kalynn Bayron - 5/5 stars
Earth is Ghetto by Ibi Zoboi - 3/5 stars
Initiative Check by K. Arsenault Rivera - 3/5 stars
Corner Booth by Leah Johnson - 5/5 stars
Betty's Best Craft by Elise Bryant - 4.5/5 stars
The Panel Shows the Girl by Amanda Joy - 4.5/5 stars
Spirit-Filled by Jordan Ifueko - 4/5 stars
Cole's Cruise Blues by Isaac Fitzsimmons - 4/5 stars
High Strangeness by Desiree M. Evans - 5/5 stars
Catalyst Rising by Tracey Deonn - 3.5/5 stars
Requiem of Souls by Terry J. Benton-Walker - 4/5 stars
Honor Code by Kwame Mbalia -3.5/5 stars
Drive Time by Lamar Giles - 3/5 stars
Wolf Tracks by Roseanne A. Brown - 4/5 stars
The Hero's Journey by Tochi Onyebuchi - 3/5 stars
Abyss by Amerie - 3.5/5 stars
May 20, 2023
the first maybe two thirds of this book was an easy five stars, i liked pretty much every story
in the last part and scattered throughout there were some stories that i didn't really like, but they were all fine
anyway there was so much representation of all different kinds of people, it was amazing, including lots of sapphic rep which i wasn't expecting but made me happy. i'm so glad there are books like this where everyone (hopefully) can see themselves represented
my favourite stories were 'nina evans, in the round', 'initiative check', 'corner booth', and 'high strangeness'
also content warning for requiem of souls in particular: violence, domestic abuse, gore, and the f-slur
in the last part and scattered throughout there were some stories that i didn't really like, but they were all fine
anyway there was so much representation of all different kinds of people, it was amazing, including lots of sapphic rep which i wasn't expecting but made me happy. i'm so glad there are books like this where everyone (hopefully) can see themselves represented
my favourite stories were 'nina evans, in the round', 'initiative check', 'corner booth', and 'high strangeness'
also content warning for requiem of souls in particular: violence, domestic abuse, gore, and the f-slur
June 28, 2023
I liked this collection and all the nerdy stuff in it.
My favorites were:
- "Initiative Check" by K. Arsenault Rivera
- "Corner Booth" by Leah Johnson
- "Betty's Best Craft" by Elise Bryant
- "Drive Time" by Lamar Giles
- "Wolf Tracks" by Roseanne A. Brown
I also enjoyed:
- "Our Joy, Our Power" by Julian Winters
- "The Book Club" by Shari B. Pennant
- "High Strangeness" by Desiree S. Evans
My favorites were:
- "Initiative Check" by K. Arsenault Rivera
- "Corner Booth" by Leah Johnson
- "Betty's Best Craft" by Elise Bryant
- "Drive Time" by Lamar Giles
- "Wolf Tracks" by Roseanne A. Brown
I also enjoyed:
- "Our Joy, Our Power" by Julian Winters
- "The Book Club" by Shari B. Pennant
- "High Strangeness" by Desiree S. Evans
February 27, 2023
Amazing stories! A great collection for young Black kids who consider themselves blerds to feel seen, know they are not alone, and connect with many great characters. I love stories that showcase the many sides of Black culture and encourage young people to be themselves!
April 22, 2023
Strong YA anthology with big authors writing cool, Black, and awkward MCs. Just telling one of my students that I started reading it was enough for them to have their parents purchase it for them that same week. The importance of representation 🖤
February 10, 2023
Very different, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
June 29, 2023
This was SUCH an adorably geeky, uplifting book filled with black writers, black characters, and amazing LGBTQIA+ love, and more! Some of the short stories felt open-ended enough that I wanted more!
December 12, 2023
I enjoyed it as a YA anthology and it has a nice varied mix.
October 25, 2024
Our Joy, Our Power
By: Julian Winters
This was pretty good. It’s probably the first love story that I’ve read about gay, black characters.
The characters were engaging, and I thought it was really cool how nerdy they were. I’ve never been to a comic con, but they sound really fun. I also like Prince and Jalen together. They mesh together really well. However, it felt a bit like insta love, and I don’t really like that trope.
All in all, this was a good start to the anthology. I liked it and I’m excited to read more.
️ ️ ️
The Book Club
By: Shari B. Pennant
I really liked this one. It was so cute. I currently work at a bookstore, and reading a story inside one felt so relatable. I also liked Amara’s powers, and how everything led up to The Paper Man climbing out of his book. The other characters were cool too, but I felt like they could have been fleshed out a bit more. I wanted more of this story; the ending felt a bit rushed and incomplete. We didn’t even get to see them seal The Paper Man away again - which would have been the better ending.
Overall, I really enjoyed this and liked it a lot.
️ ️ ️ ️
Nina Evans, In The Round
Kalynn Bayron
This was pretty good. I like the message a lot: Never giving up on your dreams, especially when the world thinks it’s not ready for you. I also like how this is about music and theater.
Overall I like it. I would suggest it to anyone who struggles with their identity, and to those who dream big.
️ ️ ️
Earth is Ghetto
By: Ibi Zoboi
This story was ok. I’m not a big fan of aliens and selective breeding, but Ingrid’s motives were interesting. She didn’t feel like she belonged anywhere, and wanted to start fresh on a different planet. I’m assuming that this story was heavily influenced by Octavia Butler’s stories, because the author was mentioned a lot. This story’s main theme was injustice. Injustice in terms of race, greed, migration, etc. It was heavy and complicated, but I still understood it.
However, overall, I didn’t really like this one. It was interesting reading about a spaceship landing in the hood, but the plot itself was a little boring. I can definitely see how it relates to all sorts of people, and it talks about a load of different problems in our society. But the world is just fucked up, and there’s not a lot we can do about that. I guess that’s why Ingrid ultimately stayed on earth - to save it. I like that.
️ ️
Initiative Check
By: K. Arsenault Rivera
This one was pretty cool. I’ve never read a tabletop story, but I’ve always wanted to. Or even D&D. I’ve always thought it sounded cool. But this story makes it even more real by making the characters live their roles in the game.
Leah and Jas were cute. I liked their dynamic and relationship a lot. I can relate to not hanging out with a friend for a while, and having it be a bit awkward when you hang out with them again. I love that they work so well together even though they haven’t talked for a while.
I was a bit confused by the magic system, and the plot itself got a bit repetitive. But overall, I really liked this. It was good.
️ ️ ️ ️
Corner Booth
By: Leah Johnson
I actually loved this so much. At first, I wasn’t really into Ferg’s obsession: Dictionary Dynamo, but it really grew on me. As the story unfolds, we get to learn more about Ferg and Wes, online and at the diner. I loved how their relationship evolved as they hung out together. I also like how the story hints at Ferg’s difficult past and the way she copes with it.
Overall, this is definitely my favorite so far. It makes me want to play a word game on my phone. Super cute and entertaining. I loved it.
️ ️ ️ ️ ️
Betty’s Best Craft
By: Elise Bryant
This was pretty cute. Bryant definitely illustrates how teens think when they grow distant from a friend. I remember life being this dramatic and serious as a teen, even though it didn’t really matter. This story is a good example of what it’s like to lose friends, and meet up with them again in the future. I loved how there was a big theme on craft, but at the same time it was a tad annoying how anal and obsessed Betty was with it. She sounds a bit controlling, but she changes at the end, and I like that a lot.
Overall, this was cute. Not my favorite thing in the world, but cute.
️ ️ ️
The Panel Shows the Girl
Amanda Joy
This one was alright…honestly, it was probably the messiest story so far in this anthology. There was a moment I really liked between Amaya and Naomi where they’re in the canoe, and Amaya is thinking about weaving daisies through her braids. That was sooo cute. After that, the story kind of went downhill from there. The references to shows, films, and nerdy stories was way too much for me. It relied heavily on other fandoms, and I didn’t like that. It felt more like fan fiction, and that’s my least favorite thing to read.
Overall, I didn’t like this story. I really wanted to - especially since even Naruto was included - but it honestly fell flat for me.
️ ️
Spirit-Filled
Jordan Ifueko
This one was alright. I generally don’t really like religion, but I understand how suffocating it can be. This story definitely illustrates how you can’t really be yourself in terms of religion. You’re always hiding some type of sin. Books were Romilly’s hidden pleasure, and I love that. I can relate to it on so many levels. I also loved her final question at the end: Are all stories medicine? Because there are so many more stories out there than religion that can heal the soul. The stories we tell each other are honestly probably more powerful than old religious ones.
Overall…I had a love hate relationship with this. I grew up like Romilly, so I can relate to her hiding her books away from others, and trying to act a certain way around her peers. At the same time, this story revolves heavily around religion, and that’s suffocating for me.
️ ️
Cole’s Cruise Blues
Isaac Fitzsimons
This one was kind of boring for me. I liked reading about a transgender character, and seeing them figure out themselves, but I wanted more from this. Modern settings with modern ideals are just kind bland for me. I wanted to see more tension, and other people’s opinions or wants. Reading more about how other people felt about Cole’s transformation would have added more tension, and would have created a more impactful resolution when Cole overcomes it all.
Overall, I was bored with this, and I wanted more.
️
High Strangeness
Desiree S. Evans
This one was…alright. I’m honestly not a huge fan of alien stories, but I like the contrast between the characters and the extraterrestrial. I was honestly more interested in the main character’s relationship with Makayla. It was cute, and I needed more of that.
Overall…I didn’t really like this one. It didn’t have me in a chokehold to read more. It was alright, but wasn’t really good.
️ ️
Catalyst Rising
Tracy Deonn
I’m unfortunately am not a huge fan of this. Science hurts my brain. I like the alchemist elements in this though. I thought it was cool. Everything else felt a bit messy. I also don’t like how there’s no real conclusive ending. It feels like there’s more to this.
Overall, I feel like this is a cool concept, but it’s too cool for an anthology. It needed more room to stretch out its magic system, characters, suspense, etc. It needed more emotional connections and turmoil. It felt like I was reading a science book more than anything else.
️
Requiem of Souls
Terry J. Benton-Walker
This one was pretty cool. A bit dark, but cool. I liked how Rocko plays sinister flute music. I don’t really understand who the ghosts are… they definitely would have mattered more if they had a deeper connection to Rocko, or even his mother. I also feel like this is the perfect story to read in October. Spoopy season!
Overall, interesting concept, but there definitely could have been more to it. It was a good short story, but it probably would have been better as a novel.
️ ️ ️
Honor Code
Kwame Mbalia
This story was boring. Sorry, but muling over Tweets, influencers, and fame when you’re supposed to be LARPing is not a plot. There was no plot in this. Nothing actually happened. And I don’t even know what the main character was even stressed about. A post on Twitter… but we never get to find out what she’s so embarrassed about.
Overall, this is my least favorite out of the bunch. I appreciate the craft of LARPing, but the way this story was executed did not work. I was confused 100% of the time.
️
Drive Time
Lamar Giles
I loved this so much! It was unpredictable, funny, tense, and sweet. All of the characters were interesting, and I felt like I was a part of the group as they dealt with Zed’s shenanigans. I loved going to the different locations, and being surprised by what Zed was going to do next.
Overall, this was so good. The language used by each character was engaging, and the relationship that they all had with one another was interesting. I never knew what was going to happen next, and I was always excited to see how everything played out.
️ ️ ️ ️ ️
Wolf Tracks
Roseanne A. Brown
This one was pretty good. I’m actually not a huge fan of werewolves, but this one was alright. I liked the turmoil that the main character went through, physically and emotionally. And I’m happy that his friend was interested in learning more about his wolf powers more than anything.
Overall, pretty cool. I wasn’t a fan of all the fur, but it wasn’t too crazy. The voice for the main character is definitely unique and interesting to read.
️ ️ ️
The Hero’s Journey
Tochi Onyebuchi
This was so good! I was a bit confused at first, because so much random stuff was happening (and because I didn’t really read the title before starting). This was so unique! And it definitely shows the struggle of writing well rounded characters and plots. I also like the main character kind of breaks the fourth wall, and meeting the writer.
Overall, this was super cool and such a treat.
️ ️ ️ ️ ️
Abyss
By: Amerie
I don’t know what to say about this. The dialogue was confusing, the magic was confusing, and I struggled to keep track of the characters. This is why punctuation is important. I don’t know why there’s a lack of punctuation, or any real dialogue tags, but it doesn’t help the story in any way. It distracted and confused me.
Overall, I don’t really know what this story was about. What even happened? Who’s the main character here? What’s the emotional conflict? This is unfortunately the worst of the bunch, and not a great place to end the story. It leaves a bad aftertaste.
️
Overall Review
I liked this anthology. It was really cool to read about black characters and their misadventures. My favorite is Drive Time, by Lamar Giles. My least favorite is definitely Abyss, by Amerie. Overall, I liked the anthology, but I definitely don’t think it’s my favorite book in the world. Well, I’m also not the intended audience either. I’m happy that I gave this a try though. I think it’s a good anthology full of interesting black stories.
️ ️
By: Julian Winters
This was pretty good. It’s probably the first love story that I’ve read about gay, black characters.
The characters were engaging, and I thought it was really cool how nerdy they were. I’ve never been to a comic con, but they sound really fun. I also like Prince and Jalen together. They mesh together really well. However, it felt a bit like insta love, and I don’t really like that trope.
All in all, this was a good start to the anthology. I liked it and I’m excited to read more.
️ ️ ️
The Book Club
By: Shari B. Pennant
I really liked this one. It was so cute. I currently work at a bookstore, and reading a story inside one felt so relatable. I also liked Amara’s powers, and how everything led up to The Paper Man climbing out of his book. The other characters were cool too, but I felt like they could have been fleshed out a bit more. I wanted more of this story; the ending felt a bit rushed and incomplete. We didn’t even get to see them seal The Paper Man away again - which would have been the better ending.
Overall, I really enjoyed this and liked it a lot.
️ ️ ️ ️
Nina Evans, In The Round
Kalynn Bayron
This was pretty good. I like the message a lot: Never giving up on your dreams, especially when the world thinks it’s not ready for you. I also like how this is about music and theater.
Overall I like it. I would suggest it to anyone who struggles with their identity, and to those who dream big.
️ ️ ️
Earth is Ghetto
By: Ibi Zoboi
This story was ok. I’m not a big fan of aliens and selective breeding, but Ingrid’s motives were interesting. She didn’t feel like she belonged anywhere, and wanted to start fresh on a different planet. I’m assuming that this story was heavily influenced by Octavia Butler’s stories, because the author was mentioned a lot. This story’s main theme was injustice. Injustice in terms of race, greed, migration, etc. It was heavy and complicated, but I still understood it.
However, overall, I didn’t really like this one. It was interesting reading about a spaceship landing in the hood, but the plot itself was a little boring. I can definitely see how it relates to all sorts of people, and it talks about a load of different problems in our society. But the world is just fucked up, and there’s not a lot we can do about that. I guess that’s why Ingrid ultimately stayed on earth - to save it. I like that.
️ ️
Initiative Check
By: K. Arsenault Rivera
This one was pretty cool. I’ve never read a tabletop story, but I’ve always wanted to. Or even D&D. I’ve always thought it sounded cool. But this story makes it even more real by making the characters live their roles in the game.
Leah and Jas were cute. I liked their dynamic and relationship a lot. I can relate to not hanging out with a friend for a while, and having it be a bit awkward when you hang out with them again. I love that they work so well together even though they haven’t talked for a while.
I was a bit confused by the magic system, and the plot itself got a bit repetitive. But overall, I really liked this. It was good.
️ ️ ️ ️
Corner Booth
By: Leah Johnson
I actually loved this so much. At first, I wasn’t really into Ferg’s obsession: Dictionary Dynamo, but it really grew on me. As the story unfolds, we get to learn more about Ferg and Wes, online and at the diner. I loved how their relationship evolved as they hung out together. I also like how the story hints at Ferg’s difficult past and the way she copes with it.
Overall, this is definitely my favorite so far. It makes me want to play a word game on my phone. Super cute and entertaining. I loved it.
️ ️ ️ ️ ️
Betty’s Best Craft
By: Elise Bryant
This was pretty cute. Bryant definitely illustrates how teens think when they grow distant from a friend. I remember life being this dramatic and serious as a teen, even though it didn’t really matter. This story is a good example of what it’s like to lose friends, and meet up with them again in the future. I loved how there was a big theme on craft, but at the same time it was a tad annoying how anal and obsessed Betty was with it. She sounds a bit controlling, but she changes at the end, and I like that a lot.
Overall, this was cute. Not my favorite thing in the world, but cute.
️ ️ ️
The Panel Shows the Girl
Amanda Joy
This one was alright…honestly, it was probably the messiest story so far in this anthology. There was a moment I really liked between Amaya and Naomi where they’re in the canoe, and Amaya is thinking about weaving daisies through her braids. That was sooo cute. After that, the story kind of went downhill from there. The references to shows, films, and nerdy stories was way too much for me. It relied heavily on other fandoms, and I didn’t like that. It felt more like fan fiction, and that’s my least favorite thing to read.
Overall, I didn’t like this story. I really wanted to - especially since even Naruto was included - but it honestly fell flat for me.
️ ️
Spirit-Filled
Jordan Ifueko
This one was alright. I generally don’t really like religion, but I understand how suffocating it can be. This story definitely illustrates how you can’t really be yourself in terms of religion. You’re always hiding some type of sin. Books were Romilly’s hidden pleasure, and I love that. I can relate to it on so many levels. I also loved her final question at the end: Are all stories medicine? Because there are so many more stories out there than religion that can heal the soul. The stories we tell each other are honestly probably more powerful than old religious ones.
Overall…I had a love hate relationship with this. I grew up like Romilly, so I can relate to her hiding her books away from others, and trying to act a certain way around her peers. At the same time, this story revolves heavily around religion, and that’s suffocating for me.
️ ️
Cole’s Cruise Blues
Isaac Fitzsimons
This one was kind of boring for me. I liked reading about a transgender character, and seeing them figure out themselves, but I wanted more from this. Modern settings with modern ideals are just kind bland for me. I wanted to see more tension, and other people’s opinions or wants. Reading more about how other people felt about Cole’s transformation would have added more tension, and would have created a more impactful resolution when Cole overcomes it all.
Overall, I was bored with this, and I wanted more.
️
High Strangeness
Desiree S. Evans
This one was…alright. I’m honestly not a huge fan of alien stories, but I like the contrast between the characters and the extraterrestrial. I was honestly more interested in the main character’s relationship with Makayla. It was cute, and I needed more of that.
Overall…I didn’t really like this one. It didn’t have me in a chokehold to read more. It was alright, but wasn’t really good.
️ ️
Catalyst Rising
Tracy Deonn
I’m unfortunately am not a huge fan of this. Science hurts my brain. I like the alchemist elements in this though. I thought it was cool. Everything else felt a bit messy. I also don’t like how there’s no real conclusive ending. It feels like there’s more to this.
Overall, I feel like this is a cool concept, but it’s too cool for an anthology. It needed more room to stretch out its magic system, characters, suspense, etc. It needed more emotional connections and turmoil. It felt like I was reading a science book more than anything else.
️
Requiem of Souls
Terry J. Benton-Walker
This one was pretty cool. A bit dark, but cool. I liked how Rocko plays sinister flute music. I don’t really understand who the ghosts are… they definitely would have mattered more if they had a deeper connection to Rocko, or even his mother. I also feel like this is the perfect story to read in October. Spoopy season!
Overall, interesting concept, but there definitely could have been more to it. It was a good short story, but it probably would have been better as a novel.
️ ️ ️
Honor Code
Kwame Mbalia
This story was boring. Sorry, but muling over Tweets, influencers, and fame when you’re supposed to be LARPing is not a plot. There was no plot in this. Nothing actually happened. And I don’t even know what the main character was even stressed about. A post on Twitter… but we never get to find out what she’s so embarrassed about.
Overall, this is my least favorite out of the bunch. I appreciate the craft of LARPing, but the way this story was executed did not work. I was confused 100% of the time.
️
Drive Time
Lamar Giles
I loved this so much! It was unpredictable, funny, tense, and sweet. All of the characters were interesting, and I felt like I was a part of the group as they dealt with Zed’s shenanigans. I loved going to the different locations, and being surprised by what Zed was going to do next.
Overall, this was so good. The language used by each character was engaging, and the relationship that they all had with one another was interesting. I never knew what was going to happen next, and I was always excited to see how everything played out.
️ ️ ️ ️ ️
Wolf Tracks
Roseanne A. Brown
This one was pretty good. I’m actually not a huge fan of werewolves, but this one was alright. I liked the turmoil that the main character went through, physically and emotionally. And I’m happy that his friend was interested in learning more about his wolf powers more than anything.
Overall, pretty cool. I wasn’t a fan of all the fur, but it wasn’t too crazy. The voice for the main character is definitely unique and interesting to read.
️ ️ ️
The Hero’s Journey
Tochi Onyebuchi
This was so good! I was a bit confused at first, because so much random stuff was happening (and because I didn’t really read the title before starting). This was so unique! And it definitely shows the struggle of writing well rounded characters and plots. I also like the main character kind of breaks the fourth wall, and meeting the writer.
Overall, this was super cool and such a treat.
️ ️ ️ ️ ️
Abyss
By: Amerie
I don’t know what to say about this. The dialogue was confusing, the magic was confusing, and I struggled to keep track of the characters. This is why punctuation is important. I don’t know why there’s a lack of punctuation, or any real dialogue tags, but it doesn’t help the story in any way. It distracted and confused me.
Overall, I don’t really know what this story was about. What even happened? Who’s the main character here? What’s the emotional conflict? This is unfortunately the worst of the bunch, and not a great place to end the story. It leaves a bad aftertaste.
️
Overall Review
I liked this anthology. It was really cool to read about black characters and their misadventures. My favorite is Drive Time, by Lamar Giles. My least favorite is definitely Abyss, by Amerie. Overall, I liked the anthology, but I definitely don’t think it’s my favorite book in the world. Well, I’m also not the intended audience either. I’m happy that I gave this a try though. I think it’s a good anthology full of interesting black stories.
️ ️
March 4, 2023
our joy, our power • julian winters
A cute little story about a boy at a con and the boy he meets there. I loved how this was a story about a black boy who feels welcomed by anime and comics, where he can picture himself in those stories. He dresses up as a non-black character for a cosplay contest and gets told he "didn't embody the character" and should have gone for a canonically black character. I would have liked more from this story--like maybe just some more conversations between Jalen and Carter.
the book club • shari b. pennant
Amara Crane has magic, and one day while she's at the bookstore, she's invited to a society of witches. Like the first story, this one gives you a sense of belonging, as Amara has finally found people like her, among whom she won't have to be an outsider. Interesting, but we're suddenly thrown into a very intense big final battle, and we don't really know what's going on or why.
nina evans, in the round • kalynn bayron
Nina wants to be in the school musical, but her parents want her to focus on getting into nursing school. And her school won't be receptive to her being the lead in the musical. Her mother takes her to an all-black production and they talk about belonging and how they've been here all along.
earth is ghetto • ibi zoboi
Ingrid is a Haitian immigrant trying to make contact with aliens in her school's computer lab. She looks at humanity through the lens of how aliens would see them. Aliens land in Ingrid's neighborhood and tell her that if she gets another female and two males, she can become the queen of the new human world? I'm not entirely certain what is going on here. Also, while Ingrid does question the "male/female" thing on the basis of trans and nonbinary people, later someone asks if with the four people they want one white and one black of each, and I'm just like... there are far more races than that and it wasn't even talked about? I just don't really know what this story was trying to say. Ingrid is very fixated on hierarchies for some reason. Not a huge fan of this one.
initiative check • k. arsenault rivera
A group of friends plays Dungeons and Dragons and Jaz invites a girl she likes (or she dated her before?) who her best friend feels iffy about having as part of their campaign. Suddenly, they all turn into their D&D characters and continue with their campaign in person. Interesting and strange, but also sweet and cute--we have two queer couples, and that was awesome.
corner booth • leah johnson
Fergie is a spelling champ. She plays an online spelling game in the corner booth of a diner. One day a boy comes in. loud and taking up space in her space, so she goes off on him. But then he keeps coming back, and she apologizes, and they get to talking. Eventually, they find out that they are the opponent they've both been trying to beat in their spelling game. This one is super cute and I loved it.
betty's best craft • elise bryant
Betty is super crafty and she used to be best friends with Jhamir. But then they fell apart, and now they have to work on a group project together. As they work together, old hurts come to light and Jhamir admits to Betty that he pulled away because he needed to fit in with the other kids rather than standing out. I liked how they talked through what happened between them and how they're going to be friends again. This was adorable!
the panel shows the girl • amanda joy
Amaya is an artist and she begins drawing her peers as different anime characters--leading to them turning into those characters with their powers. Amaya is also dealing with her conflict with Naomi, who used to be her best friend until they drifted and Naomi came out and Amaya was too afraid to admit her feelings. And then suddenly Amaya is sent back in time to just before her sketch book was stolen, which led to all the chaos. I don't know how or why that happened. Or how or why any of it happened, honestly.
spirit-filled • jordan ifueko
Romilly questions the role of women according to religion, as well is tyrannical authority. She's reading a fantasy book and every little while a religious statement comes to mind and leaves her questions what's right and what's not quite right. Oh gosh, this story was all over the place. Questioning religion, a cheating youth pastor, a girl secreting away books to escape from her world.
cole's cruise blues • isaac fitzsimons
Cole just came out as trans last year, so he's still trying to figure out who he wants to be. He figuring out his look as he goes on a cruise with his dad and his new stepmother and stepsister. On the cruise, he gets to know his new sister, Hailey, and the two of them grow close as he teaches her a bit about magic (the real world kind). She enters them in a talent show, but Cole doesn't want to join her after embarrassing himself in front of Evan. In the end, he winds up helping her on stage and with Evan's help, they save the show. This was cute and sweet.
high strangeness • desiree s. evans
A group of girl friends chase aliens. Lola has a crush on Mikayla, and they finally get the chance to talk and get to know each other They fall for each other under the stars, and it's super sweet. I loved the girl gang and the romance and everything.
catalyst rising • tracy deonn
Petra is in therapy and has anxiety. She goes to science class and they have a weird sub. They do an experiment, but Petra doesn't have all the materials, and yet the chemical reaction occurs. After class, the sub comes and tells her she's an alchemist. Then a boy shows up and gets her away, saying he knows her mom. She's the chosen one! This should probably be a longer story.
requiem of souls • terry j. benton-walker
Rocko's mother's boyfriend is a monster, unkind to both Rocko and his mother. At school, he discovers music notes for something called "requiem of souls," set for a flute, which is what he plays. When he plays the song, he sees ghosts surrounding him. There is also a monster--the Creeper. When his mother's boyfriend learns of her escape plan, Rocko summons the ghosts to stop him. Definitely interesting, takes a dark turn, but I liked Rocko and that he and his mom get away from the abusive boyfriend.
honor code • kwame mbalia
A kid goes LARPing? I don't have much to say about this one.
drive time • lamar giles
This was so strange. Theo and Annaliese show up for driving class and some super sketchy guy has them drive him around to get his errands done. I don't really know why they stick around. This seems like a good way to get killed. Theo and Annaliese have fun conversations and become friends as they wait for Zedd at every stop. He does strange things everywhere. Funny and super strange.
wolf tracks • roseanne a. brown
The men in Daniel's family are werewolves. I liked how this story made a point to say it was all men, whether you were cis or trans, your wolf found you. Daniel has a crush on his best friend, Benji, but he has to be careful until he has complete control over his wolf so he doesn't become like his uncle--who lost control and killed the man his wife was having an affair with. Daniel and Benji go to a con together, get drunk, and make out. When Daniel wakes up the next morning, Benji pretends not to remember anything. At the con, a man pokes at them and calls them boyfriends and Benji vehemently denies it. Daniel loses control, scratches the man, and changes into a werewolf. I liked how Daniel and his dad talked through things at the end and how they understand each other now.
the hero's journey • tochi onyebuchi
This might have been my favorite in the collection, and not even because of the story, but because of how perfectly it captured writer's block. I felt this on a deep soul level. The way the stories would start so well-written and thought out and then slowly fizzle out. I DO THIS ALL THE TIME.
abyss • amerie
Magic, school, secret societies. Kinda meh.
A cute little story about a boy at a con and the boy he meets there. I loved how this was a story about a black boy who feels welcomed by anime and comics, where he can picture himself in those stories. He dresses up as a non-black character for a cosplay contest and gets told he "didn't embody the character" and should have gone for a canonically black character. I would have liked more from this story--like maybe just some more conversations between Jalen and Carter.
the book club • shari b. pennant
Amara Crane has magic, and one day while she's at the bookstore, she's invited to a society of witches. Like the first story, this one gives you a sense of belonging, as Amara has finally found people like her, among whom she won't have to be an outsider. Interesting, but we're suddenly thrown into a very intense big final battle, and we don't really know what's going on or why.
nina evans, in the round • kalynn bayron
Nina wants to be in the school musical, but her parents want her to focus on getting into nursing school. And her school won't be receptive to her being the lead in the musical. Her mother takes her to an all-black production and they talk about belonging and how they've been here all along.
earth is ghetto • ibi zoboi
Ingrid is a Haitian immigrant trying to make contact with aliens in her school's computer lab. She looks at humanity through the lens of how aliens would see them. Aliens land in Ingrid's neighborhood and tell her that if she gets another female and two males, she can become the queen of the new human world? I'm not entirely certain what is going on here. Also, while Ingrid does question the "male/female" thing on the basis of trans and nonbinary people, later someone asks if with the four people they want one white and one black of each, and I'm just like... there are far more races than that and it wasn't even talked about? I just don't really know what this story was trying to say. Ingrid is very fixated on hierarchies for some reason. Not a huge fan of this one.
initiative check • k. arsenault rivera
A group of friends plays Dungeons and Dragons and Jaz invites a girl she likes (or she dated her before?) who her best friend feels iffy about having as part of their campaign. Suddenly, they all turn into their D&D characters and continue with their campaign in person. Interesting and strange, but also sweet and cute--we have two queer couples, and that was awesome.
corner booth • leah johnson
Fergie is a spelling champ. She plays an online spelling game in the corner booth of a diner. One day a boy comes in. loud and taking up space in her space, so she goes off on him. But then he keeps coming back, and she apologizes, and they get to talking. Eventually, they find out that they are the opponent they've both been trying to beat in their spelling game. This one is super cute and I loved it.
betty's best craft • elise bryant
Betty is super crafty and she used to be best friends with Jhamir. But then they fell apart, and now they have to work on a group project together. As they work together, old hurts come to light and Jhamir admits to Betty that he pulled away because he needed to fit in with the other kids rather than standing out. I liked how they talked through what happened between them and how they're going to be friends again. This was adorable!
the panel shows the girl • amanda joy
Amaya is an artist and she begins drawing her peers as different anime characters--leading to them turning into those characters with their powers. Amaya is also dealing with her conflict with Naomi, who used to be her best friend until they drifted and Naomi came out and Amaya was too afraid to admit her feelings. And then suddenly Amaya is sent back in time to just before her sketch book was stolen, which led to all the chaos. I don't know how or why that happened. Or how or why any of it happened, honestly.
spirit-filled • jordan ifueko
Romilly questions the role of women according to religion, as well is tyrannical authority. She's reading a fantasy book and every little while a religious statement comes to mind and leaves her questions what's right and what's not quite right. Oh gosh, this story was all over the place. Questioning religion, a cheating youth pastor, a girl secreting away books to escape from her world.
cole's cruise blues • isaac fitzsimons
Cole just came out as trans last year, so he's still trying to figure out who he wants to be. He figuring out his look as he goes on a cruise with his dad and his new stepmother and stepsister. On the cruise, he gets to know his new sister, Hailey, and the two of them grow close as he teaches her a bit about magic (the real world kind). She enters them in a talent show, but Cole doesn't want to join her after embarrassing himself in front of Evan. In the end, he winds up helping her on stage and with Evan's help, they save the show. This was cute and sweet.
high strangeness • desiree s. evans
A group of girl friends chase aliens. Lola has a crush on Mikayla, and they finally get the chance to talk and get to know each other They fall for each other under the stars, and it's super sweet. I loved the girl gang and the romance and everything.
catalyst rising • tracy deonn
Petra is in therapy and has anxiety. She goes to science class and they have a weird sub. They do an experiment, but Petra doesn't have all the materials, and yet the chemical reaction occurs. After class, the sub comes and tells her she's an alchemist. Then a boy shows up and gets her away, saying he knows her mom. She's the chosen one! This should probably be a longer story.
requiem of souls • terry j. benton-walker
Rocko's mother's boyfriend is a monster, unkind to both Rocko and his mother. At school, he discovers music notes for something called "requiem of souls," set for a flute, which is what he plays. When he plays the song, he sees ghosts surrounding him. There is also a monster--the Creeper. When his mother's boyfriend learns of her escape plan, Rocko summons the ghosts to stop him. Definitely interesting, takes a dark turn, but I liked Rocko and that he and his mom get away from the abusive boyfriend.
honor code • kwame mbalia
A kid goes LARPing? I don't have much to say about this one.
drive time • lamar giles
This was so strange. Theo and Annaliese show up for driving class and some super sketchy guy has them drive him around to get his errands done. I don't really know why they stick around. This seems like a good way to get killed. Theo and Annaliese have fun conversations and become friends as they wait for Zedd at every stop. He does strange things everywhere. Funny and super strange.
wolf tracks • roseanne a. brown
The men in Daniel's family are werewolves. I liked how this story made a point to say it was all men, whether you were cis or trans, your wolf found you. Daniel has a crush on his best friend, Benji, but he has to be careful until he has complete control over his wolf so he doesn't become like his uncle--who lost control and killed the man his wife was having an affair with. Daniel and Benji go to a con together, get drunk, and make out. When Daniel wakes up the next morning, Benji pretends not to remember anything. At the con, a man pokes at them and calls them boyfriends and Benji vehemently denies it. Daniel loses control, scratches the man, and changes into a werewolf. I liked how Daniel and his dad talked through things at the end and how they understand each other now.
the hero's journey • tochi onyebuchi
This might have been my favorite in the collection, and not even because of the story, but because of how perfectly it captured writer's block. I felt this on a deep soul level. The way the stories would start so well-written and thought out and then slowly fizzle out. I DO THIS ALL THE TIME.
abyss • amerie
Magic, school, secret societies. Kinda meh.
February 20, 2023
4.25. This was a solid anthology! My favourites were Initiative Check and Wolf Tracks, but Requiem of Souls, Honor Code and Nina in the Round were close runner-ups!
Our Joy, Our Power by Julian Winters: a great start to the anthology as it perfectly encapsulates its theme, which is Black people taking up the space they are owed in nerdy, fantastical spaces. This is done in the context of a ComicCon-style event, with the MC reflecting on his experience with racism at it, and also having a convo with another Black boy about what the future should look like. I also liked the little twist! It brought an element of fairytale happiness.
The Book Club by Shari B. Pennant: I think this would have worked better with lower stakes, but I loved the concept of finding magical community in a bookstore, and also the MC’s drive to understand why she was given magic.
Nina in the Round by Kalynn Bayron: this was fantastic! It explored so many things in such a short time, but not in a rushed way. It showed how white people respond to Black success with racist violence and the advancement of white mediocrity to try to undermine it. It showed how Black parents try to protect their children from going through the racist things they have experienced, but how sometimes this doesn’t work out. It showed the importance of representation, and the hypocrisy of the theatre for believing itself to be welcoming of everybody but then also upholding racism. I loved seeing the MC’s passion for singing and the joy it brought her, and loved the ending.
Earth is Ghetto by Ibi Zoboi: this was very thought-provoking. I liked its exploration of the human condition, namely that imperfection is an unavoidable part of the human experience. It doesn’t count oppressive systems as imperfections, of course - these ARE avoidable, and the MC is working to dismantle them. But the MC also realises the folly in trying to create a perfect human world without “mistakes”; it wouldn’t be a human world without them.
Initiative Check by K. Arsenault Rivera: I really enjoyed this one!!! I’m a sucker for a Jumanji-style concept, so add in a queer second-chance romance and I’m sold. I’m actually desperate for this to be turned into a full-length book!
Corner Booth by Leah Johnson: this was cute, essentially about wordy nerds in love. I love that the MCs got to find solace in each other and in the diner at night (this setting was particularly calming to read about). It made their connection really believable.
Betty’s Best Craft by Elise Bryant: this was so sweet. I really loved how MC and LI realised that they both had been responsible for the loss of their friendship, and that in building it back up again they got to experience new things. I do wish we had more of Betty’s crafting described to us though.
The Panel Shows the Girl by Amanda Joy: the magic in this one kind of comes out of nowhere and we also never find out why it exists. I also thought that the friendship problem was somewhat randomly resolved without any communication. But I did like the concept of drawings coming to life!
Spirit-Filled by Jordan Ifueko: this was a compelling short story. I enjoyed how the plotline of the MC trying to get her book back was woven in with her interactions within the church community. I also think Ifueko’s writing style is stunning. In terms of fitting in with the anthology’s theme, I don’t think it was quite there.
Cole’s Cruise Blues by Isaac Fitzsimons: this was a super cute and heartwarming story. I really enjoyed the sibling relationship and also Cole coming to terms with himself. I do wish magic had been included from the start as a hobby of Cole’s as it would have fitted the theme of the anthology better.
High Strangeness by Desiree S. Evans: I felt like the romance in this story took away from the nerdy plot line, i.e. I wish more time had been spent on finding aliens than developing the romantic relationship.
Catalyst Rising by Tracy Deonn: I liked the premise of this one, especially because our MC, who is extremely science-oriented, has to grapple with knowing her worldview isn’t wholly accurate. I also appreciated that there wasn’t any romance. But the pacing was kind of weird, and then it just ends on a random sentence. I also didn’t like the vaguely anti-therapy sentiments. I don’t think this was bad, but I do think the execution could have been better.
Requiem of Souls by Terry J. Benton-Walker: this was phenomenal! A powerful story with immaculate pacing. Music magic will always get me. I don’t, however, think the epilogue was needed.
Honour Code by Kwame Mbalia: this was super character driven, which I really enjoyed. I liked how the MC could find solace, comfort, and community in LARPing, and how he was trying to figure out how to take care of himself.
Drive Time by Lamar Giles: this was fun and pacey, and a really refreshing change in genre - without straying too far from the anthology’s theme. I like stories that have bizarre, humorous plot points and this was one!
Wolf Tracks by Roseanne A. Brown: This was genuinely perfect up until the last little bit!! I loved the con, I loved the friends-to-lovers forced proximity, I loved how the MC and his dad were learning emotional intimacy!! Unfortunately the friends-to-lovers becoming reality at the ending was lacklustre; it kind of just happened without any fanfare. But I still really liked this story overall. And it has my favourite quote from the whole anthology: “…it actually isn’t enough for me that his acceptance looks like silence.”
The Hero’s Journey by Tochi Onyebuchi: this was super meta which I loved. I could see it working really well as a graphic novel. I do wish the themes of the auntie story had been connected to the earlier failed stories a little more as it felt a little disjointed.
Abyss by Amerie: the dark academia vibes of this story were immaculate. I also found the MC really interesting in her motivations and desires. The magic was a bit baffling but that could well be a me problem due to brain fog!!
Our Joy, Our Power by Julian Winters: a great start to the anthology as it perfectly encapsulates its theme, which is Black people taking up the space they are owed in nerdy, fantastical spaces. This is done in the context of a ComicCon-style event, with the MC reflecting on his experience with racism at it, and also having a convo with another Black boy about what the future should look like. I also liked the little twist! It brought an element of fairytale happiness.
The Book Club by Shari B. Pennant: I think this would have worked better with lower stakes, but I loved the concept of finding magical community in a bookstore, and also the MC’s drive to understand why she was given magic.
Nina in the Round by Kalynn Bayron: this was fantastic! It explored so many things in such a short time, but not in a rushed way. It showed how white people respond to Black success with racist violence and the advancement of white mediocrity to try to undermine it. It showed how Black parents try to protect their children from going through the racist things they have experienced, but how sometimes this doesn’t work out. It showed the importance of representation, and the hypocrisy of the theatre for believing itself to be welcoming of everybody but then also upholding racism. I loved seeing the MC’s passion for singing and the joy it brought her, and loved the ending.
Earth is Ghetto by Ibi Zoboi: this was very thought-provoking. I liked its exploration of the human condition, namely that imperfection is an unavoidable part of the human experience. It doesn’t count oppressive systems as imperfections, of course - these ARE avoidable, and the MC is working to dismantle them. But the MC also realises the folly in trying to create a perfect human world without “mistakes”; it wouldn’t be a human world without them.
Initiative Check by K. Arsenault Rivera: I really enjoyed this one!!! I’m a sucker for a Jumanji-style concept, so add in a queer second-chance romance and I’m sold. I’m actually desperate for this to be turned into a full-length book!
Corner Booth by Leah Johnson: this was cute, essentially about wordy nerds in love. I love that the MCs got to find solace in each other and in the diner at night (this setting was particularly calming to read about). It made their connection really believable.
Betty’s Best Craft by Elise Bryant: this was so sweet. I really loved how MC and LI realised that they both had been responsible for the loss of their friendship, and that in building it back up again they got to experience new things. I do wish we had more of Betty’s crafting described to us though.
The Panel Shows the Girl by Amanda Joy: the magic in this one kind of comes out of nowhere and we also never find out why it exists. I also thought that the friendship problem was somewhat randomly resolved without any communication. But I did like the concept of drawings coming to life!
Spirit-Filled by Jordan Ifueko: this was a compelling short story. I enjoyed how the plotline of the MC trying to get her book back was woven in with her interactions within the church community. I also think Ifueko’s writing style is stunning. In terms of fitting in with the anthology’s theme, I don’t think it was quite there.
Cole’s Cruise Blues by Isaac Fitzsimons: this was a super cute and heartwarming story. I really enjoyed the sibling relationship and also Cole coming to terms with himself. I do wish magic had been included from the start as a hobby of Cole’s as it would have fitted the theme of the anthology better.
High Strangeness by Desiree S. Evans: I felt like the romance in this story took away from the nerdy plot line, i.e. I wish more time had been spent on finding aliens than developing the romantic relationship.
Catalyst Rising by Tracy Deonn: I liked the premise of this one, especially because our MC, who is extremely science-oriented, has to grapple with knowing her worldview isn’t wholly accurate. I also appreciated that there wasn’t any romance. But the pacing was kind of weird, and then it just ends on a random sentence. I also didn’t like the vaguely anti-therapy sentiments. I don’t think this was bad, but I do think the execution could have been better.
Requiem of Souls by Terry J. Benton-Walker: this was phenomenal! A powerful story with immaculate pacing. Music magic will always get me. I don’t, however, think the epilogue was needed.
Honour Code by Kwame Mbalia: this was super character driven, which I really enjoyed. I liked how the MC could find solace, comfort, and community in LARPing, and how he was trying to figure out how to take care of himself.
Drive Time by Lamar Giles: this was fun and pacey, and a really refreshing change in genre - without straying too far from the anthology’s theme. I like stories that have bizarre, humorous plot points and this was one!
Wolf Tracks by Roseanne A. Brown: This was genuinely perfect up until the last little bit!! I loved the con, I loved the friends-to-lovers forced proximity, I loved how the MC and his dad were learning emotional intimacy!! Unfortunately the friends-to-lovers becoming reality at the ending was lacklustre; it kind of just happened without any fanfare. But I still really liked this story overall. And it has my favourite quote from the whole anthology: “…it actually isn’t enough for me that his acceptance looks like silence.”
The Hero’s Journey by Tochi Onyebuchi: this was super meta which I loved. I could see it working really well as a graphic novel. I do wish the themes of the auntie story had been connected to the earlier failed stories a little more as it felt a little disjointed.
Abyss by Amerie: the dark academia vibes of this story were immaculate. I also found the MC really interesting in her motivations and desires. The magic was a bit baffling but that could well be a me problem due to brain fog!!
February 11, 2023
This is the second book I read for the Read Queerly 2023 Challenge. This is for #1: A Black main character. I know this isn't one story and all the characters in the stories weren't LGBTQIA2+ but there were at least 7 stories with gay, trans or lesbian characters so I thought this would work, plus they were all Black.
Overall, I really liked this YA anthology. All the authors and main characters of the stories are Black and that's really the only similarity. They are all different genres, anywhere from 15 to 30 pages each, with different tones, paces, character development and ages of characters. I'll state right now my rating of each story is mainly biased by my interest in the genre. Since I'm not a fan of fantasy or sci-fi in general, those stories didn't really hold my interest, with two exceptions.
Introduction by Karen Strong - I'm not going to rate this but I really enjoyed it and found it powerful.
Our Joy, Our Power by Julian Winters 5/5 - Loved this first story about being a strong, loving, gay man, however you want that to look.
The Book Club by Shari B. Pennant 2.5/5 - Couldn't really get into this fantasy piece about secret girl magic.
Nina Evans, In the Round by Kalynn Bayron 4.5/5 - A wonderful historical piece about a Black girl trying out for a normally-white girl lead part in a school play.
Earth is Ghetto by Ibi Zoboi 3/5 - A science fiction piece about a girl trying to pick people to go onto an alien ship with her felt too long to me.
Initiative Check by K. Arsenault Rivera 3.75/5 - A fantasy story about a group of kids playing D&D that gets a little too real, especially between two girls.
Corner Booth by Leah Johnson 5/5 - Great story about a foster girl who spends her nights playing a spelling app at a diner and the boy who interrupts her routine.
Betty's Best Craft by Elise Bryant 5/5 - A lovely story of crafting, friendship, old hurts and new beginnings.
The Panel Shows the Girl by Amanda Joy 5/5 - I was surprised to love this fantasy story of a girl drawing anime that comes to life and has to figure out how to make it all never happen.
Spirit-Filled by Jordan Heuko 5/5 - A Black religious girl who wants to read romance books and ask questions without getting in trouble with family or God. Funny and well-written.
Cole's Cruise Blues by Isaac Fitzsimons 4.5/5 - A sweet story about a transgender boy deals with trying to figure out who he is while on a cruise with his family and cute boy.
High Strangeness by Desiree S. Evans 5/5 - A sweet story about a group of girls who go looking for aliens on the main character's birthday and find friendship and romance (and maybe some aliens).
Catalyst Rising by Tracy Deonn 2/5 - A rather boring sci-fi/fantasy piece with magic and "the one" tropes.
Requiem of Souls by Terry J. Benton-Walker 3.75/5 - An odd horror piece about a boy who finds sheet music, plays it with his flute and has to deals with the ghosts and beast it brings to life.
Honor Code by Kwame Mbalia 4/5 - A boy trying to avoid the problems in his life for the day by attending a LARP competition with his friend.
Drive Time by Lamar Giles 5/5 - An amazingly hilarious dual POV story of two teens trying to get driving lessons from a skeezy dude with errands to run.
Wolf Tracks by Roseanne A. Brown 4/5 - A fantasy story of a boy with a crush on his best friend who wolfs out, literally.
The Hero's Journey by Tochi Onyebuchi 2/5 - A sci-fi piece about a boy writing a space story that keeps petering out and goes nowhere. Yawn.
Abyss by Amerie 1/5 - A long fantasy story that didn't make much sense with characters I couldn't tell apart about magic at school. Wasn't a fan.
All of these stories together equalled 3.9/5 so I rounded that up. I would have liked it more if it had more realistic stories and less sci-fi and fantasy but I get why the editor gathered such diverse stories together. A very cool anthology that should be accessible and fun for everyone.
Overall, I really liked this YA anthology. All the authors and main characters of the stories are Black and that's really the only similarity. They are all different genres, anywhere from 15 to 30 pages each, with different tones, paces, character development and ages of characters. I'll state right now my rating of each story is mainly biased by my interest in the genre. Since I'm not a fan of fantasy or sci-fi in general, those stories didn't really hold my interest, with two exceptions.
Introduction by Karen Strong - I'm not going to rate this but I really enjoyed it and found it powerful.
Our Joy, Our Power by Julian Winters 5/5 - Loved this first story about being a strong, loving, gay man, however you want that to look.
The Book Club by Shari B. Pennant 2.5/5 - Couldn't really get into this fantasy piece about secret girl magic.
Nina Evans, In the Round by Kalynn Bayron 4.5/5 - A wonderful historical piece about a Black girl trying out for a normally-white girl lead part in a school play.
Earth is Ghetto by Ibi Zoboi 3/5 - A science fiction piece about a girl trying to pick people to go onto an alien ship with her felt too long to me.
Initiative Check by K. Arsenault Rivera 3.75/5 - A fantasy story about a group of kids playing D&D that gets a little too real, especially between two girls.
Corner Booth by Leah Johnson 5/5 - Great story about a foster girl who spends her nights playing a spelling app at a diner and the boy who interrupts her routine.
Betty's Best Craft by Elise Bryant 5/5 - A lovely story of crafting, friendship, old hurts and new beginnings.
The Panel Shows the Girl by Amanda Joy 5/5 - I was surprised to love this fantasy story of a girl drawing anime that comes to life and has to figure out how to make it all never happen.
Spirit-Filled by Jordan Heuko 5/5 - A Black religious girl who wants to read romance books and ask questions without getting in trouble with family or God. Funny and well-written.
Cole's Cruise Blues by Isaac Fitzsimons 4.5/5 - A sweet story about a transgender boy deals with trying to figure out who he is while on a cruise with his family and cute boy.
High Strangeness by Desiree S. Evans 5/5 - A sweet story about a group of girls who go looking for aliens on the main character's birthday and find friendship and romance (and maybe some aliens).
Catalyst Rising by Tracy Deonn 2/5 - A rather boring sci-fi/fantasy piece with magic and "the one" tropes.
Requiem of Souls by Terry J. Benton-Walker 3.75/5 - An odd horror piece about a boy who finds sheet music, plays it with his flute and has to deals with the ghosts and beast it brings to life.
Honor Code by Kwame Mbalia 4/5 - A boy trying to avoid the problems in his life for the day by attending a LARP competition with his friend.
Drive Time by Lamar Giles 5/5 - An amazingly hilarious dual POV story of two teens trying to get driving lessons from a skeezy dude with errands to run.
Wolf Tracks by Roseanne A. Brown 4/5 - A fantasy story of a boy with a crush on his best friend who wolfs out, literally.
The Hero's Journey by Tochi Onyebuchi 2/5 - A sci-fi piece about a boy writing a space story that keeps petering out and goes nowhere. Yawn.
Abyss by Amerie 1/5 - A long fantasy story that didn't make much sense with characters I couldn't tell apart about magic at school. Wasn't a fan.
All of these stories together equalled 3.9/5 so I rounded that up. I would have liked it more if it had more realistic stories and less sci-fi and fantasy but I get why the editor gathered such diverse stories together. A very cool anthology that should be accessible and fun for everyone.
February 16, 2023
Spoilers. The views expressed in this review are just my own personal opinion. All of these authors are amazing and each of their stories has something unique, but there were some I liked more than others. Individual reviews for the stories are short because I'm tired.
"Our Joy, Our Power" - Julian Winters
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - 5 stars
This one was super sweet! I'm a sucker for tender, gay romances.
"The Book Club" - Shari B. Pennant
⭐⭐ - 2 stars
While it was kind of confusing, this one still hooked me, so I was disappointed when, in my opinion, it ended just as it was getting even more interesting. I feel that this might have been better as a novel, or at least a longer short story.
"Nina Evans, in the Round" - Kalynn Bayron
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - 5 stars
This one shines a light on the struggles people of color have within the theater community, and I found myself rooting passionately for Nina!
"Earth is Ghetto" - Ibi Zoboi
⭐ - 1 star
I had no idea what was going on in this story, whatsoever. The premise and topic felt a little too broad to be condensed into one short story. Also, I guess I don't prefer aliens.
"Initiative Check" - K. Arsenault Rivera
⭐⭐⭐ - 3 stars
Queer rep? Check. Fantasy? Check. This one was interesting and kept me reading along, though I was a little confused at how they were magically transported into the game.
"Corner Booth" - Leah Johnson
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - 4 stars
I love word games, and so I loved this story.
"Betty's Best Craft" - Elise Bryant
⭐⭐⭐ - 3 stars
Crafting is cool. I did like the "Enemies to lovers" trope.
"The Panel Shows the Girl" - Amanda Joy
⭐⭐ - 2 stars
I wanted to like this one, and the queer rep was great, but I was confused at the magic system; like, suddenly they're all turning into magical creatures? But then we find out it was all in the mc's imagination?
"Spirit-Filled" - Jordan Ifueko
⭐⭐⭐ - 3 stars
I liked how this one handled the hypocrisy of Churches and things like that. I kind of wish that it had been a bit longer, though.
"Cole's Cruise Blues" - Isaac Fitzsimons
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - 5 stars
A gay trans mc?!?! Yay!!! This one was super sweet, and was one of my favorites!
"High Strangeness" - Desiree S. Evans
⭐⭐⭐ - 3 stars
Not much to say on this one. Intriguing storyline.
"Catalyst Rising" - Tracy Deonn
⭐⭐⭐ - 3 stars
One thing that I've noticed with this anthology is that there are quite a few stories with an unexplained magic system that's kind of confusing and that there are also stories that could have been longer. This one fulfilled both categories. Still, I thought that alchemy was cool.
"Requiem of Souls" - Terry J. Benton-Walker
⭐ - 1 star
Horror creeps me out. Gay mc, though.
"Honor Code" - Kwame Mbalia
⭐⭐⭐ - 3 stars
Cool, interesting story.
"Drive Time" - Lamar Giles
⭐⭐⭐ - 3 stars
A humorous read. I did think that the main characters should have just not done the driving thing once they saw how shady it was, though.
"Wolf Tracks" - Roseanne A. Brown
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - 4 stars
Gay mc!!!! Fandom!!!! Also, the wolf thing was really interesting. I WANT A NOVEL.
"The Hero's Journey" - Tochi Onyebuchi
⭐⭐⭐ - 3 stars
As an aspiring writer, I felt like this story got me. However, it was still a little confusing, though I loved the concept.
"Abyss" - Amelie
⭐ - 1 star. Dnfed 60%.
Ehhhh.
Anyways. I think that my general take away from this anthology is that it had some really great, sweet stories, though I would have liked a few to have clearer/longer storylines, but I still appreciate all of them. After reading several short story anthologies I think I can determine that I will like 1/3 of the stories, dislike another 1/3, and the remaining 1/3 are just okay. However, I am glad that I read this. It's always important to read stories about/written-by people who are different from us.
"Our Joy, Our Power" - Julian Winters
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - 5 stars
This one was super sweet! I'm a sucker for tender, gay romances.
"The Book Club" - Shari B. Pennant
⭐⭐ - 2 stars
While it was kind of confusing, this one still hooked me, so I was disappointed when, in my opinion, it ended just as it was getting even more interesting. I feel that this might have been better as a novel, or at least a longer short story.
"Nina Evans, in the Round" - Kalynn Bayron
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - 5 stars
This one shines a light on the struggles people of color have within the theater community, and I found myself rooting passionately for Nina!
"Earth is Ghetto" - Ibi Zoboi
⭐ - 1 star
I had no idea what was going on in this story, whatsoever. The premise and topic felt a little too broad to be condensed into one short story. Also, I guess I don't prefer aliens.
"Initiative Check" - K. Arsenault Rivera
⭐⭐⭐ - 3 stars
Queer rep? Check. Fantasy? Check. This one was interesting and kept me reading along, though I was a little confused at how they were magically transported into the game.
"Corner Booth" - Leah Johnson
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - 4 stars
I love word games, and so I loved this story.
"Betty's Best Craft" - Elise Bryant
⭐⭐⭐ - 3 stars
Crafting is cool. I did like the "Enemies to lovers" trope.
"The Panel Shows the Girl" - Amanda Joy
⭐⭐ - 2 stars
I wanted to like this one, and the queer rep was great, but I was confused at the magic system; like, suddenly they're all turning into magical creatures? But then we find out it was all in the mc's imagination?
"Spirit-Filled" - Jordan Ifueko
⭐⭐⭐ - 3 stars
I liked how this one handled the hypocrisy of Churches and things like that. I kind of wish that it had been a bit longer, though.
"Cole's Cruise Blues" - Isaac Fitzsimons
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - 5 stars
A gay trans mc?!?! Yay!!! This one was super sweet, and was one of my favorites!
"High Strangeness" - Desiree S. Evans
⭐⭐⭐ - 3 stars
Not much to say on this one. Intriguing storyline.
"Catalyst Rising" - Tracy Deonn
⭐⭐⭐ - 3 stars
One thing that I've noticed with this anthology is that there are quite a few stories with an unexplained magic system that's kind of confusing and that there are also stories that could have been longer. This one fulfilled both categories. Still, I thought that alchemy was cool.
"Requiem of Souls" - Terry J. Benton-Walker
⭐ - 1 star
Horror creeps me out. Gay mc, though.
"Honor Code" - Kwame Mbalia
⭐⭐⭐ - 3 stars
Cool, interesting story.
"Drive Time" - Lamar Giles
⭐⭐⭐ - 3 stars
A humorous read. I did think that the main characters should have just not done the driving thing once they saw how shady it was, though.
"Wolf Tracks" - Roseanne A. Brown
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - 4 stars
Gay mc!!!! Fandom!!!! Also, the wolf thing was really interesting. I WANT A NOVEL.
"The Hero's Journey" - Tochi Onyebuchi
⭐⭐⭐ - 3 stars
As an aspiring writer, I felt like this story got me. However, it was still a little confusing, though I loved the concept.
"Abyss" - Amelie
⭐ - 1 star. Dnfed 60%.
Ehhhh.
Anyways. I think that my general take away from this anthology is that it had some really great, sweet stories, though I would have liked a few to have clearer/longer storylines, but I still appreciate all of them. After reading several short story anthologies I think I can determine that I will like 1/3 of the stories, dislike another 1/3, and the remaining 1/3 are just okay. However, I am glad that I read this. It's always important to read stories about/written-by people who are different from us.
March 28, 2023
This was kind of a mix for me - I think I prefer Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America from a few years ago because I am more into contemporary fiction, and it felt like the variety of stories (especially fantasy/sci-fi) had this collection all over the place.
Our Joy, Our Power by Julian Winters, 3 stars: This is a really cute and quick story set at a con, with a little bit of a surprise identity.
The Book Club by Shari B. Pennant, 3 stars: I kind of wish this was longer for more of the mythology to be explained, but still enjoyable.
Nina Evans, in the Round by Kalynn Bayron, 3 stars: This is kind of bittersweet - obviously Black performers are still not treated as equal to their white peers, but hearing the mom talk about wanting to be a Black Cinderella and knowing that Brandy and Keke Palmer would go on to play the role is a reminder of the progress that was to come.
Earth is Ghetto by Ibi Zoboi, 2 stars: I like what this was going for, but it's a little too offbeat for me.
Initiative Check by K. Arsenault Rivera, 3 stars: This was one was also pretty quirky, but I thought it was more charming and easier to understand.
Corner Booth by Leah Johnson, 2 stars: I got a little secondhand embarrassment from this, but it reminded me of Akeelah and the Bee.
Betty's Best Craft by Elise Bryant, 2 stars: This actually reminds me a lot of Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute, which is a recently released YA about two Black teens who used to be friends and reconnect. I probably would have enjoyed this more if I hadn't read that, because I thought the book was a lot stronger than this story.
The Panel Shows the Girl by Amanda Joy, 3 stars: This is cute and I appreciate how it's anime-influenced, but doesn't overwhelm the story.
Spirit-Filled by Jordan Ifueko, 3 stars: I feel like I grew up with a lot of religious people who had what they could read/watch limited, and I really appreciate the voice here.
Cole's Cruise Blues by Isaac Fitzsimmons, 2 stars: This is another story that I kind of liked, but got secondhand embarrassment from.
High Strangeness by Desiree S. Evans, 3 stars: I really liked this, and it made me wish there were more stories in this collection with full friend groups.
Catalyst Rising by Tracy Deonn, 3 stars: This could definitely be a full-length series, but still did a good job world-building in a short amount of time.
Requiem of Souls by Terry J. Benton-Walker, 2 stars: I wish this was more fully developed, especially in writing the mom.
Honor Code by Kwame Mbalia, 2 stars: This does that thing where the characters allude to something that happened, but never explicitly say what it was. It's a short story, but it definitely had the room to develop this more.
Drive Time by Lamar Giles, 3 stars: This was a fun and interesting concept, complete with hijinks and zany characters.
Wolf Tracks by Roseanne A. Brown, 3 stars: This is a really heartwarming story about accepting and loving yourself, even the ugly parts.
The Hero's Journey by Tochi Onyebuchi, 2 stars: I like that this is self-referential, but I wish it was more of its own story than about writing a story.
Abyss by Amerie, 2 stars: This isn't fair to the author, but I feel like there are only so many partially-developed genre stories you can give the benefit of the doubt of before being like, this should not have been a short story.
2.5 stars, rounded down.
Our Joy, Our Power by Julian Winters, 3 stars: This is a really cute and quick story set at a con, with a little bit of a surprise identity.
The Book Club by Shari B. Pennant, 3 stars: I kind of wish this was longer for more of the mythology to be explained, but still enjoyable.
Nina Evans, in the Round by Kalynn Bayron, 3 stars: This is kind of bittersweet - obviously Black performers are still not treated as equal to their white peers, but hearing the mom talk about wanting to be a Black Cinderella and knowing that Brandy and Keke Palmer would go on to play the role is a reminder of the progress that was to come.
Earth is Ghetto by Ibi Zoboi, 2 stars: I like what this was going for, but it's a little too offbeat for me.
Initiative Check by K. Arsenault Rivera, 3 stars: This was one was also pretty quirky, but I thought it was more charming and easier to understand.
Corner Booth by Leah Johnson, 2 stars: I got a little secondhand embarrassment from this, but it reminded me of Akeelah and the Bee.
Betty's Best Craft by Elise Bryant, 2 stars: This actually reminds me a lot of Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute, which is a recently released YA about two Black teens who used to be friends and reconnect. I probably would have enjoyed this more if I hadn't read that, because I thought the book was a lot stronger than this story.
The Panel Shows the Girl by Amanda Joy, 3 stars: This is cute and I appreciate how it's anime-influenced, but doesn't overwhelm the story.
Spirit-Filled by Jordan Ifueko, 3 stars: I feel like I grew up with a lot of religious people who had what they could read/watch limited, and I really appreciate the voice here.
Cole's Cruise Blues by Isaac Fitzsimmons, 2 stars: This is another story that I kind of liked, but got secondhand embarrassment from.
High Strangeness by Desiree S. Evans, 3 stars: I really liked this, and it made me wish there were more stories in this collection with full friend groups.
Catalyst Rising by Tracy Deonn, 3 stars: This could definitely be a full-length series, but still did a good job world-building in a short amount of time.
Requiem of Souls by Terry J. Benton-Walker, 2 stars: I wish this was more fully developed, especially in writing the mom.
Honor Code by Kwame Mbalia, 2 stars: This does that thing where the characters allude to something that happened, but never explicitly say what it was. It's a short story, but it definitely had the room to develop this more.
Drive Time by Lamar Giles, 3 stars: This was a fun and interesting concept, complete with hijinks and zany characters.
Wolf Tracks by Roseanne A. Brown, 3 stars: This is a really heartwarming story about accepting and loving yourself, even the ugly parts.
The Hero's Journey by Tochi Onyebuchi, 2 stars: I like that this is self-referential, but I wish it was more of its own story than about writing a story.
Abyss by Amerie, 2 stars: This isn't fair to the author, but I feel like there are only so many partially-developed genre stories you can give the benefit of the doubt of before being like, this should not have been a short story.
2.5 stars, rounded down.
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