Status Updates From I'll Be Home for Christmas

Routes and Wings by Lisa Williamson: Exactly what you would expect from a story in a collection supporting Crisis. Not a huge amount of either meat or nuance, though. 3/5

The Bluebird by Julie Mayhew: One big “huh???” to this extended fairytale metaphor. 2/5

When Daddy Comes Home by Melvin Burgess: Disturbing, dystopian, delightful. Black Mirror vibes. 4/5

Christmas, Take Two by Katy Cannon: Nice enough story about step-families with a petulant teenager (annoying) and an unnecessary romance (disappointing). 3/5

Claws by Tom Becker: Well that was deeply unsettling and beautifully written. Glad I didn’t read this one at night. 5/5

The Letter by Tracy Darnton: Exactly the type of provocatively ominous type of stuff I used to write as a kid to win prizes. Not much substance to it, but readable. 3/5

Amir and George by Sita Brahmachari: At first I found this one quite difficult and slow to read because of the narrator’s voice. But then it took my heart and broke it and taped it back up again. 5/5

Homo for Christmas by Juno Dawson: Lovely little story about falling in love and and accepting yourself and going home for Christmas. Not much to it, but the characters are well developed and the relationships are sweet. 4/5

The Afterschool Club by Holly Bourne: …Meh? Didn’t really care about the characters or their bond, but it wasn’t BAD. Mostly just an opportunity to display the awkwardness of class disparity with a shallow, minimally developed premise. 3/5

Absolutely hated this little story where the main event was two creeps being creepy. And this was supposed to be like an empathy inducing story? I just don’t get it. Description was good, though. 2/5

Family You Choose by Cat Clarke: Sweet little story with well-crafted characters and delightful detail. 4/5

Ghosts of Christmas Past by Non Pratt: Very sweet and bittersweet love story both in the traditional sense, and about a family and the meaning of home and the ache when that comes into question. Writing and characters very strong. 4/5

Home and Away by Benjamin Zephaniah: I mean, is a poem that is in essence “this is what Crisis is and a basic overview of how one could end up needing it” really compelling? No. 2/5.