This was one of those anthologies I have talked about before where a publishing house (this time it was an agent) gets a couple of high profile authors to contribute stories to a themed anthology and then they fill the rest of the book with unknown, some even previously unpublished, writers. Collections like this are usually less than 50% good, and that would be okay if the publisher only charged $1.99, or even better, 99¢ for the ebook because they are basically promotional samplers. This ebook is $8.60! That's robbery.

The biggest problem I had with this book, besides the duds, was that it was apparent many of the stories were not originally about adoption, and they were made anthology "worthy" by adding something about adoption, or foster care, or making the MC an adoptee and then juggling the story around to make it fit.

A couple of the stories weren't even about adoption at all. I really liked the one by William Ritter, the author of the Jackaby books, but it wasn't about adoption. There was also one that should never have been tweaked to represent adoption because of a negative element, and another that should not have been included because of the negative slant to it.

Another thing was there were too many weak endings. My buddy reader mentioned this, too. I have a feeling many of those were chapters from full novels doctored up to read like a short story. Again, okay if the book is $1.99, not okay if it is almost $9.00.
∵
My favorite was Peace of Paper by Courtney C. Stevens because I loved the realistic Contemporary writing style and it was a solid short story with a beginning, a middle, and an end. It was about how important it is to have family discussion and support when you are making a big life decision. I also really liked Twenty-Seven Days by Jenny Kaczotowski. It was about foster care and my aunt fostered children when I was growing up.

Others I liked a lot…
Tunneling Through ~ Shannon Parker
These Broken Stars ~ C.J. Redwine
A Kingdom Bright and Burning ~ Dave Cronnis
Webbed ~ Julie Esbaugh

These two were liked by both of us...
Invited ~ Lauren Morill
Upon the Horizon’s Verge ~ Sangu Mandanna

*Eight good stories out of twenty-eight garnered this anthology two stars from me. My buddy reading partner was kinder with three stars even though she only really liked four of the stories.

Carlos and the Fifteen-Year-Old Heart by Adi Alsaid was eh. I think I got what he was going for, but it just didn't click well for me. (2 stars)

Strong Enough by Karen Atkins twisted the topic of adoption through a superhero storyline. So that was interesting, but I wish it'd been longer. I know it's an anthology and these are supposed to be short, but it really didn't feel like, well, enough. Also, if you took out the fact that the MC was adopted by non-supers, it would not be in this collection, so there's that. (3 stars)

The Sign by Erica M. Chapman had more focus on adoption and the complicated feelings that can come from wanting to make contact with your birth parents. I think she did well showing that, but it went in a direction I wasn't expecting, and I don't know how to feel about it. But I was pleasantly surprised with the story on a whole. (3.5 stars)


These stories just aren't doing much for me, so I'm gonna skip around to authors I love/know, or those I want to try, and talk about theirs afterward!

The Inexplicable Weight of Mountains by Helene Dunbar was one I wanted to read because I really liked her book, What Remains, but I just didn't feel anything for this story. It was about a boy who wasn't sure if he wanted answers to his questions regarding his birth parents/early life or not. Not much went on in it. (2.5 stars)

Webbed by Julie Esbaugh was interesting. I'm not sure I totally get the ending (I mean, I understood her letting go, but not the castle-under-the-water part, like was it real??? Or just made up??? Confused). I kind of wish it HAD been more fantastical, as I thought that was what the author was setting up for. So this disappointed me, but I did like it. (3 stars)

Life: Starring Tallulah Grey by Lauren Gibaldi was kind of eh. It was a lot of dialogue over introspection, more telling than showing. I did find it cool that Tally is a star on a vampire TV show, and unique in that her being a celebrity was a big aspect of how her birth mom coming back into her life is handled. And how very messy families and parents can be. But I just didn't really care for this one. (2.5 stars)

Census Man by Mindy McGinnis felt so different from the first few I read, because I think it was historically set? It was about a little girl in an orphanage who was waiting to be adopted, who hadn't had the best life but who still had hope that she'd find people who want her. I liked it; her writing is always enjoyable. And I thought it was neat that it was inspired by Mindy's grandmother's early life. (3 stars)

Invited by Lauren Morrill was very middle for me. I think this could have been better if it'd been longer, because I really wanted more from Corey's character. She gave up Ella for adoption, which is SO HUGE, but you don't really get to see the impact it's had on her. She talks about it a little bit with one of Ella's dads, but that's it. So it being a short story just didn't have that almost necessary aspect? It wasn't bad, though! (3 stars)

In Pieces by Eric Smith was SO. CONFUSING. I feel like I got dropped in the middle of an ongoing series. Like, the main character, Arcas, is going to meet his birth parents? In the future? He's teleporting to them? idk, the sci-fi aspect completely derailed the story for me, and there was too much of it for me to get a sense of who Arcas is and what he's feeling. This would have been better as a longer book. (2 stars)

Peace of Paper by Courtney C. Stevens was really good! I didn't have much doubt given the love I have for her novel, Faking Normal. She just GETS life and teens and I found this so refreshing. This went in a direction I was NOT expecting (and it almost lost me because I wasn't getting the point of the story for so long), but one that I thoroughly loved. And I loved the message that everyone is worthy. (4 stars)

Happy Beginning by Nic Stone was good too! Though a bit bittersweet, I really enjoyed it. It was about Nyara, but told through the POV of Jenna, like she's telling Ny all of this. And I liked that setup. I also really liked how the author tackled the complications of adoption (even when the adoptive parents are so kind and loving), especially with Ny who is black and Mr. and Mrs. J who are white, which makes it harder for her. This makes me even more excited for Nic's debut! (3.5 stars)

So, I read more of the stories than I thought I would. But I'm not interested in reading more, sadly. I think this type of anthology is needed, for sure. Adoption is very underrepresented (and misrepresented) in books. And some of these were REALLY good! But I think there are just too many authors here, and the stories are SO short, that there's not enough time to truly appreciate them all. I love the theme and how diverse the anthology is, but I'm sad that this just didn't work for me overall. :(


also I WOULD recommend this book, because I think the stories still matter, and that this anthology is important. :) (I didn't want my negative review to show up, so I left the star rating as is)

Meh. That's all I can really think after finishing this book. I just wasn't that blown away. I think my biggest problem was the length of each chapter was only like 10 pages, and I don't feel that's enough to get a rich enough story. There aren't enough pages to get a coherent plot down or have good character development, That being said, I do think it's one that should be checked out and evaluated on your own time because this could totally be someone else's new favorite book. It covers such an important topic, and I don't want to underwhelm its importance. Please give this book a read if you get the chance.

WELCOME HOME is a collection of stories about adoption from a number of perspectives, from teens who are meeting their birth parents for the first time to ones choosing whether or not to have their own children up for adoption. There is a wide variety of authors from C.J. Redwine to Eric Smith (also the editor of the collection to Sangu Mandanna.

Anthologies are some of the hardest books to review, particularly in this case. The voices, genres, and perspectives range across the board, bound by the common theme of adoption. There is certainly a gap in the field from varying adoption perspectives, and WELCOME HOME provides a great opportunity for readers to find themselves represented. While I think the different genres included (contemporary, fantasy, scifi, etc.) are fascinating, sometimes the switch in genre between stories is jarring.

My favorite stories are C.J. Redwine’s, which features a mother and newly adopted daughter bonding with both awkwardness and kindness; Julie Eshbaugh’s, which brings up visible genetic attributes (webbed feet), something that can be a constant reminder of biological parents; and Eric Smith’s story of weighing risk and consequences. Caela Carter’s also features a strong voice and intriguing snapshot.

Without a doubt, those who read WELCOME HOME will find themselves eager for more from many of the writers and more stories of adoption and the many nuances within blood and chosen families.

I started Welcome Home, a collection of short stories about Adoption by Eric Smith but I DNF'd it because it was taking far too long for me to finish. As these are all short stories though, there are still reviews for about half of them below.

I requested this arc from NetGalley.

Spoilers below...

Carlos And The Fifteen Year Old Heart

3 Stars!

Carlos is adopted. He gets told he's different half way through this novella by a teacher at his school. When he comes home he tells his parents, and they tell him the truth. Also, his parents live in the same year throughout their whole lives. They always experience an earthquake somewhere in each year. There's a brief romance too.

The author Adi Alsaid says that he wanted the adoption and the space between parent and child to be second or third fiddle to age, earthquakes and love, meaning, I think that he wanted the adoption to be what's normal in this story, at least to Carlos' family. I thought this was sweet. Carlos' parents still thought of him as their son. That's the way it should be.

Strong Enough by Karen Atkins

2.5 Stars!

This short story tells the story of Gracie who is an adopted super girl. She's going to get a call to her exam to save someone soon. This story kind of reminded me a little of the film Sky High because it's about kids becoming super heroes. Strong enough is just a speeded up version of it, though.

The last line of Strong Enough, "Gracie," mom says, following her finger behind mine and taking my hand, "You're the perfect amount of brave"

tells us that this short story isn't really about the adoption, which Gracie has known about before this story even begins. Rather, it's about someone being brave and not being scared to take on challenges not knowing if they will succeed or fail at them. These challenges can be anything. In this novel their in the shape of a final, fantastical test, but the idea behind them can be put onto anything in life.

The author Karen Atkins, worked as a director of an adoption agency. She's counselled people who were struggling to become parents as well as educating adoptive parents in their dream.

The Sign by Erica M. Chapman

2.5 Stars!

Caden goes to meet her birth father. He tells her that he's dying from kidney failure. This story doesn't really have anything to do with adoption. Instead, I'd say it's about a girl finding out who she is. At the beginning of the story, Caden walks past a sign. This sign holds nothing for her at this point. However, at the end, the sign holds dear memories of her father. Ones that she'll keep with her forever.

The author believes that being a part of a family isn't about blood but about love, instead. This is true about all families.

Up By A Million by Cealia Carter

4 Stars!

In this novella, we don't know the name of the protagonist. This was interesting as it could literally have been anyone. The only character named is "Coach K". Our protagonist is 18 years old. She's visiting her birth mother in jail. We never find out what her mother did to get her put in jail. Coach K looks after her. It's revealed that Coach K wants to adopt the young adult protagonist. She's shocked and a little upset at first, to think she won't be able to call her birth mom, mom anymore. But by the end she realises that her mom will always be the woman sat across from her, no matter what the courts say.

"I'm going to be adopted. But I'll still be hers. She'll still be mine" displays this.

The prison guard watching them says that no touching is allowed when they first try to touch. At the end, though he allows them to touch, as like a goodbye.

"My mom reaches for my hand and squeezes it. I see the guard watch this. I see him decide to let it happen. I realise he's listening"

I felt connected to this story. I don't know why, as I don't have any family in prison. Just the writing caught me and made me think, I think. This short story is quite an emotional one, I found. It makes you think that if your mother went to jail, would you want her taken away from you by law? I think for most of us out here, the answer is no.

The author is always looking for ways to integrate foster care and adoption while still keeping them about the people rather than the adoption. In Up By A Million, the story is totally focused on the characters and not at all on the adoption aspect. The characters' emotions are what are important, instead.

Mama's Eyes by Libby Cudmore

5 Stars!

Zoe is our lead character in this short story. Her mom left her on a bus when she was A baby so the people who found her on the bus look after her now. I'm not exactly sure how realistic this is but it worked well for this story. Anyway, when Clarice, the woman who's been like Zoe's mom has a car accident and dies she's left with Roger, the man who's been her father for years.

"You're what made us a family." He was sobbing now. "I just miss her so god damned much, I feel like I'm loosing my mind"

is what Roger says to Zoe after Clarice dies. He's desperate for his wife but knows that Zoe is also important.

However, when things start getting complicated because of an unknown woman, at first Zoe isn't sure about anything. I don't want to spoil anymore but this is one of the best novellas I read of the collection. It had my heart pounding to find out what would happen...

A Kingdom Bright And Burning by Dave Connis

5 Stars!

We follow Zeke in this short story, who's a mute. He has a tree, called Oak in his mind, who he speaks too. Zeke has his own kingdom that he created for just himself because he's always been alone. These are fantasy elements in this story.

When Zeke gets adopted he has to learn to shake off the world of solice that he's created for himself. He's the King of his own world. Can he start living in reality or will he always be confined to the world in which he created for himself? You'll have to read to find out...

I really enjoyed this novella. There are "inside" and "outside" elements to A Kingdom Bright And Burning. The inside elements are the fantastical things going on inside Zeke's head, while the outside elements are things going on in the real world, such as the adoption. I thought the author did a great job piecing these 2 things together.

A Kingdom Bright And Burning really brings together what's real and what isn't in a seamless way. It made me question what's important to me and what's not so important. It's an emotional read, rather than an exciting one but it still had me on the edge of my seat. That's why I'm giving it 5 Stars!

The Inexplicable Weight Of Mountains - Helene Dunbar

3 Stars!

This is a tale about Marin, who in Eastern European. She was adopted as a little girl. This novella is based on the question of whether or not she wants to find her blood family.

We see her emailing someone, enquiring about whether they can find her real parents. Does she go through with this, or is she okay not knowing who her parents are? You'll have to read to find out.

This is a really simple novella that just asks the question why we are who we are and are we okay not knowing the full extent of the truth.

Webbed by Julie Esbaugh

This novella is about Miranda, a girl with webbed feet. She believes she is a mermaid because that's what her adoptive dad tells her when she is little. She believes she had a mermaid mother. The girl of course discovers that she's not a mermaid and that her dad told her she was just to have something of her birth mom to cling to.

She has surgery to remove the webbing of her feet. After her feet have healed from surgery she goes swimming and when she dives she sees a castle underneath the water. She knows her mind is making this up and that it's a way to let go of her past and become the girl of now. Her birth mom sent a letter for her to read. She lets this go beneath the water, when she sees the castle.

"She looked at it, remembered what it said, and let go.
For a moment it hovered, suspended in the sea, right in front of her eyes. Then she kicked as hard as she could for the surface, never looking back at the letter or the castle below",

really sums up that this novella is about letting go of ones past and moving on with life.

The author is an adoptee so that's why this novella is included in this collection, I think.

I really enjoyed this short story but then again, I love anything to do with mermaids. If you love mermaids you might enjoy reading this too.

I'm a part of #TeamMermaid for the mermaids vs dragons reading competition in the OwlCrate Bookclub on Facebook and Instagram! I hope I can use this short story for points...but we'll see.

Life: Starring Tallulah Grey by Lauren Gibaldi.

2 Stars!

Tallulah is the main character of this short story. She's an actress in a big TV show. She's also adopted. When she goes to a restaurant with her boyfriend after finishing up a day on set, she tells her boyfriend, who's also in the TV show about her past. Her birth mother wants to get back in contact with her because she's apparently sick.

I wish this novella had been slightly longer because all we really get to see is Tallulah tell her boyfriend about her adoption and her indecision about whether or not to get in contact with her mom. There isn't really very much else to this story.

"I have no connection to her at all, but sometimes it's as if I can feel her. I can feel her pulling me, tugging me. Telling me I need to go, so I nod my head. Because, yes, I do want to see her. I just never knew when to do it. Or what to say. I didn't want to until I was prepared."

All of these short sentences tell us that Tallulah is nervous about meeting her birth mom. As I said, I wish we got a little more of this novella because it would have been nice to see Tallulah's interactions with her blood mother. We never see this, though. That's why I'm giving Life: Starring Tallulah Grey 2 stars cause it just feels incomplete.

Salvation by Shannon Gibney

3 Stars!

This short story pains a different picture to the others so far in that the family that adopt a young boy don't want him.

Jacqui is listening when his adoptive parents discuss giving him up so they can have their own lives back again.

"God's call to me wasn't wrong. I've prayed about this, believe me. His call was for us to bring Jac here. That is his salvation. And we've done that. We've taken him out of that cesspool and brought him somewhere where he really has a shot"

is what Jacqui's adoptive mother says. She thinks it's okay to give him up because they saved him from the adoption agency. This just isn't right, or fair but it's unfourtunately reality for some adoptees.

Twenty Seven Days by Jenny Kaczorowski

3 Stars!

We follow a young girl called Aprillia, here. She's been fostered, and is meeting her new mum for the first time.

"I force a smile at the woman who is supposed to be better at taking care of me than my own mother. Not that the bar is set very high"

shows that Aprillia is wary of being fostered. She doesn't know what having a good parent is meant to feel like.

"I'm something between a person and a case number, wherever I am" continues this train of thought.

"I don't want this life. I want my life. I want my life to look like this. I shouldn't want this life. I should want my mother". All of these short sentences indicate desperation. Aprillia is desperate for a new start in life.

When Aprillia finds out that she'll only be with the family she is now for a few weeks, she's upset and depressed. She wants to just stop moving and to feel settled somewhere. She's moving in with her dad's cousins that she's never met before, and she's scared.

"You've never even met them. We're your family" is what Livvie, Aprillia's friend at the foster home says when she finds out about the move.

The last line of this novella, "hope hurts, but I'd rather hurt than be hopeless. And maybe that's the point" is significant as it's what this whole collection of novellas is based on. Without hope, none of us would have anything worthwhile. Hope is what keeps us reaching for the goals we set out in life.

Ink Drips Black - Julie Leung

3 Stars!

Here, we follow a girl who's offered up as a sacrifice by her mother, who doesn't want her. This girl then becomes Stacy Duchamp. She doesn't know why she was exchanged, just the fact that she was...

To adopt and become someone's family is to alter that person's fate in the most fundamental way is what the author believes. I completely agree with this. When you're adopting you're changing someone's life for hopefully the better.

Upon The Horizon's Verge by Sangu Mandanna

4.5 Stars!

This novella is about a girl who we never learn the name of. I think this is meant to represent the mystery of it. The girl is pregnant and goes to a fairground that isn't operating anymore and sees another girl there. They start to have a conversation about their lives.

The girl that's not pregnant is adopted. The girl that is pregnant asks questions about whether the other girl has enjoyed her life as an adoptee.

There's a twist at the end of this novella, which I don't want to spoil but it was a surprise for me.

I enjoyed this short story. It was good to see adoption from yet, another stand point.

The choice to give up a child is as valid as the choice to keep one, and the choice to welcome a child into your home makes you as much a parent as someone making the choice to carry a baby to term

is what the author of this short story thinks. I agree that some people make the decision because they believe it's what's best for the child.

Lullaby by Matthew Quinn Martin

4.5 Stars!

In this short story we follow a soldier who's never had any family. He goes on this quest to become something more than human.

"Sense and fairness were luxuries reserved for others. Not for orphans. Not for foster children"

This sentence really sums up what adoption is from the outside view, I think. Adoption doesn't make sense and isn't fair but it sometimes makes lives better.

This novella is sci-fi. I enjoyed it. I don't want to spoil it at all because once I start, I'll summarise the whole plot but if you enjoy sci-fi then I think you'd enjoy it.

Census Man by Mindy McGuiness

2.5 Stars!

Here, we follow Mary Ann who is in the adoption agency. This is just a really simple story of someone who wants to belong somewhere.

————————————————————

Because it felt like it was literally taking forever for me to read through all of these novellas, I stopped reading after Census Man. I think I've come to the decision to not request any more novella collections, unless they're in a world that I already know. I don't think novellas really work on their own because they're too short to really grasp the world and characters. Some authors can do it, but most fail at writing them I think.

What did I like about Welcome Home?

I liked how a few of the novellas drew upon personal experience from the authors writing them.

What didn't I like about Welcome Home?

I didn't like how I had to change my thoughts after each novella. Yes, they were all about adoption but they were written by different authors about different people. I like it when there's a continuous story thread to follow throughout. Otherwise, there's just to much stop/starting for me.

This was a DNF, not because the writing was necessarily bad but because it was taking me soooo long to finish, as I said above. That's why I'm giving Welcome Home, a collection of short stories about Adoption 3 Stars!

I'll have another review up soon so stand by for that...

I received an ebook copy of this book to review on behalf of NetGalley, but that does not affect my opinion. In fact, I loved it so much I purchased my own physical copy.

I need to be honest right off the bat: I do have a personal connection to adoption. Not myself, but a family friend adopted two young girls, and I was able to see how they became a family. I went into this novel knowing what an emotional journey and process adoption is, but this novel handled many aspects of it beautifully.

I loved that each of these authors had their own connection to adoption and it's process, and it really reflected it all of their writing. Some were better done than others, but they all mostly came with a good lesson or insight.

I was introduced to many authors I didn’t know of, but also others I have considered reading from. This was a great collection for YA readers that are interested in adoption stories.

Overall, I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. I was so connected to characters that only had 10 pages, but was able to develop a whole new appreciation for adoption. It was so beautiful on so many levels, and I am so excited for there to be more adoption awareness. It is not an easy journey for anyone involved, so I appreciated that this novel was able to show all of the different sides.

An excellent collection showcasing something that's not talked about a lot in YA lit. I'm glad Eric Smith decided to focus on adoption!

This was a really nice read. As someone who has been unaffected by adoption or foster care, this was interesting to read. The anthology has a good mix of stories, ranging from contemporary to fantasy, from tales of adoption, foster families and giving up a child. There were only a few that I couldn't get into and had to skip through. I've never read an anthology before, and I found myself quite envious of the amazing writers involved because I have never been able to write a short story—it always keeps snowballing into something else, bigger and bigger. With several of these stories, I was upset when they ended. They left me wanting more, so for those authors I will definitely look at their works. My favourite story hands down was Dave Connis' contribution. I can't remember the last time I read a story so powerful as that one. Brought me close to tears. My only real complaint about this anthology as a whole was that it went a bit on the longer side. I had to put it aside at about the halfway mark, just to switch gears and refresh so I could come back to it wanting to read it.

I wish I had enjoyed this anthology more. The topic of adoption is so interesting and something I have an interest in and the content of (most of) these stories was brilliant. With that said, I couldn't get into the writing styles a lot of the time and with the few that I could, they ended all too soon.

Reflecting on the anthology overall, it's fair to say that it's packed full of different talented writers and the main highlight for me was Courtney Stevens. Hard-hitting emotionally, the power of this collection comes from the families and their connections. They come in all varieties, but each one is just as moving as the other.

There's a good mix of approaches in this anthology so I think there's a story for everyone, however as a whole I don't think it's cohesive enough for me. The sci-fi based stories lost my interest very quickly.

It's always a hit-or-miss with anthologies, you may not like all the stories or feel like some of the stories don't fit in the anthology, but I think that Welcome Home is a solid anthology full of a unique and well-written collection of stories about adoption.

I knew based on the premise alone that I would be crying, and I was not wrong. I think I probably teared up throughout the first few stories so if you're looking for stories with emotion and heart, I highly recommend this anthology. The collection was sorted by author last-name so there was no clear hierarchy of stories and I liked that all the stories included a small brief author note about the author's connection to adoption or why they were happy to be included in the anthology. I also loved that I got to discover new-to-me authors.

Overall, if you're looking for a well-rounded anthology with a lot of heart, I highly recommend this one.

Some of the stories worked better than others. Still a solid read.

3.75 stars - for the whole book

2.5 stars to Adi's. It was so difficult to get through. So boring.
4 stars to Karen Akins'! I'd definitely read a whole book about Gracie.
4.5 stars to Erica M. Chapman's!! I need this to be a full book NOW. I want to see Caden get to know Sam. I want to know if his new meds work.
5 stars to Caela Carter's! Omg, I NEED this to be a full book right now. I felt instantly connected to this girl's story.
4 stars to Libby Cudmore's. Wow... some of this one was just way too close to home with what one of my friends is going through with a relative.
2 stars to Dave Connis'... I couldn't get through it :/
3 stars to Helene Dunbar's... that was a very unfulfilling ending.4 stars to Julie Eshbaugh's! Her dad was so sweet."
3 stars to Lauren Gibaldi's... honestly, if you're going to write a short story, give it an actual ending, good Lord.
3.5 stars to Shannon Gibney's.

Actual rating: 3.5

I liked the idea behind this collection more than I liked the collection. Short stories about adoption, all of them with happy endings? Yes please. But the execution let me down a little, I feel like most of the stories were rushed and ended abruptly. It was more of a glimpse into a story, then a story itself. There’s a lot of interesting glimpses into potentially beautiful stories, making me wish there was at least a little bit more.
What was absolutely enjoyable though was the abundance of different writing styles displayed. Each author brings something different to this anthology, therefore making it special.
I’m really torn between recommending this book or not, it all depends on what you enjoy in a book? If you want plot or character development, I’m sad to say that there isn’t enough material for that part to shine. If you’re a fan of writing styles, this one is the perfect book to enjoy that.

This was wonderful. Eric Smith has brought together talented writers with the skills to explore the wide range of circumstances and emotions surrounding adoption, resulting in something truly special. I was engaged from start to finish. A must read.

contribute snapshots of all different kinds of families

I love this theme about presenting families in all the many variations. The majority of the stories focus on critical and unhappy moments so this isn't one of those good-time-reads, but there are so many important POVs that get illuminated.

Since there are so many stories, they are short. Very short. This collection is great at showcasing a moment, but each story is about a moment. It's like a series of bites, but not a full snack. That's fine if that's what you're looking for, but I wanted a little more for each story.

I like reading anthologies for the chance to discover a new writer to add to my TBR. My favorite from this anthology is by William Ritter and I need to move his books to the top of my TBR list.

Anthologies are tough for me to review because I liked a bunch of these stories, but when I look at the overall experience of reading this book, I just feel sort of iffy about it. I really like the idea and I feel like the theme of adoption was super clear throughout all the stories. All the stories felt distinct while still being about the same subject, which I really appreciated.

I tend to like reading anthologies because they introduce me to new authors that I've never read before. However, I was a little disappointed with this one because the stories I enjoyed the most just ended up being written by authors whose books I've already read, so I already expected to like their writing style. (The stories that I remember enjoying were Adi Alsaid's and Julie Eshbaugh's)

Moreover, while quite a few of these stories gave me that warm and fuzzy feeling of joy and satisfaction, a lot of them fell flat for me. However, that doesn't mean they weren't super creative with a ton of potential to be great. The issue was how short some of these stories were. A lot of the time they felt to me less like short stories and more like long story prompts. I think it's great that so many authors were included in this collection. But I rather would have read a book that was twice as long or split into 2 installments with fully fleshed stories, than having to read so many stories that barely got past the exposition.

I'd definitely encourage readers who are interested in this book to check it out for themselves! There are some gems in here.

A fantastic collection of stories about adoption, love and family. I thought the mix of genres was incredible- there's something to draw in everyone and I even found myself enjoying genres I wouldn't usually pick up because they were so well written. My personal favourite was Adi Alsaid's magical realism story but there were several that I will go back and reread.

My only issue- which I would knock a star off of- was the transphobic language in Empty Lens by Tameka Mullins and I hope this has been changed for publication.

This is a beautiful and perfect collection of stories for those that struggle with feeling like they truly belong. I am still processing everything, but it made me want to open my arms and my home to those without one. Great stories.

This was written with the intention of giving adopted kids stories of their own, which is a great idea. The problem is that all the stories are only around ten pages. Ten pages is just not enough to come up with a coherent plot and character development, no matter the talent of the author.

At some point I decided I didn't want to keep going with this; it was clear that though many were very talented, almost none of the authors were given appropriate pagetime. I'll be coming back to the other stories later, but before I put this on hold, I did want to check out a few stories by authors I love. I know this means I may have missed a hidden gem or two, and trust me, I don't want to miss those. But I really can't go read and review this many mediocre stories right now. I'm sorry.

Oddly, it seems that the best stories were left for last. A few of my favorites:

• Peace of Paper by Courtney C Stevens: 4.5 stars. This has one of the best sections in the entire book about how orphaned people are perceived. It's really emotionally in-touch. Definitely worth the read. I've never read any of Steven's books, but I'm interested, so we'll see how I do in the future.

• Happy Beginning by Nic Stone: This was the only story I gave 5 stars. Following best friends / girlfriends Jenna and Nyara, who has just run away from home. Ny is black and has been adopted by white parents, but doesn't feel at home with them. There's so much I loved about this. I read Stone's Dear Martin earlier this year and noticed that she's very good at getting emotion out of her readership. This book is told in second person in reverse chronological order, which was a creative choice I loved. And oh man, Jenna and Ny kinda killed me?? The purest, healthiest relationship. I can't believe Nic Stone saved 2017 with this ten-page story. I'll be in back crying.

• The Take-Back by Kate Watson: 4.5 stars. I wasn't actually planning to read this, but the opening grabbed me so I stuck with it. This follows a boy whose newly adopted sister has just been taken back by her mom. It's heartbreaking. And great. Go read it.

• Jar of Broken Wishes by Tristina Wright: 4.5 stars. This is a story about a foster cared girl wishing and getting the wrong results. I liked it. I felt that this ended on a slightly meh note, but I liked it a lot. I'll be reading Wright's debut 27 Hours this fall (it looks so cool!!) so this made me feel even more optimistic.