For fans of non-fiction’s The Good Immigrant or Stripes’ previous anthology I’ll Be Home for Christmas, this collection does exactly what it sets out to, providing a diverse, fresh gathering of BAME authors and short stories for UKYA. The ostensible theme of the project is ‘change’, but it tackles far more: racism, culture shock, friendships, family, time travel, break-ups, Victorian circuses, heritage, loss, inexplicable feathers. Like most short story collections it’s quite a quick read, and like most short story anthologies, it’s a little hit-and-miss as it’s rare that all contributions to a multifarious offering will suit every reader. A partial list of issues mentioned in the anthology, some with the potential to be very affecting for teens, is noted in the first pages and listed at the back. Offerings from Phoebe Roy and Tanya Byrne particularly stood out.

A full version of this review will appear on my blog closer to publication.

a powerful and hopeful collection for everyone to read.

Review posted to YouTube - https://youtu.be/lMhhBiTjB2o

Excellent book of short stories featuring authors from BAME backgrounds. A particular favourite of mine was Hackney Moon by Tanya Byrne which is about a young lesbian girl and her experience of early love. It melds a poetic and gritty voice together to make something beautiful. A must read.

Unusually for a collection of short stories I loved every single one. I liked that some were about the BAME experience but mostly loved that all were so incredibly well written. My list of authors to look out for just grew incredibly

A Change is Gonna Come is a collection of short stories/poetry by various authors (both debut authors and already published) with the aim to "give creative space to those who have been historically had their thoughts, ideas and experiences oppressed". This anthology covers a range of topics, with a list of issues raised at the end of the book if you wish to find out more information or get trigger warnings, which I think is a fantastic idea and should be done more frequently with other books! Other publishers/authors TAKE NOTE!!

I often find it hard to review an anthology as an overall rating doesn't reflect all the stories in the book, but this is perhaps the first anthology where I feel all the pieces of writing were equally as good, each with their own unique message. There's something for everyone - whether you're into historical fiction, fantasy or poetry, this YA anthology reflects a larger range of genres.

My favourite 3 pieces were....

Marionette Girl by Aisha Bushby - a short story about a girl who is obsessed with Harry Potter and has severe OCD, which she has to try and overcome after there is a sudden incident which means she cannot follow her usual routine.

A Refuge by Ayisha Malik - Sabrina goes to help and volunteer in a refugee camp but meets Homa, a young girl who lives there by herself. They form a brief friendship and Sabrina does everything she can to try and help her.

Fortune Favours the Bold by Yasmin Rahman - There has just been a terrorist attack in a nightclub with seven fatalities and Zaibah fears the next time she goes out in public because of the blame and harassment she receives because she wears a headscarf. That's until she comes across a girl who has she admires for standing up for herself...

I definitely recommend this anthology, whether you usually read YA or not. There is something for everyone and the emphasis on characters which are usually marginalised and unfortunately ignored in the wider world is fantastic to read! I really hope there are similar anthologies like this to come in the future!!

I loved this, especially Catherine Johnson's piece and Tanya Byrne's. I couldn't tell who the new authors were because they were so good. Excellent anthology!