I really, really love that this exists and I love everything that #WeNeedDiverseBooks is doing. However, I think there is a fine line between having diverse characters in novels and writing diversity just for the sake of it being diverse. Some of these stories really toed that line a little too far, I think. I really love that it exists, regardless, and will absolutely recommend it in the hopes that it makes it too the right readers. But I don't think this was for me.

This anthology was so diverse in so many ways. It was a complete joy to read. While some stories held my heart others were just okay but the majority were 3 star or higher for me. I highly recommend giving this set of stories a chance and maybe discover a new favorite author too!

Thank you to Lamar Giles and NetGalley for an advanced ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Musings:

Eraser Tattoo by Jason Reynolds

““I love you.” It slipped easily from his lips. Like breathing. Like usual.”

This was a sweet little story. I didn’t realize that eraser tattoos were a thing. It was a pretty little slice of life and I loved it. The writing of this little short story was beautiful. It really drew me in!

Meet Cute by Malinda Lo

“Tamia cocked her head at Nic. “Is gender-flipped Sulu gay too?””

This was another really cute little story about the art of subtle.. yet not so subtle communication. I thought it was cool to see the curiosity of meeting a prospective love and wonder if they were of the same sexuality as you on top of wondering if there is actually any interest in the first place. I also loved that this took place at a comic-con.

Don’t Pass Me By by Eric Gansworth

“He glanced down at my paper. “I see. Hubert. But you know, the assignment wasn’t a self-portrait.” “It was, if you’re white,” I said.”

This story is one of my favorites. I so enjoyed seeing race depicted in this way. A lot of thought went into this. I could see in my mind very clearly what this would have looked like as it played out. Very well-written.

Be Cool for Once by Aminah Mae Safi

“He pulled out a Chap Stick and swiped it across his lips. Like he’d decided to draw shining arrows to all of Shirin’s favorite parts.”

I loved this short story! Shirin and the way she thinks of the guy she’s been crushing on is exactly me. I really loved how her thoughts were written.. with that dramatic flavor of a girl in love. It all put a huge smile on my face.

Tags by Walter Dean Myers

“BIG EDDIE works hard at his tag, which is the letters spelling out smoke sitting on a bed of flames.”

This story was oddly powerful to me. It felt so real. Which is something because it was set in the afterlife. I liked the style of it, written like a play. It reminded me of the sad reality of gang violence. The lives that are lost and for what? It’s a culture of kill or be killed that should never have had to been a part of reality.

Why I Learned to Cook by Sara Farizan

““You don’t apologize for who you are. I’m an old lady now and perhaps that doesn’t mean much in the world we live in, but I exist and I shouldn’t have to be sorry for that. As a woman, you have to know that. Don’t ever apologize for who you are,””

Another super sweet little story. This one made my heart all happy. I loved seeing so much cultural influence in this story. The food and the places it all felt rooted in a experience totally different from my own and I loved that.

A Stranger at the Bochinche by Daniel José Older

“Gather, my children, I have a story.”

I feel like this story could have been made into a much longer one. It was packed with great description and full of adventure. I really liked it!

A Boy’s Duty by Sharon G. Flake

“Slaughtering pigs and wringing chicken necks did as much to chase me toward books as any teacher ever did.”

Again I could see this being a whole book. I really liked the character and I loved seeing how he dreamed. This was a really cool historical set short story!

One Voice: A Something in Between Story by Melissa de la Cruz

“I wanted everyone to see the truth—that even Stanford wasn’t free from this kind of hate.”

I loved this story. It made me feel like going out there and spreading my truth in such a beautiful way. It made me want to stand up and hold hands with people of all kinds and show that in my mind we are all valid, worthy, and wonderful people. Every day I see people of all kinds. The community I live in is so diverse and I think that if the diversity wasn’t there it would be colorless. I would feel empty from the lack of beauty. Hate is out there, but the more we choose to stand against it the more it weakens. That’s what I loved most about this story.

Paladin/Samurai by Gene Luen Yang, Illustrations by Thien Pham

“Aaand I’m Japanese.. hm, I wonder what a Japanese Paladin is called? Wait lemme think…That’s right we’re called Samurai!”

This was such a fun read. It made me laugh and it made me feel happy to see people standing up for what they believed in. It was super short, but I loved the drawings especially the fantasy parts!

Catch, Pull, Drive by Schuyler Bailar

“I used to dream of getting breast cancer.”

This was my favorite one. I can say wholeheartedly that this is the story that pulled at my heartstrings the most. It was so real and so full of the emotions of what it is to live life in the body of someone who you aren’t. That line above tore me up.. I love to hear stories from the trans community. To me they have a struggle that is one of the hardest because they are just trying to show themselves and the world who they are inside and be strong when there are people from all communities and walks of life standing against them. I have mad respect for the people of the trans community they have some of the toughest armor out there.

Super Human by Nicola Yoon

““I won’t hurt you,” he says. Which is ridiculous, because that is the whole point of her being here. He is going to hurt everyone.”

Wow… just wow. I don’t have the words for this one. It gave me chills. This was such a beautiful heartbreaking story. I wanted more.. so much more and yet it was perfect in its length. So.. so good!

Final Thoughts:

Our stories matter. All of our stories matter. I am so tired of living in a world where we look at each other and our difference is all we see. We all feel. We all love. We all are trapped in the same cells of bodies that we must walk with everyday. We all have issues. We all have dreams. Every book store. Every library. Every show. Every movie. Every piece of art. Should be filled with the experiences of all of us. With all of our passions. So many of us feel forgotten by the world. So many of us feel like we don’t matter. But we matter. We all matter. I am tired of living in a world where it’s all about just pure survival. I am tired of living in a world that for many compassion is forgotten. A lot of the time the weight of it all just makes me tired. Yet, still everyday I wake up and I try. I get so angry at some of the stories I read sometimes. Stories where people get so full of themselves that they lack basic respect for fellow human lives. Where they judge like their opinion is the only one that matters. Like how they were wronged is the only thing that matters. It makes me so angry and so so very sad. Sometimes I want to shake people and tell them to open their eyes.. and see.. look at these people.. look at how they dance.. how they laugh.. how they cry.. how they celebrate…how they kiss.. how they hug.. how they scream and shout for what they believe in.. and show them don’t you do the same? Don’t you laugh and cry and celebrate and work and keep taking every day step by step… don’t you see that them living their lives the way they want to does nothing to make your life any less. Reading Fresh Ink reminded me of that chip in my soul that angers for all the wrong. That just wants to see the world be a place where we could all be peaceful and happy. That even if I can’t do much on my own.. I can work to be compassionate. That maybe, if I could inspire one other person to do the same (all the time not just some of the time) that it would all be worth it. We need more anthologies like this. More inspiring works. More words that shake the people who read them and remind them of what they are fighting for.

There were some stories in here that I really loved. There were some that really fell flat. The authors are all very talented but some of the subgenres are just things that I don't normally read and it was harder for me to get into them. They were still very fantastic.

I loved this book! The full review will be posted soon at kaitgoodwin.com/books! Thank you very much for this wonderful opportunity to connect books to their readers!

This collection, written by a diverse cast of authors, presents a variety of equally diverse stories featuring PoC main characters, a plethora of LGBTQ+ characters, and a slew of those with unusual mental/physical conditions. It was refreshing to me to step away from a mostly white story cast. I'm an anthropologist. Characters like the ones above are a wonderful chance for exposure to different cultures/subcultures. I love it! I do wish that the 'about the author’ blurbs had been a preface to each story. I feel getting author background beforehand helps enhance the story.

4* 'Eraser Tattoo’ by Jason Reynolds. Adorable story about two friends/lovers preparing to be separated. Shay and her family have been kicked out of their home in Brooklyn because the building was sold. She and her boyfriend Dante are reminiscing the past, while she gives him an eraser tattoo. I felt soooo bad because a white family was moving in while they were trying to move out. Also, owwwww to an eraser tattoo. I'll take a real one, thanks. Well-written snapshot.

4* 'Meet Cute’ by Malinda Lo. Nic and Tamia are at a sci-fi and fantasy convention when the lights go out. They get lost trying to find Nic's brother, and get to know one another. Love that Nic has demophobia. Like me! This story is hella diverse. Nic has gone as a female Sulu, while Tamia is a black, bi Agent Scully.

3 ½* 'Don't Pass Me By’ by Eric Gansworth. A story about a young Native American boy integrating into an outside high school. It made me sad about the adults having to relearn beadworking skills in danger of being a lost art, and that Hubert was expected to colour the picture as a white person. I'm glad he coloured it as he felt appropriate. I did feel the story ended abruptly. I was left feeling things were unresolved. That's what took my rating down for the story.

4* 'Be Cool for Once’ by Aminah Mae Safi. A story about two young ladies who go to a concert. Shirin's secret crush shows up, and it turns out he was looking for her. Things don't go as either planned, but in a good way.

4* 'Tags’ by Walter Dean Myers. This was an odd story, not just for the fact it was a play. At first glance you think it's about young kids tagging graffiti. When you learn why though…. It was so sad.

4* 'Why I Learned to Cook’ by Sara Farizan. A sweet story about a young woman trying to figure out how to come out to her grandma. She wants to learn to cook Persian food for her SO, which leads to a deeper bond with her grandma.

3* 'Stranger at the Bochinche’ by Daniel Jose Older. A lyrical story worthy of the epics of old in style and form. Unfortunately, this made it my least favourite story. I found it difficult to process, given my brain fuzzies.

4* 'A Boy's Duty’ by Sharon G Flake. A tale about a young black artist trying to get treated equal in the place where he painted a gorgeous mural. Set during/ around World War II.

4* 'One Voice: A Something in Between Story’ by Melissa de la Cruz. A young woman deals with the aftermath of learning her parents were undocumented, and fighting against deportation, fighting to attend Stanford University, only to be confronted with racism.

NA 'Paladin/Samurai’ by Gene Luen Yang, illustrated by Thien Pham. Due to the Kindle format, I was not able to read this story clearly. It is graphic novel format and too crowded for me to read easily.

4* 'Catch, Pull, Drive’ by Schuyler Bailar. A transgender kid moving from interacting as a female to as a male. Part of the swim team, and catches flak over it. Ends up making a friend in the guy he beats during a first practice race. I loved how this story ended!

4* 'Super Human’ by Nicola Yoon. An alien superhero turns against humanity, wanting to destroy it. He gives a ultimatum, to have someone sent to him with a reason why humanity shouldn't be destroyed. However, X isnt quite as alien as believed, and he has a pretty good cause to be angry and disillusioned.

Overalll, a great collection! Highly recommended.

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House Children's/ Crown Publishing for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book is important. It covers a little bit of everything that young readers today are feeling and want to see in books.

This review was originally posted on www.pluckyreader.com


Several months ago, I received an ARC for this anthology, Fresh Ink. It's been sitting in my Kindle for far longer than I'd care to admit. I remember reading the description and thinking it sounded so interesting and, well, fresh. And then, I guess I just forgot about it.

Recently I was roaming the shelves of Barnes & Noble (because, you know, I don't have enough books to read at my house, sitting on a shelf, unread and gleaming for my attention), when I saw Fresh Ink sitting on the shelves.

I always feel so happy when I see the ARCs I've receive come to fruition as books on the shelf. It's not a pride--it's not like I discovered them or anything. But it's so nice to seem them out and published and able to be in people's hands. Usually, though, I also finish the ARC before it's on the shelves. So, to make sure my joy was appropriately placed, I dusted off my Kindle and read my way through this anthology of short stories.

I was pleasantly surprised when I started this collection. I expected a typical collection of short stories. This was no typical collection of short stories. As the information clearly states (I'm just not a very thorough reader sometimes) this collection is told in nontraditional ways. There are short stories by new, diverse authors. But there's also a one-act play. And a graphic story.

I, personally, love graphic novels. I've added a ton of them to my classroom collection lately, and I totally support my students reading them. It was a nice change of pace when this one appeared. 

From the first story, the tone of this collection is set. Fresh Ink opens with "Eraser Tattoo," the story of first love and lost love. Two teenagers must say goodbye to their first loves. The story takes the reader through a series of flashbacks, as well as the present, to tell the story of unequal love. Something in the way Jason Reynolds tells this story is so real about the way teenagers love.

Other authors include Melissa de la Cruz (of Descendants and Witches of East End fame) and Nicola Yoon (author of The Sun is Also a Star and Everything, Everything). Sadly, I am not familiar with the writing of most of these authors. Which is exactly the purpose of the #WeNeedDiverseBooks movement co-founded by the editor of this collection, Lamar Giles.

All in all, I enjoyed my time with Fresh Ink. I wish, much as I said about I'd Rather Be Reading that I'd savored this book a little more. It's a wonderful book rife with unique voices and diverse points of view. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Fresh Ink. My only disappointment was that it ended too quickly and had far too few stories.

Plucky's rating? 4 stars.

It is definitely worth the read.

Yours,
The Plucky Reader

(disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher, through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review).

Overall, this was a solid collection. There were some I loved more then others, but none of them was I 'meh' on, which is pretty rare for an anthology with more then a handful of authors. The idea behind this anthology and the stories inside are so important.

And the stories are good as hell. There's a few that I wish we could see full stories of, but I also like the idea of people getting to imagine the next part, create their own end for the story. All the authors I'd read from before were, of course, amazing and I was glad to return to their work. (For example: love Malinda Lo's everything. DJ Older's + Jason Reynolds's writing. And the others I've read.

And was blown away by some of the people I hadn't read yet - We'll talk about my favorite story last, and I don't want to just talk about a few but also don't want to get too in depth. These are, obviously, short stories so I feel like mentioning anything gives almost too much away. I just want to say that these writers are all incredible and this anthology blew me away. Especially, honestly, considering how short it was, I was left wanting more but definitely not in a bad way.

Especially from the last story in the collection by Nicola Yoon - about a black kid whose a superhero. I was a little confused at first but as soon as I learned what was going on, my heart joke broke. And, to be honest, this is the one that I was about a whole series about. It hit my hard and is so important and was incredible.

Jason Reynolds's story is adorable! I love his understated, casual, yet impactful, storytelling style. 5 stars to that.

I read A Boy's Duty, which was unpredictable and intriguing. 4 stars. I read something that took place at a con, and I can't remember the name of that, but it was cute. It was about 2 adorable girl nerds. 4 stars. There was one about about a girl learning how to cook, while figuring out how to tell her grandma she has a girlfriend. 3.5 stars. Then I DNF'd one that had something to do with CPR. I was excited, because it had Native rep and great themes, but there was just an incredible amount of info dumping and backstory. A short story can really suffer if a large percentage of it is spent on backstory.

I had a great reading experience overall, and I'm VERY HAPPY this anthology exists. t's hard to even describe, but it was freeing to read about diverse characters who weren't just defined by one thing. Characters just being people and living life.

Thank you to Netgalley for the review copy.

I was super excited to dig into Fresh Ink and read it cover to cover. As a reader and a book lover there needs to be more diverse books out there for people to read and I know I try to read diverse books.

We are no longer in a taboo generation and we need authors who will hit the nail on the head when they write about the important things that affect our kids and our society. Race and gender have always been issues in the world and I think we need people to be more accepting of this. Why can’t we just love someone for who they are deep down inside themselves?

I have included my review link to my blog

Due to circumstances beyond my control, I was unable to finish this book prior to its publication. The short stories I read at the beginning were great.

Each of these stories are uniquely crafted to stand out from one another. Many of these are contemporary short stories with romance tied into it hand-in-hand. Other genres featured were sci-fi, historical fiction, and fantasy. But, I was kind of looking to having more of a mixture instead of them mainly being contemporary. I’m not a huge fan of contemporary stories but I pushed that aside to read most of these.

Eraser Tattoo By: Jason Reynolds

Childhood sweethearts Shay and Dante are about to be tested in a way they’ve never been before. Shay is moving to another city while Dante remains behind. The relationship between the two is beautifully painted through flashbacks, inside jokes, and finally an eraser tattoo on both of their arms to remind them of their love for one another. I wish to know if Shay and Dante meet again in the future and their end, but I guess that’s the hidden beauty of this anthology so far.

Meet Cute By: Malinda Lo

Now this one takes place at Denver Con, a convention in Colarado. I haven’t gone to a convention in a few years, but this story brought me back to the world of cosplay, union amongst fellow nerds, and fun. The main character, Nic connects with fellow cosplayer Tamia and we are supposed to witness their budding attraction. This short story was a bit longer than necessary and the chemistry needed a lot of work between the main characters.

Don’t Pass Me By: Eric Gansworth

This story surrounds a Native American boy who stands up for his race in not your average way. In our world, some schools and people still hold onto past beliefs about different cultures instead of embracing them with open arms. This short story is one of the few that stand out from all of the rest in this collection.

Be Cool For Once By: Aminah Mae Safi

All I’m going to say is music can bring people together, but that doesn’t mean you should have a complete freak out over seeing your crush there.

Tags By: Walter Dean Myers

Wow, ok, never before have I really seen a one-act play featured in an anthology story. Can we get a film or actual physical representation of this play, please? This story is about a group of boys who were murdered and their connection to one another through their personal events. Definitely one of my favorites out of this collection.

Why I Learned How to Cook By: Sara Farizan

Family is very important inspiring certain events or future talents in members. This one, though, is all about acceptance. A girl is nervous about bringing her new girlfriend around her grandmother. It’s one of the few LGBTQ stories and worth the read. Be sure to have a box of tissues in hand!

A Stranger at the Bochinche By: Daniel Jose Older

Ah, I was waiting for the sci-fi story to pop up and here it is. The concept was there, yes, but it needed more elaboration. If this was given the chance to have been given the full-fledged novel treatment, I believe it’s reception could have been better.

A Boy’s Duty By: Sharon G. Flake

Travel back to WWII where racism is at it’s highest. An African American boy has a goal of going into the Navy and other endeavors. However, it was still a dark time in both our history and abroad. It was ok, needed work, but give it a chance all the same.

One Voice By: Melissa De La Cruz



I have a love-hate relationship with Melissa De La Cruz. I grew up with her Van Alen Legacy series and some of her stand-alone novels. There are times where she wrote creative, indulging stories one moment and the next some where I struggled finishing. This is one of those stories where she made me fall in love with her writing once again. It touches upon modern day issues like misogyny and prejudice against other cultures. Another favorite!

Paladin/Samurai Written By: Gene Luen Yang; Illustrated By: Then Pham

This graphic novel is not the strongest I’ve read. The main character in this story engages his fantasy of becoming a Samurai in a D&D game. While I liked them utilizing one of my friend’s favorite games that I’m still trying to get into (I really am trying, guys), I wished this story was better. Pretty disappointed in it, not going to lie.

Catch, Pull, Drive By: Schuyler Bailar

This story features a local high school swimmer is going through the transition of coming out as trans to his swim team. The events following are heartbreaking. The character is brave and is goes through bullying as a result of him being himself. Wonderful read and tremendously realistic.

Super Human By: Nicola Yoon

Are humans worth saving if they are still filled with hate towards those who are different? This is a dilemma brought up and a great way to wrap up this series.

For this diverse collection, there were some positive stories while others needed work. Our world is vast, filled with unique individuals, but how can a society grow if they cannot learn to embrace everyone? This anthology brings up that question often throughout, making this stand out for readers everywhere.

This mixture of authors was really refreshing and I enjoyed all the stories. The stories were all good and enjoyable. I highly recommend this to anyone looking to get an idea for a new author to read and see their writing style and abilities.

I am not a big short stories lover, but in recent years I have found myself intrigued by them. Fresh Ink is an anthology of short stories by an incredible array of individuals writing on everything from LGBTQ struggles, situational issues with families, friends, and so much more. These are the topics a lot of authors avoid, yet here we have a whole book of them.

My reasoning for not loving short stories is that I love to know how the story ends, or at least where it’s leaving off with some form of conclusion. Short stories tend to not give conclusions. Fresh Ink are those types of stories. They are purposely left open so the reader can imagine up their own ending. It’s creative writing, but also creative reading. While this does frustrate my inner “Must Know EVERYTHING” self, it’s kind of refreshing and realistic at the same time. Stories rarely end. You walk by someone on the street kissing their significant other and you only get that small snippet of their life. You have no idea what happens next. These stories are just like that. You see this small snippet that could make an incredible full length novel, but what’s the fun in that?

I feel like these stories touched on some hard hitting subjects that a lot of people avoid because they are hard to talk about. Those are the best kinds of stories. Fresh Ink makes you think. It makes you step back and question if you’ve ever accidentally and unknowingly treated someone in a way that left them feeling less than, or if you’ve ever brightened someones day with a small compliment. These stories are the readers. It is there lives, and I think people of all ages, colors, sexual orientations, and backgrounds can and will relate to these. I highly recommend picking Fresh Ink up and spending a few days emerging yourself in the lives of these individuals you read about. I guarantee you won’t regret it.

Eraser Tattoo
by Jason Reynolds
A bittersweet scene between bestfriend-turned-sweethearts, Shay and Dante, is captured with light and funny moments dashed by the uncertainty of their relationship in the future. 4/5

Meet Cute
by Malinda Lo
Literally a fluffy meet cute between two gender-flipping and race-bending cosplayers in a Comic Con. 5/5

Don’t Pass Me
by By Eric Gansworth
A really strong statement about owning up to your own skin color. Fave quote: “I was beginning to understand how easy it was to be silent, to think yourself as a vanished Indian. Everywhere you looked, you weren’t there.” 4/5

Be Cool for Once
by Aminah Mae Safi
This has an adorable push and pull feels as a girl plays it cool in front of the boy she is madly crushing on. 5/5

Tags
by Walter Dean Myers
A one-act play about black boys who died young, trapped in an endless task of tagging the walls with their street names so they would not be forgotten by the living. 4/5

Why I Learned to Cook
by Sara Farizan
Such a clever way to use food as way for the character Yasi to introduce her girlfriend, Hannah, in the family’s culture. And the whole process of learning how to cook lead to Yasi’s discovery of how cool her grandma is about her sexuality. The lesson? “Don’t ever apologize for who you are.” But honestly after reading this, I just want my own table spread of Persian food to dig in. 5/5

A Stranger at the Bochinche
by Daniel José Older
This has speculative elements that I did not quite identify with. 3/5

A Boy’s Duty
by Sharon G. Flake
A depiction of how a young mural artist’s talent is wasted during World War 2. 3/5

One Voice: A Something in Between Story
by Melissa de la Cruz
The story puts two lenses on how to look into a pejorative graffiti: one is that it’s just a harmless trivial prank and the other is that it’s a valid source of fear. It aptly shows how the fear of the main character builds up to frustration and then to anger, culminating to an act of reclaiming the negative space the graffiti tried to inhabit. 4/5

Paladin/Samurai
by Gene Luen Yan
Illustrations by Thien Pam
A graphic short story of nerdy kid standing up to a bully who called the nerdy kid’s friend “kimchi”. I like me some underdog hero story but there’s nothing new to this one and the illustrations are poorly drawn in such that I can’t clearly recognize one character from the other. 2/5

Catch, Pull, Drive
by Schuyler Bailar
A really intense, heart-racing practice day after a young transgender swimmer puts up a coming out post in Facebook. 4/5

Super Human
by Nicola Yoon
What if the Man of Steel is a young black man? A conversation. 5/5

This is my first review for an anthology and to be completely honest, I don't really any thoughts on this than the fact that this book is so absolutely incredible I can't even wrap my mind around it! As soon as I can actually sit and just ramble on an on on some paper, I will put up a proper blog post.

This is a great anthology. Very easy to slip into and keeps your attention. I think it’ll work great for reluctant readers, those uninitiated to non-white, non-hetero stories as an introduction, and of course for current fans wanting more of their favorite authors.

I had my 11 year old daughter read a few, like Don’t Pass Me By and Catch, Pull, Drive. She gives her own two thumbs up too.

I really, really hope there are more anthologies like this forthcoming. To keep myself from giving it all away and rambling here’s some…

MINI-REVIEWS OF MY FAVORITES:
Catch, Pull, Drive by Schuyler Bailar – I so want this as a full novel. Hopefully Bailar will have more releases soon! I’ll be checking for them <span class="emoji-outer emoji-sizer"><span class="emoji-inner" style="background: url(chrome-extension://immhpnclomdloikkpcefncmfgjbkojmh/emoji-data/sheet_apple_32.png);background-position:59.9882491186839% 57.99059929494712%;background-size:5418.75% 5418.75%" data-codepoints="1f600"></span></span> <span class="emoji-outer emoji-sizer"><span class="emoji-inner" style="background: url(chrome-extension://immhpnclomdloikkpcefncmfgjbkojmh/emoji-data/sheet_apple_32.png);background-position:77.96709753231492% 22.032902467685076%;background-size:5418.75% 5418.75%" data-codepoints="1f929"></span></span><span class="emoji-outer emoji-sizer"><span class="emoji-inner" style="background: url(chrome-extension://immhpnclomdloikkpcefncmfgjbkojmh/emoji-data/sheet_apple_32.png);background-position:77.96709753231492% 22.032902467685076%;background-size:5418.75% 5418.75%" data-codepoints="1f929"></span></span>

Why I Learned to Cook by Sara Farizan is super fucking sweet and adorable. <span class="emoji-outer emoji-sizer"><span class="emoji-inner" style="background: url(chrome-extension://immhpnclomdloikkpcefncmfgjbkojmh/emoji-data/sheet_apple_32.png);background-position:59.9882491186839% 83.96004700352526%;background-size:5418.75% 5418.75%" data-codepoints="1f60d"></span></span><span class="emoji-outer emoji-sizer"><span class="emoji-inner" style="background: url(chrome-extension://immhpnclomdloikkpcefncmfgjbkojmh/emoji-data/sheet_apple_32.png);background-position:59.9882491186839% 83.96004700352526%;background-size:5418.75% 5418.75%" data-codepoints="1f60d"></span></span>

Tags by Walter Dean Myers….<span class="emoji-outer emoji-sizer"><span class="emoji-inner" style="background: url(chrome-extension://immhpnclomdloikkpcefncmfgjbkojmh/emoji-data/sheet_apple_32.png);background-position:61.98589894242068% 46.00470035252644%;background-size:5418.75% 5418.75%" data-codepoints="1f62d"></span></span><span class="emoji-outer emoji-sizer"><span class="emoji-inner" style="background: url(chrome-extension://immhpnclomdloikkpcefncmfgjbkojmh/emoji-data/sheet_apple_32.png);background-position:97.94359576968273% 63.98354876615746%;background-size:5418.75% 5418.75%" data-codepoints="270a"></span></span>Rest in Power.

Don’t Pass Me By by Eric Gansworth – Way to go Hubert!!! <span class="emoji-outer emoji-sizer"><span class="emoji-inner" style="background: url(chrome-extension://immhpnclomdloikkpcefncmfgjbkojmh/emoji-data/sheet_apple_32.png);background-position:59.9882491186839% 77.96709753231492%;background-size:5418.75% 5418.75%" data-codepoints="1f60a"></span></span><span class="emoji-outer emoji-sizer"><span class="emoji-inner" style="background: url(chrome-extension://immhpnclomdloikkpcefncmfgjbkojmh/emoji-data/sheet_apple_32.png);background-position:59.9882491186839% 77.96709753231492%;background-size:5418.75% 5418.75%" data-codepoints="1f60a"></span></span><span class="emoji-outer emoji-sizer"><span class="emoji-inner" style="background: url(chrome-extension://immhpnclomdloikkpcefncmfgjbkojmh/emoji-data/sheet_apple_32.png);background-position:59.9882491186839% 77.96709753231492%;background-size:5418.75% 5418.75%" data-codepoints="1f60a"></span></span>

Super Human by Nicola Yoon -This last story, the last sentence has haunted me since I finished. <span class="emoji-outer emoji-sizer"><span class="emoji-inner" style="background: url(chrome-extension://immhpnclomdloikkpcefncmfgjbkojmh/emoji-data/sheet_apple_32.png);background-position:93.94829612220916% 97.94359576968273%;background-size:5418.75% 5418.75%" data-codepoints="2620-fe0f"></span></span><span class="emoji-outer emoji-sizer"><span class="emoji-inner" style="background: url(chrome-extension://immhpnclomdloikkpcefncmfgjbkojmh/emoji-data/sheet_apple_32.png);background-position:46.00470035252644% 6.0517038777908345%;background-size:5418.75% 5418.75%" data-codepoints="1f47b"></span></span>

THE STORY MCS BREAKDOWN:
4 black stories – 3 straight boys and 1 straight girl
Trans* boy
American Native boy
2 f/f stories both POC – one Iranian MC, and one with Asian and Black Americans
Muslim immigrant m/w story – countries of origin not discussed
Filipino girl
Afro-Latinx man and woman
Japanese boy
Most of the supporting characters and love interests are from marginalized communities as well.

Genres:
There’s one gaslamp fantasy, one historical, one superhero and the rest are contemporary, including the play and the comic. Most are about crushes and heartbreak, relationships and romance, while one is about hate crimes on a college campus, and another is about a homeless kid chasing his dreams.

I love anthologies! And anthologies centered around authors of colors? Sign me up!

Eraser Tattoo by Jason Reynolds -> 5 stars
Meet Cute by Malinda Lo -> 4 stars
Don’t Pass Me By by Eric Gansworth -> 4 stars
Be Cool for Once by Aminah Mae Safi -> 4 stars
Tags by Walter Dean Myers -> 5 stars
Why I Learned to Cook by Sara Farizan -> 5 stars
A Stranger at the Bochinche by Daniel José Older -> 3 stars
A Boy’s Duty by Sharon G. Flake by -> 3 stars
One Voice: A Something in Between Story by Melissa de la Cruz -> 5 stars
Paladin/Samurai by Gene Luen Yang -> 3 stars
Catch, Pull, Drive by Schuyler Bailar -> 5 stars
Super Human by Nicola Yoon -> 4 stars

This is one of the best anthologies I've ever read! It is beautiful, poignant, and haunting, and amazing written. This has so much rep! Black, trans, lantinx, and Native rep is just the start, there's so much more.

I can't recommend this enough!

While we really enjoyed some of the stories (short + graphic + screenplay) in this compilation, others missed the mark for us. Overall, we would still highly recommend this unique, fresh anthology from diverse authors. Every library in the country needs this book on their shelves!