Disclaimer: I am a white, heterosexual, female and am represented in about 90% of the books on the market. That being said, I still thoroughly enjoy reading books with diversity in them, especially when that diverse character also happens to be the main character and not just a "token" sidekick or one that doesn't add much to the story.

I love reading anthologies, but its like a catch 22 because while I love this shortness of them, I also end up craving more to the story (most of the time)! A couple of my favorites from this collection were: "Why I Learned to Cook", "One Voice: A Something in Between Story", "Catch, Pull, Drive," and "Super Human." I could have read an entire book based on those last 2 stories!

Fresh Ink, an anthology edited by Lamar Giles, features short stories, a one-act play, and a short graphic novel from thirteen top YA contemporary authors including Jason Reynolds, Gene Luen Yang, Nicola Yoon, Walter Dean Myers, Daniel José Older, Melissa de la Cruz, and Malinda Lo. Each contribution to this diverse collection will inspire you think outside of the box and dare to defy conventions.

Short story anthologies regardless of the genre aren't usually my go-to, but lately I have to admit I've come across some pretty fantastic ones. When I found this collection with so many brilliant authors contributing I knew I had to try it. Luckily this diverse collection didn't disappoint. The characters we're introduced to in this variety of shorts all felt quite authentic even though we're only wish them for a short time before moving right along. The topics covered are all timely and relevant issues, even though some are set in the past and have fantastic elements. Like I've said before, I honestly wish I had read these kinds of #OwnVoices stories when I was in high school. I enjoyed all of the stories, but my favorites include "Catch, Pull, Drive" by Schuyler Bailar, "One Voice" by Melissa de la Cruz, "A Boy’s Duty" by Sharon G. Flake, "Don’t Pass Me By" by Eric Gansworth, "Meet Cute" by Malinda Lo, "Be Cool for Once" by Aminah Mae Safi, and "Super Human" by Nicola Yoon.

Overall, the stories and voices of Fresh Ink edited by Lamar Giles are absolutely necessary. While I may not directly relate to all of them, it's incredibly valuable to see writing that reflects all sorts of lives and experiences for young people. Plus, I think I've found some great new-to-me authors to explore.

An all-star collection.

This is the collection of stories we all need. In order to truly see ourselves as part of the world, we need to both see ourselves in fiction AND see others in fiction. That's what Fresh Ink is all about. These stories zoom in on very specific experiences and seek to draw a range of readers into the narrative.

My favorite stories from this collection were Meet Cute by Malinda Lo, featuring a sweet f/f "meet cute" at a sci-fi convention and Schuyler Bailer's semi-autobiographical story of a trans swimmer. I'd honestly never thought about the challenges and sacrifices endured by trans swimmers & athletes in general, so this story was a real eye-opener for me.

Lamar Giles will be joining me to discuss this book on the YA Cafe Podcast on August 16th. :)

*Like other anthologies I've reviewed on this blog I'll be reviewing all the stories and then giving a final verdict at the end. SLIGHT SPOILERS FOR SOME STORIES!

Eraser Tattoo: This story made me want to read more of Jason Reynolds' works. It was cute and heartfelt. I felt it accurately described the feelings of moving away from some one you love and all of the nostalgia it brings.

Meet Cute: A cute story set in a comic convention! It gave me Geekerella vibes and I enjoyed the main characters Tamia and Nic. Their Agent Scully and Sulu costumes sounded awesome. I thought the two concepts of people falling in love was cute. It was also fun to read!

Don’t Pass Me By: This story was a bit hard to follow at first but I soon got into the story after a while. The main character "Doobie" lives on an Indian reservation and tries to assimilate the best he can. He wants to fit in, but not forget his heritage and culture. I liked the content of the story, but it felt that it was a bit lackluster because didn't really go anywhere. It just needed to be a bit longer.

Don’t Be Cool for Once: This one was so-so. It follows a girl names Shirin and her friend Francesa as they go to a concert of her favorite band, Thousand Days Queen. It's a story about crushes, falling in love, and confessing your feelings. Kinda predicted the ending but it was cute.

Tags: A very unique story written as a play. The four characters meetup in the old building where they live and realize they are deceased. They feel unsettled because of the way they died and they are connected to watch other by tagging. It startling to read about how young these boys are and how their lives were taken away.

Why I Learned to Cook: Story about a girl named Yasi and her girlfriend Hanna. Yasi is open with her parents but has not come out to her grandmother who she is very close to. She spends a lot of time with her and wants Hannah to meet her grandma but is afraid her reaction. She decides to learn to cook not only to bond with her grandma but to show Hannah she loves her.

A Stranger at the Bochinche: My least favorite story in the collection. I liked the folklore aspect but it felt out-of-place as the other stories are all mostly contemporary pieces. Takes place in an alternate past of Brooklyn? I'm not sure what was happening the entire story but all I could understand is that the two main leads were trying to retrieve a notebook.

A Boy’s Duty: This is a historical piece set around WWII it tells the story of a of a boy named Zakary who is running away from home and trying to hold on to his dreams. He finds solace in a cafe and thinks about his future and joining the army. He is trying to make a better life for himself despite his circumstances. I thought it was a deep story and I really enjoyed it.

One Voice: A Something in Between Story:
A story that focuses on immigration and race. The main character feels unsettled after seeing racist graffiti at her school, Standford University. It reminds her of who she is and it makes her feel out-of-place and that she are undocumented and could be sent back to the Philippines. We get glimpses of other hate crimes and it shoes how the students of color stand up against the hate.

Paladin/ Samurai: Cute comic story, a nice break from all the words (in a good way). Group of friends are playing a dungeons and dragons type of game. Even though he's half Japanese he wants to play a samurai in the game because of his heritage, but his friends give him a hard time.

Catch, Pull, Drive: This story is about Tommy who has just transitioned. He's afraid he won't be able to. Do the thing he loves anymore (swim) because of his coming out and fears not being accepted. Though there is a bully in this story I like the positive outcome and the writing felt very personal real.

Super Human: This story packs a punch! It follows a black superhero named X and a girl named Syrita, the first girl he ever saved. I liked this one a lot, its deep and powerful. It's a heavy, but open conversation about race, privilege, and police brutality. I like how X talks about how black superheroes do not get special treatment because of the color of their skin.

*Trigger Warnings: racial & homophobic slurs, bullying, violence, death

Yes! We need more books like this. Finally a book that will be relatable to our LGBTQ youth, our youth of color, and the ones who never get to read anything about characters who share their skin color or the sexual orientation unless it's stereotypical or negative. Short stories in general are underrepresented and to see one this diverse is great. Thanks Netgalley fir the ARC. I will be happily recommending this book to all my Middle School and High School librarian colleagues.

I think this is the first YA short story anthology I've read and I really enjoyed it! Like all collections, what's inside varies and different stories will appeal to different readers. I appreciated this one included a play and a graphic/comics story. I sort of wish it was longer, but I think its size also contributes to its feeling of immediacy, and the short stories might appeal to struggling or less avid readers. This would be especially great for new YA readers because they can be exposed to many authors and then check out their other works. It's also great for teens looking to see themselves in literature--I believe all are #ownvoices for people of color, and many are LGBTQ as well. Ultimately, I think this anthology might help students interested in writing their own stories and introduce them to new authors to read.

Now, to talk about each story...

"Eraser Tattoo" by Jason Reynolds: This is a cute story about a teen couple in Brooklyn saying goodbye before one of them moves away. It weaves in the backstory of their friendship and romantic relationship, and I loved how I felt I was also sitting on a stoop in Brooklyn while reading it (helps I've been there). Unfortunately, there are still occurrences of everyday white privilege that rears its head.

"Meet Cute" by Malinda Lo: This is about a black Dana Scully cosplayer and a female Sulu (from Star Trek) cosplayer who meet at a con and the power goes out. And they're cute and slowly discover they're both queer and by the end you're rooting for them to trade numbers. I loved this because I'm a huge X-Files and Star Trek fan and the commentary was great and hilarious, even if some comments about Star Trek have already become outdated due to the new series Discovery.

"Don't Pass Me By" by Eric Gansworth: This story about a Native American boy going to a public school outside of the Reservation has lots of great commentary on how the school system treats Indigenous people and the concept of a "normal" skin color being white. It's unfortunately a viewpoint we don't see enough in YA or fiction in general. I also appreciated that this wasn't a romance like so many of the others are.

"Be Cool for Once" by Aminah Mae Safi: This is a really cute story about a Muslim girl attending a rock concert with her friend and her crush shows up. He can't really be there for her, can he? I loved how fleshed-out the characters were and how Shirin grew.

"Tags" by Walter Dean Myers: This short play was apparently written by Myers before he died. It takes place on a street the young male characters are trying to "tag," each telling about how they died. The format definitely sets it up for the fantastical premise. Unfortunately, and especially since it's short, it can be easy to mix up who is who while reading which is a problem I still have with plays and I've been reading them for a while. That said, I think it still has the potential to be powerful with young readers and I'm glad this different format was included in the collection.

"Why I Learned to Cook" by Sara Farizan: This was a really sweet story about an Iranian-American bi girl learning to cook Persian food with her grandmother for her girlfriend, though she isn't out yet to her grandmother. I liked the overall themes, though I found the writing style rather bland.

"A Stranger at the Bochinche" by Daniel José Older: This was definitely unlike any of the others...a fantasy set in something like 1800s Brooklyn with a monster. The writing is very atmospheric and I admit I had trouble following it at the beginning, but by the end I was along for the ride.

"A Boy's Duty" by Sharon G. Flake: This was a historical fiction story about a black boy during the World War II. I honestly had trouble following it and I don't think much happened, but I appreciated the atmosphere the writing generated.

"One Voice: A Something in Between Story" by Melissa de la Cruz: This timely story follows the effect two hate speech graffiti incidents at Stanford has on an undocumented Filipina student. I loved that it was told in sections and the messages and discussions were definitely on-point.

"Paladin/Samurai" by Gene Luen Yang, Thien Pham (illustrations): This was maybe the shortest of the bunch, but the little narrative trick it pulled was cute and enjoyable. It's about a group of kids playing a Dungeons and Dragons-like game, the girl some of them like, and their identities.

"Catch, Pull, Drive" by Schuyler Bailar: This story is about a trans boy swimmer who has just come out to the whole world and the team and is navigating his first practice back. Some other boys are welcoming, some are not (tw for slurs), but he prevails. This is a good example of showing what might happen after coming out, as so many stories only cover understanding one's identity and coming out.

"Super Human" by Nicola Yoon: Maybe this is because I read this last, but I think this is my favorite, and I think it succeeds on a great concept and execution that's perfect for the short story format. It's about X, the world's one and only superhero who has vowed to destroy the world, and the one girl who has been chosen to stop him (because shew as the first he saved). The catch: the superhero is a black teen. There's some great satire to how the world reacted to this that echoes events like Obama becoming president, but of course, there's much deeper and heartfelt commentary to be had about the way society treats black teens and their double identities (code-switching). The girl (Syrita) is black too, but from an upper-class background with different experiences. The ending is perfect, too.

I'm not usually big on short stories or anthologies but when I saw a few of my favorite authors contributing to this one, I knew I had to read it. While I enjoyed all of the stories to a degree, there were definitely a few stand out stories (such as Eric Gansworth and Nicola Yoon). I deeply enjoyed the diverse cast in the stories, authors, and the different ways of telling the stories. Would recommend for anyone who enjoys short stories that break out of the typical YA mold.

This anthology was such a great collection of short stories and overall I had a really great time reading it.

One of the main things I loved about this book was that each story had an incredible diverse cast of characters, and they all were quite complex ones, despite each story being quite short. I was so happy to see that in a YA book.

Though some of the novellas weren’t my favorite (one of them was a graphic novel and I’m not really into that), I have to say that I had a good time reading them. My favorite stories definitely were Jason Reynold’s, Nicola Yoon’s and Schuyler Bailar’s ones. They were so beautifully written, and not only they adressed very important topics but also they were so unique that I wanted a full book about each of them.

So to sum up my review, I think each novella was different in its own way, and just for the diversity I would highly recommend it.

Fresh Ink is a beautifully curated collection of stories that spans genres, time periods, and marginalizations. As I would expect with any anthology, I liked some pieces more than others, but all in all, I greatly enjoyed this collection of #OwnVoices works. Below are my thoughts on each individual story:

Eraser Tattoo by Jason Reynolds ★★★★☆

This was a sweet story about two childhood best friends who fell in love but are now parting ways. It was quicker than I thought it was going to be, but I liked seeing this tiny snapshot of these characters’ lives. I guess that’s kind of what short stories are all about, but it did take me a second to adjust, as I’m pretty sure this is the first anthology I’ve ever read.

Meet Cute by Malinda Lo ★★★☆☆

The premise of this story is that two girls are trapped together when the power goes out at the convention they’re attending. I thought the idea was really cute, and I loved all the girl power in this story. The main characters’ nerdiness made me so happy, but the main thing that kept me from getting more into this story is that I don’t know anything about Star Trek or The X Files (the fandoms from which the main characters are cosplaying). You can still read this story without prior knowledge of those fandoms, but I felt like I would have liked it better if I had understood the references.

Don’t Pass Me By by Eric Gansworth ★★☆☆☆

This story was okay, and it was cool getting a glimpse of what it’s like to live on a reservation but go to school outside of it. However, I felt like the writing was kind of clunky and hard to follow. Perhaps it’s just me, but I wasn’t super into this one.

Be Cool for Once by Aminah Mae Safi ★★★★★

Be Cool for Once was one of my favorite short stories in this collection. The main character, Shirin, runs into the boy she likes while at a concert for her favorite band. I loved that the story was centered around music, and I loved Shirin’s wild best friend, Francesca. The two friends were so different and I loved their dynamic. I also really liked that Shirin was an aspiring scientist and the ways in which this aspect of her identity played into her thought process. This story was just really adorable, and I’m excited to read the author’s debut novel.

Tags by Walter Dean Myers ★★★★★

Tags, which is already different from the other stories in this anthology because of its play format, has an incredibly interesting and original concept. I don’t want to give to much away, as I think it’s better to go into this story without knowing a lot, but just know that it’s intense.

Why I Learned to Cook by Sara Farizan ★★★☆☆

Why I Learned to Cook is a cute story about a girl figuring out how to introduce her grandmother to her girlfriend. I enjoyed reading about the relationships between these three characters, but the writing was kinda meh—some of the dialogue especially just felt off and unrealistic. Overall though, I enjoyed it.

A Stranger at the Bochinche by Daniel José Older ★★★☆☆

This is cool historical fantasy story with steampunk vibes. I’m not quite sure in which time period this is set, but it takes place in Brooklyn and there are dinosaurs, which is pretty cool. Another interesting aspect of this piece is the narration—it’s written in second person. This story wasn’t one of my favorites, but it was pretty cool.

A Boy’s Duty by Sharon G. Flake ★★☆☆☆

A Boy’s Duty is a historical fiction piece set during World War II. Zakary, the main character, ran away from home and is living in a café at the time this story takes place. Unfortunately, I just wasn't super into this story and found it to be boring.

One Voice by Melissa de la Cruz ★★★★☆

I really liked Melissa de la Cruz’s narrative about an undocumented university student named Jasmine. The story is centered around an incident at her school where someone painted some sort of racist slur on a school building. This discussion of hate speech felt SO relevant in today’s day and age, and it was interesting to read about Jasmine’s reaction to the vandalism and how it interplayed with her identity as an undocumented immigrant. Stories about undocumented people are so important to read, especially with the current political climate in America, and I think Melissa de la Cruz has written a really great one.

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

Unfortunately, this graphic short story was cropped weirdly in the copy I received, so I wasn’t really able to read enough to understand the story.

Catch, Pull, Drive by Schuyler Bailar ★★★★★

Another one of my favorites from this anthology!! Catch, Pull, Drive is about a trans swimmer and his first day after coming out. I loved it so much and I really felt for the main character, Tommy. His swimming coach and some of the other kids made me so angry and I just! Ahhh! But then there’s that one kid who stands up for the other kid and restores your faith in humanity and did I mention I loved this story? Also I really liked how the author used the repetition of the title throughout the story! And he’s the first openly transgender person to swim on a division one NCAA team and that’s super cool.

Super Human by Nicola Yoon ★★★★★

Nicola Yoon provided the perfect finale to this collection. Truthfully, I was a bit surprised at how much I loved this piece, considering that I wasn’t a huge fan of either of her books (contrary to popular opinion), but I really really loved this story. The premise is that the main character, Syrita, has been chosen to convince this superhero named X to not detroy the world. This piece’s setting (which is basically just the regular world except superheroes exist) adds an incredibly interesting layer to discussions of race, police brutality, and humanity. Absolutely loved this story!

I received an Advanced eGalley of "Fresh Ink: An Anthology" from NetGalley. 

"Fresh Ink" is a collection of diverse stories (12 to be exact) focused on the marginalized. Each story is written by a different young adult author of note, and usually centers around a conflict which is central to their existence: i.e., "coming out", gentrification, police brutality, bullying, prejudice, immigration, stereotypes, etc. 

The strongest of the 12 are offered by Jason Reynolds ("Eraser Tattoo"), Walter Dean Myers ("Tag"), Sara Faizan ("Why I Learned to Cook"), and Nicola Yoon ("Super Human").

Reynolds touches on gentrification and the ways in which the displacement of those who once symbolized the culture and life of a neighborhood are being forced to start elsewhere, while others--who know nothing about the neighborhood they're about to inhabit--swoop in with no regard for its history or the preservation thereof. 

Myers offers a one-act play about the ways in which drugs, and poverty, continue to play a role in the deaths of young, black, males.

Faizan looks at "coming out", from a cultural perspective, and how difficult it can be to navigate sexuality, particularly when you're uncertain if you'll continue to have the support of those you love most. 

Yoon tackles the ways in which law enforcement continues to criminalize the actions of black men based solely on outdated perceptions. 

I enjoyed most of the stories, I just wished many of them would have gone beyond the headlines a bit more. Dug deeper. Took a harder stance to truly bring out the nuances of each issue. Most of the authors played it too safe and many of the conflicts presented found a peaceful resolution, without much in the way of inner turmoil by the protagonist 

Inasmuch as I can appreciate the need to present these issues in an accessible way, without making the reader feel attacked, that is also part of the problem: the kid gloves need to come off all the way if they're going to come off at all. 

It's a good effort towards adding more diverse books into the canon and I hope to see more attempts at doing so in the future--particularly targeted towards the middle grades; there definitely needs to be more awareness granted to those that are often forgotten and/or excluded. 

Review will be published via blog on August 8, 2018 at 12:21 PM EST.
Link to scheduled post: https://wordpress.com/post/wannabeomnilegent.wordpress.com/512

Overall I would call this book 3.5 stars, so I'm rounding to 4. While not all the stories resonated with me, I can agree that they are all stories and subjects that need to be talked about. There isn't a single story that isn't relevant. Each author's writing style was defined and the book itself was a quick read that progressed smoothly. This is a great addition to We Need Diverse Books and hopefully everyone who reads it will find it meaningful.

Individual star ratings for each story are as follows:
Eraser Tattoo - Jason Reynolds
4 stars

Meet Cute - Malinda Lo
3.5 stars

Don't Pass Me By - Eric Gansworth
3 stars

Be Cool For Once - Aminah Mae Safi
4.5 stars

Tags - Walter Dean Myers
3 stars

Why I Learned to Cook - Sara Farizan
4 stars

A Stranger at the Bochinche - Daniel José Older
3 stars

A Boy's Duty - Sharon G. Flake
3 stars

One Voice - Melissa de la Cruz
3.5 stars

Paladin/Samurai - Gene Luen Yang
4 stars

Catch, Pull, Drive - Schuyler Bailar
4 stars

Super Human - Nicola Yoon
3.5 stars

I’m always wary going into an anthology because while I know there will be pieces that I truly connect with, some will be uninteresting or too short for me. While his was he case with a few works in Fresh sink, the stories I did connect with made me wish they were full length novels so I could stay in their worlds even longer.

I loved all the different perspectives represented in this book. It helped me differentiate the stories in my mind, which I sometimes struggle to do with short stories. More importantly, it gave me a (sometimes way too short) glimpse into a life so different from my own.

I did skip one story by Melissa de la Cruz because I saw it was a short story based on her novel Something in Between which is on my TBR and I didn’t want to spoil anything for myself. I look forward to going back and read this after I finish the novel.

Stand out stories for me were “Why I Learned to Cook,” “A Boy’s Duty,” “Catch, Pull, Drive,” and “Super Human.” With all of these, although they were excellently written and didn’t feel incomplete, I still wanted more. The characters and worlds the authors created hooked me, and I would thoroughly enjoy more from these characters.

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a great book full of short stories, a comic, and play.  I'm not going to talk much about each story since they are not very long.  But I will say a little and rate each one below.



Eraser Tattoo by Jason Reynolds   This was a sweet story about a girl who was moving away.  She was giving her boyfriend an eraser tattoo to remember her by.  4  1/2 stars



Meet Cute by Melinda Lo   Two girls meet at a con.  The power goes out and they get lost, but form a connection right away.  4  1/2 stars



Don't Pass Me By by Eric Gansworth   This was such a touching story.  A boy stands up for himself by coloring a picture at school with a color closer to his skin tone vs the "flesh" color he was given.   4  1/2 stars



Be Cool For Once by Aminah Mae Safi  A girl is at a concert with her best friend and sees the boy she likes.  She is a wreck, but decides to tell him how she feels.  4  1/2 stars



Tags by Walter Dean Myers   This is part of a play that I wish I could see.  Multiple boys are tagging and we find out that they are all dead.  They were shot and killed and talk about their deaths and connections.   4  1/2 stars



Why I Learned To Cook by Sara Farizan  This story was really touching because I was very close to my grandma.  In this story, a girl is afraid to have her grandma meet her girlfriend.  She asks her grandma to teach her to cook and then invites her over.   4  1/2 stars



A Stranger at the Bochinche by Daniel Jose Older  While I enjoyed this story and the writing, I felt that it needed more to really understand it.  A girl's notebook is stolen and they boy who loves her goes after it.  She ends up rescuing him.  There were mentions of Gods and aliens, so it got confusing.   3  1/2 stars



A Boy's Duty by Sharon G Flake  This story takes place during WWII.  A black boy leaves his farm and paints.  His goal is to join the navy and go to school.  He spends his time at a cafe that his friends caused trouble at.  The cafe owner's wife tries to help these boys.   3  1/2 stars



One Voice by Melissa de la Cruz   This is probably my favorite story in the book.  It's just so relevant to the time we live in right now.  A girl is at Stanford.  She found out that her family is undocumented and she is terrified of being deported.  There is racist graffiti painted there and she has to explain to her boyfriend how that makes her feel.  That words matter.  5 stars



Paladin/Samurai by Gene Luen Yang   This is a little comic.  I honestly had a hard time reading it on my kindle, so it was a bit tough to rate.  I'm hoping to reread it when the book is released.  What I could see was decent, but not great.  3  1/2 stars (could change)



Catch, Pull, Drive by Schuyler Bailar  This was another standout story person who recently came out as transgender.  He is now competing on the boys swim team for the first time and using the boy's bathroom.   5 stars



Super Human by Nicola Yoon   I love Nicola's writing, so I knew this would be a favorite before even starting.  In this story, there is a black superhero that is giving up on humanity.  The first girl he saved is asked to go speak to him and find out why.  This is another story that is so relevant right now.  5 stars



Overall, this was a great book that I gave 4  1/2 stars.  My three favorite stories were Super Human, Catch Pull Drive, and One Voice.  Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the chance to read this early.

This was a wonderful book I would recommend to anyone who needs a change in pace from all the mainstream and often whitewashed YA genre. This is a book that compiles stories from authors coming from many walks of life and features a rich diverse range of characters. "Don't Pass By Me" was particularly poignant, "Why I Learned to Cook" made me teary-eyed and I called my grandma right after, and the one-act play was such a cool idea executed superbly! Check this out if you get the chance I highly recommend it.

Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy these stories like I hoped I would. I never felt I connected with any of the characters. Maybe some of the stories were just too short to really feel impacted by the events in the stories, I'm not sure. Most of the stories fell flat for me.
Having said that, I think most people will really love and appreciate this anthology for what it is. The diversity in characters is really what this is all about, and I think it was done really well. I think getting to read stories from characters you don't normally see is really great! I truly think a lot of people will enjoy these stories, it just wasn't as great as I think it could have been.
My favorite story was Superhuman by Nicola Yoon, this story made me feel for the characters and really think about society as a whole.

Thank you to Crown Books for Young Readers for allowing me to read and review this book before it gets released.

I have to mention initially that I am not an ownvoices reviewer for any of the stories here, so it doesn’t really matter what I have to say. As Lamar Giles mentions in the foreword, this book is for all those kids who love reading but are disheartened because they never see themselves represented as anything more than a sidekick or a stereotype. Here, you will find stories about Black, Native, Asian, Persian, Muslim, LGBTQ+ people, all written by ownvoices authors, who wish to bring marginalized characters to life, make them the heroes of their stories and show us a true reflection of of the racist, prejudiced and divided world that we live in today. Each story is powerful in it’s own right and everyone needs to read this amazing collection. My reviews for individual stories are below:

Eraser Tattoo by Jason Reynolds

A sweet story about childhood best friends in love. One of them is moving away and they are unsure about the future but just want to enjoy their last moments together, while remembering the happy times.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Meet Cute by Malinda Lo

I loved the setting of this story at a Sci-fi fantasy convention. It beautifully captured the awkwardness of two queer girls who meet there during a blackout and are unsure of each other’s orientation. There is also commentary about whitewashing of movie characters and less representation of LGBTQ+ people in the media and I think it’s written very well.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Don’t Pass Me By by Eric Gansworth

This was a very compelling story about a Native American boy who lives on the Reservation but has to go to a very majority white school, where he can’t help but stand out due to his looks. We also see how difficult it is for a young boy when he is not even represented in his school literature because white is the norm.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Be Cool for Once by Aminah Mae Safi

The feeling of crushing so hard on someone that you invent excuses to talk to them is captured perfectly here. The concert setting is cool, I loved that the band is named after tragic historical queens including Rani of Jhansi and it also captured the feelings of kids from immigrant families – a Muslim American and another possibly Japanese American. Wonderfully written.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Tags by Walter Dean Myers

This is a story about systemic oppression and racism and police brutality and how this is a cycle that keeps on repeating and young boys lose their lives for nothing. And how we may remember their stories for sometime, but ultimately they become just a memory. A very powerful and poignant story.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Why I Learned to Cook by Sara Farizan

This was a cute story about a young Iranian American bisexual girl who isn’t sure how to come out to her grandma. So, she decides to ask her grandma to teach her how to cook and then invites her girlfriend over for dinner. It’s an endearing tale of love and acceptance.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

A Stranger at the Bochinche by Daniel José Older

This was a very different sci-fi kinda setting, so it was difficult for me to get into. I think the story had an underlying subtext but I wasn’t able to grasp it.

Rating: ⭐⭐

A Boy’s Duty by Sharon G. Flake

Set during WWII, this is a story about a homeless black boy who has big dreams about being a sailor and then survive the war, to go to college and become a teacher of astronomy. But he has to deal with everyday racism that was the norm of the day while also encountering the generosity of someone like Ma Susie. And through it all, he has to try his best to keep his dreams alive. What a hopeful story even in a desperate situation.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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

This was a very emotional piece of writing. We see a string of hate crimes being committed in the Stanford campus and how it’s affecting the students of color through the eyes of our Filipino MC. She has to deal with the anxiety, how her own campus feels unsafe now and being scared to protest because of her DREAMer status. There is so much packed into this little story and it will resonate with anyone who is a minority and encounters racism and feels their voice will never be heard.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Paladin / Samurai by Gene Luen Yang

This is a graphic novel short and it wasn’t actually easy to read in the digital format. And I also wasn’t really sure what was happening.

Rating: ⭐⭐

Catch, Pull, Drive by Schuyler Bailar

TW: transphobia, bullying

An ownvoices story written by the first openly transgender NCAA Division I swimmer, this is about a trans boy who just came out on Facebook and is about to face his first day on the men’s swimming team. He has to endure a lot of hate and bullying, but his determination to win and prove everyone wrong is working and we get a hopeful message that he will be okay.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Super Human by Nicola Yoon

What a wonderful end to the collection. It is a story of how in the current world – when the media pundits talk about a post-racial society and some people wonder why POC always talk about race so much – even a black superhero can’t escape police brutality, because he fits the vague description of someone who committed a crime somewhere in the country. And one rich black girl who comes to convince him not to go ahead with his plans, has her eyes opened to the reality instead. This is a story that packs a lot of punch in just a few pages and is definitely one of the best in the collection.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I don't know why but I couldn't get into this one. Some of the stories were good and the subject matter important while others felt like they were rushed or missing something. I never usually read the YA genre but Im a huge Nicola Yoon fan and thought I'd give this a chance.

My favorite story would have to be <b> Don't Pass Me By</b> and i have a reason i'm part Native American (Cherokee) but i don't look it. i have dark hair but i have a light complexion and blue eyes.


I have never read anything like this before, these story are just so raw and eye opening.

<b>Eraser Tattoo</b> ★★★★

<b>Meet Cute</b> ★★★★

<b>Don't Pass Me By</b> ★★★★★

<b>Be Cool For Once</b> ★★★

<b>Tags</b> ★★★★★

<b>Why I Learned To Cook</b> ★★★★★

<b>A Stranger At The Bochinche</b> ★★★

<b>A Boy's Duty</b> ★★★★

<b>One Voice (A Something In Between Story)</b> ★★★★

<b>Paladin/Samurai</b> ★★★

<b>Catch,Pull,Drive</b>★★★★★

<b>Super Human</b> ★★★

Noteworthy experiences while reading this book: I do not generally like anthologies but this one was very good. I will start checking out more from these authors as well as other books of this type. However, I would have liked it more if it would have been longer.

Do I Recommend this book? Fans of fandoms will love this one!! There are so many diverse stories in this one as well. There really is something for everyone.

Notes and Opinions: This is one of the last ARCs that I picked up from ALAAC18 and I am very happy that I did. I am not one to read anthologies but I am excited about others now. This one was so good. Each story is short but full I do wish that the book overall would have been a little longer. As it sits it is a little over 200 pages.

My favorite story is Eraser Tattoo and Meet Cute. I hope that some of these short stories become fully fledged ones. Especially my two favs. The editor of this one talks about how this book is full of different stories and he is so right. This book has a story for everyone and I could see this one in high schools.

I also think that it would have been interesting to create a movie out of this one where all the stories converge and overlap.

If you are looking for a book where there is a story for everyone as well as well paced and short check this one out!

THIS ANTHOLOGY IS SO IMPORTANT. I CANNOT STRESS THAT ENOUGH. FRESH INK HAS MY HEART.

Representation: race, sexuality, gender identity, you name it ! I absolutely adored all the ideas behind the short stories within Fresh Ink. I mean, come on. We see a nice and sweet pair admit their long-standing feelings for each other (one's second gen Japanese American, the other's a third(?) gen Muslim immigrant), a group of ghosts discuss their downfalls and legacies, and end with an all too real tale of raw and unfiltered doubt in the universe explored by characters who know its sorrows more than anyone.

Some of the short stories really really spoke to me more than the rest: "Meet Cute," "Be Cool for Once," and "Super Human" among them. While all the writing from the different authors was fairly okay, I feel like the topics that these covered and the wholesomeness (or heart-wrenching factor) added so much value to the already pretty solid lineup.

Other works I found a little harder to get into, which is still very much okay. I'm not sure what exactly it was about them that made me less involved with all that went on, but at the end of the day, I 1000% do not regret this reading experience because !!!! I love.

Reading this collection made me feel more complete. As a minority reader here on Goodreads, it's really hard to ignore the fact that chances are there aren't any people that look like me, people that come from even vaguely similar backgrounds as me, in whatever book I choose to pick up. Period. Seeing all of these beautiful characters written so wonderfully makes me want to cry (and I highkey would if I was feeling more emotional).

Countless thank yous to Netgalley and Random House Children's for the high quality ARC ~