I really wanted to love this anthology more, but I only really liked Britt and the Bike God. All of these stories were super short and most of them would've qualified as flash fiction, not a short story. I wasn't really invested in any of them. I was just dropped into a lot of worlds and I felt very unsteady. There was either too much action and no build up or vice versa. I just really wish that these stories were more developed and thought out. These authors need voices and these kinds of stories need told, but none of these stories were told in a way that I liked reading.

In the past few years, YA lit has really raised the bar of its anthology game. Marieke Nijkamp’s anthology, Unbroken, is no exception of this trend, with its collection of stories about disabled teens by a diverse range of voices in YA.

My favorite part of this smart, engaging anthology is that it takes the broadest possible definition of disability, including stories of teens with physical disabilities, chronic illnesses, intellectual disabilities and mental illnesses. To include such a range is to make a statement that the disabled community includes this broad range and welcomes teens (and all readers) that experience these various forms of disability as valid. I also loved how this anthology showed the mental and emotional aspects of physical disability and the physical aspects of mental illnesses.

Along the idea of diversity, Unbroken also features a diversity of genres. It was fun to read contemporary, sci-fi, fantasy and paranormal stories all in the same book, united by this umbrella of characters who are not defined by their disability but rather persevere and find happiness and overcome various forms of adversity from figuring out how to talk to a cute boy to saving their planet from a destructive attack.

I also loved the queer representation in this anthology. Kayla Whaley wrote a kick ass paranormal f/f story told from the POV of a girl who uses a wheelchair. Fox Benwell’s story is written in the format of a play and features a chronically ill non-binary MC. Corinne Duyvis wrote a tender speculative f/f story featuring autistic representation.

There was representation of people of color as well. Heidi Heilig, William Alexander, Francisco X. Stork, Dhonielle Clayton and Karuna Riazi all have people of color as main characters. A particular standout is Karuna Riazi’s story about a Muslim girl struggling with mental illness who takes the hajj with her family.

All of the stories in this collection are so strongly voiced, so filled with emotion and action. Each one was a joy to read and left me wanting more by the end (which is my biggest frustration with anthologies--I get so invested in all the characters). For abled readers, this book is a must-read in order to serve as a window into the lived experiences of people with a variety of disabilities. For disabled readers, I hope that reading this book proves to be as validating an experience as it was for me.

I struggle with anxiety, depression and an eating disorder, and I felt seen by this book. I connected so strongly with Katherine Locke’s story about a girl who struggles with debilitating anxiety that affects every aspect of her anxiety. Even though my eating disorder is more mental than physical, I related to Dhonielle Clayton’s story about a girl with IBS who’s skeptical about love.

As an overall work, Unbroken is so timely and important. These are voices in YA that you need to read and support. These are such well-written, beautiful stories and voices that deserve to be lifted up and celebrated.

I received a copy of this for a fair and honest review. I love reading anthologies. It allows one to hear from many different voices with some common theme. In a world where we need more diverse book this book is welcomed. It is 13 stories of disabled teens. That is not something that you will find much for no one really wants to talk about it. I am glad that I came across this book. I mean it has it issues but not enough where I could not finish it. I this is was a brave and bold choice and enjoyed the stories. Something I will definitely will read again when I need to be inspired.

A solid short story collection, with the #ownvoices element adding to the realism of each of them. As always, there were some hits and some misses but overall it's a good collection.

This collection of stories all feature teens with various disabilities. As an added bonus these stories are #ownvoices. As with any anthology this one has some great stories and some that this reader didn't connect with. Regardless, the level of representation in this collection for teens with disabilities makes it a must purchase for high school libraries. Highly recommended.

Standouts: The Leap and the Fall by Kayla Whaley was a standout story that was part love story, part horror tale complete with an abandoned carnival, ghost possession, and tarot cards. I loved it.
One, Two, Three by Corinne Duyvis was another beautiful story about a girl who freezes during a pivotal moment as a child and fails to take action, in her defense, she had just experienced a traumatic event and is on the autism spectrum. In return she is cursed to grant three wishes for anyone who does her a kindness, no matter how small. After years of living a solitary life and trying to avoid kindness from strangers at all costs, she meets a girl and they fall in love.
As an additional plus both of these stories as well as a number of the others feature LGBTQ+ characters.

Starred Ratings for Each Story:
The Long Road by Heidi Heilig 3 stars
Britt and the Bike God by Kody Keplinger 4 stars
The Leap and the Fall by Kayla Whaley 4.5 stars
Per Aspera Ad Strata by Katherine Locke 4 stars
Found Objects by William Alexander 3 stars
Plus One by Karuna Riazi 2 stars
The Day the Dragon Came by Marieke Nijkamp 3 stars
Captain, My Captain by Francisco S. Stork 3 stars
Dear Nora James, You Know Nothing About Love 4 stars
A Play in Many Parts by Fox Benwell 4 stars
The Ballad of Weary Daughters by Kristine Wyllys 4 stars
Mother Nature's Youngest Daughter 2.5 stars
One, Two, Three by Corinne Duyvis 4.5 stars

Love supporting the #OwnVoices movement!

Average Rating: 2.9 stars
There is a mix of types of stories, from fantasy to contemporary, even a science fiction & a horror one. Also appreciated the diversity of the characters. Decent collection that should have at least one story that appeals to each reader. See my full goodreads review for individual ratings.

Unbroken

by Marieke Nijkamp

Pub Date: 18 Sep 2018

Thanks to netgalley.com for access to this book



This is a hot topic for our YA readers - diversity... finding oneself in society. "Unbroken" will surely fill this need. In addition to disabilities, subjects of race, sexuality, and nationality all play a part in these stories. I only gave it 3 instead of 5 stars, however, because there were some stories I found myself plodding through instead of absorbing. Suffice it to say that there is some really great storytelling in here, and some that are 'meh.' I do think the book should be given a chance because the disabilities are diverse - although sometimes difficult to decipher. I suppose that's purposeful in some ways, since we don't always blatantly know what's going on in others' lives.

The first two stories grabbed me right away, and I found myself looking forward to the whole book: "The Long Road" (good characters and believable ending) and "Britt and the Bike God" (multi-leveled story with a non-human character element -- I can't explain further without a spoiler). I also really enjoyed "The Day the Dragon Came," "Dear Nora James, You Know Nothing about Love," and "Ballad of Weary Daughters." However, the fantasy-based stories didn't work for me; they're just not my genre of interest: "The Leap and the Fall," "Found Objects," and "Mother Nature's Youngest Daughter." Yet in spite of elements of fantasy - I'll call it wishful thinking instead - making it into my top 3 is "One, Two, Three" because of the deep thoughtfulness into which the author brought the characters. "Per Aspera Ad Astra" realistically portrayed school anxiety. I enjoyed the main character in "Captain, My Captain," but the story was one of my mehs, and I'm on the fence about "Plus One."

With 13 stories, one's bound to be a miss instead of a hit; I found this to be true for "A Play in Many Parts." For me, it was a DNR (a 'did not read'). I couldn't wrap my head around the format enough to understand the story, plot, or message. This is one story that maybe someone can help me to understand.

3.5 stars

I originally wanted to rate this higher because it's an anthology about disabled teens, and that's something that I don't think has existed before. Then I read it, and while I loved most of the stories, there were two that I couldn't get into. Regardless, the diversity included in this book is outstanding - both physical and non-physical disabilities are included, women of color and across the gender spectrum are represented. Highly, highly recommend.