ARC Review: “Fresh Ink: An Anthology” by Lamar Giles (Editor)

“Fresh Ink: An Anthology” by Lamar Giles (Editor)

Publishing Date: August 14, 2018

Genre: YA, Fiction, Short Stories, Anthologies

Page Length: 208 pages (electronic review copy)

Synopsis:

In partnership with We Need Diverse Books, thirteen of the most recognizable, diverse authors come together in this remarkable YA anthology featuring ten short stories, a graphic short story, and a one-act play from Walter Dean Myers never before in-print.

Careful–you are holding fresh ink. And not hot-off-the-press, still-drying-in-your-hands ink. Instead, you are holding twelve stories with endings that are still being written–whose next chapters are up to you.

Because these stories are meant to be read. And shared.

Thirteen of the most accomplished YA authors deliver a label-defying anthology that includes ten short stories, a graphic novel, and a one-act play. This collection will inspire you to break conventions, bend the rules, and color outside the lines. All you need is fresh ink. (description from Goodreads)

Review:

*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

Final Verdict: