About the Book:
Title: FRESH INK Anthology
Author: Lamar Giles, Nicola Yoon, Malinda Lo, Melissa de la Cruz, Sara Farizan, Eric Gansworth, Walter Dean Myers, Daniel José Older, Thien Pham, Jason Reynolds, Gene Luen Yang, Sharon G. Flake, Schuyler Bailar, Aminah Mae Safi
Pub. Date: August 14, 2018
Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook
Pages: 208
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Audible, B&N, iBooks, TBD
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.
All it takes to rewrite the rules is a little fresh ink in this remarkable YA anthology from thirteen of the most recognizable, diverse authors writing today including Nicola Yoon, Jason Reynolds, Melissa de la Cruz, and many more, and published in partnership with We Need Diverse Books. This collection features ten short stories, a graphic short story, and a one-act play from Walter Dean Myers never before in-print. It will give readers the opportunity to discover how the next chapter is up to them.
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.
“I absolutely love this mix of established and newer talents, and I’m really intrigued and excited by the mixed formats.” –BookRiot
“A powerful and varied collection…”—Booklist, starred review
“The stories are distinct in themes, subjects, genres, and formats, creating an inclusive, authentic, and incredible collection”—School Library Journal, starred review
Quickly have to thank Rockstar Book Tour for allowing me to be a part of this book tour and for allowing me to read and review the book.
Fresh Ink is a young adult short story anthology. The Anthology consists of 10 short stories, a graphic novel short story and a never before published one act play. So a little bit of everything by 13 amazing young adult authors.
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?
My reviews for each story is going to be short and sweet and that is because I want you to go and pick up this book to read as I think everyone needs to read this.
Tattoo Eraser by Jason Reynolds
- This short story is about two teenagers who are madly in love buy sadly one of them is having to move away and they both wonder if their love will stand the test of time. Will it? I think this would make for an excellent book on its own. I would love to know more about these characters and what happens next.
Meet Cute by Malinda Lu
- What happens when two girls meet at a Denver Sci Fi & Fantasy Convention who are dressed as Sully and a gender flipped Sulu and are stuck in a power outage? Could a friendship be formed? Maybe something more? I must admit I am not into Star Trek or the X Files but I still got the references that were made.
Don’t Pass Me By by Eric Gansworth
- What happens when you live on a reservation but have to go to school outside of it? This was interesting and I went to school with kids who lived on a reservation and went to school outside of it and never knew it until they said something.
Be Cool For Once by Aminsh Mae safi
- What happens when you run into your crush and your favorite concert? This was a cute story about a muslim girl named Shirin and her best friend Francesca, spots her secret crush at her favorite bands concert. Will he come over and say something? This was a lot of fun and you wanted to root for Shirin the whole time.
Tags by Walter Dean Myers
- This one was interesting because it was told in a play format and one that I don’t read a lot of so it was fun to read a short story this way. At first I was a little confused but it quickly came to me and I actually ended up reading this one a second time and it hit me. One of my faves
Why I learned to Cook by Sara Farizan
- Another cute story about a girl trying to figure out a way to tell her grandmother about her girlfriend and the only way she knows how is asking her grandmother to teach her how to cook.
A Stranger at the Bochinche by Daniel José Older
- Wasn’t quite sure about this or when it takes place exactly but it involves dinosaurs and Brooklyn. Need I say more?
A Boy’s Duty by Sharon G. Flake
- This is a historical fiction that takes place during WW 2 and involves a boy named Zakary who is living in a cafe. This was one I wish had more to it because I was curious about a few things in the story.
One Voice: A Something in-between Story by Melissa De La Cruz
- Jasmine is a undocumented college student. The main thing that happens is that there is a incident at the school with racist slurs being painted on a school building and Jasmine’s reactions to it. This was by far one of my favorites because it discusses an important topic that is currently happening in the world with hate speech.
Super Human by Nicola Yoon
- This is about a super hero who is fed up with they way people are treated especially the ones in the position of authority. I know no one is perfect but to be brutal against someone who is not of your face is wrong and it bothers me.
Catch, Pull, Drive by Schuyler Bailar
- Tommy is a transgender swimmer and has decided to come out making his first day unbearable. The coach and other kids all have something to say and its not the best thing to say. Its almost if you don’t have anything nice to say then say nothing at all but we all know people aren’t like that. This bothers me to no end but then you have someone who stands up and speaks the truth and doesn’t care what anyone thinks or says about them and I wish we had more kids who would do that instead of going with the flow
Paladin/Samurai by Gene Leun Yang and illustrations by Thien Pham
- This is told in a comic book/graphic novel way and I wanted to love this story line but it felt like something was missing from it.
This is the perfect book for everyone to read and I think everyone should read this.