Critiques
Bingo Board ~ Pick one: Read Brightly's list of Best YA Books of 2020
I loved this book so much. I fell deeply in love with these stories centered around young black women and the ways that they ended right as the big move into the quest began, because these stories about The Quest, they are about the spark and fanning of the flames of women realizing they can take those steps and head in different directions, to different lives, and different choices from so many different circumstances.
One of those bingo board books I'm going to be recommending to people forever.
In her introduction, editor Caldwell extols the importance of representation and storytelling in Black communities and asks “Where is my fantasy, my future? Why don’t Black people exist in speculative worlds?” The diverse contributors to this vibrant and varied collection include acclaimed YA authors such as Elizabeth Acevedo, Dhonielle Clayton, Justina Ireland, Rebecca Roanhorse, and Ibi Zoboi. Their stories run the gamut from lighthearted to intense. Some use fantastical or SF elements to explore relevant and timely issues such as colorism, violence against Black communities, and abuse of minority groups. Multiple stories are delightfully queer. There’s the girl working as an alien interrogator on another planet who’s starting to think things might be more complicated than she realized in Amerie’s (editor: Because You Love To Hate Me, 2017, etc.) “When Life Hands You a Lemon Fruitbomb.” In Alaya Dawn Johnson’s (contributor: Three Sides of a Heart, 2017, etc.) “The Rules of the Land,” the daughter of a sea woman makes a deal with her powerful and enraged kin to save her people. All these well-spun tales are enjoyable and accessible to readers of any background. Magical and real, this collection lives up to its goal with stories as diverse as the Black experience.
#BlackGirlMagic indeed. (Fantasy. 14-adult)
-Kirkus Review
Space orcs have come to take over our planet, Mitchell (I think - the narrator's name is never explicitly mentioned) volunteers to be a translator in exchange for a spot in a new safe haven. But on the orc's planet, they realize they've traveled through a wormhole and the earth they've left behind is hundreds of years into the future. When everyone leaves, our narrator and some other young people stay behind to mate with the orcs and, eventually, direct them to earth.
Interesting idea; I wish we could've spent more time on how exactly the humans are going to be integrated with the orcs and how they would become revered as gods/goddesses. And Mitchell wasn't part of the original history, so how does she change it by deciding to stay behind? Why are they convinced that the only way to live is to kill so many humans, rather than tell them they have common genetics?
"Gilded" - 3 stars
Eula's mother died in childbirth, leaving her with an ability to sense and manipulate metals. Eula works towards earning her freedom from her owner, but the arrival of new men who want to start a revolt challenges that. Eventually, Eula decides everybody's freedom is more important than just hers, and helps them fight back.
Another story where we don't find out the narrator's name until a little bit in; an interesting pattern. I liked the writing style and the natural use of Spanish terms, but nothing expectational. I wish the editor's note in the back mentioning that this was based on the first historical slave revolt was before the story so that I could have enjoyed more context.
"When Abigail Fields Recalls her First Death and, Subsequently, her Best Life" - 3 stars
First of all, I was a little skeptical to see Rebecca Roanhorse's name on the collection - I know there's been a lot of controversy around her telling of indigenous stories that aren't necessarily hers to tell. I'm not invalidating her identity as s black woman, but it did color my reading experience a little.
Abby was left for dead by a white man who killed almost everyone else in her all-black settlement, and she makes a deal with the desert: if she lives, she will kill him. The desert accepts, and even though her girlfriend Mo begs Abby to leave with her and start fresh, she stay to enact her revenge. But when she finally confront the white man, he's diseased and delirious from sickness, and she realizes it's not worth it.
I appreciated the fact that she didn't go through with her vengeance, but that means she broke her deal with the desert and she should not have been able to escape unscathed. The happy ending feels a little unearned.
"The Rules of the Land" - 2 stars
Nena's mother is a daughter of the sea, and her father has stolen her skin and locked it away. Their relationship is dysfunctional and abusive, and the sea has turned her back on the village as punishment. When an invading force threatens to end the small village, Nena makes her won deal with the sea for their salvation.
I liked it when I was reading it, but it did not stick in my mind at all. There's an interesting a realistic portrayal of abusive relationships, but why didn't her mom leave when her husband died? Why didn't she try harder to get her skin back? It's not like she loved Nena so much that she couldn't abandon her daughter, it's all about her love for her husband.
"A Hagiography of Starlight" - 1 star
(Another one where the narrator's name isn't revealed until we're into the story - that's the fourth one out of five stories. Probably not intentional but it gets frustrating after it happens so often.) Khefa is chosen as a child to become a priestess, and uses her power and knowledge to call down the god and marry him. Unfortunately, this makes him a little mortal and her a little immortal, and she becomes destined to be the origin of a new world.
This story was very slow (seriously, nothing happened), confusing (I'm not even 80% my summary is correct) and annoyingly written (I don't need obvious foreshadowing every second paragraph).
"Melie" - 4 stars
Melie is an apprentice for the High Sorcerer, even though he doesn't know her name and refuses to teach her anything meaningful. When a curse causes everyone to scramble for a dragon's heart, Melie starts to realize the hold that the High Sorcerer has on everyone. She takes it upon herself to find a dragon and save the town from invaders working with the High Sorcerer.
Maybe the best of the collection (sadly, that doesn't say much). Melie is resourceful and likeable, and her determination is admirable. The little bit of romance was totally unnecessary. Nice subversive ending when Melie decides she's not yet ready to be High Sorcerer.
"The Goddess Provides" - 3 stars
Akanni stopped believing in the Goddess when her devout mother died, and when her father and brother's deaths were blamed on her she fled. Now she has been captured and brought to the man she believes responsible, and discovers that her brother was part of the plot the whole time. But the Goddess has not forsaken Akanni, and her power destroys those who plot against the country.
Not bad. Not much else to say.
"Hearts Turned to Ash" - 3 stars
Etta's soulmate has broken up with her, and her heart turns to ash in response. She seeks out a witch to regrow it.
I want to know what Jackson's punishment was! Everyone mentioned that he had worse coming but they didn't explain it :(
"Letting the Right One In" - 3 stars
Ayanna (who's name we read about halfway through, AGAIN) has moved for a fresh start after a serious bout of depression/a possible suicide attempt. She's obsessed with vampires and has read everything related to them in her small town library. Her parents are fighting and blaming each other for her illness. Ayanna is thrilled to meet Corrie, whom she knows is a vampire. When her parents announce their divorce, Ayanna turns to Corrie.
I don't know why Caldwell hints around Ayanna's depression so much; it's not a shameful thing to be depressed or need medication and therapy. Corrie and Ayanna are instantly in love without any build-up. But I relate to wanting to escape absolutely everything in your life in any way possible. Also why are authors so scared to name the books they're referencing? Harry Potter here, in "Fruitbomb"... weird. It feels pretentious. And the scene where Ayanna blatantly checks out Corrie's cleavage is gross.
"Tender-Headed" - 3 stars
Akilah does hair for the people in her neighborhood, but they're stopped coming and go to her partner's aunt instead, even though she charges twice as much. Akilah decides to visit her and pay for a hairstyle to see why everyone keeps going to Auntie. Somehow, when Auntie is doing her hair, Akilah finds herself reliving moments of her past.
Very nice nonbinary rep with Jayleen. We kind of find out why Akilah is so brash and rude, but it's not very clear: she places a lot of import on money and is being used by her friends and brother (but that doesn't explain her personality). Why would someone as nice as Jayleen be with Akilah? Does Akilah even change by the end?
"Kiss the Sun" - 4 stars
A group of soucouyants (I assume something like succubi) gather to shed their skins and choose a victim, but one of them brings a white girl who claims to be one of them. When she sheds her skin, a different soucouyant inhabits it, intending to be what her cheating boyfriend is attracted to.
Very interesting and original. I didn't see that twist that Gabrielle was going to steal Stephanie's skin, though I don't understand how Lourdes is involved (she tried to stop Gabrielle from doing so - so why do they all assume she was working with her?). Some very interesting discussion on colorism but it could have gone further (how could Stephanie be a soucouyant? Was she really? How can Gabrielle be now that she has white skin? There's really no punishment for taking somebody else's body??).
"The Actress" - 2 stars
Gamine has an incredible role as the lead of a supernatural romance series (think Vampire Diaries) and has just had her first ever kiss on set. When the set catches fire, her mother tells her their family really are witches, and so is Gamine. Not only that, but Gamine's co-star and crush is actually a vampire.
Unoriginal and boring.
"The Curse of Love" - 1 star
The women of Aubrey's family are young and beautiful forever - or at least until they fall in love. It's happened to everyone except Aubrey and her aunt, but Aubrey starts to fall for her best friend's brother and realizes it's the real thing. She decides to surrender to it, and her aunt also finds love.
There was absolutely no reason for this to switch between first and third person, and it made following the story confusing. Aubrey and Vince are in insta-love and it seems silly for her to have found her true love in high school when she's known him her whole life. Her aunt finding love just as Aubrey did is too convenient.
"All the Time in the World" - 3 stars
Told in the second person, Jordan struggles with being one of the only Black students at her rich private school. In her poorer part of town, the water is contaminated and has terrible consequences for the people who drink it. But Jordan discovers that it's given her the ability to stop time, and decides to confide in the only other Black girl at her school, Simone, who's dad is a scientist. She finds out she's not the only one, and must decide if she should go public with her abilities as a way to bring awareness to the dangers of the water.
I knew it was a Flint metaphor before I read that in the afterword, and I appreciate the point that people don't listen because they simply don't care. It'll take the empowerment of marginalized people to force the government to take heed. But nothing really happens in the story, and it ends unsatisfactorily.
"The Witch's Skin" - 3 stars
Nalah is pregnant, but the father was killed by a Boo Hag, who steals men's souls. She is determined to catch and kill her, and the fact that the Boo Hag was in her mother's skin the whole time doesn't deter her. But the Boo Hag tells her that the mysterious and isolating veil around the island was created by the council, and Nalah decides to leave to find a new life for herself and her child.
Nice twist that the Boo Hag was Nalah's mother the whole time, and that she loved her in her own way. Everything else was predictable though.
"Sequence" - 3 stars
Eden asks Sequence, a kind of AI life predictor, if she should tell Margot that she likes her, and lives out the two possibilities.
Fine. A little boring and slow.
2.75 average, rounded down to 2. I was really underwhelmed and none of the stories are going to stick with me.
Justina Ireland’s “Melie” had me at the awkwardly charming protagonist who wins the allegiance of sassy mermaids and conniving dragons alike, and who saves the castle from invasion. I’m reminded of the childhood fantasy stories which got me hooked on the genre by Patricia C. Wrede and Diana Wynne Jones, which mixed magical elements with a solid dash of humour, added a slightly bumbling but always charming protagonist, and threw in some unexpected twists by the end of the story. Absolutely wonderful, and I wish we got to explore more of Melie’s world of mermaids, wizards, and shape-changing dragons, and haphazardly attempted magic!
“Hearts Turned to Ash” by Dhonielle Clayton starts out with the trope of teenage heartbreak, but winds the story through the stars as we see the breakup of heart’s-promised Etta and her childhood sweetheart. Etta’s journey to mend her (literally) disintegrating heart could have been a whole novel in and of itself, but this polished gem of a story expounds the same strong themes: that as we grow our destinies change and that no matter how broken our hearts may seem, they should always grow back if we take due care of them.
“Letting the Right One In” by editor Patrice Caldwell was an instant fav, because DUH teenage vampire love story. I can’t resist the genre, even now, as long as it’s well written, so it was a lovely little treat stumbling across this story buried deep in the middle of the collection. The cliffhanger ending may be driving me NUTS, but maybe this will be the start of a whole novel for Caldwell (please, pretty please)!
There are so many good stories in this collection I could honestly tip props to all of them, but like all short story collections, the gems are in the eye of the beholder!
WHEN LIFE HANDS YOU A LEMON FRUITBOMB by Amerie
As a time travel story, it was a bit confusing but that’s because I don’t read a lot of such stuff. But the discussion on war and peace and family, and specifically about what makes someone human was quite emotional to read about.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
GILDED by Elizabeth Acevedo
The story of a young woman born into slavery who even though has the chance to secure freedom for herself, realizes she can do more. This was beautiful as well as painful, but ultimately full of resilience and hope.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
WHEREIN ABIGAIL FIELDS RECALLS HER FIRST DEATH AND, SUBSEQUENTLY, HER BEST LIFE by Rebecca Roanhorse
The story of a young woman having to choose between revenge, justice and love - this was a compelling story with a very sweet ending.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
THE RULES OF THE LAND by Alaya Dawn Johnson
A story of love and sacrifice, this was about what lengths a person will go to protect the ones they love, even sometimes resorting to forcing and caging them. But ultimately it was about a young woman deciding to take her destiny into her own hands and be ready to take on anything that her uncertain future may throw at her.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A HAGIOGRAPHY OF STARLIGHT by Somaiya Daud
I loved that the magic in this story was derived through song and dance and it was described beautifully. The story was about the power of love and how even gods can’t remain unaffected by it and while I enjoyed the writing style, I can’t say I completely understood the story itself.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
MELIE by Justina Ireland
A story about a young girl who despite being discouraged by the high sorcerer, believes in her magical abilities and takes it upon herself to save her people. This was frankly a lot of fun to read.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
THE GODDESS PROVIDES by L.L. McKinney
A story of the perils of fanaticism, this one follows a young woman who had forsaken her goddess to finally realize the truth of her faith and what she has to do to make sure the faith is not misused. Quite a fascinating tale of treachery and retribution.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
HEARTS TURNED TO ASH by Dhonielle Clayton
A world where soulmates exist and heartbreak is literal, this is a cautionary tale of how a young girl should not give away her whole heart to a man when she is love, but also make sure that she loves herself too. Definitely an important message but felt a little too preachy.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
LETTING THE RIGHT ONE IN by Patrice Caldwell
This one features a young girl who has depression and as no one around her seems to understand her, she finds solace in her favorite vampire novels. This was both very sad as well as exciting, while being very relatable to me personally and it ends on a very hopeful note which I liked.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
TENDER-HEADED by Danny Lore
Infused with magic, this is the story of how one young woman has to realize that her self worth doesn’t depend on how much money she can spend or give her friends, and that she needs to know who her true well wishers are.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
KISS THE SUN by Ibi Zoboi
I can’t say I completely understood the magic of this story with fire girls and shedding the skin and kissing the sun, but the self hatred some dark skinned girls have for their own color and the yearning for white skin was all too relatable. But I didn’t expect the story to take such a dark turn.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
THE ACTRESS by Danielle Paige
A story about a young actress who finds out the truth about an important part of herself and how she is able to cope with it, while also handling the harsh realities of Hollywood, this was both sweet and emotional.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
THE CURSE OF LOVE by Ashley Woodfolk
True love and a horrible curse go hand in hand in this story and both a young woman and her elder aunt have to figure out if the men they have fallen for are worth it. It was interesting to read but I just thought that ending was a bit sad more than hopeful.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD by Charlotte Nicole Davis
This was like a sci-fi version of our present timeline, with the story touching on aspects of the Flint water crisis as well as the police shootings of Black people, while also adding some superpowers to the narrative. I thought it was both very realistic as well as intriguing and could work well as a longer story.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
THE WITCH’S SKIN by Karen Strong
I don’t really wanna say a lot about this story but it has another young woman trying to do what’s best for her and her unborn child and showing a lot of resilience in desperate times. Very interesting story and another one which I thought could be a novel because it felt more like a beginning.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
SEQUENCE by J. Marcelle Corrie
In a world where Society decides every action of yours and an app predicts everything you’ll do, this was a fascinating look at a young woman trying to find her own path and maybe even choosing to go against the grain.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
There were also some stories that I enjoyed, but which didn't work quite as well for my preferences. "A Hagiography of Starlight" by Somaiya Daud was neat, but the ending was really abrupt and I would have appreciated a little bit more closure. "Hearts Turned to Ash" by Dhonielle Clayton was also a neat concept, but I felt like there was something I was missing because I didn't have the right context or knowledge.
And of course, there were also others that just weren't my cup of tea. Rebecca Roanhorse's story, for example, was well-written and enjoyable but is essentially a Western/Fantasy mash-up, and that's not my favorite genre. "All the Time in the World" by Charlotte Nicole Davis was neat, but it told in second person POV which I don’t usually care for. And similarly, L.L. McKinney's "The Goddess Provides" was good but too dark for me.
A Phoenix Must Burn is an anthology of sixteen stories by sixteen different authors. Not something that I would normally read. I am just not a short story person. I am very glad that I won this book because I ended up being very pleasantly surprised.
I loved all of the them. Each one had so much depth for such a short story. My favorite was The Witch's Skin. It felt very post-apocalyptic. I was also reminded of some of the fast ones that our government here in the present try to pull. We may not have a veil but we sure have dishonest politicians. I was also left wondering what happened to her and her unborn child.
All sixteen stories are worth the read. I thoroughly enjoyed each and everyone.
Thanks to Bookish First and Penguin Random House.
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Unfortunately this book didn’t make me love the genre.
I loved Piano sonata No. 13 the most.