At first, it appears to be only a collection of 13 YA stories by authors you may not be familiar with. (I wasn’t.) Many of these have supernatural or fantastical elements, and are introduced by some well-known YA authors who explain why they love these stories.
But what enhances the stories is that after each one, either Pan or Suma highlights a literary concept—such as emotional resonance, suspension of disbelief, building the romance—and discusses how that particular story incorporated that element. If you’re a writer or have simply been fascinated by the craft of writing, these nuggets are fascinating. They really made me think about concepts within the stories I hadn't considered before.
Additionally, throughout the book, story prompts are included, which might help serve as an inspiration for you if you'd like to try your hand at, or sharpen, your own writing.
I thought this was a really unique book, because it’s a mashup of story collection, analysis, and writing advice. While not all of the stories worked for me (I tend to hew more toward traditional stories than fantastical ones), I really enjoyed Suma and Pan’s take on what stood out for them. (I have loved both of their books, so their words resonated for me.)
Writers and readers alike out there may find this fascinating!! I did.
I was grateful to be part of the blog tour for this book. Algonquin Books provided a complimentary advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!
The book publishes 10/20.
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