Book Review: "Foreshadow: Stories to Celebrate the Magic of Reading and Writing YA" edited by Emily X.R. Pan and Nova Ren Suma

Foreshadow: Stories to Celebrate the Magic of Reading and Writing YA is a fascinating book.

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.

Book Review: "19 Love Songs" by David Levithan

19 Love Songs, David Levithan's newest book, is a collection of stories and verse celebrating the big and small moments of love, life, relationships, and finding yourself. It was so fantastic!

"He liked the idea that when you fall in love with someone, the other person becomes your lighthouse keeper, even if it means staying up all night, even if it means staring out into the darkness until the darkness assumes the shape of your love and comes back to you."

In this collection, Levithan explores the highs and lows of love, from the exhilaration of the first spark to the moments where a relationship rises and where they sometimes fall. It’s also a look at how it feels to fully know yourself, to accept yourself for who you are.

Many, but not all, of the stories have LGBTQ themes or characters. Some deal with major moments and some deal with everyday occurrences. From a first date between a transgender football player and a male cheerleader or a young boy’s memories of Valentine’s Day with his mother, to a boy dressing as Santa Claus as a favor for his boyfriend or a story about self-discovery amidst participation in a school quiz bowl, these stories are heartfelt, sometimes funny, thought-provoking, and just gorgeously written.

Three stories feature characters from three of Levithan's books—Every Day, Boy Meets Boy, and Two Boys Kissing—but you don’t need to have read those to enjoy the stories.

"Words were my tools of creation. And love, I learned, is a constant act of creation, just as creation is almost always an act of love."

Levithan is among my favorite YA authors. (His one book for adult audiences, The Lover's Dictionary, is pretty fantastic as well.) His writing, his use of imagery, and the way he conveys emotions often brings me to tears because I feel so connected with what he’s saying. I got seriously choked up more than a few times while reading this.