The Avid Reader

After: Nineteen Stories of Apocalypse and Dystopia edited by Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling

Published: October 2012

Source: I purchased this book from Amazon.

GoodReads Summary:

If the melt-down, flood, plague, the third World War, new Ice Age, Rapture, alien invasion, clamp-down, meteor, or something else entirely hit today, what would tomorrow look like? Some of the biggest names in YA and adult literature answer that very question in this short story anthology, each story exploring the lives of teen protagonists raised in catastrophe’s wake—whether set in the days after the change, or decades far in the future. 

New York Times bestselling authors Gregory Maguire, Garth Nix, Susan Beth Pfeffer, Carrie Ryan, Beth Revis, and Jane Yolen are among the many popular and award-winning storytellers lending their talents to this original and spellbinding anthology. 

My Thoughts:

I'm torn on an overall rating for this collection because it's far more polarized than I usually tend to find these anthologies. I'm really into dystopian literature, so naturally I love the theme of the anthology, and there were quite a few stories that I really loved, but there were also several that just didn't do it for me at all. 

As I usually do when reviewing short story collections, I will be skipping story summaries and just offering my brief thoughts on each story.

The Segment by Genevieve Valentine

This story was a great start to this anthology. It is a truly bleak and depressing world the author has envisioned, and I felt for the main character immediately. This one kept me on my toes, in the best way. Great tension. 

After the Cure by Carrie Ryan

Loved this. I was really surprised that this story had nothing to do with The Forest of Hands and Teeth (which I love) but it was so nice to read something really different by Carrie Ryan. This story was beautifully written and perfect for this collection.

Valedictorian by N. K. Jemisin

Fantastic. I connected with the main character immediately, I was completely horrified by the world she found herself in, and I would love to read about whatever comes next for her.

Visiting Nelson by Katherine Langrish

I'm middle of the road on this one... It was mostly good but not great for me, but there were certain aspects that I really enjoyed, as well as one really successful creepy moment. 

All I Know of Freedom by Carol Emshwiller

I enjoyed this story well enough, though I kept worrying about the fate of the dog, and I found that somewhat distracting. Kitten sadness. :( There was some good stuff here but I didn't love it. 

The Other Elder by Beth Revis

This story frustrated me the moment I saw the title, just because I love Beth Revis, and I love Across the Universe, but when am I going to get to read something new and different by her? I skipped this one out of frustration, so I'm not giving it a rating.

 

The Great Game at the End of the World by Matthew Kressel

This story was so freaking bizarre, and I definitely think it's a love it or hate it kind of weirdness, but I loved it. Some nice poignant moments between family members in this one. 

Reunion by Susan Beth Pfeffer

This was a really interesting take on the topic, and I liked that it was so different. I completely despised the mother, but I thought the story was great. 

Blood Drive by Jeffrey Ford

I know the point of this anthology is to examine what happens "after", but I wish this story provided just a bit of backstory. It was so bizarre to think of a high school where students are armed and have such a careless attitude about guns. I enjoyed the story but I kept finding myself distracted from what was happening because I was obsessing over what might have led to this kind of reality.

Reality Girl by Richard Bowes

I liked aspects of this story, but I kept finding myself tempted to skim parts of it. Not one of my favorites.

How Th'irth Wint Rong by Hapless Joey @ Homeskool.guv by Gregory Maguire

This story is so hard to review, because ohhhhhh my goddddd, the dialect made me insane. I physically recoiled a bit when I read the title, and I really had to work hard to get into this one. However. The payoff was great, and I ended up really glad that I had persevered.

Rust with Wings by Steven Gould

I liked this one quite a bit as I read it. The dystopian setting wasn't quite as high stakes or as horrifying as some of the other stories, but it was a good read.

Faint Heart by Sarah Rees Brennan

This *might* be my favorite story in this collection. I will definitely be seeking out more of the author's work. This was like a dystopian fairy tale. Great characters, fantastic premise. I loved everything about this one. 

The Easthound by Nalo Hopkinson

This was chilling and emotional and just really skilled, from start to finish. The writing is incredibly precise; every word is carefully chosen and important to the story. 

Gray by Jane Yolen 

This was a really short poem. It didn't do much for me, and I really didn't feel like it fit in this anthology. It was too short to accomplish much of anything. 

Before by Carolyn Dunn

I wish this was longer, and I liked the beginning the best. It started out deliciously creepy and tense and kind of petered out. Around this point the anthology started going downhill for me.

Fake Plastic Trees by Caitlin R. Kiernan

This one completely lost my interest about a third of the way through, and I let myself skip the rest of it. I couldn't connect with the main character at all and I did not enjoy the random capitalization of IMPORTANT WORDS like THE GOO. It felt jarring and every time it happened I felt very irritated. Since I didn't finish the story, I'm not going to give it a rating.

 

You Won't Feel a Thing by Garth Nix

I liked this one quite a bit - it was dark and sad and really different. I think the author has at least one book set in this world, so I might check that out at some point.

The Marker by Cecil Castellucci

I wasn't sure about this story at first, but I ended up enjoying it. This dystopian world was especially frightening because it felt completely possible. 

I struggled to settle on an overall rating for this collection, because for me there were a lot of highs and a lot of lows. In the end, I'm going 3.5, because the stories that were great were really great. 

Short Story Review: No Escape by Michelle Gagnon

Published: July 2012

Source: I purchased an e-copy of this short story from Amazon.

GoodReads Summary:

Gritty and heart-stopping, this short story from break-out author Michelle Gagnon also features a teaser to her thrilling debut young-adult novel, Don't Turn Around.

Seventeen-year-old Alex might be living day-to-day on whatever he can steal, but he still prefers being on the run to getting caught and thrown back in juvie. Plus, he has Jenny to think of. She comes with her own world of problems, but for once Alex feels like somebody actually needs him. So when a shady organization gives Alex the chance to participate in a medical study, all he hears is easy money—and a lot of it! He'll soon find out there's more involved.

Set directly before Don't Turn Around, which in a starred review Kirkuscalled a "pulse-pounding scary-great read" and "a surefire hit," Michelle Gagnon's "No Escape" lays the groundwork for a world in which every move you make is being watched, and no one can be trusted.

My Thoughts:

In a nutshell: this prequel is not at all "necessary" to your enjoyment and understanding of Don't Turn Around, but it's a great story on its own and I wouldn't skip it. I liked seeing the world of Don't Turn Around from another perspective, and this story was both fast-paced and chilling. 

I've only read the first book of this series so far, and Alex isn't in it. I got pretty invested in his character while reading this short story, so I'm sort of hoping he makes an appearance later in the series.

Have you read this? Do you think these series tie-ins need to be

truly integral to the series, or do you prefer for them to be

completely optional bonus reads?

Book Review: Defy the Dark, Edited by Saundra Mitchell

Published: June 2013

Source: I purchased this book on Amazon.

GoodReads Summary: 

Defy the Dark, an all-new anthology edited by Saundra Mitchell. Coming Summer 2013 from HarperTeen!

It features 16 stories by critically-acclaimed and bestselling YA authors as they explore things that can only happen in the dark. Authors include Sarah Rees Brennan, Rachel Hawkins, Carrie Ryan, Aprilynne Pike, Malinda Lo, Courtney Summers, Beth Revis, Sarah Ockler, and more.

Contemporary, genre, these stories will explore every corner of our world- and so many others. What will be the final story that defies the dark? Who will the author be?

My Thoughts:

I was a big fan of this collection of short stories. There were several "new to me" authors whose other work I'm now determined to track down. In the interest of not spoiling any of stories, I'm not going to provide summaries of each one, just my own overall impressions.

Sleepstalk by Courtney Summers

This was seriously creepy and a great start to an anthology about darkness. I love everything Courtney Summers writes, so I wasn't surprised that I enjoyed this. 

Nature by Aprilynne Pike

This was my first experience with Aprilynne Pike, and I loved it. I desperately wish she would turn this short story into a full length novel. I loved the dystopian concept and I was so bummed when this story ended. (This is my only complaint with short stories... when I find one I really love, I always wish for it to be developed into a full novel and sadly, that never seems to happen. Sadface.)

The Dark Side of the Moon by Dia Reeves

This story was so, so weird, and I started out having a hard time connecting to it because of that weirdness. By the end of the story I found myself disappointed that it was over, so I guess the weirdness won me over! Days after reading, I was still thinking about this story - definitely a good sign. I was intrigued by the idea of this Texas town with kind of tears in reality where darkness could slip through. Chilling.

Ghost Town by Malinda Lo

This was great. I liked the backwards timeline, I loved that it was about a haunted house, and I liked the inclusion of a lesbian as the main character. Everything moved really quickly; it was very plot-driven. 

Eyes in the Dark by Rachel Hawkins

This one was kind of your basic teen slasher flick with a twist... but I enjoyed it, and it definitely gave me a building feeling of dread as I was reading it. It ended before *I* wanted it to, but that worked for the story so I'm okay with it. 

Stillwater by Valerie Kemp

This might have been my favorite story in the collection. I really, really wish this was a full novel. I had so many questions when it ended and I think there's more than enough material here for a full length novel. I need to know what happens to Delilah and Pruitt! I want to meet Matt! Augh, don't leave me hanging! 

I Gave You My Love by the Light of the Moon by Sarah Rees Brennan

For me, this one was a good read, if not super original. That said, I know a lot of people are kind of "over" vampires and werewolves, but there were a few aspects of this story that I thought were different and nicely done. I liked the shy, nerdy vampire and his "unsexy" age (62). I liked the way the romantic relationship developed over time, too.

Night Swimming by Beth Revis

This was a great story, and I liked seeing another little slice of the Across the Universe series. That said, I would kind of like to see Beth Revis write something completely apart from that series. 

The Sunflower Murders by Kate Espey

I didn't love this one, but I feel sort of weird saying that because I did love its potential, I just feel like it ended way too quickly. What I read felt like the beginning of a really compelling novel, but I didn't feel like it really worked on its own as a short story. It's frustrating, because I feel like it could be great if fleshed out into a full length novel, and I wish that would happen.

Almost Normal by Carrie Ryan

Loved this, love zombies, love everything Carrie Ryan writes, basically. I've read several short stories that are set in the time period before the events of The Forest of Hands and Teeth, and I feel like I could happily read dozens more. This setting just doesn't seem to get old for me. I;m always so bummed when one of her short stories is over. Moar please!!

There's Nowhere Else by Jon Skovron

This story frustated me because I liked it a lot in the beginning, but toward the end it abruptly got kind of cheesey and I wasn't as into it. It also ended sort of abruptly and way before I wanted it to, which was disappointing. 

Naughty or Nice by Myra McEntire

I completely adored this story. I need more Krampus stories!! This was the perfect mix of creepiness, romance and thrill. I loved the foreign setting and the foreign holiday and the best friends doing the awkward "is this something more or isn't it" dance with each other. I pretty much loved every word of this one. Please tell me she has written dozens of books for me to obsessively devour.

Shadowed by Christine Johnson

I enjoyed this story, but I didn't feel like it totally "fit" within this anthology, really only because it was the only midieval setting and that felt a bit jarring. (To be fair though, the author took a really creative angle on the "darkness" theme.) Without getting specific, there was one moment when this story made me want to throw this book violently across the room, but on further reflection that ended up being my favorite element of the story!

Now Bid Time Return by Saundra Mitchell

I loved this story, and I was sad when it ended. It was super creative, and again, the foreign setting really added to the mood and the creepiness. I sometimes struggle with insomnia, and it was kind of cool to see a protagonist with this issue. I haven't read many time travel stories before, but this story made me think that might need to change.

The Moth and the Spider by Sarah Ockler

I go back and forth on this one, which I guess ultimately means I didn't love it. I liked it at first, and I was into the topic of suicide being included in an anthology about darkness. I think my biggest issue with this one was that I didn't really "get" how the phone calls played into the rest of the story, and why or even if they contributed to how the story ended. Not bad, but not a favorite.

Where the Light Is by Jackson Pearce

This one was great. I totally did not expect to love a story about a coal miner, but it snuck up on me and ended up being one of the highlights of the anthology. I've never read anything about the type of fae featured in this story, but it was very compelling. Lots of great imagery in this one. 

This Was Ophelia by Tessa Gratton

I have a soft spot for Ophelia, always have, and I've read and loved Tessa Gratton's stories before, so I went into this story expecting to love it. I wasn't disappointed, this was great. I loved Gratton's portrayal of Ophelia, and the chosen setting was perfect for the story. Much love to this one. 

Overall I would rate this collection a solid 4 stars. There were some pieces that I adored, quite a few that were solidly good, and not a single one that I disliked outright. Win!

Do you like short story collections?

I used to shy away from them, but in the last couple of years that has really changed. Occasionally I get frustrated wishing for certain stories to reappear as full length novels, but I try to manage my expectations going in and that has helped. I like that this type of anthology gives me a quick glimpse of many different authors. It's a great way to find new authors to love!

Short Story Review: Mile 81 by Stephen King

I got this short story on my Kindle Fire. I was looking to test drive the Fire, and I'm a big fan of Stephen King, so when I saw this I ordered it right away.

The Goodreads summary for this story is pretty long and, in my opinion, gives too much of the story away. I'll say only this: ten year old Pete Simmons gets more action than he bargained for when he goes exploring at the abandoned Mile 81 rest stop.

I thought this was a decent story. It was taut and suspenseful with a high creep factor.  As always, I fell in love with King's characters quickly. I especially loved the character of Rachel - she was spunky and brave while remaining believably six years old. King is skilled at portraying realistic characters of all ages. His kids feel like kids, not like an adult's stiff impression of kids. My only complaint is that I wish the story was longer - the ending felt a bit abrupt and wasn't altogether satisfying. That said, it was an enjoyable read and I would give it a solid 3.5/5.