Call number
JF CAR
Collection
Genres
Publication
HarperTeen (2009), 368 pages
Description
Presents twelve stories by contemporary, award-winning young adult authors, some presented in graphic or letter format, which explore themes of gender identity, love, and sexuality.
Media reviews
User reviews
LibraryThing member nansilverrod
Editor Michael Cart has collected twelve stories about LGBT youth identity in the form of short stories, graphic fiction, and verse, by well-known young-adult, and adult authors including Francesca Lia Block, Gregory Maguire, Jacqueline Woodson, Ariel Schrag, Emma Donoghue, and others.
There is
While there is some sex, most of it is left to the imagination, good as in Julie Anne Peter's "First Time," and unsettling, as in William Sleator's "Fingernail," a disturbing story about the sex trade between older western men, and young boys in Thailand. In this particular story, the Thai "boy" is already a young man of twenty and thus technically legal, unlike much of the sex trade that actually takes place there between men and underage boys. But the abusive relationship that he finds himself in is almost equally disturbing.
Some of the stories may actually be of more interest to older readers than to teens: in particular, David Levithan's "A Word from the Nearly Distant Past," in which Levithan recounts the experiences of generations past as they dealt with being in the closet, dealing with the AIDS crisis, etc., and exhorts the younger generation to make sure that they live for future generations, as much as for themselves. Emma Donoghue's "Dear Lang," is a letter from a lesbian mother who has been denied access to her now sixteen-year-old son by his biological mother, in which she tells the story of how she came to be barred from his life, and how she is just now taking the chance of having another child with a new partner.
One of the best stories is Jacqueline Woodson's insightful "Trev," about a transgendered child, and the struggles he has with his family and at school to be who he really is. Trev's mother both reassures him that he isn't the reason his father left, and yet whispers her wish to him every night at bedtime, that Trev will wake up "my sugar and spice, and everything nice."
Recommended for all teens.
There is
Show More
something for everyone in this collection: stories of ghosts and girls trapped in walls serving as metaphors for transgendered teens trapped in the wrong body; handsome highway men and soldiers for a stable boy to lust after; stories of first love; and of first making love. One graphic short story is about two teens who make conflicting wishes when they meet a genie, leaving all three of them tortured; the other is about the San Francisco Dyke March.While there is some sex, most of it is left to the imagination, good as in Julie Anne Peter's "First Time," and unsettling, as in William Sleator's "Fingernail," a disturbing story about the sex trade between older western men, and young boys in Thailand. In this particular story, the Thai "boy" is already a young man of twenty and thus technically legal, unlike much of the sex trade that actually takes place there between men and underage boys. But the abusive relationship that he finds himself in is almost equally disturbing.
Some of the stories may actually be of more interest to older readers than to teens: in particular, David Levithan's "A Word from the Nearly Distant Past," in which Levithan recounts the experiences of generations past as they dealt with being in the closet, dealing with the AIDS crisis, etc., and exhorts the younger generation to make sure that they live for future generations, as much as for themselves. Emma Donoghue's "Dear Lang," is a letter from a lesbian mother who has been denied access to her now sixteen-year-old son by his biological mother, in which she tells the story of how she came to be barred from his life, and how she is just now taking the chance of having another child with a new partner.
One of the best stories is Jacqueline Woodson's insightful "Trev," about a transgendered child, and the struggles he has with his family and at school to be who he really is. Trev's mother both reassures him that he isn't the reason his father left, and yet whispers her wish to him every night at bedtime, that Trev will wake up "my sugar and spice, and everything nice."
Recommended for all teens.
Show Less
LibraryThing member spartyliblover
This refers to an advanced reading copy.
A set of short stories, poems and graphic comics that are all about finding your identity, gay or straight in the world. I enjoyed most of the stories, but found myself unable to follow or finish the final story by Maguire. The other stories were relate-able
A set of short stories, poems and graphic comics that are all about finding your identity, gay or straight in the world. I enjoyed most of the stories, but found myself unable to follow or finish the final story by Maguire. The other stories were relate-able
Show More
and exciting, and many teens will be able to relate to the stories. Show Less
LibraryThing member Lake_Oswego_UCC
Twelve stories for young adults by various authors explore gender identity, sexuality and love.
LibraryThing member deadgirl
I loved the varied writing styles and story formats. These stories on sexuality and coming of age and discovering oneself are for the new generation, some are funny, most are touching, some made me ponder, all wonderfully beautiful.
LibraryThing member caedocyon
Like any collection, there were ups and downs, but this one has some very high ups and the downs aren't too low.
David Levithan's and Emma Donoghue's stories made me cry. Jennifer Finney Boylan's was also great. Those are the most memorable, but when I flipped back through I found myself saying "oh
Probably my least favorite was a very blah attempt at free verse by Julie Anne Peters, though I like many of her other books.
David Levithan's and Emma Donoghue's stories made me cry. Jennifer Finney Boylan's was also great. Those are the most memorable, but when I flipped back through I found myself saying "oh
Show More
yeah, that was good too. And that one was interesting."Probably my least favorite was a very blah attempt at free verse by Julie Anne Peters, though I like many of her other books.
Show Less
Awards
Lambda Literary Award (Finalist — 2010)
ALA Rainbow Book List (Selection — Fiction — 2010)
CCBC Choices (2010)
Pages
368
ISBN
0061154989 / 9780061154980