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rollforlibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
A great collection of stories with a diverse cast of characters - I particularly enjoyed 'Happy Go Lucky'by Garth Nix
(more review when my internet connection is back to normal)
(more review when my internet connection is back to normal)
mc_j_ho's review against another edition
5.0
Really great collection of diverse YA speculative fiction. My favorite by far though was E.C. Myers' Kiss and Kiss and Kiss and Tell. Shades of P.K. Dick... which is very awesome. I will have to track down more of their work! Other favorites were The Legend Trap, Chupacabra's Song, Careful Magic, Walkdog, Krishna Blue and Every Little Thing. Here's hoping for Kaleidescope II!
raven_morgan's review against another edition
Australian stories from this anthology are entered into the Aurealis Awards in 2014, of which Stephanie is a judge. A review for them will be added once the judging period has finished.
****
I make no secret of the fact that I am a huge fan of the work that Twelfth Planet Press has been putting out over the last few years. So when the crowdfunding compaign for a YA anthology, Kaleidoscope, was announced, I was already on board.
And then I read what Twelfth Planet Press were aiming with, and I couldn't throw money at the project fast enough. To quote from the pozible campaign:
Kaleidoscope is an anthology of diverse contemporary YA fantasy & science fiction stories, which will be edited by Julia Rios and Alisa Krasnostein, and published by Twelfth Planet Press. Too often popular culture and media defaults to a very narrow cross section of the world's populace. We believe that people of all kinds want to see themselves reflected in stories. We also believe that readers actively enjoy reading stories about people who aren't exactly like them. We want see more stories featuring people who don't always get the spotlight, so we're gathering a wonderful variety of:
* YA fantasy stories [Update: As of 10/23 we are also open to science fiction]
* Set in the modern world
* Featuring teen protagonists from diverse backgrounds
The main characters in Kaleidoscope stories will be part of the QUILTBAG, neuro-diverse, disabled, from non-Western cultures, people of color, or in some other way not the typical straight, white, cis-gendered, able-bodied characters we see all over the place.
That said, these aren't going to be issue stories. The focus here is contemporary fantasy, and while the characters' backgrounds will necessarily affect how they engage with the world, we're not going to have a collection of "Very Special Episode" stories about kids coming to terms with their sexuality/disability/mental illness/cultural identity, etc. We want to see protagonists from all sorts of backgrounds being the heroes of their own journeys.
A note before I begin: the stories from Australian authors in this anthology are currently entrants in the Aurealis Awards; I am a judge on the YA panel, and as such will not be talking about these stories in this review. I hope to come back and add a review of the Australian stories once the judging period has ended and the awards announced.
First of all, this is a pretty, pretty book. Twelfth Planet Press have produced some really gorgeous books (seriously, I don't think the TPP team is capable of producing anything less), and, in my opinion, Kaleidoscope and the recent reprinting of Kirstyn McDermott's Perfections have taken the quality to an even higher level. Many kudos to Amanda Rainey for the striking cover art.
One of the aims of Kaleidoscope in the Pozible campaign was to be inclusive, but that the stories included in the anthology were not going to be "issue stories". Does the final product follow through on this aim? Oh yes, and then some.
All of the stories in the anthology are exceptional - even those that didn't resonate for me (and that says much more about me as a reader than it does about any of the stories) are extremely good stories.
I'm not going to talk about every story, just the ones that are particular favourites of mine:
Alena McNamara's The Day the God Died, in which a gender-questioning teenager encounters a strange, dying god. The image of the god itself haunts me, long after I finished reading this story, and I'd very much like to read more of McNamara's work.
E.C. Myers' Kiss and Kiss and Kiss and Tell, in which a mentally ill girl encounters a new drug that supposedly shows you the future, only no one knows how the drug interacts with psychoactive medication. The treatment of mental illness in this one is brilliant, and it is highly recommended. Also, points for great title.
Sofia Samatar's Walkdog, which is written in the form of a term paper, complete with mispellings here and there (and all I can think about is editor's brains breaking as they leave them in). This story is my favourite out of the anthology - it is brilliantly written and seriously haunting. I think Samatar is one of the most talented writers being published right now, and this story is perhaps one of the best things that she has written.
Amal El-Mohtar's The Truth About Owls, in which the Lebanese-British protagonist finds herself drawn to Welsh mythology in an attempt to try to understand herself. Just beautiful.
Shveta Thakrar's Krisha Blue, in which a teenage artist who feels that she does not fit in discovers a strange new power. This story speaks so much to the teenage girl I was - I wasn't an artist, but I shared Neha's feeling of isolation, and reading a story like this would have made me feel less alone.
John Chu's Double Time explores a world where people have the technology to jump back in time; in this case it's used by figure skaters to jump back and skate routines beside themselves. Chu captures that feeling of being a teenager, never feeling like you're going to live up to people's expectations, so perfectly.
Overall, Kaleidoscope is probably one of the strongest anthologies I have read. I can see so many teenagers and adults opening this, people who feel other and alone, and finding themselves in the pages somewhere. And anyone who doesn't might just be able to take a step back from their own life and feel compassion for the people they have always seen as Other.
****
I make no secret of the fact that I am a huge fan of the work that Twelfth Planet Press has been putting out over the last few years. So when the crowdfunding compaign for a YA anthology, Kaleidoscope, was announced, I was already on board.
And then I read what Twelfth Planet Press were aiming with, and I couldn't throw money at the project fast enough. To quote from the pozible campaign:
Kaleidoscope is an anthology of diverse contemporary YA fantasy & science fiction stories, which will be edited by Julia Rios and Alisa Krasnostein, and published by Twelfth Planet Press. Too often popular culture and media defaults to a very narrow cross section of the world's populace. We believe that people of all kinds want to see themselves reflected in stories. We also believe that readers actively enjoy reading stories about people who aren't exactly like them. We want see more stories featuring people who don't always get the spotlight, so we're gathering a wonderful variety of:
* YA fantasy stories [Update: As of 10/23 we are also open to science fiction]
* Set in the modern world
* Featuring teen protagonists from diverse backgrounds
The main characters in Kaleidoscope stories will be part of the QUILTBAG, neuro-diverse, disabled, from non-Western cultures, people of color, or in some other way not the typical straight, white, cis-gendered, able-bodied characters we see all over the place.
That said, these aren't going to be issue stories. The focus here is contemporary fantasy, and while the characters' backgrounds will necessarily affect how they engage with the world, we're not going to have a collection of "Very Special Episode" stories about kids coming to terms with their sexuality/disability/mental illness/cultural identity, etc. We want to see protagonists from all sorts of backgrounds being the heroes of their own journeys.
A note before I begin: the stories from Australian authors in this anthology are currently entrants in the Aurealis Awards; I am a judge on the YA panel, and as such will not be talking about these stories in this review. I hope to come back and add a review of the Australian stories once the judging period has ended and the awards announced.
First of all, this is a pretty, pretty book. Twelfth Planet Press have produced some really gorgeous books (seriously, I don't think the TPP team is capable of producing anything less), and, in my opinion, Kaleidoscope and the recent reprinting of Kirstyn McDermott's Perfections have taken the quality to an even higher level. Many kudos to Amanda Rainey for the striking cover art.
One of the aims of Kaleidoscope in the Pozible campaign was to be inclusive, but that the stories included in the anthology were not going to be "issue stories". Does the final product follow through on this aim? Oh yes, and then some.
All of the stories in the anthology are exceptional - even those that didn't resonate for me (and that says much more about me as a reader than it does about any of the stories) are extremely good stories.
I'm not going to talk about every story, just the ones that are particular favourites of mine:
Alena McNamara's The Day the God Died, in which a gender-questioning teenager encounters a strange, dying god. The image of the god itself haunts me, long after I finished reading this story, and I'd very much like to read more of McNamara's work.
E.C. Myers' Kiss and Kiss and Kiss and Tell, in which a mentally ill girl encounters a new drug that supposedly shows you the future, only no one knows how the drug interacts with psychoactive medication. The treatment of mental illness in this one is brilliant, and it is highly recommended. Also, points for great title.
Sofia Samatar's Walkdog, which is written in the form of a term paper, complete with mispellings here and there (and all I can think about is editor's brains breaking as they leave them in). This story is my favourite out of the anthology - it is brilliantly written and seriously haunting. I think Samatar is one of the most talented writers being published right now, and this story is perhaps one of the best things that she has written.
Amal El-Mohtar's The Truth About Owls, in which the Lebanese-British protagonist finds herself drawn to Welsh mythology in an attempt to try to understand herself. Just beautiful.
Shveta Thakrar's Krisha Blue, in which a teenage artist who feels that she does not fit in discovers a strange new power. This story speaks so much to the teenage girl I was - I wasn't an artist, but I shared Neha's feeling of isolation, and reading a story like this would have made me feel less alone.
John Chu's Double Time explores a world where people have the technology to jump back in time; in this case it's used by figure skaters to jump back and skate routines beside themselves. Chu captures that feeling of being a teenager, never feeling like you're going to live up to people's expectations, so perfectly.
Overall, Kaleidoscope is probably one of the strongest anthologies I have read. I can see so many teenagers and adults opening this, people who feel other and alone, and finding themselves in the pages somewhere. And anyone who doesn't might just be able to take a step back from their own life and feel compassion for the people they have always seen as Other.
tehani's review against another edition
5.0
Kaleidoscope is one of the best anthologies I have read for a very long time. It's not just the concept, which is both necessary and overdue; it's not just the stories, which are engaging and beautiful and thoughtful and brilliant; it's not just the way the authors explore science fiction and fantasy from perspectives all too frequently unseen in fiction; it's all of these things, and that it seems so natural. In this anthology, every story takes a character (or two or three) who is often "othered" in fiction (and life), and makes their differences a part of the story. Readers will see themselves, they will see their friends, they will see their families, their cultures, their religious beliefs, their sexuality, their physical and mental states and they will see them as normal, as okay, as special. Not othered. Important and relevant and very very good, Kaleidoscope offers a powerful message to our society about difference, and about what we, as readers, want (and need) to see in our stories.
Some pieces, such as Tansy Rayner Roberts' "Cookie Cutter Superhero", offer a biting commentary on popular culture, couched in humour and teen spirit; others, such as "Seventh Day of the Seventh Moon" by Ken Liu, take a gentler approach, examining first love with a fantasical twist. Some stories shade darker, as with "The Legend Trap" by Sean Williams (set in his Twinmaker universe, an added bonus for fans) and "Kiss and Kiss and Kiss and Tell" by E.C. Myers; still others take a familiar trope and turn it sideways, like Faith Mudge's "Signature" and "The Lovely Duckling" by Tim Susman. Some of my favourite works in the book were those that embedded the story in the protagonist's nature, like the magic of Jim C. Hines' "Chupacabra's Song" and Karen Healey's astonishingly good "Careful Magic". There are so many wonderful stories in the pages of Kaleidoscope that every reader will find a favourite (or two or three), and every reader, teen or adult, will find at least one that speaks to them in deeper ways.
Thank you to the publisher for my review copy of the book. Kaleidoscope will launch on August 5, 2014 and can be preordered here.
Some pieces, such as Tansy Rayner Roberts' "Cookie Cutter Superhero", offer a biting commentary on popular culture, couched in humour and teen spirit; others, such as "Seventh Day of the Seventh Moon" by Ken Liu, take a gentler approach, examining first love with a fantasical twist. Some stories shade darker, as with "The Legend Trap" by Sean Williams (set in his Twinmaker universe, an added bonus for fans) and "Kiss and Kiss and Kiss and Tell" by E.C. Myers; still others take a familiar trope and turn it sideways, like Faith Mudge's "Signature" and "The Lovely Duckling" by Tim Susman. Some of my favourite works in the book were those that embedded the story in the protagonist's nature, like the magic of Jim C. Hines' "Chupacabra's Song" and Karen Healey's astonishingly good "Careful Magic". There are so many wonderful stories in the pages of Kaleidoscope that every reader will find a favourite (or two or three), and every reader, teen or adult, will find at least one that speaks to them in deeper ways.
Thank you to the publisher for my review copy of the book. Kaleidoscope will launch on August 5, 2014 and can be preordered here.
johnson_erine4's review against another edition
4.0
The synopsis does not reflect the book to me. It was more about the girl, Anisa, reacting to her new surroundings and found solace in learning about owls and visiting the owlery or whatever its called where she meets Izzy. Its a story about coping with displacement and hiding/expressing your culture. Good read
litletters's review against another edition
5.0
Were you ever an adolescent? Did you ever search desperately for the words to describe your feelings, your experiences, you? Have you ever loved anything that is somehow beyond you?
Of course you have.
And you should read (or listen to) this story.
Of course you have.
And you should read (or listen to) this story.
snazel's review against another edition
5.0
Cookie Cutter Superhero— Tansy Rayner Roberts— 5/5
A teenage girl is chosen by the lottery to be a new superhero. She's worried about what this means. Will she be disliked because her presence removes the popular Astra? Because of course, there can only be one girl on the team at a time. Will she miss too much school? What will her teammates treat her like? And will the superhero machine "fix" her handless arm?
This one is fabulous. I read it and then went around shoving the book at people. "Read the first story! Read it! I don't know about the others yet, but read the first story!"
The Seventh Day of the Seventh Moon— Ken Liu 5/5
Jing is going to America to study english. Yuan must stay behind. Jing wants to break up so that her girlfriend isn't trapped, Yuan doesn't care, she wants to stay together. "I'll text you in English, I'll do anything."
It's a story about love, and about parting, and it's lovely.
The Legend Trap— Sean Williams 4/5
Three teens test an urban myth. Can the de-materialization booth REALLY take you to the universe next door if you treat it right? And what does that mean? And how do they get back?
NOTHING GOOD EVER COMES OF TESTING URBAN LEGENDS. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU.
End of Service— Gabrila Lee 4/5
Aya's mum is an overseas worker. She's been gone for most of Aya's life. When she dies, Aya doesn't know how to grieve for this person she hardly knows. The situation isn't helped by the secrets everyone is keeping.
Good GRAVY that one was good. What is wrong with this anthology? How is it so good?
Chupacabra's Song— Jim C. Hines
The local vet (and his assistant) get more than they expected when the wounded animal a neighbour brings in is magical— and followed by hunters.
This one wasn't to my taste, but I don't have music-based magic, so I'm not going to criticize how it works here.
The Day the God Died— Alena McNamara
Sometimes things don't end in a satisfying way. Usually they don't. The death of a god fits that pattern, for sure.
Signature— Faith Mudge 5/5
Rumplestitskin, or his (her?) ilk, is still out there granting desperate desires in return for heart's desires.
Eheheheheheheheheheheheh. Look at my delight. I have SO MUCH OF IT for this story.
The Lovely Duckling— Tim Susman
Mara P. wants to become a shifter, to travel into the otherlands in the shape of a Condor, and live on a mountain, and to be Mark, not Mara. Mr. P thinks this is just a phase and the best way to treat it is to keep his daughter far away from the shifter school.
I really like the found-footage style of this one, and I want more in this world.
Kiss and Kiss and Kiss and Tell— E. C. Myers
The latest drug in school is Nemo, which lets you see into the future with someone you're kissing. But Rene is able to see much farther into the future than anyone else, and she starts researching what that means. Is it a hallucination her anti-psychotics can't control, or something else?
Vanilla— Dirk Flinthart
Kylie's school has aliens in attendance, which is doesn't make her teenage years any more complicated than they normally would be. Well, except for the one thing with the perfume.
This is a story about belonging and friendship, and the mistakes that come with teenager hood, and another stellar one. Well done.
Careful Magic— Karen Healey
Karen is a Careful mage, an aberration in a world where nearly everyone else is oriented to Chaos.
I WANT AN ENTIRE TRILOGY IN THIS WORLD.
Walkdog— Sofia Samatar
Celebration— Sean Eads
Jim is trying to look on the bright side about going to gay re-education camp— at least he'll meet other gay guys— but he didn't expect the telepathic recon team.
The Truth About Owls— Amar El-Mohtar
I don't know how to describe this one. A girl has a power, or doesn't. She curses her father, or doesn't. She learns welsh to understand owls. Anyways (I've been reading for a while today and I'm losing language), it's lovely.
Krishna Blue— Shveta Thakrar
Every Little Thing— Holly Kench
Friends sympathize with you over crushes. BEST friends out themselves as nerds to cause a distraction while you're in the process of setting a love spell.
Happy Go Lucky— Garth Nix
Starts out cheerful, and gets SUPER dark. Whoa, Garth.
Ordinary Things— Vylar Kaftan
Double Time— John Chu
John Chu is a master of taking one— often somewhat silly— fantastic idea and making the best story out of it. I don't just mean the best story he can make, I mean the best story. He's flipping phenomenal. In this one, competitive figure skating has embraced time hops so that competitors can skate programs with themselves, and this is used to discuss expectations, achievement, and family.
SHELLEY FOR THE GOLD.
Welcome— William Alexander
A teenage girl is chosen by the lottery to be a new superhero. She's worried about what this means. Will she be disliked because her presence removes the popular Astra? Because of course, there can only be one girl on the team at a time. Will she miss too much school? What will her teammates treat her like? And will the superhero machine "fix" her handless arm?
This one is fabulous. I read it and then went around shoving the book at people. "Read the first story! Read it! I don't know about the others yet, but read the first story!"
The Seventh Day of the Seventh Moon— Ken Liu 5/5
Jing is going to America to study english. Yuan must stay behind. Jing wants to break up so that her girlfriend isn't trapped, Yuan doesn't care, she wants to stay together. "I'll text you in English, I'll do anything."
It's a story about love, and about parting, and it's lovely.
The Legend Trap— Sean Williams 4/5
Three teens test an urban myth. Can the de-materialization booth REALLY take you to the universe next door if you treat it right? And what does that mean? And how do they get back?
NOTHING GOOD EVER COMES OF TESTING URBAN LEGENDS. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU.
End of Service— Gabrila Lee 4/5
Aya's mum is an overseas worker. She's been gone for most of Aya's life. When she dies, Aya doesn't know how to grieve for this person she hardly knows. The situation isn't helped by the secrets everyone is keeping.
Good GRAVY that one was good. What is wrong with this anthology? How is it so good?
Chupacabra's Song— Jim C. Hines
The local vet (and his assistant) get more than they expected when the wounded animal a neighbour brings in is magical— and followed by hunters.
This one wasn't to my taste, but I don't have music-based magic, so I'm not going to criticize how it works here.
The Day the God Died— Alena McNamara
Sometimes things don't end in a satisfying way. Usually they don't. The death of a god fits that pattern, for sure.
Signature— Faith Mudge 5/5
Rumplestitskin, or his (her?) ilk, is still out there granting desperate desires in return for heart's desires.
Eheheheheheheheheheheheh. Look at my delight. I have SO MUCH OF IT for this story.
The Lovely Duckling— Tim Susman
Mara P. wants to become a shifter, to travel into the otherlands in the shape of a Condor, and live on a mountain, and to be Mark, not Mara. Mr. P thinks this is just a phase and the best way to treat it is to keep his daughter far away from the shifter school.
I really like the found-footage style of this one, and I want more in this world.
Kiss and Kiss and Kiss and Tell— E. C. Myers
The latest drug in school is Nemo, which lets you see into the future with someone you're kissing. But Rene is able to see much farther into the future than anyone else, and she starts researching what that means. Is it a hallucination her anti-psychotics can't control, or something else?
Vanilla— Dirk Flinthart
Kylie's school has aliens in attendance, which is doesn't make her teenage years any more complicated than they normally would be. Well, except for the one thing with the perfume.
This is a story about belonging and friendship, and the mistakes that come with teenager hood, and another stellar one. Well done.
Careful Magic— Karen Healey
Karen is a Careful mage, an aberration in a world where nearly everyone else is oriented to Chaos.
I WANT AN ENTIRE TRILOGY IN THIS WORLD.
Walkdog— Sofia Samatar
Celebration— Sean Eads
Jim is trying to look on the bright side about going to gay re-education camp— at least he'll meet other gay guys— but he didn't expect the telepathic recon team.
The Truth About Owls— Amar El-Mohtar
I don't know how to describe this one. A girl has a power, or doesn't. She curses her father, or doesn't. She learns welsh to understand owls. Anyways (I've been reading for a while today and I'm losing language), it's lovely.
Krishna Blue— Shveta Thakrar
Every Little Thing— Holly Kench
Friends sympathize with you over crushes. BEST friends out themselves as nerds to cause a distraction while you're in the process of setting a love spell.
Happy Go Lucky— Garth Nix
Starts out cheerful, and gets SUPER dark. Whoa, Garth.
Ordinary Things— Vylar Kaftan
Double Time— John Chu
John Chu is a master of taking one— often somewhat silly— fantastic idea and making the best story out of it. I don't just mean the best story he can make, I mean the best story. He's flipping phenomenal. In this one, competitive figure skating has embraced time hops so that competitors can skate programs with themselves, and this is used to discuss expectations, achievement, and family.
SHELLEY FOR THE GOLD.
Welcome— William Alexander
brandinh's review against another edition
3.0
Cookie Cutter Superhero by Tansy Rayner Roberts 3 stars
Seventh Day of the Seventh Moon by Ken Lui 2 Stars
The Legend Trap by Sean Williams 2.5 stars
End of Service by Gabriela Lee 3.25 stars
Chupacabra’s Song by Jim C. Hines 3.5 stars
The Day the God Died by Alena McNamara 3.25 stars
Signature by Faith Mudge 4 stars
The Lovely Duckling by Tim Susman 3.5 Stars
Kiss and Kiss and Kiss and Tell by E. C. Myers 3.25 stars
Vanilla by Dirk Flinthart 2 stars
Careful Magic by Karen Healey 4 Stars
Walkdog by Sofia Samatar 1 star
Celebration by Sean Eads 4 stars
The Truth About Owls by Amal El-Mohtar 4 stars
Krishna Blue by Shveta Thakrar 4 Stars
Every Little Thing by Holly Kench 3.5 Stars
Happy Go Lucky by Garth Nix 3.5 Stars
Ordinary Things by Vylar Kaftan 3.5 stars
Double Time by John Chu 3.5 Stars
Welcome by William Alexander 3.25
Seventh Day of the Seventh Moon by Ken Lui 2 Stars
The Legend Trap by Sean Williams 2.5 stars
End of Service by Gabriela Lee 3.25 stars
Chupacabra’s Song by Jim C. Hines 3.5 stars
The Day the God Died by Alena McNamara 3.25 stars
Signature by Faith Mudge 4 stars
The Lovely Duckling by Tim Susman 3.5 Stars
Kiss and Kiss and Kiss and Tell by E. C. Myers 3.25 stars
Vanilla by Dirk Flinthart 2 stars
Careful Magic by Karen Healey 4 Stars
Walkdog by Sofia Samatar 1 star
Celebration by Sean Eads 4 stars
The Truth About Owls by Amal El-Mohtar 4 stars
Krishna Blue by Shveta Thakrar 4 Stars
Every Little Thing by Holly Kench 3.5 Stars
Happy Go Lucky by Garth Nix 3.5 Stars
Ordinary Things by Vylar Kaftan 3.5 stars
Double Time by John Chu 3.5 Stars
Welcome by William Alexander 3.25
penly4522's review against another edition
5.0
LeVar Burton featured this on his podcast, which I highly recommend, and it was wonderful.
betsygant's review against another edition
5.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this short story. It greatly exceeded my expectations. I look forward to reading more by this author.