Scan barcode
Reviews
Rural Voices: 15 Authors Challenge Assumptions about Small-Town America by Nora Shalaway Carpenter
clamon's review
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
erincataldi's review
5.0
I devoured this collection of stories about small towns, back roads, first love, show pigs, college, and teens. First off I really appreciated the diversity in this collection: Black, LatinX, LGBTQ, indigenous teens, a wheelchair user, and teens from other walks of life really helped round out this collection and help make it fresh. Second off the authors all had compelling and heartfelt stories that grab readers attention with only a handful of pages. The stories, poems, and comics take place all over the United States in small rural communities and help challenge the way that many Americans view them. These teens aren't uneducated hicks - they've got full and unique lives ahead of them. Personally, I loved every story and I couldn't even narrow it down to which one was my favorite. An excellent collection I will definitely pick up again!
katiethepenguin's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
notinjersey's review
4.0
This book is a story collection that is meant to show that rural communities are diverse. A rural community is defined as one that has 10,000 or fewer people and is located far from urban areas. The stories are from 15 writers that are diverse in backgrounds, abilities, sexuality, etc. The stories take place in VA, AK, NM, NY, SC, IN, GA, ID, TX, WV, MI, and UT. I enjoyed this collection a lot. A quote I wrote down is “There’s so much going on beneath the surface; do we really know everyone’s story unless we talk to people?”
rkiladitis's review
5.0
When the word "rural" comes to mind, more often than not, so do a certain set of images, not usually complimentary. This anthology, with stories in verse, prose, and art, tells the story of rural life from the points of view of 15 authors across the U.S.: Virginia, Alaska, New Mexico, New York, South Carolina, Indiana, Georgia, Idaho, Texas, West Virginia, Michiga, and Utah all have representation here, and the storytellers are diverse, giving readers richer insight into rural life. Authors write about studying in McDonald's before school, because that's where the decent wifi is; life as a Tejano teen living at the border; coming out to family; being a person of color in a mostly white community. Every story is revealing and does its part to chip away at harmful assumptions.
neglet's review
5.0
Lots of variety, but all stories give a window into different aspects/regions of rural American life. Enjoyable.
moonpie's review
4.0
Not a bad mix! I'd say this was meant for older middle grade readers, maybe young YA, which isn't what I expected since it's categorized as YA, but I don't mind reading MG stuff.
And I do think Rural Voices is overall a good collection with a clear purpose. I preferred the stories that didn't focus on how it's "different" to live in a rural area and were just stories that would have to take place in rural areas or small towns to make sense. There were a couple of cheesy stories that definitely fell into the former category, but the really good selections (like Dark Kill Hollow, Fish and Fences, Whiskey and Champagne) made up for them, and I'd happily read full novels based on those and a couple of others.
(three and a half stars)
And I do think Rural Voices is overall a good collection with a clear purpose. I preferred the stories that didn't focus on how it's "different" to live in a rural area and were just stories that would have to take place in rural areas or small towns to make sense. There were a couple of cheesy stories that definitely fell into the former category, but the really good selections (like Dark Kill Hollow, Fish and Fences, Whiskey and Champagne) made up for them, and I'd happily read full novels based on those and a couple of others.
(three and a half stars)
mindfullibrarian's review
4.0
I’m a rural girl born and bred with a few very brief blips living in larger towns over the course of my 40 years ....... meaning this book was written for my heart. As with any diverse collection such as this, there will be winners and losers for every reader, but I was impressed that there was only one story I didn’t care to read in its entirety (skimmed) and despite one story that traumatized me, overall it is a super solid collection.
The back matter with paragraphs written by the authors about their own rural experiences are must-reads. I hope HS teachers pick this up and choose a few stories to have their students experience - there’s some really powerful stuff here.
The back matter with paragraphs written by the authors about their own rural experiences are must-reads. I hope HS teachers pick this up and choose a few stories to have their students experience - there’s some really powerful stuff here.
schnanko's review
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0