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elementarymydear's review
4.0
Adoption is a topic that has always interested me, and as an adult I’ve begun thinking about it in a more nuanced way. The conversation is finally turning towards the experiences of adoptees and so I jumped at the chance to review this book, which puts adoptees at the centre of their own stories.
No two people’s experiences are the same, and neither are the stories in this book. While most of them have a contemporary setting, there is some sci-fi and fantasy in there as well. Some of the stories focus specifically on feelings of displacement, or home, or loss of identity; others are about something else entirely, with their adoptee status being one part of their story.
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The stories in this book are specifically about trans-racial adoption, where the adopting parents and the adoptees have a different racial heritage. Again, everyone’s story is different, and this was reflected in this book. Some characters had parents who encouraged them to engage with their heritage, others who tried but weren’t sure, and some who felt morally righteous for raising children of colour. Prepare to be outraged by some of the parents in this book!
There were multiple narrators on this book, which audibly made it really easy to distinguish between each story. They were all excellently narrated, and it made for a very enjoyable listening experience.
As with every short story collection, there were some that I loved and some that I didn’t. But this is a powerful, much-needed collection, that is helping open up the conversation around adoption.
I received a free copy for an honest review.
No two people’s experiences are the same, and neither are the stories in this book. While most of them have a contemporary setting, there is some sci-fi and fantasy in there as well. Some of the stories focus specifically on feelings of displacement, or home, or loss of identity; others are about something else entirely, with their adoptee status being one part of their story.
📚Blog📖YouTube📖Instagram📚
The stories in this book are specifically about trans-racial adoption, where the adopting parents and the adoptees have a different racial heritage. Again, everyone’s story is different, and this was reflected in this book. Some characters had parents who encouraged them to engage with their heritage, others who tried but weren’t sure, and some who felt morally righteous for raising children of colour. Prepare to be outraged by some of the parents in this book!
There were multiple narrators on this book, which audibly made it really easy to distinguish between each story. They were all excellently narrated, and it made for a very enjoyable listening experience.
As with every short story collection, there were some that I loved and some that I didn’t. But this is a powerful, much-needed collection, that is helping open up the conversation around adoption.
I received a free copy for an honest review.
qujoy's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
This short story collection by adoptees gives a voice to the experiences of BIPOC and transnational adoptees. There’s a range of tones and insights, and I’m so glad it exists.
magpie4's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This was a much need anthology and a very personal read for me. That alone, necessitates 3 stars. I’ve never felt so normalized about my own life. I was just amazed by the collection of authors, all adult transracial adoptees, who felt so adamant for the need for a book like this. Where a fellow adoptee sought out a voice like mine to tell story. While I had a universal affinity for these stories and characters, I learned about many experiences outside my own, which is worth the read.
With personal bias out of the way, I had a huge critique with this anthology. The writing was juvenile. It’s branded as a YA anthology, yet middle grade seems more accurate. The themes and conflicts were spoon fed to the reader making little room for nuance and inferences. Every story was pretty short, which did not help the character development. Some stories were stronger than others. However, despite the gripes, I cherish this collection, if not for its prose and writing, but as proof that someone values our voices and experiences.
With personal bias out of the way, I had a huge critique with this anthology. The writing was juvenile. It’s branded as a YA anthology, yet middle grade seems more accurate. The themes and conflicts were spoon fed to the reader making little room for nuance and inferences. Every story was pretty short, which did not help the character development. Some stories were stronger than others. However, despite the gripes, I cherish this collection, if not for its prose and writing, but as proof that someone values our voices and experiences.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm and Suicide attempt
jess_brooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
4.0
signediza's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
mpatterson610's review
4.75
I resonated more with some stories than others but I really liked this book ❤️❤️❤️ it’s so important and gives me so many warm and fuzzies
roshreviews's review
medium-paced
3.5
In a Nutshell: An #OwnVoices anthology focussed on transracial adoptive experiences, written by adoptee YA authors. Love the themes and the intent. The stories were a mixed bag for me, but that’s because I am not a big YA fan.
This is an anthology of fifteen stories, each written by an adoptee author. In fact, not just adoptee, but a transracial adoptee. The central character in each story is also a transracial adoptee, thereby giving the author a chance to imbue their protagonists with authenticity. The stories come from varied genres such as drama, sci-fi, and fantasy. The adoptees are also cross-cultural, coming from backgrounds as varied as Black, South Asian, East Asian, Mexican, and Indigenous American.
I am not at all a fan of YA writing, but I couldn’t resist this collection for various reasons. The title, the cover, the theme, the authors and their OwnVoices credentials – all ensured that I grabbed this as soon as I saw it, keeping my apprehensions about the YA factor aside. Thankfully, the writing in more than half of the stories was not typical YA in style.
Most of my friends know my passion for author's notes in anthologies. I love knowing the theme and the approach through the writers’ perspectives. In this book, I was spoilt for choice. There's a foreword by Rebecca Carroll (a transracial adoptee and a writer/producer), an introduction by the two editors (which would have been marvellous to read but was missing from my ARC 🙁), an afterword by Dr. JaeRan Kim (a transracial adoptee and an associate professor at the University of Washington), and an author's note as well. There is also a further reading list.
As the central theme is transracial adoption, every single story features a protagonist who is dealing with conflicted emotions not just related to being adopted but also about not fitting in with their family in terms of looks/skin colour. A couple of the stories also have the protagonists struggling with gender or sexual identity issues, thereby adding a third layer of inner turmoil to the plot. While all the protagonists are teens, their age-related behaviour is balanced with their honest feelings about their adoptive status.
Many of the stories do justice to the entire theme. A few seem to focus more either on the racial aspects or on the adoption aspects, but not on both. However, as race and adoption are equal parts of the theme and so relevant in today's world especially to youngsters, I appreciate both the approaches. In some stories, the race/adoption problem stays in the background while the central conflict of the story is something else altogether. These are my least favourite ones, as they do not stay true to the core intent.
While the writing is very much YA in essence (I can’t complain about this as it is meant to be a YA anthology), some of the stories show a depth much beyond what is common in this genre. These tales end up being thought-provoking, revealing to us how difficult it is to fit in when everything, including our own skin colour, tells us that we are misfits. The racial identity crisis comes across prominently through this anthology.
At the same time, I had expected a greater emotional impact considering the theme, but most left me feeling untouched. Could this be because of the YA factor? I am not sure. But one thing I appreciate was that most of the stories had an individuality to them. I never felt like there was a repetition in the content, despite the theme’s being so specific.
As always, I rated the stories individually. My rating factored in not just my enjoyment of the story but also how adequately the story did justice to the theme. Of the fifteen stories, five reached or crossed the four star mark. The rest were mostly clustered around the 3-star mark, with just a couple of duds.
These were my favourites from this set:
Cora and Benji's Great Escape - Mariama J. Lockington: An interesting story about how a white parent goes out of the way to learn more about her adopted daughter’s Black origins, without understanding what her daughter actually wants. This was among the most heartfelt stories in the book, and that caused me to see many things with a new perspective. - 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
Shawl Dance - Susan Harness: Loved the perspective of the Indigenous protagonist in this impactful tale. The information I learnt from this story was astounding, but it also felt somewhat like social commentary. Nevertheless, a graet read overall. - 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
Truffles (or Don't Worry, the Dog Will Be Fine) - Eric Smith: Using a disabled puppy to dig home the problem of being a misfit and feeling unwanted in your own home? Me likey. - 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
Catch - Nicole Chung: While the story was simple in plot and structure, I loved the way it was written. Rare for a short story to make me feel so connected to the characters. - 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Deadwood - Kelley Baker: The only story to have a grandparent rather than a parent in a key role. Liked the buildup and the ending in this one. - 🌟🌟🌟🌟
All in all, I’d still recommend this anthology. We need more inclusive OwnVoices works, and with such an authentic array of voices as in this story collection, it would be silly to miss out on some genuine experiences about being a transracial adoptee. I am sure YA readers will connect with these to an even greater extent.
3.6 stars, based on the average of my individual ratings for each story.
My thanks to HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley for the DRC of “When We Become Ours”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
utopiastateofmind's review
5.0
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
As a transracial adoptee, there was no way I was not going to read When We Became Ours. This anthology means more to me than words. Growing up I never saw stories about adopted kids. This anthology soothes a wound I didn't have words for until now. In this genre bending anthology, these fellow adoptees navigate feelings of family and belonging. Of growing up as a person of color and feeling that as something familiar and foreign in faces on the streets like us.
As a transracial adoptee, there was no way I was not going to read When We Became Ours. This anthology means more to me than words. Growing up I never saw stories about adopted kids. This anthology soothes a wound I didn't have words for until now. In this genre bending anthology, these fellow adoptees navigate feelings of family and belonging. Of growing up as a person of color and feeling that as something familiar and foreign in faces on the streets like us.
hnagarne's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
When We Become Ours is a captivating anthology about grief, identity, and belonging. It’s written by adoptees and about adoptees, and as a whole I’ve never read something quite like it.
As the Foreword and Afterword both explain, it’s not often that adoptees have the space to share their own stories and be heard. Often, our stories are told for us, sometimes (often) in an incomplete or biased way.
As an adoptee, I loved reading these stories, which span a variety of genres and formats. One of my favorites is about a fantasy land where the Heavenly Queen ascends to the throne only after all her family has been murdered. In another, Lisa Wool-Rim Sjöblom (Palimpsest) illustrates a young adoptee's connection with her internet friend. Reading these pieces made me feel so seen and understood, and I wish I’d had stories like these growing up. I am so glad that the younger adoptees will now have it.
If you think you know how your adopted (friend/child/sibling/cousin/neighbor) feels, perhaps this book is for you. If you’re adopted and seeking to be heard, perhaps this book is for you. Or maybe you have no connection to adoption at all, and you’re just feeling a little invisible. The adoptees in these stories will understand. So many of these stories are about how precious it is to feel seen, and there is something for everyone here.
Personally, this is now a must-read for me.
Thank you NetGalley and HarperTeen for providing me with this (my first!) ARC!
As the Foreword and Afterword both explain, it’s not often that adoptees have the space to share their own stories and be heard. Often, our stories are told for us, sometimes (often) in an incomplete or biased way.
As an adoptee, I loved reading these stories, which span a variety of genres and formats. One of my favorites is about a fantasy land where the Heavenly Queen ascends to the throne only after all her family has been murdered. In another, Lisa Wool-Rim Sjöblom (Palimpsest) illustrates a young adoptee's connection with her internet friend. Reading these pieces made me feel so seen and understood, and I wish I’d had stories like these growing up. I am so glad that the younger adoptees will now have it.
If you think you know how your adopted (friend/child/sibling/cousin/neighbor) feels, perhaps this book is for you. If you’re adopted and seeking to be heard, perhaps this book is for you. Or maybe you have no connection to adoption at all, and you’re just feeling a little invisible. The adoptees in these stories will understand. So many of these stories are about how precious it is to feel seen, and there is something for everyone here.
Personally, this is now a must-read for me.
Thank you NetGalley and HarperTeen for providing me with this (my first!) ARC!
cass_keeps_reading's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
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