queerafictionado's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

🏳️‍🌈✊🏾♿Rep: some POC rep, some trans/queer rep, one with disability rep 

📝Tropes/Themes: short story anthology, girls in sports, young adult

This anthology was not quite what I was expecting. There were a number of stories that I enjoyed, some I thought were okay and a couple that I just didn’t care for much. I think I was hoping more for stories of empowerment and encouragement. But some of the stories focused so much more on all the negative things like eating disorders, misogyny, racism, ableism, etc. And some of the stories ended in a way where I was left wondering what message I was supposed to glean from that story.

I did really enjoy a few of the stories. Volley Girl by Dahlia Adler, Anchor Points by Marieke Nijkamp, Three Minutes by Aminah Mae Safi, and One on One by Juliana Goodman were probably my favorites. 

I did not at all care for the wheelchair tennis story which was unfortunate. It wasn’t the story, it was just the format of the story - written more like the transcript of a documentary - and I found it hard to get into/follow. I wasn’t a huge fan of the ice hockey one either - I really didn’t like the whole premise of that one. 

Sports included in the anthology: Softball, Cross Country, Powerlifting, Soccer, Football, Cheerleading, Wrestling, Crew, Golf, Boxing, Wheelchair Tennis, Ice Hockey, Basketball, Sport Climbing, Volleyball and Archery.

All in all, I thought it was a good anthology, and I found some enjoyment in most of the stories. It was just a lot different than what I was expecting. If you like stories about girls in sports, then I recommend picking it up. Not every story was for me, but that doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy them! Please note the trigger/content warnings below. 

I received an ARC through NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. 

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