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A review by hollowspine
Strangers Among Us: Tales of the Underdogs and Outcasts by Mahtab Narsimhan, Tyler Keevil, Lucas K. Law, A.C. Wise, Lorina Stephens, Bev Geddes, Edward Willett, Gemma Files, Susan Forest, Kelley Armstrong, Amanda Sun, James Alan Gardner, Suzanne Church, Hayden Trenholm, Erika Holt, Robert Runte, Sherry Peters, A.M. Dellamonica, Derwin Mak, Rich Larson, Ursula Pflug
3.0
I really liked the idea behind this collection of short stories, but the stories themselves were a mixed bag, some really worked well, both in concept and delivering a satisfying story, but others failed at either one or both.
I liked that the anthology set out to bring greater understanding to people who experience different perspectives than the majority, people who have brains that function in a way different from the majority. However, while some effectively told a story with characters who were experiencing mental illness, others made me question the authors message, where the mental illness was being questioned, or was being used in a way that felt forced and treated with a bit exoticism, which I didn't care for at all.
I also, in a way, questioned the whole anthology with the title "Strangers Among Us" as so many of us do have experience with mental illness. I don't like the idea of separating so many people as 'outcasts' and strangers when it's much more likely for people experiencing mental illness to be readers themselves, or our neighbors or friends.
Still, it's a start, but I'm more excited about books in general having characters with a more diverse body of experience represented in main characters.
I liked that the anthology set out to bring greater understanding to people who experience different perspectives than the majority, people who have brains that function in a way different from the majority. However, while some effectively told a story with characters who were experiencing mental illness, others made me question the authors message, where the mental illness was being questioned, or was being used in a way that felt forced and treated with a bit exoticism, which I didn't care for at all.
I also, in a way, questioned the whole anthology with the title "Strangers Among Us" as so many of us do have experience with mental illness. I don't like the idea of separating so many people as 'outcasts' and strangers when it's much more likely for people experiencing mental illness to be readers themselves, or our neighbors or friends.
Still, it's a start, but I'm more excited about books in general having characters with a more diverse body of experience represented in main characters.