Lovely, diverse stories. Several of them made me wish the authors would expand them into a book, or made me interested in picking up the authors' other work. I really enjoy this type of YA anthology.

FRESH INK is a collection of short stories edited by Lamar Giles, a founding member of We Need Diverse Books. The text is dedicated in memory of Walter Dean Myers and includes a one act play by him as well as stories by Jason Reynolds, Gene Luen Yang (in graphic form), Melissa de la Cruz and several other YA authors. The stories feature plenty of name calling and bullying as well as some genuine heroes who find their voices. Overall, a truly diverse set of characters are represented and provide much needed perspective as they deal with more universal events (a best friend moving away, finding oneself at college, and fitting in). A favorite submission was "Super Human" by Nicola Yoon. FRESH INK received starred reviews from Booklist and School Library Journal.

The FRESH INK anthology was one of several new publications featured by Random House Children's Books at SLJTeen Live! on August 15. Other exhibitors ans sponsors included many publishers who participate on NetGalley and the site was referenced frequently. This was the seventh annual conference for SLJTeen Live! and I think I have attended most of them – there are always great presentations and keynotes, too. The theme this year was Speaking Truth to Power and the sessions dealt with topics such as Mental Health; Creativity and the Arts, Detoxifying Masculinity, and more. I am excited about following up on diverse book titles from Random House and others (future reviews coming) and many blogger suggestions to help with Readers' Advisory. The Teen Activism and the Passive Programming panels had great ideas, too: "Social Justice Begins with Me Book Club," Read Woke Challenge, Peace Crane Project, breakout boxes and chalkboard response walls are just a few.

Links in live post:
https://www.slj.com/?event=teen-live-2018
https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=read-woke-school-reading-challenge-makes-impact
https://peacecraneproject.org/

I truly enjoyed reading Fresh Ink! I loved all the different stories from so many wonderful authors. Getting a small sampling of how each of these authors writes--especially the ones I have never read before--makes me want to run out and get everything they have written! Each story is so different and intriguing. I will definitely be recommending this book!

Many of these stories were quite refreshing in their diversity. A collection containing mostly PoC characters, glbtq characters, and people living on the fringes of society. Some of the stories that really stuck out to me, and thus some of my favorites, were Tags by Walter Dean Myers, a one was a one act play that sent chills down my spine by the end of it. So powerful and so emotional. Why I Learned to Cook by Sara Farizan, Paladin/Samurai by Gene Luen Yang, a very entertaining graphic novel involving D&D style role playing, Catch, Pull, Drive by Schuyler Bailar, and Super Human by Nicola Yoon, which ended the collection with a serious bang.

All in all, I would heavily recommend this anthology to anyone who enjoys contemporary fiction and who is looking for some diversity in their reading experience.

Received via Netgalley, and reviewed of my own accord.

I actually really enjoyed this collection. I am not usually big on short stories but I loved how much this collection embraced diversity with it's characters, topics, writers, and even genres. I would recommend the title for library purchase simply because there's literally a story for everyone in this collection. A few swoon worthy romances and even some action packed stories. My favorite might have been "Be Cool For Once" by Aminah Mae Safi but honestly it'd be hard to pick one. I will say I'd like a few of them expanded since the ending seemed abrupt but maybe I'm just being greedy for more!

This book is like the introduction to all the diverse YA books we need. I love that authors of color write the experiences of POC that we have rarely received. I love the use of religions and cultural norms other than the white American and Christian ones we so often see. I love the heart and the perspectives that I as a reader am able to see that are outside my own. I’m so excited to see more from these authors! While short stories are always lacking for me, each one of these gave me a new perspective of situations that I very much appreciated. I think if you go in with the expectation of being entertained and expanding your perspective, you will thoroughly enjoy this book.

This was such an interesting anthology. I enjoyed the majority of the stories. The one act play and the graphic story were definitely a welcome addition. I enjoyed that the diversity in the collection did not solely focus on race but also on gender identity and sexuality. There were a few stories that did not resonate with me, but most of them did get me to think about what it would be like to be an immigrant, a transgender teen, a black male (all of which I am not). Overall, I highly recommend this anthology.

Eraser Tattoo- Jason Reynolds- 3 stars
I’m not quite sure I understood the intent or the point of this short story. It was however of course well-written but too short for me to grasp its greatness.

But in this case, let’s hope young love wins.

Meet Cute Malinda Lo- 3.5 stars

Another story that’s strong point is diversity. It’s short but lengthier than the first story. An LGBTQ story that tackles the nervousness of two teens who share a love of things comic con related, but on a quick chance meeting find they like more than just their shared similarities.

For its length, it was pretty entertaining and the ending was pretty adorable.

Don’t Pass Me Eric Gansworth-5 stars
This is my favorite so far. It had what the previous two didn’t have enough time to capture, that’s depth. I related to and understood the MC’s struggle. The struggle of being a person of color in a world where people don’t get that. When he mentions being darker in certain areas because he tried to scrape the color off, as a younger child—I felt that. Outstanding, and that ending—yup that’s writing right there.

Be Cool For Once Amina’s Mae Safi- 5 stars

Another love. The painful joys of having a crush on the boy that seems unattainable.

The author did a great job of capturing Shirin’s confident yet nervous personality. Thoroughly impressive and well flushed out for a short story. Another five star read.

Tags Walter Dean Myers- 5 stars
This was the most heartbreaking and current of the bunch. Gritty and raw with a sharp edge, Tags was not what I expected and would love more of. It brought to mind the recent black lives matter-esque novels recently released.

I liked what he did with this one, alternating conflicting and powerful voices. Well done.

Why I Learned To Cook Sara Farizan- 3.5 stars
A quick story on culture and acceptance. The family aspect was the best part of the story, and I’m sure this story will touch a couple of readers for its tough realness. Another LGBTQ story.

A Stranger At The Bochinche Daniel Jose Older-4 stars
Quick yet fun with a Spanish flare, would have liked more of this sci-fi tale. The writing was pretty stellar. A good fit for fans of Cassandra Clare's, The Mortal Instruments series.

A Boy's Duty Sharon G Flake- 3 stars

I liked the historical feel of this story but I honestly didn’t much understand or enjoy it.

A Something In Between Story Melissa de Cruz - 2 stars

This story was a reaaacchh. It tried so hard to depict the struggles of colored people struggling against the consistent presence of racism but it failed, terribly. Not only did it feed the stereotypes it was claiming to rebuke, it was not engaging or realistic. It was unnecessarily angry and aimless. Not my favorite.

Paladin Samuri Gene Leun Yang- 2 stars
Seems youthful and easy to follow but I don’t quite get the point.

Catch Pull Drive Schuyler Bailar- 3 stars

I know one gay man personally. He’s not transgender or anything and I didn’t know him well at first, as don’t most people when they first meet them. But I knew he was gay without him uttering a word. I just knew. It didn’t matter. He was a person who would later become my person. When he came out to me he was nervous, and cautious, and I was no one to fear. But we later laughed about it when I told him I knew and brushed him off to discuss a more impeding topic, like what we should have for lunch. It was the fact that we were still friends and that I reiterate that, that seemed more important than harping on the fact that he preferred men over women.

This story was kind of like that except it didn’t capture those same realistic and intense emotions for the person coming out. But it did perfectly capture the stereotyped reactions of ignorant and non-understanding teens.

It tried to emulate the process of transition and coming out but it could’ve done better in my opinion.

Super Human Nicola Yoon- 5 stars
This last story was a doozy in its intensity and in the way it’s written. Beautiful, succinct—to the point. I really would have loved to see this story fleshed out or even written as a series. This story is what I expected this anthology to capture. Great read.

As a whole, the anthology attempts to teach us about diversity, to implore inclusion. While I didn't find that all of the stories did this well, some of them did, really well.

I would definitely recommend even if for just some of the stories. I think this is something that should be ongoing--and is worth reading.

I’ve been reading a lot of anthologies this year, but there hasn’t been one that every story has made me feel something like Fresh Ink did. I laughed out loud, cried and wished that I had magic powers to help make this world an equal place for everyone. This book has filled its pages to the brim with a mix of diversity.

There’s 13 stories each different but a joy!
I read Aminah Mae Safi other book that came out this year and loved her short story just as much.
While, Sara Farizan is new to me author that I can’t wait to look into because I just love her short story, Why I Learned to Cook.
A Boy’s Duty by Sharon G. Flake was the biggest surprise for me. When I started reading it I wasn’t sure if I would like it but it turned out to be one of my favorite in this book.
I could sit here and go on and on about each story but I won’t.

Just know that this book is a must read, it’s pack with truth, happiness, and sadness. It’s built upon what our world is like. It sucks so much to know that I live in a world that looks like whats on these pages. But it’s books and people like this that are helping to change our world. I’m proud to be part of that change, happy to be a person who believes that everyone is equal and have the right to be themselves. I will be telling people to read this book for years to come.

Pardon me, I'll be sobbing in the corner over the last story in this anthology for the rest of my freaking life.

I am a huge proponent of reading diversity. Not just because DUH, but we read to know things. We read for escape, sure, but the more we read, the more we learn. Even when reading fantasy and sci-fi, our brains are cataloging little bits and pieces we pick up from every author. Why would you not want to read a book about a world and a culture that you would never experience otherwise?

I've never eaten Persian food, and now I know they have a really gross carbonated mint yogurt drink that I hope no one ever makes me drink. I've never lived on a reservation, or had to go to school with a group of friends who are one thing at home, and an entirely different thing at school surrounded by....people who look like I do right now, writing this review. I don't know what it is to pray to the Twelve Imams, or have hateful graffiti scrawled on buildings or cars about me.

These are 12 very short stories, with very real people. Well, okay, these are 10 very short stories with very real people. The other two are fantasy, though one of them is entirely too close to home for my heart. There is so. much. diversity. Races, religions, cultures, backgrounds, eras. I could've read 100 more, and I need to look up each of these authors and read so much more by them.

Erm, except that there's one author who I have read previously and whose book I didn't care for. But one bad book doesn't spoil the library, after all.

Out of all of these, only one or two weren't solid for me, which is so awesome, considering that anthologies have never really been my friend. And not all of these deal with Big Major Life Issues. I mean, for crying out loud, Scully and a gender bent Sulu meet up at a Comic Con when the power goes out and, like the title says, a Meet Cute occurs, and it's AWESOME.

These are such great stories. If you're looking to add more diversity to your reading (as well you should), definitely pick up this collection. And if some of the stories are less loved, less enjoyed, stick around for the last one. It's a major heart punch.

This review is formatted a bit differently because this is an anthology of mainly short stories which makes it a bit tricky to break down. Because of this, I have to grade it as a whole. There are certainly elements of this book that I enjoyed more than others. I love that it was built on the idea of raising marginalized voices and telling stories that feel new. I also enjoyed how they mixed well established authors who will drive the anthology's sales along with emerging writers who are getting their first break here.
What I didn't like about this anthology, though, is a problem that arises with a lot of the anthologies I read. It seems like these authors who write amazing novel length books have a hard time slipping into a short form and fall back on some writing vices that they grind out of their books through tons of revision. Because of this, these stories are less seamless to slip into. Perhaps, if this anthology had a stronger driving themes, the stories could have become a bit tighter through carrying a similarity.

Stories I Was Most Excited For: Eraser Tattoo by Jason Reynolds; Super Human By Nicola Yoon

Favorite stories: Be Cool For Once by Aminah Mae Safi; Why I Learned to Cook by Sara Farizan; Super Human by Nicola Yoon

Least Favorite Stories: A Stranger at the Bochinche by Daniel José Older, Paladin/Samuari by Gene Luen Yang

Eraser Tattoo by Jason Reynolds | ★★★☆☆ (3.5 Stars)
Jason Reynolds can do no wrong in my eyes - Long Way Down is one lf the best books I’ve ever read. I loved the sentiment of the story and the rich history you can feel between childhood best friends Shay and Dante. Shay is giving Date an ‘eraser tattoo’ of an “S” to remember her by because she’s moving. I loved the focus on the importance of their relationship, but the story didn’t pull me in.

Meet Cute by Malinda Lo | ★★★☆☆
This was a fun and cute story about a girl named Nic who is cosplaying at a Denver Con, when the lights are knocked out by a storm, she a fellow cosplayer Tamia go looking for Nic’s brother. I loved seeing Nic and Tamia handle the can gatekeepers who suck the fun out of everything. But I had some personal preference issues that lowered my overall enjoyment of the story. Meta pop culture references always pull me out of stories and the heavy references in the beginning didn’t help. I also think I would have liked the story more if it was written in first person. But again those are personal issues and I still really liked the story overall.

Don’t Pass Me By by Eric Gansworth | ★★★★☆
This story was much more grounded than the first two. We follow “Doobie” a Native student who is going to a white school. We see Doobie discuss passing (because many of the other native kids at school are white passing and not picked on), gentrification, and the dismantling of native culture and white-washing history. This was such a powerful and impactful story and I loved it.

Be Cool For Once by Aminah Mae Safi| ★★★★★
My first five star read and it was so adorably cute I couldn’t handle it. Shirin is a Muslim American teen having the time of her life at a concert for one of her favorite bands and she sees her crush Jeffery show up (and this is the point I got giddy). Shirin is worried about the spotlight and recognition that comes with dating ‘Mr. Popular.’ This was just so cute and fluffy and perfect.

Tags by Walter Dean Morgan | ★★★☆☆
This is a truly unique story told in a one act play about a group of young black boys who’ve died tagging a wall. I loved framing tagging as a way to immortalize themselves and create a lasting legacy, where they’re not forgotten. But I was confused at parts of the story, which is why it got a lower rating.

Why I Learned to Cook by Sara Farizan | ★★★★★
This was one of the cutest things my eyes have ever witnessed. This was such a happy story that put me in the best mood. Yas wants to learn to cook Persian food to share with her girlfriend, Hannah, and gets lessons from her unapologetic grandmother.Yas’ grandmother was amazing. She is such a fierce lady and I aspire to be her. I loved seeing Yas gain an appreciation for her culture and seeing her grandmother love and accept her. It was just great.

A Stranger at the Bochinche by Daniel José Older | ★★☆☆☆
This was probably my least favorite story in the anthology because I was so confused reading it. Set in Brooklyn, this scifi story went over my head. I felt like there wasn’t context for what was happening - we just see this cult-like group that want their god to come down to Earth, and try to steal a design notebook that can help them. And there’s maybe aliens, or demons, I wasn’t sure. Like I said, I was confused.

A Boy’s Duty by Sharon G. Flake | ★★★☆☆
This story follows a young black boy in WWII, who ran away from home and wants to join the Navy. I liked seeing the life he’s built in New Orleans and the vibrant culture present in the city. I really liked seeing his artistic talent displayed and his genuinely good heart. This story really was about following your dreams, but not putting yourself above other.

One Voice by Melissa De La Cruz | ★★★★☆
Jas is a Sanford college student who’s entire college experience shifts when she sees racists graffiti spray painted across campus.Jas lives in fear of her family getting deported and this graffitti starts taking over all of her mind space. It really shows how harmful and deeply painful discrimination and racism is. But I really loved seeing Jas talk with other minority students and finding a power in their shared experieces.

Paladin/Samuari by Gene Luen Yang and Illustrations by Thien Pham | ★★☆☆☆
I’m not really a fan of graphic novels, I just haven’t found one that’s clicked with me yet. It also didn’t help that this was about a faux Dungeon and Dragons campaign game where a guy wants to play as a samurai instead of the traditional Paladin. There was also something about a part at a girl he likes house. The story felt disjointed to me, and I didn’t enjoy it as much as some of the others.

Catch, Pull, Drive by Schuyler Bailar | ★★★★☆
This was an amazing story that featured a trans boys who’s finally come out to his school and is at his first swim practice since coming out. We see the challenges he faces - a new locker room, ignorant comments from teammates - but also see his loving parents, and a friend on the team who supports him as well. This was such an inspirational story that moved me.

Super Human by Nicola Yoon | ★★★★★
I have never been disappointed by a Nicola Yoon short story and Super Human was definitely a standout for me. We follow Syrita as she’s chosen to convince disillusioned superhero “X” to restore his faith in humanity, because she was the first person he saved years ago. But X, a black superhero, has lost his faith no longer thinks that humanity is saving. The reason he’s changed his mind is a punch to the gut, and is best uncovered while reading the story. But this story was just so powerful and a perfect way to conclude this anthology.

A great anthology of YA short stories featuring characters from under-represented and marginalized groups, written by some of today's best and brightest authors and activists. Overall, the writing was good, the characters were well developed, and the stories were interesting and really pulled in the reader. I've got a few new authors to add to my "To Read" pile!

Fresh Ink – An Anthology edited by Lamar Giles is an amazing book! All I can say is WOW! Giles is one of the co-founders of We Need Diverse Books so it should be no surprise that the stories found in this work are diverse in almost every way! The mix of stories was great too – something for everyone! The stories are quick reads and prompt thinking by the reader. My wonder is if we will see these shorts develop into full stories on their own…? Thank you Lamar Giles for starting an important dialog and championing for the need for more diverse books! Looking forward to more…and hopefully longer stories as next chapters. Highly recommend this book!

This title was provided by NetGalley in return for an honest review.

The stories were hit or miss for me, which is the usual for an anthology of multiple authors. The stories that were good were really good which is why it got 4 stars. There was only one story that I actually didn't enjoy at all.
Overall I'm glad this anthology exists and I think that all the stories it told were important to tell.

Individual story reviews:
Eraser Tattoo by Jason Reynolds - 3.5 stars, a cute story but the actual tattooing part made me squeamish.
Meet Cute by Malinda Lo - 4 stars, cute as the title suggests.
Don't Pass Me By by Eric Gansworth - 3.5 stars, a good story with a good message but the voice of the character felt too old? I didn't really believe he was in 7th grade.
Be Cool For Once by Aminah Mae Safi - 3 stars, I know it's a short story but this felt like crazy insta-love.
Why I Learned To Cook by Sara Farizan - 4.5 stars, Just the right amount of cute and wholesome. Loved the family element and the incorporation of her culture.
Tags by Walter Dean Myers - 4 stars, Packs a punch but I'm not sure why it had to be a script
A Stranger At the Bochiniche - 2 stars, Kind of boring and I just had no idea what was going on
A Boy's Duty by Sharon G. Flake - 4 stars
One Voice by Melissa de la Cruz - 3 stars, this story was too big for a short story and it just felt too... heavy handed
Paladin/Samurai by Gene Luen Yang & illustrations by Thien Pham - 3.5 stars, a good story although it was almost too short. Not sure if it's because I have an e-arc or if it was the art-style, but the art seemed unfinished.
Catch, Pull, Drive by Schuyler Bailar - 4.5 stars, A powerful story that brought tears to my eyes.
Super Human by Nicola Yoon - 4 stars, an interesting premise, executed pretty well.

I have said this before and I'll say it again: I'm not the biggest fan of anthologies. Short stories often just don't work for me. So, why do I keep picking them up? Because in every single anthology there's always at least one short story that I absolutely adore, and that makes the entire anthology worth it. And, luckily for me, this anthology had quite a few of those stories.

Here's a little overview of my thoughts on all of the stories:

Eraser Tattoo by Jason Reynolds, 4 stars - Jason Reynolds is one of my favorite authors, and I always love his writing and his characters. But I think I like his full-lenght books ore than his short stories.
Meet Cute by Malinda Lo, 5 stars - A f/f story set at a convention? Sign me up! I loved this a lot, and I kind of want a longer version of this.
Don't Pass Me By by Eric Gansworth, 4 stars - I always really enjoy Eric Gansworths writing, and the story was very important. Loved the characters. 
Be Cool for Once by Aminah Mae Safi, 3 stars - This was enjoyable and I liked the setting, but me and Amina Mae Safi's writing just don't match.
Tags by Walter Dean Myers, 4 stars - I normally never read plays so it was a bit confusing at first, but this was incredibly chilling and powerful. (TW: death, gun violence)
Why I Learned to Cook by Sara Farizan, 5 stars - If you can get me to cry over a story within just a few pages, you automatically deserve 5 stars. Plus, I'm just a sucker for food descriptions and cooking scenes.
A Stranger at the Bochinche by Daniel José Older, 4 stars - Daniel José Olders writing is just incredible, and I really enjoyed this story.
A Boy's Duty by Sharon G. Flake, DNF - This just did not work for me at all. The setting was great, it was very atmospheric, but I felt very lost. Plus, you know something's wrong when a short story feels like it's never going to end.
One Voice by Melissa de la Cruz, 3.5 stars - It was an enjoyable story, but the ending felt super abrupt. 
Palladin/Samurai by Gene Luen Yang and Thien Pham - This was basically impossible to read on my kindle, so I really hope that'll be fixed in the final copy. But the illustrations looked really good, as far as I could see. 
Catch, Pull, Drive by Schuyler Bailar, 5 stars - This was very hard to read, mostly because my eyes were filled with tears the entire time. (TW: transphobia)
Super Human by Nicola Yoon, 5 stars - Nicola Yoon's stories in anthologies are always so unique and I love them a lot. This was incredible. (TW: gun violence)
This was definitely one of the best anthologies I've ever read (not that I've read many, but still), and I'd totally recommend all of them!

What an outstanding collection of short stories! The main thing these stories all have in common is diversity being at the forefront. For once, readers won't have to look at the sidekick or supporting characters to see themselves in a book. Twelve stories written by thirteen very popular YA authors. Standouts are Why I Learned To Cook, Tags, Super Human, and Don't Pass Me By. Highly recommended to readers of YA fiction.

Fresh Ink indeed! There are a lot of great writers here, definitely a few whose novels made me want to give this a read. This collection of short stories was a great read, especially for this generation; and for anybody who may feel a little "outside". I thoroughly enjoyed every story in here, especially the last one.

Disclaimer: I am a white, heterosexual, female and am represented in about 90% of the books on the market. That being said, I still thoroughly enjoy reading books with diversity in them, especially when that diverse character also happens to be the main character and not just a "token" sidekick or one that doesn't add much to the story.

I love reading anthologies, but its like a catch 22 because while I love this shortness of them, I also end up craving more to the story (most of the time)! A couple of my favorites from this collection were: "Why I Learned to Cook", "One Voice: A Something in Between Story", "Catch, Pull, Drive," and "Super Human." I could have read an entire book based on those last 2 stories!

Fresh Ink, an anthology edited by Lamar Giles, features short stories, a one-act play, and a short graphic novel from thirteen top YA contemporary authors including Jason Reynolds, Gene Luen Yang, Nicola Yoon, Walter Dean Myers, Daniel José Older, Melissa de la Cruz, and Malinda Lo. Each contribution to this diverse collection will inspire you think outside of the box and dare to defy conventions.

Short story anthologies regardless of the genre aren't usually my go-to, but lately I have to admit I've come across some pretty fantastic ones. When I found this collection with so many brilliant authors contributing I knew I had to try it. Luckily this diverse collection didn't disappoint. The characters we're introduced to in this variety of shorts all felt quite authentic even though we're only wish them for a short time before moving right along. The topics covered are all timely and relevant issues, even though some are set in the past and have fantastic elements. Like I've said before, I honestly wish I had read these kinds of #OwnVoices stories when I was in high school. I enjoyed all of the stories, but my favorites include "Catch, Pull, Drive" by Schuyler Bailar, "One Voice" by Melissa de la Cruz, "A Boy’s Duty" by Sharon G. Flake, "Don’t Pass Me By" by Eric Gansworth, "Meet Cute" by Malinda Lo, "Be Cool for Once" by Aminah Mae Safi, and "Super Human" by Nicola Yoon.

Overall, the stories and voices of Fresh Ink edited by Lamar Giles are absolutely necessary. While I may not directly relate to all of them, it's incredibly valuable to see writing that reflects all sorts of lives and experiences for young people. Plus, I think I've found some great new-to-me authors to explore.