This collection of stories all feature teens with various disabilities. As an added bonus these stories are #ownvoices. As with any anthology this one has some great stories and some that this reader didn't connect with. Regardless, the level of representation in this collection for teens with disabilities makes it a must purchase for high school libraries. Highly recommended.

Standouts: The Leap and the Fall by Kayla Whaley was a standout story that was part love story, part horror tale complete with an abandoned carnival, ghost possession, and tarot cards. I loved it.
One, Two, Three by Corinne Duyvis was another beautiful story about a girl who freezes during a pivotal moment as a child and fails to take action, in her defense, she had just experienced a traumatic event and is on the autism spectrum. In return she is cursed to grant three wishes for anyone who does her a kindness, no matter how small. After years of living a solitary life and trying to avoid kindness from strangers at all costs, she meets a girl and they fall in love.
As an additional plus both of these stories as well as a number of the others feature LGBTQ+ characters.

Starred Ratings for Each Story:
The Long Road by Heidi Heilig 3 stars
Britt and the Bike God by Kody Keplinger 4 stars
The Leap and the Fall by Kayla Whaley 4.5 stars
Per Aspera Ad Strata by Katherine Locke 4 stars
Found Objects by William Alexander 3 stars
Plus One by Karuna Riazi 2 stars
The Day the Dragon Came by Marieke Nijkamp 3 stars
Captain, My Captain by Francisco S. Stork 3 stars
Dear Nora James, You Know Nothing About Love 4 stars
A Play in Many Parts by Fox Benwell 4 stars
The Ballad of Weary Daughters by Kristine Wyllys 4 stars
Mother Nature's Youngest Daughter 2.5 stars
One, Two, Three by Corinne Duyvis 4.5 stars

Love supporting the #OwnVoices movement!

Average Rating: 2.9 stars
There is a mix of types of stories, from fantasy to contemporary, even a science fiction & a horror one. Also appreciated the diversity of the characters. Decent collection that should have at least one story that appeals to each reader. See my full goodreads review for individual ratings.

Unbroken

by Marieke Nijkamp

Pub Date: 18 Sep 2018

Thanks to netgalley.com for access to this book



This is a hot topic for our YA readers - diversity... finding oneself in society. "Unbroken" will surely fill this need. In addition to disabilities, subjects of race, sexuality, and nationality all play a part in these stories. I only gave it 3 instead of 5 stars, however, because there were some stories I found myself plodding through instead of absorbing. Suffice it to say that there is some really great storytelling in here, and some that are 'meh.' I do think the book should be given a chance because the disabilities are diverse - although sometimes difficult to decipher. I suppose that's purposeful in some ways, since we don't always blatantly know what's going on in others' lives.

The first two stories grabbed me right away, and I found myself looking forward to the whole book: "The Long Road" (good characters and believable ending) and "Britt and the Bike God" (multi-leveled story with a non-human character element -- I can't explain further without a spoiler). I also really enjoyed "The Day the Dragon Came," "Dear Nora James, You Know Nothing about Love," and "Ballad of Weary Daughters." However, the fantasy-based stories didn't work for me; they're just not my genre of interest: "The Leap and the Fall," "Found Objects," and "Mother Nature's Youngest Daughter." Yet in spite of elements of fantasy - I'll call it wishful thinking instead - making it into my top 3 is "One, Two, Three" because of the deep thoughtfulness into which the author brought the characters. "Per Aspera Ad Astra" realistically portrayed school anxiety. I enjoyed the main character in "Captain, My Captain," but the story was one of my mehs, and I'm on the fence about "Plus One."

With 13 stories, one's bound to be a miss instead of a hit; I found this to be true for "A Play in Many Parts." For me, it was a DNR (a 'did not read'). I couldn't wrap my head around the format enough to understand the story, plot, or message. This is one story that maybe someone can help me to understand.

3.5 stars

I originally wanted to rate this higher because it's an anthology about disabled teens, and that's something that I don't think has existed before. Then I read it, and while I loved most of the stories, there were two that I couldn't get into. Regardless, the diversity included in this book is outstanding - both physical and non-physical disabilities are included, women of color and across the gender spectrum are represented. Highly, highly recommend.