Foreshadow, edited by Nova Ren Suma and Emily X. R. Pan, is so much more than a collection of short stories. I am so thankful to Algonquin Books for letting me be a part of their Blog Tour. Here are my thoughts on each story.

Flight By Tanya Aydelott

This story really gripped me and I couldn’t put it down. I loved that I somehow connected with the little girl immediately even though I had no idea what her name was. I was so intrigued by this story. Not knowing what was going on made it even better. I love how at the end of each story we get a little author’s note and then Nova talks about the main technique used in the story.

Risk By Rachel Hylton

I don’t even know where to start with this one. Marnie turns into a lobster, a literal lobster. When first starting this book I thought it was going to be somehow metaphorical, but it was actually very literal. Marnie turns into a living, breathing lobster, and enjoys it. The main technique driving this story is voice, whether it be the voice of the narrators, the friends of Marnie, or Marnie herself. In this story, we get to see what it’s like to become a lobster in highschool.

Sweetmeats By Linda Cheng

This story was really interesting. I wasn’t sure what was going on at first if something other than what the girls were saying happened to them. But I was intrigued the whole time by Marlie and Mei’s friendship and the trouble they went through after they returned. I definitely was got expecting that ending.

Glow By Joanna Truman

I wasn’t a huge fan of this one, but I did love that they were in AZ and learning about the fault lines. I had no idea there was one at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. This story was a tale of two friends going on an adventure with the intent of ending the world. But once they get to the end they find out there is something worth living for.

Escape By Tanvi Berwah

I really loved this story. It was fun and interesting and so strange at the same time. I loved the crazy story behind the pochette that was left to Lyla. I was so intrigued by the story and couldn’t stop reading. It was fun from start to finish.

Pan Dulce By Flor Salcedo

I appreciated this story especially because I had no idea how easy it was to go across the border to party for a little and come back when you were done. This was an eye-opening book. It kept my attention throughout because I was on edge the whole time not knowing what was going to happen.

Solace By Nor Eighazzawi

I really liked this story a lot. It wasn’t what I was expecting, but it was so much more. I loved following Laila on her journey of finding herself. She hasn’t had the easiest life and still struggles with a lot but with some confidence and a new confidant, she is able to move on and grow.

Princess By Maya Prasad

This story really intrigued me but didn’t hold my attention as much as the other stories. I’m not sure why because I love SciFi. It was interesting to see what the future could hold. I really did like the struggle that presented itself with the main character and thought the pacing of this story was done very well.

Fools By Gina Chen

This was a super interesting story. I was captivated by the storyline and intrigued by the world. I absolutely loved the main character, Fanny. This story definitely left me wanting more. I would love to read a whole book on these characters and this world.

Monsters By Adriana Marachlian

I will say at first this book really confused me. I just wasn’t sure what I was reading or what was going on. It didn’t take long for me to get into this story and it left me wanting more. Wanting to know more about our main character Milagros and why she sees what she sees.

Break By Sophie Meridien

Y’all, I loved this story. I also love a cute contemporary and this one fit the bill. I loved everything about this story and I wanted so much more! I loved the writing and how the story was formatted as well. It really added to the whole story. I want more of Kiki and Kastov, right now. Ugh, just the cutest.

Resilient By Mayra Cuevas

This story was the hardest one to read and the saddest. It really touched my heart in a way the others did not. Knowing that this story was based on true events was even better. I did not know before this story anything that Puerto Ricans dealt with and how they suffered when the storm hit and how long it took for things to get better. This story will definitely break your heart but give you hope.

Belly By Desiree S. Evens

I enjoyed this last story a lot. My heart was all in it. I loved Jaima and how strong she was. Yes, she dealt with a lot in her life that has made her scared of certain things but she was stronger because of it. The writing really captivated me and the story kept me wanting more.



Thoughts

I absolutely loved Foreshadow. Since going to school to get my bachelor’s in creative writing I have found an appreciation of short stories. I have had to write 3 so far and they are not easy at all. So when I read short stories now I have a newfound love for them. This collection was up my alley. I loved the stories but even more so I loved the thoughts of Nova after each story. I in no way want to be a writer but I want to work with writers, so this was so helpful to me. All the things Nova talked about were helpful in understanding the themes and techniques used in the stories.

I definitely recommend this book to those of you aspiring to be writers. This book will be such a help and encouragement to you. But I also recommend this to all book lovers. Reading about the process of writing and how it’s done is fascinating and I know you won’t be disappointed. I am so thankful to Algonquin Books for providing a complimentary ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Hey book lovers! I'm here with a book review for Foreshadow: Stories to Celebrate the Magic of Reading & Writing YA, a serial YA anthology edited by Emily X.R. Pan and Nova Ren Suma. It's not just a collection of fantastic short stories, this also provides practical writing advice and even prompts. They were originally released on an online platform called Foreshadow. I received a digital arc from Netgalley.


About The Book 📚

Publication Date: Oct 20, 2020

Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers

Suggested Reader Age: Young Adult

Genre: Short Stories, Fantasy, Romance, LGBT, Writing

"Stories offer the best kind of spell in the world. There's nothing like cracking open a book and being magicked away to a different time and place, giving your heart over to characters who will live forever in your mind." - Emily X. R. Pan


About The Author

Learn more about the editors and contributors here: https://foreshadowya.com/masthead


My Review

› Flight by Tanya S. Aydelott ★★★
A selkie tale in New York City.
'Bodies are cages already,' Mama said, something dark and pained in her eyes. 'There's no need to see cages inside cages.'

›Risk by Rachel Hylton ★★★★
"Risk is a jaw-dropping, powerful story of transformation. I raced through it on the first read, stunned by Rachel Hylton's imagination." - Laurie Halse Anderson, author of Shout
I loved the author's note: "...I wanted the feeling of being in the wonderful, fearful, intimate center of a girl group, looking out at the one who isn't afraid. We will always need that person more than she needs us, and isn't that frightening?"

›Sweetmeats by Linda Cheng ★★★★★
"Sweetmeats is Grimm's Hansel and Gretel's flavored with Guillermo del Toro and a dash of Miyazaki, all wrapped up in a modern-day setting and served with a distinct and compelling voice." - Heidi Heilig, author of For a Muse of Fire

›Glow by Joanna Truman ★★★★★
Author's Note: "I knew I wanted to write a story about two girls who could unmake the world, but only if they wanted to. Girls are magic, after all. They are powerful, electric, can create and destroy, can love and hurt and save each other all in the same breath."

›Escape by Tanvi Berwah ★★★★
"Escape is a mesmerizing account of love, loss, and revenge, entwined with a mythic family history. It's all spikes and rising oddity, a sharp-toothed thing that nods to Helen Oyeyemi and Kelly Link, but does its own thing." - Melissa Albert, author of The Hazel Wood


›Pan Dulce by Flor Salcedo ★★★★★
"Pan Dulce is a glimpse into the split-screen reality that is adolescent life in America. The back and forth across the border from El Paso, Texas, to Juárez, Mexico, is the same duality knocking around in young Rosa's mind - her conscience serving as border patrol - as she navigates her friendships, boys, and all the recklessness that comes along with being a teenager, coupled with the harsh reality of what's at stake." - Jason Reynolds, author of Look Both Ways

›Solace by Nora Elghazzawi ★★★
"It's a lovely story of new love, recovery, and a magical garden." - Nicola Yoon, author of The Sun is Also a Star

"Because this water might've stolen my brother, might've drowned what was dearest in my heart, but I've taken so much more from myself. Water isn't cruel for cruelness's sake."

›Princess by Maya Prasad ★★★
Leela, an artist, has a tumour. She's travelling to the same planet her mother ran from when she was pregnant with Leela seventeen years ago. This planet was built by AI and an algorithm called Deva controls the Grid, a network that connects all of the citizens. Deva and the Grid control every decision; their jobs, relationships, food, and hobbies. In order to save her life, Leela must be connected to the Grid, which her mother doesn't want to happen. This was a 3 star for me, but the world-building achieved in such a short period of time is inspiring.

›Fools by Gina Chen ★★★★★
Endearing, and emotional, Fools has incredible imagery.
"We all leave when a story calls to us."

The story calling Fanny features a half-demon in search of a bride.

›Monsters by Adriana Marachlian ★★
This is about a girl who started seeing monsters when she moved to the U.S. It was interesting, but I just didn't really enjoy it all that much.

›Break by Sophie Meridien ★★★★★
Break is a romantic story about the children of immigrants, Kastov (mother is from Korea) and Kikade (rhymes with cicada). I love how their relationship revolves around spin-the-bottle.

I think this is my favourite story in the collection.


›Resilient by Mayra Cuevas ★★★★
"There's just a limit to how long you can live in the dark when it means living in despair."
A Puerto Rican teen gets a job in South Dakota cutting up turkeys for twelve months. It's cold, gross, and physically exhausting, but at least they get to live in a motel with hydro. This story was heartbreaking, yet it is about hope and showed the resilience of Puerto Ricans after the devastation of the hurricane.

›Belly by Desiree S. Evans ★★★★
When she was five-years-old, Jaima's family was killed by a great flood, and no one knows how she managed to survive. Now she's seventeen, still afraid of the water. She has to learn how to face her fears and stand up for herself.

Average ★★★★

My Rating ★★

› Final Thoughts
• With practical writing tips, Foreshadow is an outstanding collection of YA stories that are emotional, romantic, magical, and inspiring. Highly recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.

*Quotes taken from an ARC copy and subject to change*

My most favorite was the writing tips section after every story, and my least favorite was how it brought back the memory of my submission not making it to publication 😝 But seriously, it was awesome! I made it far enough to be critiqued. I remember being so excited about the feedback lol what a nerd 🤓 Anyway, this serial anthology is an impressive showcase of talented diverse writers—read it!

This anthology/creative writing help book is phenomenal! The stories are unique, enthralling, and each one a page turner in its own respect. I think my favorite was Fools by Gina Chen. There are so many aspects I love. The intro quotes by well known authors, the breakdown by an editor after the stories, the author’s notes, and even the prompts! I will for sure be using these stories in my classroom, as well as the analysis portions during revising/editing sessions!

This is a thought-provoking book for readers and writers alike. As a big YA fan, I appreciated the range of authors highlighted, as well as the essays - which were meditations on the craft of writing.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the authors, and the publisher for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

One of the BEST anthologies I have ever read. The consistency throughout Foreshadow is to be respected and praised. I absolutely love all of the inclusion shared throughout this book. Not only were the stories great, but we got information for aspiring writers. Excellent! I hope to be able to purchase soon.

Really great collection. Excited to read more from these authors! This is most definitely an important collection of stories for young readers, especially those who are aspiring to be writers within the realm of YA.

This book is a great selection of diverse YA Authors and editors. I would recommend this to anyone aspiring to be a writer in the YA Genre or simply looking to gain insight into writing. But that's not all.. This book also contains short stories which are a delight and definitely worth the read! It really is the best of both worlds concerning the act of writing and reading.

*The review below is being done on a Netgalley Advanced Reader's Copy of Foreshadow: Stories to Celebrate the Magic of Reading and Writing YA. This review is my own, and I have written it in my honest opinion.

I first heard about the Foreshadow project earlier this year during a virtual book conference and I was so excited to hear that this book was to release this year. Other than hearing it was a collection of stories, I didn't really know what to expect in terms of genres or themes, so it was pleasantly surprising to see that so many different genres were showcased in this collection.

I would finish reading one story and felt that there was no way the next one could compare, but before long the next story consumed me and I was caught up in the cycle all over again. The following is a list of the stories that were in the collection and a brief description of each. In this collection you can find something for every YA reader to enjoy:

Flight (Fantasy)- A mother/daughter story about identity and society vs. self.

Risk (Fantasy)- A story about friendship, transformation, and lobsters.

Sweetmeats (Fantasy)- A story of friendship and fairtyales turn Grimm as two girls go missing and are found.

Glow (Romance)- Two friends set off an an adventure to destroy the world.

Escape (Romance/Legend)- A family who owns a mysterious pochette find that danger lurks closer than they suspect.

Pan Dulce (Realistic Fiction)- A high schooler crosses the boarder to party, but finds that it may be harder to get home. SUPER HAPPY THIS ONE TAKES PLACE IN MY HOMETOWN OF EL PASO!!

Solace (Romance/ Realistic Fiction)- A young woman tries to find herself among her magical garden amidst turmoil and tragedy.

Princess (Science Fiction)- A young girl must choose to change her life in order to survive death.

Fools (Romance/ Fantasy)- A witch is given a young baby that was born to a bunch of lovesick fools. The
"heartless" girl becomes a gate-keeper who guards a magical world.

Monsters (Realistic Fiction/ Fantasy)- A girl moves to the states with her aunt and cousin, but sees some supernatural things along the way.

Break (Romance)- Fate tries to bring two characters together a few games of spin-the-bottle.

Resilient (Realistic Fiction)- Two cousins make their way to the United States to work in a turkey factory after Hurricane Maria destroys their hometown.

Belly (Realistic Fiction)- Two families squabble over land that a magical and tumultuous river cuts through, and one of the members is more connected to the river than even she knows.

I have never been a big reader of short stories. While in the past I have enjoyed several literary short stories, I have always tended to read novels because I love how the reading experience allows me to spend a long time in the story and with the characters. In saying that, when I first heard about Foreshadow, I was immediately excited by the idea of reading a selection of YA short stories that also offered inspiring expertise on the craft of story making. As an aspiring writer, I do not write nearly as much as I would like to – life and writing blocks always get in the way. So I hoped that reading expert advice, insights, and also story prompts, from Emily X.R. Pan and Nova Ren Suma, two authors I highly admire, would inspire me to pick up my pen and dabble in writing a short story (something I have never really tried before). While I haven’t yet had a chance to pick up that pen since finishing this book last night, my fingers are itching and I have many ideas floating in my head all thanks to this book. It was not only Emily X.R. Pan and Nova Ren Suma’s words that inspired me, of course. It was also the incredible stories and the voices of their authors.

The diversity of the thirteen stories included in this book is thrilling. Each and every story has something different to say, with unique perspectives and original ideas that explode off the page. Some stories are set in reality, while others are set in fantasy worlds or re-imagined alternative realities. While of course there were some stories that didn’t speak to me as much as others, there was always something there in them. Something enticing, intriguing, strange, mind-boggling and altogether beautiful. For me, there are four stories that I absolutely adored and can’t stop thinking about: “Fools” by Gina Chen , “Solace” by Nora Elghazzawi, “Sweetmeats” by Linda Cheng, and “Break” by Sophie Meridien, each full of life, love and magic. So look out for those stories when you pick up this book! No doubt you will fall in love with the others as well. Plus, if you enjoy this anthology as much as I did, I have some good news for you. Each of these stories and many more like them are published on Foreshadow: A Serial YA Anthology, the online anthology for short stories that was first created by Emily X.R. Pan and Nova Ren Suma and lead to this printed collection.

If you are a writer, an aspiring writer, a lover of YA fiction/books/short stories, you will thoroughly enjoy this immersive collection of stories and voices that celebrate the magic of story telling. I urge you to go pick up a copy now! 🙂

Anyone who follows me on here knows that I struggle a lot with YA. I pretty much avoid the genre entirely with a few exceptions here and there. Ultimately, the unique nature of this book is what told me to throw my concerns aside and dive in. I am so glad that I ignored my YA issues and gave this a chance.

Here are the reasons why this might interest you:
1) It's a short story collection
2) Ownvoices!!
3) Editors break down the prompt of the story and techniques used (so you get an intro and summary after each story that helps tie everything together)
4) Did I mention ownvoices?
5) Different genres - fantasty, romance, straight fiction - love that too

I loved everything about this book. I thought it was also really neat to get an inside look at some writing techniques used. I never really thought about it before, but this really made me think about how hard it is to write a short story. You have to grab the reader and keep them interested, all the while making it very clear the time period and place the story it set in. If its a fantasy short story, you have a lot of world building to do in a short period of time. The other great thing about this book was how it promoted new, ownvoices authors, whose stories were introduced by well known YA authors.

A fantastic read that I highly recommend! Thank you so much to Algonquin YA for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Review Date: 11/5/2020
Publication Date: 10/20/2020

Foreshadow on it's surface is a collection of unique short stories written by 13 emerging YA voices. These short stories range in genres including scifi, fantasy, magical realism, and contemporary. However it's so much deeper than that, the Editors Emily Pan and Nova Ren Suma provide an indepth analysis of the themes, symbolism and other aspects of the stories in addition to writing advise and proses for aspiring writers.

One of the overarching themes that rang within me while reading was this idea of uplifting and creating space and opportunities for others. Our own individual successes is a celebration in and of itself, but one of the things I often think about especially as a latina is what can I do to create space for other people of color after me to feel that this space (whatever it is) is actually meant for them. That their dreams deserve to come true, that there more than enough room for us all to succeed. I am personally so grateful for my mentors who have guided me in understanding my profession, and helped me transition to what feels right for me.

This concept, felt very genuine and omnipresent in this book. I felt like the Editors are truly creating something unique not only the collection of short stories that they have selected, but the guidance for aspiring writers, tips and proses for them to explore and help them grow makes my heart so happy.

4/5 ⭐

Oh this was such a gorgeous and a brilliant way of introducing some very new voices in the YA genre!

Foreshadow is an anthology of short stories - some very diverse genres ranging from contemporary to fantasy to science fiction.

All wonderfully written by some very talented new voices- loved the inclusion of #ownvoices stories and such wonderful openness of creativity- it gave me such new talent to look forward to!

But what I adored the most was the editorial commentary given by Emily XR Pan and Nova Ren Suma - on the different writing tools used by these talented new authors in their short stories!

Foreshadow is a brilliant adventure of not only introducing new talents, but also a way of giving advice to budding new authors by critiquing the the writing tools not only used in the short stories but also how it can be improved - this was such an informative aspect of the book, for me as a reader.

Because while I was always in awe of the sheer talent and effort that goes into writing a story; the actual details had me slack jawed and all the more appreciative of the authors.

And if as a reader this anthology was informative; I can’t even begin to imagine how appreciative and helpful this collection would be to a hopeful and budding writer!

I thoroughly enjoyed this read and being a part of the tour, this book not only had the extremely unique short stories but it also contained tips and advice for writers. This book is different from the norm and the short stories drew me In And kept me entranced

What makes these memorable stories tick? What sparked them? How do authors build a world or refine a voice or weave in that deliciously creepy atmosphere to bring their writing to the next level? Addressing these questions and many more are essays and discussions on craft and process by Nova Ren Suma and Emily X. R. Pan.

This was a well organized collection of short YA stories that dealt with the magic realm. The stories were very different buying think they would allow students great exposure and_or introductions to other cultures.

In 2018, Nova Ren Suma and Emily X.R. Pan partnered up to create Foreshadow, an online platform publishing underrepresented voices in YA fiction, covering all genres. This book is thirteen of these stories published in print. The essays are a sort of love letter to young adult literature. Additionally, throughout the book are prompts, techniques, methods, and other practical advice to writers. (Yes please! Give me ALL the advice lol)

I highlighted and made note of so many things to reflect on and consider when writing and reading YA. My favorite short stories were Pan Dulce, Break, and Resilient. I definitely found new voices I want to read more from.

Thank you to @algonquinyr for including me on the tour!

My favorite thing about this anthology is that interspersed throughout are story prompts for the reader to try. These focus on the specific story elements that were included in the stories from the anthology. As an aspiring writer myself, I really appreciated the discussion on the writing craft and all of the helpful tips that were included in this book. While not all of the stories worked for me (I’m not a huge magical realism or fantasy reader) I still enjoyed the analysis of each story and would recommend this book, especially if you are a writer or want to learn more about the craft of writing.

Through many of these thirteen short stories, Foreshadow brings us diverse stories, from realistic fiction to fantasy, we can dive deeper into the meaning behind each short story.

Foreshadow is a collection of thirteen different short stories written by different authors, ranging from different genres and prompts. Our thirteen authors are: Tanya Aydelott, Rachel Hylton, Linda Cheng, Joanna Truman, Tanvi Berwah, Flor Salcedo, Nora Elghazzawi, Maya Prasad, Gina Chen, Adriana Marachlian, Sophie Meridien, Mayra Cuevas, and Desiree S. Evans.

Each story told something different which I found quite interesting as there were some that the plot and topic was something I definitely was not expecting. Each story was refreshing and made me interested in reading.

While many of these stories were not something I would usually read, there were quite a few that I enjoyed as I could not have expected each book to fit my liking.

I rated Foreshadow a total of four stars as each topic was different and unique in itself and I was interested in reading it from the very start. This is a perfect fit for young adult readers with different types of genres and prompts but also talks about some controversial topics that were intertwined perfectly for the short stories.

Although I enjoyed the stories, there were some that were definitely quite hard to get through. Perhaps it is the fact that I might not read that specific genre often or perhaps I needed more context, but, there were some that were simply not my style. I am okay with that as this is not specifically catered to me specifically but a wide audience and I think that as a young adult, picking this book up with multiple short stories contained within can really push me to read more.

Some of the stories were definitely a little hard to get through and at times I felt unusual and unsure if I wanted to continue on but I realized afterward that there were some fantastic stories that fit perfectly in this book and that once I pushed myself through it, I got to the good parts.

Thank you again to Algonquin Young Readers and NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review and to Algonquin Young Readers for having me on this amazing blog tour!

This is a book of short stories written by emerging Young Adult authors and, as an aspiring Young Adult writer myself, I found a lot of joy in the way that this anthology was put together. The project and the website itself are incredibly commendable, and it makes me so happy to know that diverse young adult authors are being supported by such a platform. These are stories that deserve to be broadcasted.

It's difficult to review the book itself, but it had a wonderful structure of Short Story --> Author's Note --> Note on an Element of Writing Style (written by either Emily XR Pan or Nova Ren Suma). It helped highlight the most critical elements of writing good short stories - things I have myself learned from university classes - but applied to the story at hand, in the YA genre. I've read writing books before, and this one seemed remarkably specific and useful - I really appreciated its insight.

On top of that, I'd like to highlight a few of my favourite stories from the volume. The story "Glow" by Joanna Truman was incredibly well written and emotionally resonant, tracking the story of two girls at the end of the world on a road trip. The story "Pan Dulce" by Flor Salcedo investigates the realities of crossing the border into Mexico and what this can mean for young people. The story "Break" by Sophie Meridien uses structure to frame an adorable romance around spin-the-bottle.

The best two, in my opinion, were "Resilient" by Mayra Cuevas, who wrote about two young women fleeing the impacts of Hurricane Maria, and "Princess" by Maya Prasad, which was a sci fi glimpse into humanity. I can't wait to read more of Cuevas' and Prasad's work in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for Young Readers for giving me an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in writing in the YA genre.

What started as a website to showcase short stories is soon to be a published anthology. Foreshadow: Stories to Celebrate The Magic of Reading & Writing YA was compiled by Emily X. R. Pan and Nova Ren Suma to highlight the different genres that make up the YA world of stories. Set to be released on October 20th by Algonquin Young Readers, this collection allows people to see a new side of young adult literature.

Each story featured in this book is so unique that it’s hard to really summarize this book as a whole (but I will try my best)! It is fascinating to read such different stories and how each one is so engaging despite each story only being a few pages long. I may post a more in-depth review of each story, but for now I’m just going to appreciate the compilation as a whole!

One thing I really liked was not only how magical and mythical some of the stories were, but the little details before and after each story. There are author testimonials explaining why they liked the story. Additionally, after each story’s conclusion, there is a little author’s note explaining the background of the story and other points that lead to a really insightful reading of each story.

Even if you aren’t a fan of young adult literature, this anthology is so intriguing that anyone would become enthralled by these stories. If you’ve been wanting to experience more short stories then this is definitely the book for you!

*I received an ARC from Algonquin Young Readers in exchange for my honest opinion.