Foreshadow is a fantastic anthology of short stories, combined with commentary and tips for writing YA. It is a celebration of the short story, of writing, and of reading too, and the magic that stories bring to all of our lives. The stories themselves are all clever and well done and I found myself intrigued by all of them in different ways as I read. I also absolutely loved the inclusion of the author's notes at the end of each story. The commentary offered by the editors was also very well done and I found it to be a really useful resource that I will definitely return to for writing guidance. Overall, this is a great book full of interesting stories and great writing advice. It is an ode to the magic of storytelling and I recommend it to all.

Foreshadow brings to life so many different incredible stories by authors we are only just starting to get to know. Foreshadow, though, is so much more than just stories, it is a guide, a tool for YA readers, writers, and aspiring authors to not just see stories that work but see how they work. Along with the wonderful short stories we get close readings and writing prompts that allow the reader and writers to dive deep into what they have read. Foreshadow has beautiful short stories that are great to get lost in but also allows the reader to go beyond escapism and encourages them to create a story and a world of their own. Featuring 13 incredible, inclusive stories from a diverse group of new voices, Pan and Suma along with the huge team that brought this anthology together hit it out of the park. These are stories I will come back to again and again not only to dive back into the amazing worlds and characters but also as a way to improve my own writing and look at what it takes to make a story work. Whether you are an avid YA reader, a hobby writer, or an aspiring author Foreshadow is a book you are going to want to add to your personal library.

*I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review*

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3604384012

'Foreshadow: Stories to Celebrate the Magic of Reading and Writing YA' (2020) is an anthology that contains several names with whom you are likely familiar: Laurie Halse Anderson, Adam Silvera, Sabaa Tahir, Jason Reynolds, Nicola Yoon, Becky Albertalli, and more. However, their role in this anthology is not as contributors—instead, each established YA author introduces the work of an up-and-comer. Reading this anthology reminded me of being at YALLFest; this community of writers is one that supports each other and realizes that more voices, more viewpoints, more lived experiences, and more imaginations make everyone’s experience as readers and writers better. 'Foreshadow' is, simply put, a very good sign of things to come.

The stories in Foreshadow come from the digital, serial YA anthology of the same name. In addition to the introductory words written by each story’s sponsor as well as author’s notes that follow each story, editors Emily X.R. Pan and Nova Ren Suma provide even more discussion, linking each story to a big idea or literary element. Voice, emotional resonance, motif, and worldbuilding are some of the topics discussed. And if that’s not enough for you, they also offer story prompts! Remember what I said earlier about the inclusiveness of the YA world? Taken together, this anthology is a writing workshop, carefully assembled by established authors who are dedicated to lifting up the voices of others.

But hold on—before you get too excited about picking up this one-stop writing workshop, I haven’t even told you about the stories themselves! There are thirteen stories, and in those stories you’ll find romance, magical realism, folk tales, fairy tales, fantasy, science fiction, culture clashes, humor, and drama. You’ll find stories that resonate with parts of your life, and you’ll find stories that are nothing like your lived experience. Maybe you’ve never wondered what it’s like to turn into a lobster, which is what Rachel Hylton explores in “Risk,” but the awkwardness of adolescent metamorphosis we know all too well. Another one of my favorites is “Glow” by Joanna Truman, a story about a girl who falls in love with a girl who is convinced that she can unmake the world. There’s also the twisted fairy tale, “Sweetmeats” by Linda Cheng—twisted only because Cheng manages to seamlessly blend those classic fairy tale elements into a world that we recognize. The final story that I keep coming back to is “Pan Dulce” by Flor Salcedo. “Pan Dulce” is a border story that is fraught with potential peril. As Rosa crosses from El Paso to Juárez, she and the reader become aware of how the danger that you face changes as you move from one space to another.

The thread that these stories all share is, of course, adolescence. All of these stories focus on that liminal space between childhood and adulthood. For me, YA is at its best when adolescence isn’t treated as a way station. Adolescence has value, and these authors understand that value, which is why their stories feel so genuine and compelling. Many of the authors in this anthology have succeeded in finding more opportunities to tell their stories, and I look forward to reading more of them in the future.

In the meantime, 'Foreshadow: Stories to Celebrate the Magic of Reading and Writing YA' is an easy book to recommend. The uniqueness of the experience that it offers is not to be missed.

Disclosure: I received a digital ARC of this book from Algonquin Young Readers via NetGalley to read and review for a bookstagram book tour.

Calling both aspiring writers and YA readers - FORESHADOW should be on your TBR. This book piqued my interest as it blends a YA short story collection with the craft of writing. FORESHADOW is out just in time for anyone looking to do #NaNoWriMo!

The short stories in this collection are in print for the first time, and FORESHADOW creators Emily X.R. Pan and Nova Ren Suma have brought together 13 underrepresented voices to highlight what YA fiction can hold. Each of the stories has been selected and is introduced in the collection by beloved YA authors many of us already know and love, including Jason Reynolds, Sabaa Tahir, and Laurie Halse Anderson. In reading the accompanying commentary with each short story, I got a better sense of how writers think through world-building, plot, and character growth in short literature, and how honing the short story craft can lead to more evolved full-length works.

What I loved about this collection is that it has a little something for everyone: for the YA lover, the short story enthusiast, the would-be author. It spans nearly every subgenre of YA, and my personal favorites from this were “Flight” by Tanya Aydelott (which gave me PET by Akwaeke Emezi vibes) and “Sweetmeats” by Linda Cheng.

This book made me think of someone I used to be in more regular contact with, and I'm excited that I have a good excuse to reach out and see how she's doing (she's an aspiring YA author). Books and reading are such a personal experience, but so much of the joy of reading is in sharing it!

One tip: I’d go print for this one. I’m not sure if it was simply the e-ARC, but I think you might lose a little bit of the designed elements in the digital version.

Foreshadow is a new contemporary collection of YA short stories. This anthology felt like a breath of fresh air. It is a unique premise from other collections where it's really geared towards aspiring writers and lovers of the YA genre. I feel the YA genre is often underrated and overlooked just because the main protagonists are younger in age. Foreshadow does a wonderful job of shedding light on some new talent and the beauty of YA. Each story includes prompts about a specific writing technique that are thought provoking and intended to help writers with their story telling. The short story format is also wonderful where it gives the reader a diverse offering of topics and writing styles. There is a little something for everyone to enjoy! I'm not a writer but this doesn't detract from the reading experience that is Foreshadow. If I was a writer I would definitely appreciate having this tool in my hands.

Each of the thirteen stories in Foreshadow is written by a new voice in the YA world. I am so happy these talented writers received this opportunity to showcase their talent because Foreshadow is full of well written character driven stories. The protagonists range from complex, dynamic, relatable, damaged, to down right funny. There are themes of friendship, mother/daughter relationships, betrayal, sisterhood, love, revenge, dealing with grief, bravery, sacrifice, and the courage to live your truth. With each story you get insights into the plot and writing process from the author. This is such a personal touch and really enhanced the reading experience to me. And as a cherry on top you also get a little essay written by the editors Emily and Nova. These extra touches really made me appreciate the art of writing and the heart and soul authors put into their work.

There are a lot of notable stories in the collection. But If I had to pick one favorite, it would have to be Sweetmeats by Linda Cheng. This tale really stood out for me and stayed with me long after I finished it. It is super creepy, scary, and just freaking fantastic! So atmospheric and perfect for spooky season! Probably the most unique modern day retelling of the Hansel and Gretel fairytale I have ever read. I would absolutely love to read a full length novel based on these characters.

If you are an aspiring writer, appreciate the craft of writing, love YA, or just love short stories in general, go read this book! This gem published by Algonquin Young Readers is available for purchase from all major booksellers. I give Foreshadow 4 out of 5 gems. I cannot wait to see more anthologies like this one! Happy Reading!

FORESHADOW is an amazing collection of well curated short stories by talents writing YA short stories today.

Each story is introduced by celebrated YA authors, many of whom are my favorites such as Adam Silvera, Melissa Albert, Jason Reynolds, Roshani Chokshi, Sabaa Tahir, and Nicola Yoon to name a few. ⁣
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This book is so beautifully presented for those who read and write YA. The expert advise with the author notes following each story is some of the most valuable to me as a reader, and a reviewer.

Each of the stories also highlight underrepresented voices and written by #ownvoice authors as well. Editors Emily X.R. Pan and Nova Ren Suma further digs deep into the story line and provide expert advise. An example is the discussion on characterization and how to connect readers to the story and characters especially in short stories. Some other topics covered are the characters' voice, suspension of disbelief, emotional resonance and more.

I find that this book is amazing for our young readers to inspire them to create and write their stories from their own experiences and perspectives. I find that the expert advise is invaluable for writers and readers, as well as, a great resource for literary reviewers. Foreshadow was everything I expected and I highly recommend this amazing book.

While I am continuing to post my regular content, the BLM movement is still going on. Please keep referring to my story and linktree to find ways to help out.✊🏻‼️
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This is my very first blog tour post and I am very excited to take part to celebrate this wonderful new release!🥳
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Foreshadow is an anthology edited by bestselling YA novelists Emily X R Pan, and Nova Ren Suma that uplifts unknown YA authors who wrote short stories on an online platform with the same name. It includes beautiful stories from people who are minorities, while also adding valuable commentary from the editors about specific writing techniques the author used. It is a beautiful bind up for the YA audience that provides wonderful insight.🥰
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I really enjoyed my time reading this novel, my two favorite stories being Sweatmeat by Linda Cheng, and Solace by Nora Elghazzawi. I am trying to start my fictional writing journey again, so the discussions about the craft of writing were extremely useful for me. In my personal opinion, this is is a great starting point for people who want to begin reading anthologies, as it was easy enough to digest as their was no specific theme with each short story. If that sparks any interest in you PLEASE check this out when it comes out October 20th.🤩
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Did I convince you to check this wonderful book out? Let me know!💋
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Dm me to talk about all things book or writing related! I’ll be looking forward to it! —Em😌

#bookstagram #books #book #bookworm #booklover #reading #bookish #bibliophile #instabook #booknerd #bookaddict #bookish #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #read #bookshelf #booksofinstagram #instabooks #booklove #igreads #reader #bookbloggerspost

This collection of short stories is more than just the regular short story anthology. Not only do you get 13 amazing YA short stories – from romance, to heartache, to fantasy, to horror and more – each story comes with an accompanying essay that gives you a lot more insight into the story writing and what makes each story special. How to build characters, how to build suspense (and keep it!), how to build a story arc are only a few of these tips.

In this wonderfully insightful anthology we get to hear the voices of new writers, but also long-time famous professionals! They tell us why YA is as impactful, as popular and as important a genre as it is, and share their knowledge about this most special form of storytelling with us.

I loved every short in this collection and every essay that accompanies it and I recommend it to every writer and reader of the genre! 5 stars from me!

This book is truly unique. One of a kind. The 13 short stories are not only all amazing, but the comments that Pan and Suma make are so refreshing! I never read a book like this but I learned a lot and found it fascinating! I believe that both readers and authors can really learn something from this book! The analysis of a story is so interesting to see and giving out writing advice at the same time... amazing!

I devoured this book over the course of just a few days. I'm a big fan of short story collections; there is just something so special about being able to dive into story after story. I'd heard about the Foreshadow literary collection before and I thought it was a really cool idea to bind the stories into a book. I also thought it was a great idea to include the writing craft essays in the book. Not only did it provide a built-in way to better understand the stories, it also allows for creative minds to start crafting their own stories.

The stories in this collection were written by very diverse authors and cover vast genres, from contemporary romance to fantasy and science fiction. Personally, I liked the fact that many of the stories were feminist and all mainly followed female protagonists, but that may be a drawback for some people looking at this book as a celebration of the magic of YA (boys read YA too!). My favorite stories were probably "Princess" by Maya Prasad because I'm a software programmer and it involves convincingly portrayed AI and "Fools" because the fantasy realm it takes place in is just honestly really cool.

I would recommend this book for YA readers looking for expertly written and charming stories, especially those who want to see books with their names on them on the shelves one day.

Thanks to Algonquin Young Readers and NetGalley for the book in exchange for blog tour promotion and an honest review.

When I was getting my master’s degree in creative writing (humble brag!), I did quite a bit of reading about writing as a craft. Some of these books tend to be on the dry side and don’t really account for the magic that writers can feel when they put something meaningful down on the page. That’s part of why I was so enthralled with this unique collection of short stories that focuses on how each piece was written. It was wonderful for a book to place an emphasis on the creativity and genius that can come from an as-yet undiscovered writer.

The setup of “Foreshadow” feels very inventive. Each short story (all YA-themed, most with a magical realism theme) is introduced by an already-established writer whose books we know well (like Emily X.R. Pan and Nova Ren Suma). The reader can then get absorbed in the fiction, each story as captivating as the last. After each piece comes an author’s note where the writer describes their inspiration for the story or shares some insight into their process. Then, one of the editors writes a short section about an element of the story that worked really well – such as the use of theme, tone, etc. I absolutely loved getting a peek at where the writer’s brain was when they wrote the story, as well as input into why each story was inherently successful. The book is a great combination of fiction and examination of writing as a craft.

I’m a huge fan of short stories, so I think this collection would have been inspiring to me even without the emphasis on the writing process. My favorites were the quirkier, more outside the box stories – especially the ones with a fairy-tale or monster motif. It’s a tribute to how great the writing is that I didn’t feel bored or turned off by any stories (a rarity in short story collections typically). It’s shocking to me that these writers haven’t written other books or been widely published – they’re so incredibly talented!

Of course, I was experiencing quite a bit of jealousy while reading these stories. As my fiction hasn’t been published anywhere (yet), I’m envious that these writers got their big break with this collection. However, I’m just as grateful to the editors for coming up with this creative concept and for allowing unknown writers to have their voices featured. It was a great reminder that it can sometimes take a lot of rejection and only one big yes to succeed as a writer. Reading these fantastic stories will hopefully just serve as inspiration for me (and for other writers) to keep putting pen to paper.

I really enjoyed this collection of short stories. I liked that it focused on diverse, newer authors and talked about writing YA and the magic of YA storytelling. The stories were varied and engaging all the way through!

Thank you to Algonquin for sending me the eARC!

Foreshadow was originally an online literary project that featured new and emerging authors from marginalized groups. Each of their stories is introduced here by some of the most highly recognized and beloved voices in YA today. Following each tale is a brief glimpse into the writer’s mind:
What myths are incorporated into their stories and why?
Why the story is narrated in first person or second person voice and how does this change how the audience views the characters?
The importance of humor in driving the story.

At the end of each tale editors Emily X. R. Pan and Nova Ren Suma add their analysis. This look into the writing process and how it informs the writing style is eye-opening and adds another depth of understanding to the work. Foreshadow goes further to include writing prompts for the audience based on some of the stories.

This anthology had a vast array of genres and facets of life. Overall Foreshadow was clever and magical and uplifting. I personally found it refreshing to see girls and women given so much freedom to be who they are and exercise their power and gifts. I can see and would hope that high school teachers would include this book as part of their curriculum. I hope that the authors and editors realize their goal of “foreshadowing” where the landscape of YA fiction is going. We certainly need more of these new voices and their stories.

Another amazing collection of stories. This one has essays to explain each one and it make it even better. I didn't know I could love a book more. I think this is one of those titles that should be required reading in every school!! The description says it all for this one!!! Each story and essay work hand in hand to allow the reader to understand steps within writing and you will not be able to put it down.

Going into this one I was not sure what to expect since I typically do not read short stories but I ended up really enjoying this one! The 13 YA short stories that make up this anthology have such a wide variety of topics and genres there truly is something for everyone. Between each story there is an analysis of the story along with tips and tricks for aspiring authors which was really cool to read.

The use of magical realism is very heavy early in the book and some of the stories just did not work for me but I am sure others will love them! Pan Dulce was my personal favorite and it is truly hard to summarize the works in this book. I believe that someone who is looking to begin writing not only YA but any work of fiction will benefit greatly from this anthology.

Thank you Netgalley and Algonquin Young Readers for providing me an early copy in exchange for a honest review.

Foreshadow is so much more than just a collection of short stories. It's a deep dive into the art of storytelling and the magic behind the craft. We get to read 13 unique short stories written by new, underrepresented voices in YA fiction. Stories that range from science fiction, fantasy and gothic fairytales to contemporary, dystopian and magical realism. There's a story for every type of reader, and I fell a little bit in love with the magic hidden in between these pages.

Just when you thought it couldn't get any better, we also get an in-depth analysis written by the editors of this anthology that explore the different themes, symbolisms, motifs, and other elements of the story.

As someone who loves to read beyond the pages and learn all there is to know about a story, these short but relevant discussions were invaluable to me, as I'm sure they'll be to future readers alike! I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves discovering new, diverse voices and also enjoy wildly unique stories.

A big thank you to Algonquin Books for providing me with an ARC!

This book is super insightful for not just writers of YA but to readers as well. All of the short stories were beautifully done and very enjoyable. it is the perfect blend of story telling and also digging deeper into writing processes. that was interesting for me to read because I am not a writer and I just read! I liked seeing a little behind what goes into the actual writing of the stories I love to read!

I really liked most of these stories, and even those which I didn't like are powerful and would be great in another reader's hands. This book is amazing and YA star writers introducing all these amazing new YA writers is a hopeful, powerful thing. LOVED the book and its purpose!

Flight: 2/5. I liked its final thoughts on the whole thing, but the story didn't convince nor was my cup of tea. I understand not understanding since we start with the same amount of information the main character has, but I didn't enjoy it because it was mysterious in a confusing way. I didn't know what I was reading.

Risk: 5/5. Disgusting as The Metamorphosis (or at least what I remember about it). It lets you read it in a million different ways and every single one of them is better than the last one. A really good example on how to keep the reader reading regarding a short story.

Sweetmeats: 5/5. I would 100% read a whole book inspired in this short story. For real. I'm still amazed on how the author manages the rythm, the characters and their interactions. One of my favorite.

Glow: 2.5/5. Uhhhh I love sapphic stories but this one was kind of bland for me. I didn't like Naia at all and it all felt kind of rushed? It's about the power all girls have in themselves and the message is really empowering, but I didn't feel it in the story.

Escape: 2/5. I didn't like the rythm of the narration nor the character's voices, and it read as a really long story for me for being a short story. I liked how the main character solves the main problem, but not the ending.

Pan dulce: 1/5. I didn't like how it was written nor the characters (I found the main character's voice horrible) nor the topics. I don't wanna be rude because this story read as a really personal one for the author, but... if almost nothing is gonna happen in your story then you have to get the reader to stay focused in other ways. Before the thing happens I was bored as hell, and after the thing happened everything went back to being boring. The thing didn't save the rest of the story. I get that's a story that takes place in the 90s, but it's 2020: the narration is in the very verge of being sexist and slutshaming. We don't let the false dichotomy of pretty =/= intelligent pass anymore.

Solace: 4/5. Beautiful. Beautiful narration and beautiful characters. The ending was kind of a Hallmark film but even then I loved it. I would totally read a book about this, because if so much grief, sadness and hope is present in a short story, IMAGINE a book about it!

Princess: 4/5. The story wasn't that interesting for me, but I loved the worldbuilding and how in a few pages the author gave us a clear view of the world with rules that are, let's say, consistent for what we've read.

Fools: 5/5. I would TOTALLY read a book about this. I loved the characters, the world and the come and go between Fan and Dimen. For being a short story, it was well developed and written. One of my favorites.

Monsters: 5/5. Lovely. Beautiful story, development and writing. It's incredible how in not many pages you can say so much, from Milagros' past in Venezuela to two years later, when she encounters the monster a second time. I would read a book about this, a miggle grade series that ends up being YA.

Break: 5/5. A cute, lovely story that you can revisit to end up with a smile on your face. Fresh rom-com air in the middle of an anthology. Loved the characters!

Resilient: 4/5. I really liked the hopeful tone between the grief. It's not a 5/5 because I feel there was something missing, that I would probably could find it in the same story but in a longer format. Really liked the charaters.

Belly: 3.5/5. I liked it. It's a story with so much spirit... but something was missing. That something is a something that I think could be developed in a book, but that falls short in a short story. It posses too much power to be in an anthology (this one or any one!)

“What’s the point of storytelling magic if it isn’t shared?”

Foreshadow is comprised of 13 short stories, edited and compiled by NYT best-selling authors Emily X. R. Pan (The Astonishing Color of After) and Nova Ren Suma (The Walls Around Us), but it is also so much more. The stories, which differ in genre (from contemporary romance to fantasy and even horror) are written by up and coming YA voices and introduced by a powerhouse YA writer. Not only that, but each story is accompanied by a short essay by either Emily or Nova about the writing craft: character connection, creepy atmosphere, emotional resonance, imagery, mood, voice, worldbuilding, and more. There are even story prompts to challenge aspiring writers to dig a little deeper on their own ideas, practise what they learnt from these authors, and ultimately grow their own story into something real. It’s essential for those who love the genre and those who are aspiring writers!

When Emily and Nova decided to create this project, they were sure that they wanted to bring out new voices, especially marginalised ones. They wanted to discover new and unknown authors and give them the proper space and medium to be heard. The project started as an online platform where thirty-nine authors had the chance to see their stories published. So, the website, besides the stories found on the physical collection, also features some YA authors that you may already know.

The short stories have the perfect length and are very diverse in terms of genre and character backgrounds. Even if each story has something unique and magical, they all flow together so beautifully that there isn’t a story that I wouldn’t have included; it really is a very cohesive collection. All these stories have something that’s worth reading, even the ones that take a bit of a weird turn (things do get weird sometimes!). However, giving a review of each short story would give away too much, and on this occasion, it’s best to go into it blindly. You must know though, that each new voice is powerful and the storytelling is so wonderful. You will definitely want to read more from these 13 authors: Adriana Marachlian, Desiree S. Evans, Flor Salcedo, Gina Chen, Joanna Truman, Linda Cheng, Maya Prasad, Mayra Cuevas, Nora Elghazzawi, Rachel Hylton, Sophie Meridien, Tanvi Berwah, and Tanya S. Aydelott.

However, what really makes the book are the clear and concise essays written by either Emily or Nova. Through their eyes, the reader gets to see what made each story poignant, as well as why they chose each story for the collection and the reason why we feel certain things whilst reading these stories, feelings that maybe we hadn’t even acknowledged! You get to see the little details, the ins and outs of the writing craft.

What’s also interesting about this collection is that it even offers an extensive Q&A about the editing process as well as a section at the end which introduces the editors and the authors of the short stories. Thus giving us more background about who they are, how each of them approached the writing of their story, and how they came to each of these stories, i.e. the “original seed” of their ideas.

Foreshadow is an ode to YA and the magical art that is storytelling. This short story collection will be a valuable read not only for aspiring writers, but for other readers (YA lovers or not) who want to dig a little deeper into the craft or some stories to connect with. Ultimately, in the words of its creators, Foreshadow “is a testament to all the diverse, inclusive stories that young adult fiction has to offer.”

Foreshadow is a collection of 13 novellas, set up a little different than normal. Because you get a lot more than 13 short stories all with an amazing plot twist, you also get a short essay explaining why each story works, what makes it tick and you get explained how to keep suspense, how to set up a story and how to get people to accept the weirdest things. Because believe me: things get weird!

One thing I love about short stories is that they’re mostly about ideas. You can get that one brilliant spark of an idea and just write about it, and it brings across the point very nicely because it’s short. These authors all used this quite well, because as I said: things get weird. Was it sometimes too weird for me? Yes. Especially as some stories ventured into horror. But I did see the point very clearly and the plot twists were so cool and basically you’re reading all kinds of plot twists and get amazed at every turn and then it even gets explained so your own writing and understanding improves. I think this book will be very valuable and a great read for many, especially writers but also “normal” readers like me who just want to be amazed and learn about stories a bit more.

I received a free e-copy in exchange for my honest review.