I chose this book from NetGalley because I thought the theme of the short story collection—literally, collectors—was compelling. The actual stories easily delivered on those expectations. As someone considerably older than the intended YA reader, I would venture to say that the characters will also have a more universal appeal. I especially loved each author's unique interpretation of the theme, which made each story surprisingly different. Even my least favorite story here was satisfying; my favorites were quirky, smart, and stunningly imaginative.

3.5/5 Stars

I received this book in return for an honest review from NetGalley!

This was an eclectic mix of stories, and as someone who enjoys weird collections… I liked it! It was not my absolute favorite but I definitely enjoyed the loose concept of collections, this opened up the possibilities so much, and most of the time it kept me guessing at how each story would end! I have read many of these authors previously and a few I haven’t, so it was great to be introduced to some new authors. Overall it was a fun, weird and easy read. I’d definitely recommend people give it a try!

I read these with an open mind, but did not enjoy them. The stories were interesting but disjointed.

I love anthologies, or short stories, and this one has some good ones. This was a sort of feeling of stories of people and their collections.

A lot of the stories have these weird cool characters and settings. I really like David Levithan so no surprise his story stood out for me. Jason Reynolds also took me by surprise.
There’s just so much in this little compacted book that made me live it as a whole. Some dragged and didn’t stand out as much, but in all I enjoyed it.

So if you like quick, easy, short stories you can read in a day that give you a different perspective then I say grab this on.

A delightfully weird set of stories by powerhouse YA writers! I will absolutely get this for my library.

This is a weird anthology. In the best way. I love the stories. Some were heartbreaking. Some were creepy. And some were kind of uplifting. I wasn't sure what to expect but I did love this.

This anthology has a theme; as indicated by the title, the theme is collections. Some of selections are more along the line of vignettes, recollections of events with no apparent plot; others are complete short stories. In some, the theme is significantly more evident than in others. As with many anthologies, some stories are good, and others are less so. Unfortunately, for myself, rather more of these stories fall on the "less so" spectrum; others will no doubt enjoy them, but some of them do not particularly match my taste.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It's a good collection of stories. I don't think it was necessarily what I personally expected but it was still a good time!

This anthology is a glimpse into lives of weird and unusual humans, it's a collection of their collections, some steal from others to make their own collections(that one was my favourite) and some collect memories, every story was different and special, some I loved more than others, one of the stories was not really fitting with others and then I realised, that's how trinkets work, they don't have to fit or have a theme, they can just be special in their own way, and all of these stories did just that.
"My imagination was the place where I had the most power."
I saved some quotes like trinkets, I always do this, there's always something in a story that I find relatable, some quotes I want to display on my walls, some to keep as secret only for my eyes.
"Humans collect everything. We collect galaxies of information. We collect photographs. We collect the right thing to do in any situation. We collect the wrong things to do too. We are curators of joy and misery. We collect ourselves."
I can't describe everything I felt while reading this collection and I don't have to, you can read and see and feel for yourself. You might find something you lost, or something that you are looking for.
They are just trinkets, you might say, they are just stories. But they are so much more to someone like me.
Or maybe even someone like you.

I received a free digital ARC from Penguin Young Reader's Group via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. While I don't seek out short story collections, this grouping of authors made me want to. I was not let down and thoroughly enjoyed David Levithan and M.T. Anderson's stories. They all had unique perspectives on the topic of collections. If you are a fan of these authors or even some of the authors go ahead and take the dive. It's worth it.

Wow. This book is a rare case for me since most anthologies I've read always leave mixed impression. I actually love them all. The term collection is translated and interpreted broadly and uniquely by each author. I can't even pick a favorite because I appreciate them all, but the one by Jason Reynolds got me confused at first before an aha moment struck: it's recollection!

But I know some works are simply not everyone's cup of tea. If you are always up for experimental writings, a genre omnivore, and here-for-the-vibes kind of reader, this one might be for you.

Brilliant stories from brilliant authors. The best line: 'Duck Duck Goose' LOL idk why I laughed at that one.

Short stories by some of the best writers for teens, all around the them of collections. The stories were of different genres. I liked the ones that were realistic - David Levithan, G. Neri, and Jason Reynolds wrote my favorites.

What an interesting read. All of the stories in this book are about "Collections" and now I have a much broader sense of the word "Collection". Personally, I have collected things during my lifetime such as every book written by a particular author, and once upon a time matchbooks.... you get the idea.

Now I know that people collect all sort of things but they aren't all tangible. Some collectibles can be intangible and even experiential. This book has broaden my mind in ways I had not known.

Most of the authors featured here are quite popular among the young adult readers world and therefore many of these stories revolve around young adults.

Read this book for a new perspective on what a "collection" can be - it will broaden your world.

An interesting mix of stories--some interesting interpretation of the idea of collection. Some of these were fun and pushed boundaries, but overall it felt uneven and not as engaging as I was hoping for.

I love short stories and anthologies. Even the best author must flex their writing skills to deliver quality short stories. In less than a usual chapter length, they must introduce us to the characters and their communities/ back stories, commit to an "event" and then solve it, all while keeping the reader engrossed and flipping pages. I often find that an author will switch genres in an anthology, which gives me an even better appreciation for their talent.
Many have a similar theme with the writers giving their story an unusual “spin” to meet the theme’s intent without copying each other. This one is Collections, both literal and figurative. It is not unusual to find a true gem mixed in with the overall excellent stories, making anthologies a triple threat/ treat.
I typically will read a book of anthologies in between longer books, not this one. Once I started the first story, I had to keep going. Each story touched a different emotion and drew this reader far into the night to finish in one evening/night. A truly unique reading experience.

The Collectors: an ANTHOLOGY

Sometimes unsettling, sometimes insightful, sometimes incomprehensible to me, this collection did leave me thinking, admiring people of courage, and shaking my head at some of the odd choices we humans sometimes make, but perhaps understanding them a bit better.
Fair warning, don’t bully, and think hard about wishes like “I wish this moment could last forever.”
I collect frogs (figurines and such, after a tree frog decided to spend the winter in my house) and books and stories. The good news/bad news is that there are so many books, we’ll never be able to read them all.

This might be one of the most even anthologies I've ever read, and by "even" I mean consistently good. There were a couple of stories that I wasn't blown away by, but even those I really enjoyed--they just weren't AS great as the others. AS King has done a great job in creating this collection, and she should be allowed to assemble anthologies on any other theme she wants.

While the concept of this anthology and the list of authors is initially interesting, this book ultimately fell short for me. The connecting thread of collections is interesting but it felt frayed as it tried to string all the collections together. There were a few stories that I did still enjoy, Jason Reynold’s story especially, but overall I was just disappointed or confused when I had some high hopes for this collection of stories. I think it’s worth picking up to at least read the stories by authors that you like, but I wouldn’t particularly recommend the entire collection unless the concept just really appeals to you.

The good: As I mentioned, I really loved Jason Reynold’s story, it’s heartwarming and also distinctly melancholy, but I always appreciate seeing people deal with the familiar pain of a family member with Alzheimer’s. Randy Ribay and Cory McCarthy both had inventive and interesting stories that I think really pushed the boundaries and embodied the idea of a collection.

The okay: While Anna-Marie McLemore’s story was interesting, it’s the first from an anthology I didn’t find myself fully satisfied, but it has some potential. David Levithan’s story was probably one of the most well-rounded, I just never really connected with it. A.S. King’s story was an interesting concept, but it also didn’t click. Jenny Torres Sanchez, e.E. Charlton Trujillo, and M.T. Anderson’s stories were all decently interesting but not fleshed out enough for me to comprehend and care about what was going on before the story was over.

The bad (for me): G. Neri’s story either was or felt like the longest in the collection and was also my least favourite concept. It felt the least connected to the theme of the anthology and the least unique. Usually I can forgive a short story that I don’t like because it’s short but this one felt so long.

Overall, this anthology was just kind of alright for me. There’s some good and bad but mostly a lot of just okay.

This is a delightfully weird and unsettling collection of stories! I was sold when I saw A.S. King was the editor. Then you toss in Reynolds, Levithan, Torres Sanchez, Ribay, AND Anderson? Sold. I honestly couldn’t pick a favorite story because each one is so unique. The way these authors responded to the prompt to write about collections lends itself to a world of possibilities. I’ve already shared this collection with my class, referencing both Ribay & Levithan’s stories because I thought they would hook the kids (I was right!!) cannot wait to add a physical copy to my class library!

3 stars

I was so ready for this collection, especially after reading an exceptional introduction that asked what a collection was, why it was important, and promised a delightfully weird set of short stories pertaining to the theme. There is a lot of content warnings, but I didn’t really find any of them that strange. Some of them were rather boring and/or cozy. I appreciated the ones that played with style and form. My favorites were the first sort, Play House by Anna-Marie McLemore and Pool Bandits by G. Neri. I will say I received one of the roughest ARCs I have ever received, with many letters missing in double ‘f’ words in particular, so that might have impacted my reading experience.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest opinion.