I received this for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I See Reality: Twelve Short Stories About Real Life by Kristin Elizabeth Clark, Heather Demetrios, Stephen Emond, Patrick Flores-Scott, Faith Erin Hicks, Trisha Leaver, Kekla Magoon, Marcella Pixley, James Preller, Jason Schmidt, Jay Clark, Jordan Sonnenblick, Grace Kendall on January 26th 2016
Pages: 304
Goodreads
Twelve original stories by top MCPG authors explore real issues for real teens.
Through prose and comics alike, these heart-pounding short stories ask hard questions about a range of topics from sexuality and addiction to violence and immigration. Here is the perfect tool for starting tough discussions or simply as an introduction to realistic literary fiction. In turns funny, thought-provoking, and heartbreaking, I See Reality will resonate with today's teens long after the last page has been turned.
My Thoughts:
I don’t often read anthologies but I See Reality caught my eye. There were only four authors I was familiar with who contributed, but they’re authors I love. And I was excited to read some new-to-me authors! That’s what’s so great about anthologies 🙂
Overall, I really enjoyed this one. There weren’t any stories that I really didn’t care for. Sure, I liked some more than others. And, yes, there were a couple that ended in a way that left me hanging (the problem I most frequently have with short stories!) Still, I was pleased with the whole of the book.
As the description says, the stories in I See Reality really cover many issues teens deal with. I liked that each author did this in a way that wasn’t preachy. The stories flow authentically… it’s not like the author just inserted an “issue” to make it more intense.
I think my favorite stories were Blackbird by Trisha Leaver, The Sweeter the Sin by Jordan Sonnenblick, and The Down Side of Fabulous by Kristin Elizabeth Clark. I just really enjoyed the voices in each of these stories. The Mistake by James Preller, Makeshift by Kekla Magoon, and The Good Brother by Patrick Flores-Scott were the ones that really packed the most emotional punch for me. I enjoyed all the others as well.
I See Reality is an interesting anthology. Great for readers who like variety and books about social issues teens face.
Note: After reading it, I appreciate the cover much more. Each picture represents one of the stories in some way.
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