thebookguru's review
4.0
A much needed anthology. Kind of like The Good Immigrant but for teenagers...accept this is fiction and short stories/poetry and they all had to write a story dealing with change.
My fave stories:
Marionette Girl- I REALLY WANT A FULL NOVEL OF THIS I WAS SO INVESTED IN HE CHARACTER AND HER LIFE AND HER POOR CAT JHGKDFJGKF
Hackney Moon- this was cute and defo felt like a...timely story like there was a girl who wore a Black Girl Magic top and they made zines so yeah
We Who? by Nikesh Shukla was very confusing at times but the overall message is important. it reminded me of Randa Abdel Fattah's book The Lines We Cross...the whole 'my friend is a far right supporter can i still be friends with them if they don't think i should be here?'
like...the friend said: you're okay tho...it's the OTHER PEOPLE...that aren't okay.
The Clean Sweep by Patrice Lawrence- it was confusing at times but i liked it and i wouldn't mind a full novel or something similair...especially as it's to do with young people and prisons and reality tv and the scary thing is...it sounds like something that could happen one day
the story by Irfan Master is defo one of my faves as i LOVE TIME TRAVEL and it was super cool and interesting and i'd like to see more from that character.
last but not least...Fortune Favours the Bold is an important story...because every muslim in the west has been there...'urgh i hope it isn't a muslim' and then increasing islamophobia as well so well done Yasmin!!!! PLEASE WRITE MORE ABOUT THE TWINS!!!
those are just some of my fave stories. but please pick this book up and give it a read...buy it for a friend or a sibling or your school library. it's important for the marginalised in society to feel represented in art and our stories do need to be told whether it's to do with religion or sexuality or race or culture etc etc
Happy Reading (most of the stories are actually just kind of....sad...heartbreaking...thought provoking etc)
My fave stories:
Marionette Girl- I REALLY WANT A FULL NOVEL OF THIS I WAS SO INVESTED IN HE CHARACTER AND HER LIFE AND HER POOR CAT JHGKDFJGKF
Hackney Moon- this was cute and defo felt like a...timely story like there was a girl who wore a Black Girl Magic top and they made zines so yeah
We Who? by Nikesh Shukla was very confusing at times but the overall message is important. it reminded me of Randa Abdel Fattah's book The Lines We Cross...the whole 'my friend is a far right supporter can i still be friends with them if they don't think i should be here?'
like...the friend said: you're okay tho...it's the OTHER PEOPLE...that aren't okay.
The Clean Sweep by Patrice Lawrence- it was confusing at times but i liked it and i wouldn't mind a full novel or something similair...especially as it's to do with young people and prisons and reality tv and the scary thing is...it sounds like something that could happen one day
the story by Irfan Master is defo one of my faves as i LOVE TIME TRAVEL and it was super cool and interesting and i'd like to see more from that character.
last but not least...Fortune Favours the Bold is an important story...because every muslim in the west has been there...'urgh i hope it isn't a muslim' and then increasing islamophobia as well so well done Yasmin!!!! PLEASE WRITE MORE ABOUT THE TWINS!!!
those are just some of my fave stories. but please pick this book up and give it a read...buy it for a friend or a sibling or your school library. it's important for the marginalised in society to feel represented in art and our stories do need to be told whether it's to do with religion or sexuality or race or culture etc etc
Happy Reading (most of the stories are actually just kind of....sad...heartbreaking...thought provoking etc)
paperbackd's review
4.0
As a Brit, I’m always on the lookout for local authors to support, but it’s not easy - American authors dominate the ‘Teen and YA’ sections of most British bookshops. It’s even harder to find diverse #UKYA lit. We’re behind the times when it comes to diversifying our shelves - with some notable exceptions (Patrick Ness, Malorie Blackman and Juno Dawson to name a few), the biggest names in British children’s literature are overwhelmingly straight and white. So when I heard about A Change Is Gonna Come - an anthology of black, Asian and minority ethnic British authors - I was immediately excited.
The poems and short stories in this anthology explore the theme of ‘change’, and the authors’ interpretations of the theme vary widely, but each story feels undeniably relevant to modern British teenagers - from Nikesh Shukla’s exploration of a teenage friendship torn apart by post-Brexit racial tensions, to Patrice Lawrence’s frighteningly familiar dystopian version of my own city.
Like most anthologies, there’s something for everyone in A Change Is Gonna Come, whether you’re a fan of historical fiction, science fiction, fantasy or contemporary. Celebrating and championing the voices of British people of colour, A Change Is Gonna Come is a much-needed collection of stories, and I hope to see it gracing the shelves of libraries and schools up and down the country.
Many thanks to Stripes Publishing for providing a copy of A Change Is Gonna Come. The opinions expressed in this review are my own. A Change Is Gonna Come will be released on August 10th.
Publisher: Stripes Publishing
Rating: 4 stars | ★★★★✰
Review cross-posted to Paperback'd Reviews
The poems and short stories in this anthology explore the theme of ‘change’, and the authors’ interpretations of the theme vary widely, but each story feels undeniably relevant to modern British teenagers - from Nikesh Shukla’s exploration of a teenage friendship torn apart by post-Brexit racial tensions, to Patrice Lawrence’s frighteningly familiar dystopian version of my own city.
Like most anthologies, there’s something for everyone in A Change Is Gonna Come, whether you’re a fan of historical fiction, science fiction, fantasy or contemporary. Celebrating and championing the voices of British people of colour, A Change Is Gonna Come is a much-needed collection of stories, and I hope to see it gracing the shelves of libraries and schools up and down the country.
Many thanks to Stripes Publishing for providing a copy of A Change Is Gonna Come. The opinions expressed in this review are my own. A Change Is Gonna Come will be released on August 10th.
Publisher: Stripes Publishing
Rating: 4 stars | ★★★★✰
Review cross-posted to Paperback'd Reviews
fiendfull's review
4.0
A Change Is Gonna Come is an anthology of short stories and poetry by BAME authors aimed at a young adult audience. They touch on culture and identity in Britain and further afield today, using modern culture, alternate universes, and complex issues to tell stories about relatable characters. The authors are a mix of established names and fresh talent and the anthology is likely to be shared in classrooms as well as being a great read for teenagers, those who can remember being one, and anyone who wants to celebrate and enjoy diversity in YA writing.
A memorable early story in the collection is Aisha Busby’s ‘Marionette Girl’, which features a mixed race teenager with OCD charting the minutiae of her days, showing the frustrations of her condition as well as what makes her happy. ‘Hackney Moon’ by Tanya Byrne is a smart love story about Esther, half-Guyanese and half-English and in love with her female best friend, who meets Alesha at Rich Mix in Shoreditch and finds a place in the world. Byrne also uses a quirky, self-aware narratorial voice which adds a nice touch, commenting on teenage love and people being more than just ordinary. Nikesh Shukla’s ‘We Who?’ tells a Brexit story from a young adult perspective whilst looking at what happens when bigotry starts coming from supposed friends. And the emotional twist in Patrice Lawrence’s ‘The Clean Sweep’ can shock when it hits in a Black Mirror-esque story of justice systems and reality TV.
This is the kind of anthology to buy for yourself, for any (other) teenagers in your life, and for anyone who wants modern, diverse short fiction (and the odd poem). As the title suggests, it is full of characters looking and fighting for change, whether in their everyday lives or on a larger scale, and also dealing with a variety of things in their lives such as mental health issues, sexuality, and identity. Fiction has power, and this anthology is looking to prove it.
A memorable early story in the collection is Aisha Busby’s ‘Marionette Girl’, which features a mixed race teenager with OCD charting the minutiae of her days, showing the frustrations of her condition as well as what makes her happy. ‘Hackney Moon’ by Tanya Byrne is a smart love story about Esther, half-Guyanese and half-English and in love with her female best friend, who meets Alesha at Rich Mix in Shoreditch and finds a place in the world. Byrne also uses a quirky, self-aware narratorial voice which adds a nice touch, commenting on teenage love and people being more than just ordinary. Nikesh Shukla’s ‘We Who?’ tells a Brexit story from a young adult perspective whilst looking at what happens when bigotry starts coming from supposed friends. And the emotional twist in Patrice Lawrence’s ‘The Clean Sweep’ can shock when it hits in a Black Mirror-esque story of justice systems and reality TV.
This is the kind of anthology to buy for yourself, for any (other) teenagers in your life, and for anyone who wants modern, diverse short fiction (and the odd poem). As the title suggests, it is full of characters looking and fighting for change, whether in their everyday lives or on a larger scale, and also dealing with a variety of things in their lives such as mental health issues, sexuality, and identity. Fiction has power, and this anthology is looking to prove it.
piperbunny's review
4.0
I don't usually read short stories but I picked this book up at YALC after listening to a panel that Tanya Byrne was on. This was a great introduction to some new BAME authors I've not come across before. I really enjoyed the following stories and will be adding their books to my TBR if they're not already on there.
Marionette Girl by Aisha Bushby
We Who? by Nikesh Shukla
Dear Asha by Mary Bello
A Refuge by Ayisha Malik
Fortune Favours the Bold by Yasmin Rahman
Marionette Girl by Aisha Bushby
We Who? by Nikesh Shukla
Dear Asha by Mary Bello
A Refuge by Ayisha Malik
Fortune Favours the Bold by Yasmin Rahman
maxtaz's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
frizabell's review
4.0
Change is hard; still, maintain the charge.
They may have the safety,
But the bravery is all ours.
This is a wonderful anthology. It's incredibly diverse- including not only different races and religions but also mental health issues and the LGBT+ spectrum. I would love to see this book get more publicity and see more own voices reviews of it too!
The vast majority of the stories are well written and beautiful- I really enjoyed all but two, which is much better than I was expecting and both of the poems were gorgeous too.
The idea behind this is also fabulous and I hope that we see more diverse anthologies. I've definitely found some new authors to look out for too!
My personal favourites were Musa Okwonga, Nikesh Shukla and Mary Bello's pieces.
They may have the safety,
But the bravery is all ours.
This is a wonderful anthology. It's incredibly diverse- including not only different races and religions but also mental health issues and the LGBT+ spectrum. I would love to see this book get more publicity and see more own voices reviews of it too!
The vast majority of the stories are well written and beautiful- I really enjoyed all but two, which is much better than I was expecting and both of the poems were gorgeous too.
The idea behind this is also fabulous and I hope that we see more diverse anthologies. I've definitely found some new authors to look out for too!
My personal favourites were Musa Okwonga, Nikesh Shukla and Mary Bello's pieces.
pardonmywritings's review
5.0
I was super excited about this new release by @stripesbooks and it did not disappoint! 📣 A Change is Gonna Come is brimming with Young Adult stories of different genres from history to contemporary to magical realism and dystopia. And they're all written by fantastic black, Asian and minority ethnic writers! Ayisha Malik, Nikesh Shukla and Musa Okwonga to name a few! Does it get better than that?
ashortbooklover's review
5.0
A top contender for one of the best books I've read this year. Gripping, powerful and moving. This is a must-read.