A Universe of Wishes

Starred review from November 16, 2020
This fourth We Need Diverse Books anthology, edited by WNDB COO Clayton (The Belles), offers 15 speculative fiction short stories that are inclusive across gender identity, sexuality, race, ability, and religion. Tara Sim begins with a bang in the titular story, an enchanting offering wherein crystals help power the world and magic can be coaxed from cadavers. Kwame Mbalia conjures a poignant space odyssey in “Liberia,” starring botanist Kweku Aboah and other teens of color. Mark Oshiro’s “Unmoor” places memory-erasing runeworkers-for-hire in a queer, racially diverse narrative set in the Bay Area, and in “The Coldest Spot in the Universe,” Samira Ahmed chronicles two intertwined narratives nearly a millennium apart in a eulogy of Earth and an anthropological exploration of its downfall. Installments centering authors’ established properties will be of most interest to readers already familiar with them, but overall, this anthology resonates in its thorough enrichment of the canon, from fairy tale reconstructions to space operas. Ages 14–up.

December 1, 2020
A collection of stories diverse in plot, character, and setting. Fifteen prominent YA authors come together to present speculative works that center identities that the genre has a history of excluding from the front lines. While all the entries are solidly entertaining, a few standout stories steal the show: Anna-Marie McLemore's triumphant queer and trans-affirming "Cinderella" retelling, "Cristal y Ceniza"; "Wish," Jenni Balch's inventive tale about a curious girl on Venus who receives a mysterious wish-granting visitor; Samira Ahmed's "The Coldest Spot in the Universe," a haunting recounting of those who find the artifacts of a long-lost civilization; and Tessa Gratton's effortlessly original and stirring political fantasy, "The Beginning of Monsters," starring a nonbinary main character. Characters of varied genders, races, sexualities, and backgrounds feature heavily. Some authors place their characters in worlds where oppression is no more, allowing for a cathartic imagining of how life could be for those with marginalized identities; others immerse the reader in dystopian landscapes where they paint inspiring portraits of resistance. There will be something in this collection for every fan of the genre to enjoy. Daunting topics like colonialism, liberation, and ability are also woven into the stories with nuance, rarely in a way that feels heavy-handed. A refreshing anthology depicting worlds where everyone can belong. (Speculative fiction. 13-18)

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December 1, 2020

Gr 8 Up-This collection of speculative fiction featuring LGBTQIA+ protagonists and characters of color includes contributions by Libba Bray, V.E. Schwab, Kwame Mbalia, Nic Stone, and others. Some of the standout stories: A young warrior fighting to become the consort of the kingdom's ruler is drawn to one of her fellow combatants instead; to save her two mothers, a young Latina seeks an audience with a trans prince; a Black colonist aboard a spaceship is determined to take some of his history with him; a brown-skinned genie is summoned by a girl living in a research station in the clouds of Venus; a young man with the Sight seeks to rescue a bruja trapped in an invisible tower; love notes are supernaturally passed between a Black gang member in solitary confinement in California and an Arab boy in Gaza. Unfortunately, many of these stories end with a disappointing jolt, failing to fully develop the characters or adequately conclude the tale-readers will be left wanting more. Despite this, the diversity represented in these stories is exceptional, and many readers who may have thus far been unable to find themselves in the pages of speculative fiction will see themselves here. VERDICT A strong choice for all collections serving teens.-Heather M. Campbell, formerly at Philip S. Miller Lib., Castle Rock, CO

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