Author: Shaun David Hutchinson

Divider

Essay Collection Review: (Don’t) Call Me Crazy

August 13, 2020 Uncategorized 6 ★★★★

Essay Collection Review: (Don’t) Call Me CrazyTitle: [Don't] Call Me Crazy
Author: Kelly Jensen, Victoria Schwab, Adam Silvera, Libba Bray, Esmé Weijun Wang, Yumi Sakugawa, Mike Jung, Meredith Russo, Stephanie Kuehn, S.E. Smith, Emery Lord, Sarah Hannah Gómez, Nancy Kerrigan, MILCK, Reid Ewing, S. Zainab Williams, Lisa Jakub, Hannah Bae, Monique Bedard (Aura), Gemma Correll, Heidi Heilig, Christine Heppermann, Shaun David Hutchinson, Ashley Holstrom, Mary Isabel, S. Jae-Jones, Susan Juby, Emily Mayberry, Amy Reed, Jessica Tremaine, Clint Van Winkle, Dior Vargas, Kristen Bell
Links: Bookshop (affiliate link) |Goodreads
Rating:four-stars

Summary: A solid collection, with several exceptionally funny and moving pieces; many informative ones; and very few duds.

This collection of essays on mental health impressed me in a lot of ways. Most or all of the essays are #ownvoices, with authors writing about topics that they have personal experience with. They come at this topic in a fascinating variety of ways. Themes include mental health in pop culture and the ways we both define mental health and sometimes let it define us. I learned a lot from this collection as a whole, although very few of the individual pieces felt didactic. They simply presented such a wide range of experiences and perspectives that it was impossible not to learn something new. Read more »

Divider

#LGBT+ YA Review: All Out

September 5, 2018 Uncategorized 0 ★★★

#LGBT+ YA Review: All OutTitle: All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages
Author: Saundra Mitchell, Anna-Marie McLemore, Natalie C. Parker, Nilah Magruder, Mackenzi Lee, Robin Talley, Malinda Lo, Dahlia Adler, Kate Scelsa, Elliot Wake, Scott Tracey, Tess Sharpe, Alex Sanchez, Kody Keplinger, Sara Farizan, Tessa Gratton, Shaun David Hutchinson, Tehlor Kay Mejia
|Goodreads
Rating:three-stars

The idea behind this anthology was wonderful. It includes the (fictional) stories of LBGT+ teens throughout history, including a number of pieces with a fairy tale feel. I enjoyed a lot of the settings and the tone of many of the pieces. Many of the protagonists had strong, unique voices. The stories with a fairy tale feel were fun. I also enjoyed the historical settings, which spanned many time periods and did a generally good job of bringing them to life. However, despite these strengths and my desire to love this collection, it barely averaged 3 stars for me across the stories. Read more »

Divider