| Title | : | Our Stories, Our Voices: 21 YA Authors Get Real About Injustice, Empowerment, and Growing Up Female in America |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1534409017 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781534409019 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | ebook |
| Number of Pages | : | 320 |
| Publication | : | First published August 14, 2018 |
This collection of twenty-one essays from major YA authors—including award-winning and bestselling writers—touches on a powerful range of topics related to growing up female in today’s America, and the intersection with race, religion, and ethnicity. Sure to inspire hope and solidarity to anyone who reads it, Our Stories, Our Voices belongs on every young woman’s shelf.
This anthology features essays from Martha Brockenbrough, Jaye Robin Brown, Sona Charaipotra, Brandy Colbert, Somaiya Daud, Christine Day, Alexandra Duncan, Ilene Wong (I.W.) Gregorio, Maurene Goo, Ellen Hopkins, Stephanie Kuehnert, Nina LaCour, Anna-Marie McLemore, Sandhya Menon, Hannah Moskowitz, Julie Murphy, Aisha Saeed, Jenny Torres Sanchez, Amber Smith, and Tracy Walker.
Our Stories, Our Voices: 21 YA Authors Get Real About Injustice, Empowerment, and Growing Up Female in America Reviews
-
Never dismiss your own perspectives. Never question the validity of life in the margins.
This anthology truly lives up to its name: It tells the important and diverse stories of women whose voices have been ignored and smothered but will not take silence anymore.
These stories as a whole all have an underlying message of feminism and female strength and power, and while some authors may share the same marginalization—no two stories or messages are the same and I LOVE that. Each author had something new to contribute and I think they were [almost] all important. (The [almost] is for certain essays.)
Reading through my highlights and notes for this anthology makes me smile and feel inspired, because this collection of essays is so empowering for any and every woman. It’s a highly intersectional anthology that celebrates the voices and stories of marginalized women, and these women build each other up and call for change.🌹 FAVORITES (in order)
|| Black Girl Unbecoming • Tracy Deonn Walker
|| What I’ve Learned About Silence • Amber Smith
|| Trumps and Trunchbulls • Alexandra Duncan
|| Tiny Battles • Maurene Goo
|| Unexpected Pursuits: Embracing My Creativity, Indigeneity & Creativity • Christine Day
|| Fat and Loud • Julie Murphy
Almost all of the essays in this collection are amazing, but these were my absolute favorites. I 100% recommend you read these pieces, if you read nothing else in this anthology.🌷 HIGHLIGHTS
I was going to do mini reviews for each essay, but 1) I really don’t have any experience in reviewing nonfiction, and 2) there were… 21 essays and it would be too much for me to write mini reviews for 21 pieces. So I’ll just be talking about the ones that stood out to me and listing my individual ratings for all the essays (without a review).
To go in order of the anthology, Anna-Marie McLemore’s piece was unfortunately one I didn’t much enjoy. It’s about how she, a brown woman, thought she wasn’t worthy of God, and I find that an important narrative to tell, but sadly (because of personal history), it focused too much on Christianity for me. I think it’s a story necessary to tell, but not for me personally.
Christine Day’s essay about finding her creativity and getting in touch with her indigenous identity was one I can connect a lot to. I’m not indigenous, but I relate so much to writing being a form of expression to connect to your identity. And since we literally do not get any indigenous voices in literature, this essay is especially important.
I also completely loved Alexandra Duncan’s piece. It was just... extremely well-written, and I feel like it will be a really cathartic read for abuse survivors. Her discussion of gaslighting (from a perspective of someone who had been gaslighted) and how ingrained it was in society against women was something I’d never read before and I found it highly important.
Maurene Goo’s essay about her experiences with being Asian-American was something I related to so much, and I am forever glad that that piece was included in this anthology. There were things I’d internalized for so long that were addressed in this piece, and seeing that something I’d experienced was not something I’d experienced alone meant a lot to me.
Another essay I really loved was Julie Murphy’s piece on being fat. Her discussion of how she had to be political whether she wanted to or not because of her body was something I think is really important, and she also had a lot of other perspectives on fatness that I found highly significant. And I really appreciate how she highlighted how she was much more privileged as a white woman versus a woman of color, despite not being privileged in other areas.
There were some more essays I didn’t enjoy, however. Hannah Moskowitz’s piece was just one I didn’t get, and while I know that the importance of a piece does not depend on whether or not I, personally, get it—I didn’t really understand at all what she was trying to say? What message she was trying to get across? And what relevance it had to this specific topic? It was weird. I don’t know. I don’t want to say her experience isn’t important (because, hello, dismissive and dehumanizing) but I just was confused. A lot.
Then, there was a just disgusting essay by Ellen Hopkins, who has really proved herself not to be much of a[n intersectional] feminist. Her piece was all about how she accidentally became an activist after seeing how her parents treated marginalized people and realizing her privilege. Congrats, you saw marginalized people suffer and it accidentally turned you into an activist, when marginalized people have had to advocate for themselves because of their mere existence as a marginalized person, while you had privilege problems. (Can you tell I’m annoyed.) I mean, here is an abled, white allocishet woman who is not marginalized in any way, taking up a place that could have been for a trans writer. But I mean, those abled allocishet white women will always be taking up spaces for marginalized people, I guess. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
And finally, I just didn’t understand what the message was with Martha Brockenbrough’s piece. Like, her piece is titled “Not Like the Other Girls”, and even after having read it, I’m still not quite sure whether or not that was supposed to be ironic? I was just very confused with this essay and did not get what she was trying to say at all.
Luckily, after those few essays that I unfortunately did not like, there were two that were just absolutely amazing. The first is Amber Smith’s piece, and god, it was just so well-written and powerful and touching. It’s a story about sexual assault, but I know it will resonate with more than just sexual assault survivors. It was just. amazing. I can’t describe it in any other way.
And the second essay was Tracy Deonn Walker’s, which was about the expectations put upon her as a black girl and how art helped her fight back, and it was just... amazing. It was my favorite of the whole anthology, and I think it’s just an extremely well-written, inspiring, powerful, and highly important story. I am so glad it was included in this anthology and I cannot wait to read more of Walker’s work.🌷 SOME COMPLAINTS
I would have liked to have seen even MORE marginalized authors? There were a lot of authors of color, which I appreciate, but there were only a few queer ones. I think the experiences of queer women of color are extremely important and I would have liked to see more queer authors of color. There was also a lack of trans writers, which Amy Reed acknowledged in her foreword, but acknowledging a problem doesn’t solve it. Trans voices and trans stories are extremely important and I really really wish at least one trans author had been included in this anthology.
There were a few other small things that I didn’t like (saying “American Indian” instead of “Native American” [it was like... trying to do word play with “Indian-American and American Indian” which is. not cool in a lot of ways], and a bi author describing her relationship with a man as “hetero” [bi women can define their relationships how they like but it just, to me, reinforces the idea of gay vs. straight relationships with multi-gender-attracted people]), but the second worst thing after the lack of trans writers was the inclusion of a completely non-marginalized author whose story was about accidentally becoming an activist, which was an accident because she was... privileged. I know I already talked about this but I’m pretty sure we all would rather read about a trans woman’s experience than a white abled allocishet woman’s. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Honestly, skip this essay and spare yourself the pain of having to read an essay wanting you to feel bad for a woman realizing how wrong she was to not be an activist before she saw marginalized people suffering.
Luckily, those are pretty much the only complaints I had. I really, really loved this anthology and so many of these stories resonated with me. Reading just a few quotes that I highlighted makes me feel empowered, and I think that says a lot about this collection. Please, if you can, read it, support these [mostly] marginalized authors, and be an intersectional feminist unafraid to make change happen.🌹 RATINGS
🌷 My Immigrant American Dream by Sandhya Menon • ★★★★☆.5
🌹 Her Hair Was Not of Gold by Anna-Marie McLemore • ★★★☆☆
🌷 Finding My Feminism by Amy Reed • ★★★★☆
🌹 Unexpected Pursuits: Embracing My Indigeneity & Creativity by Christine Day • ★★★★☆.5
🌷 Chilled Monkey Brains by Sona Charaipotra • ★★★★☆
🌹 Roar by Jaye Robin Brown • ★★★★☆
🌷 Easter Offering by Brandy Colbert • ★★★★☆
🌹 Trumps and Trunchbulls by Alexandra Duncan • ★★★★★
🌷 Tiny Battles by Maurene Goo • ★★★★★
🌹 These Words Are Mine by Stephanie Kuehnert • ★★★★☆
🌷 Fat and Loud by Julie Murphy • ★★★★☆.5
🌹 Myth Making: In the Wake of Hardship by Somaiya Daud • ★★★☆☆.5
🌷 Changing Constellations by Nina LaCour • ★★★★☆
🌹 The One Who Defines Me by Aisha Saeed • ★★★★☆
🌷 In Our Genes by Hannah Moskowitz • ★★☆☆☆.5
🌹 An Accidental Activist by Ellen Hopkins • ★☆☆☆☆
🌷 Dreams Deferred and Other Explosions by Ilene (IW) Gregorio • ★★★★☆.5
🌹 Not Like the Other Girls by Martha Brockenbrough • ★★☆☆☆
🌷 Is There Something Bothering You? by Jenny Torres Sanchez • ★★★☆☆.5
🌹 What I’ve Learned About Silence by Amber Smith • ★★★★★
🌷 Black Girl, Becoming by Tracy Deonn Walker • ★★★★★ -
This anthology is a tough one for me to rate. If I were reviewing it based solely on the nature of the work—this book about intersectional feminism, equality and equity, and fighting back against a society that perpetuates things like treating women and nonbinary people as less than men (and women/nonbinary people from marginalized communities as lesser, still)—it would be a 5-star read, with no hesitation.
We are living in a cultural battleground where, for many of us, our very identities seem to be under attack.
Unfortunately, the execution of the collection leaves a bit to be desired, and if I were rating it exclusively on my enjoyment, it would be 3-star worthy (hence my compromise at 4 stars in the end). One of the problems that I found was that, frankly, the collection feels repetitive by the end of it. If I’d read one essay a day, maybe this wouldn’t have been an issue, but as it stands, I read this in two days, and was feeling by the end as though I was rereading earlier pieces.These boys and men are ghosts. None of them have edges. They bleed into one another. They are the same.
My enjoyment for the collection as a whole dropped in the final third, where we had one story in particular from an author who has already proven herself not to be an intersectional ally of people of color, yet spent far too many pages explaining her privileged upbringing and humble-bragging about what a great activist she considers herself to be. It felt like a bold, unintentional reminder of why allocishet white women need to stop being what this society accepts as “the face of feminism”.He was always blond. Except, somehow, when He was on the cross. Only in the moment of His deepest suffering did artists consider He might have walked this earth as a dark-haired, brown-skinned man.
Of course, there were some real gems in the collection, like Anna-Marie McLemore’s; I always love the way she has with words, and her descriptions of how difficult it was to grow up religious in a world where her deity was whitewashed by the masses was incredibly insightful to me, as a white former Christian who never had to deal with those devastating thoughts as a child. I was also particularly fond of Sandhya Menon’s bit on immigrating from India, Julie Murphy’s story that managed to weave fat rep and recognizing that her privileges as a white woman still protected her despite her size, and Amy Reed’s devastating recounting of sexual assault.
All in all, while this was certainly not the best nonfiction anthology I’ve read, it’s still definitely worth a read (though you can probably skip Ellen Hopkins’ story with no harm done, to be fair). Especially if you are a person who sits in a great place of privilege, the greatest thing about this collection—and the reason I am still giving it 4 stars—is that I do think it has a great deal to offer in the ways of encouraging intersectionality, which is something we can never have too much of.
All quotes come from an advance copy and may not match the final release. Thank you so much to Simon Pulse for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
You can find this review and more on my
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good intentions but mediocre executions.
review to come. (also, mediocre executions is a sick band name) -
"Ours are the marginalized voices they refuse to listen to. This book, this act of resistance, says our stories matter. Our lives matter. Our voices will not be silenced."
This anthology review is going to be a little different than my other ones because it’s nonfiction stories, and it feel weird reviewing and rating each story individually when it’s someone’s personal experiences. I’ve been looking forward to this anthology since I read The Nowhere Girls by Amy Reed last year and I discovered that she was editing an anthology about race, religion, activism, feminism, and the female experience.
I found many of the stories to be captivating and raw. Some of my favorites in the collection was “My American Dream” by Sandhya Menon celebrating everything that makes you who you are. “Finding My Feminism” by Amy Reed who shared a moving condemnation of rape culture and what being an activist means to her. “Tiny Battles” by Maureen Goo detailed the “tiny battles” that makes up your life’s journey and the powerful motivator anger can be. “Myth Making: In the Wake of Hardship” by Somaiya Daud discussed the complexities of intersecting identities. These stories all felt incredibly personal, while also universal - which I think is the highest praise I can give this anthology.
Overall, I really did enjoy this anthology. Now it can start to make you emotional, I drifted between sadness and anger a lot, but it does pull you in. And this was really one of my first experiences with nonfiction, but I was invested because it was stories from authors I love or subject matter that I value. Our Stories, Our Voices is a powerhouse collection of truths that need to be shared from an incredibly diverse range of YA authors that allows their voices to shine in an uncertain time.
I received a copy of the book from Simon Pulse via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. -
Read as part of Riveted Lit's 25 Days of December promotion!
I've tried writing a review for this but honestly, I'm very moved by this collection of essays that my thoughts currently aren't processing straight. It was a powerful read and I applaud the authors featured for coming forward and sharing their stories. It's not easy to talk about experiences that haunt you still. I lost my best friend to cancer eight years ago and it's still quite raw for me. I feel inspired, encouraged and strongly urge all of you to give this collection a read. Go on. Read! -
TW: mention of racism, sexual assault, racism, homophobia, ableism, abuse, xenophobia
Overall Rating: 4/5
My Favorite Quotes:
My Immigrant American Dream by Sandhya Menon
“Perhaps one of the most important lessons I’ve learned in my nearly twenty years in this wonderful country is this: there is no one way to be American.”
Her Hair Was Not of Gold by Anna-Marie McLemore
“But sometimes, finding those who are like you, exchanging looks of You too? is enough.”
Finding my Feminism by Amy Reed
“This is one of so many shames that are too common for trauma survivors: my experience wasn’t bad enough. I did not earn the right to suffering. I made it up. In some twisted way, I must have chosen it. It must be my fault.”
Unexpected Pursuits: Embracing My Indigeneity by Christine Day
“‘Diaspora.’ It conjured a sharp-edges feeling. It plucked at something raw inside me.”
Chilled Monkey Brains by Sona Charaipotra
“The anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim, anti-LGBTQIA, anti-anti-anti sentiment of Trump’s America—not my America—has given new fuel to this already raging fire.”
Roar by Jaye Robin Brown
“I suppose, as girls, we do have a choice. We can choose to rebel against the male gaze and not wear makeup. We can stop messing with our hair. We can wear clothes that hide our femininity. But what if you like all that girly stuff? What if that stuff fills you up on some fundamental level and you like looking in the mirror and seeing all of the girl that is you. Do we stop simply because eyes are watching? Or because other eyes say to tone it down?”
Easter Offering by Brandy Colbert
“My tears were primarily of mourning for those three men, who didn’t deserve the fate they met on the town square that Easter weekend in 1906. But they were also tears of anger and regret. I felt like I’d been robbed of my chance to grow up with a large and successful Black community, all because of the false accusations of two white people who had nothing to lose.”
Trumps and Trunchbulls by Alexandra Duncan
“Gaslighting sounds like a sophisticated technique, but it’s not. All it requires is a convincing facsimile of conviction and the mere suggestion that reality is not what it seems. If the abuser shouts his Bizarro-World version of events loudly enough and often enough, at least some people will believe it, and that will make his victims second-guess themselves. That’s the real terror of gaslighting— that your sense of reality begins to warp and bend until you’re excusing the abuser and doing his work for him.”
Tiny Battles by Maurine Goo
“How many times did I regret, the second after I did it, throwing a desk lamp onto the floor? How many pillowcases were left moldering under the constant assault of tears and saliva from my openmouthed screams?”
These Words Are Mine by Stephanie Kuehnert
“The highest number of sexual assaults on college campuses occur within the first six weeks of classes. We’d decided it was crucial to host a community reading of this survivor’s letter and a discussion about rape culture during that window. It felt even more pressing after that weekend when rape culture had so brashly, so unapologetically been put on display.”
Fat and Loud by Julie Murphy
“I can’t look through the popular search page on Instagram without seeing what my #bodygoals should be, and Pinterest is just a breeding ground for thigh-gap obsessions. But my body has never been what is considered acceptable.”
Myth Making: In the Wake of Hardship by Somaiya Daud
“‘Writer is not an identity, or rather, not an identity in the ways that ‘Black’ or ‘Muslim’ are. But it’s always been a deeply embedded part of me, impossible to separate from the ways I see the world and engage with it.”
Changing Constellations by Nina LaCour
“I was in love with her fierceness and frenetic drums and her voice, which could switch from impossible soft and sweet to primal in a moment. I listened to the love songs she wrote about other girls and something in me wondered. And then on the first day of my second semester at college, the wondering was replaced with certainty.”
The One Who Defines Me by Aisha Saeed
“‘When we find out which country did this,’ he told me, ‘we will bomb them until there isn’t a flower left blooming.’ A few days later the terrorist was revealed to be a white American man named Timothy McVeigh. Class resumed without fanfare.”
In Our Genes by Hannah Moskowitz
“Which was part of what made it so surprising when I came over to her house to see her, at twenty years old, and told her I was in a relationship with a girl, and she looked at me like her world had dropped out from under her. I’d been with girls for a year; she really didn’t know? Or was it that it really took her nineteen years to come to terms with having a Jewish child, and I hadn’t yet given her that for having a queer one?”
An Accidental Activist by Ellen Hopkins
“Weekdays were relatively quiet, but alcohol-fueled arguments were common in Daddy’s days off, and those were the only times I ever heard my mol voice opinions that ran counter to her husband’s. Women were supposed to be seen and not listened to.”
Dreams Deferred and Other Explosions by Illene (I.W.) Gregorio
“My name was not some meaningless signifier. It wasn’t a mere collection of letters. It was a brand, labeling me as an ‘other’ in my otherwise Wonder Bread-white Central New York town.”
Not Like Other Girls by Martha Brockenbrough
“There was room for all sorts of boys on the team—boys who dominated, boys who daydreamed. There were cheers for all of them. There were not for me, although my gift-wrapping skills remain top-notch.”
Is Something Bothering You? by Jenny Torres Sanchez
“My dad told us about the trucker who’d been asking for directions over the CB radio in Spanish because he didn’t speak English and was trying to find the warehouse where he had to make a delivery. My father had given him directions in Spanish even though some other truckers told him to Shut up! Speak English! Go back to your own country! Grown men were upset over my father’s kindness and willingness to help. Grown men decided to terrorize him because of it.”
What I’ve Learned about Silence by Amber Smith
“But secrecy breeds shame. And shame is a sneaky, shape-shifting creature that often changes its form and appearance. Sometimes it looks like anger or sadness, even numbness or calmness, and we create many different masks to hide it.”
Black Girl, Becoming by Tracy Deonn Walker
“Even as a part of me realized that this space may have been for girls, but not girls like me. This was the first hint of trouble that my desires—my attractions, what I like, what makes me happy, might not be good topics to share in social spaces. This was the first indication that being a Black girl meant treading carefully.” -
3 / 5 stars
Most anthologies have such a wide variety of writing styles that it's jarring. This, however, did not. And it wasn't in a good way (for me). Everything just blended together, and it makes me feel guilty as the audience because these people's (one isn't a woman) stories deserve time and respect that I simply cannot give them because of the blurring style.
As for the stories that focused on intersectional feminism, they were somewhat surface level. It might be the format, a simple essay isn't enough to encompass a person's relationship with feminism, but I wasn't particularly interested.
I'm sticking to my tradition–getting upset that even intersectional feminism only mentions disability in passing. As if being disabled doesn't further complicate someone's relationship with feminism? Not that it's the responsibility of all disabled feminists to focus all of their work on disability, but in a book about accepting diversity and embracing feminism, shouldn't there at least be a slight discussion of truly intersectional feminism? My bar is so low that it doesn't even exist, yet I'm always disappointed.
Anyway, I'll definitely be checking out some of the standout authors from this! -
I want more
Maurene Goo in my life and I've read just about everything listed under her name on Goodreads...so I decided to give this one a try.
It was okay.
The stories blur after a while. Some stand out (like Maurene Goo's!) But mostly they're a blur of YA authors venting about how much they hate that Donald Trump won the election in 2016. In that sense, as much as this book aims at connecting to a broader dialogue about feminism, it is very rooted in reactionism and post-election emotions.
A pity, really, because there are some very talented ladies in this collection -
See more of my reviews on
The YA Kitten! My copy was an ARC I got from the publisher via Edelweiss.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that being a woman in the United States kinda sucks, especially if you’re a woman of color or queer or disabled or otherwise marginalized. It sucks to different degrees for different people; a cishet white woman and a queer black woman will face very different problems and bigotry in life. Amy Reed brings together a chorus of diverse voices in this anthology, but one particular voice takes up a conspicious amount of space and the voices of trans people aren’t heard at all.
Though the contributors tell varying stories–Stephanie Kuehnert explores all the ways she’d been told she and her body didn’t matter as a young woman; Sona Charaipotra talk of, among other things, how the pitiful representation of Indian people affected her as she grew up–many of the essays share a common thread: Donald Trump and his election as president. Seeing that happen mere weeks after the Access Hollywood tape full of his misogyny came out expressed millions’ implicit-but-nearly-explicit approval of how he devalued women the way so many men do.
Their experiences are anecdotes from a country with sexism so entwined with its DNA that it almost wasn’t a surprise that he won. What he said on the tape as well as on the national stage throughout his campaign is what these women faced in their schools, their hometowns, and even their own homes. Even in the brief time between his election and his inauguration (a number of essays include the author saying they’re finishing up while watching the latter event), authors of color like Aisha Saeed mention experiencing more overt racism. A fellow author told Saeed and her husband that she could speak to the two any way she wanted because Trump was now president.
Really, this could turn into a list of each essay and the various ways they’ll hit you right in the gut. Each one is powerful. When it’s an author of color writing, they make clear to the reader what it’s like to face bigotry on multiple fronts at the same time, like homophobia paired with sexism and racism.
All except one essay that comes from such a disgusting place of privilege that it shouldn’t be in this anthology at all: the one written by Ellen Hopkins.
Her contribution, titled “The Accidental Activist,” is largely her talking about how she got into “accidental activism,” which she achieved by watching marginalized people suffer. It’s horrifically out of place in a book full of direct, visceral, and intersectional experiences with bigotry. Plus she’s currently working on that Sanctuary Highway book, which boils down to this white woman profiting off black pain via a modern spin on the Underground Railroad. Her essay’s presence is an insult to everyone else involved, especially the black women who contributed to the book.
Another glaring blind spot in the anthology: there are no trans writers whatsoever. Reed acknowledges this at the beginning of the book, but recognizing it doesn’t make it okay. Whether their story is of being erroneously considered a girl or woman by society or of knowing they’re female when everyone else thinks otherwise, there are so many valid, complicated experiences being ignored by their omission from the anthology.
Our Stories, Our Voices has serious value for girls growing up in the Trump administration, so I can’t wholly say they should skip it because of Ellen Hopkins or the omission of trans writers. Instead, keep those things in mind and be prepared to understand all the ways these writers experienced bigotry long before Trump began his campaign for the presidency. Good reading for a teen who’s looking to understand intersectional oppression. -
I don’t know how to rate this yet, but I think more people should read this anthology. If you are interested in reading it, in the book, there are trigger warnings mentioned before the stories, which is very thoughtful. Trigger warnings should be marked at the beginning of the book more often and it’s great that it is the case in this book.
Also, it is about elections (especially 2016), which is definitely a relevant theme.
#YourVoiceMatters -
An outstanding collection of essays about feminism, about activism, and about growing up being female in the US. The voices here are authentic, showcasing not only feelings and experiences, but the ways in which these women have chosen activism that works for them. Standouts in this collection include Brandy Colbert's essay about learning the racist history that changed her home town from one with a larger black population to one where she was one of few black people in her school, Maurene Goo's piece about the way she uses her anger to fuel her, Julie Murphy's essay about why being fat meant she was political whether she chose to act on it or not, and the piece that closes this book by a new author, Tracy Deonn Walker, about the way other people put expectations on her as a black girl and how she uses art to fight back.
Not all of the essays will resonate with all readers, but that's the greatness of an anthology. Some pieces didn't do much for me, but I also know they'll work for other readers.
There is one glaring omission in the collection worth noting: there are no voices of trans women here. We have acknowledgement of trans women throughout, but, it is disappointing not to see their voices in here alongside these other women. Anna-Marie McLemore talks about her husband, who is trans, but it's still not a specific experience of being a trans woman.
Pass this along to readers who want a book about the current political climate -- most talk about the election (which, admittedly, gets tiring after a while, but if you don't read this in a single sitting, will not grow as tiring) -- and a book about being a girl in modern America. These women span all backgrounds, ethnicities, races, sexualities, and religions, and those intersections are emphasized. For readers who enjoy my own HERE WE ARE: FEMINISM FOR THE REAL WORLD, this would pair really nicely with it. -
I want to be careful about what I say about this collection because I don't want to discredit any of the authors who wrote in here. Many of these pieces were intensely beautiful and moving and probably required incredible strength to write.
However, I found a lot of them to be repetitive and surface level. The theories and ideas presented in the book are very entry level feminism and I feel don't really accurately portray a lot of feminist theory. In addition, many of these felt like a reaction to 2016 election, which obviously was very relevant when this came out, but it will date this book.
In my opinion this book was just poorly marketed. I thought the individual intentions of each author were different and so it felt uneven and not cohesive. I feel that reading each of these individually at different points could have been more powerful that reading them back to back.
Overall, the message of this book is obviously very powerful. There are some amazing women in here (although a definite lack of trans women) with amazing stories. I'm not sure exactly who I would recommend it to but I think it's great for entry level intersectional feminism. -
Good essays but I don't think I would reread many of them. I think I liked the one by the previously unpublished writer the best. Many authors focusing on how it felt after Trump was elected got a little repetitive and I feel like makes it more dated. Unsure of how many teens would really be drawn to reading this, but I think it would be great reading for a high school class.
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For many Americans, not just the females who are talked about and spotlighted in this anthology, there are a few dates that have stuck in their minds from incidents like the KKK lynchings in the 1950's/1960's, Oklahoma Bombing, Kent State Ohio, September 11th, 2001, Deaths of JFK and Martin Luther King and last but not least the elections of 2016 when Donald Trump won out over Hilary Clinton. Each of these events has played a part in some of the authors' lives who have featured in this essay. We also have edgier topics from sexual harassment, rape, and homosexuality. Our Stories, Our Voices is a collection of essays / short stories from female authors who are prominent in YA fiction talking about their experiences and what they have had to overcome in a world of white superiority, a world where men were told it's ok to have sex with females as they are asking for it. Over the past ten years our world is slowly changing, some for the better where the minorities of Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and Muslims are finally being treated like an equal and not frowned or blamed for historical/other events and where women finally can stand up against their accused in a #Metoo Movement. A world where Feminism isn't frowned upon and being a feminist you aren't automatically painted as a male hater. Also, a world where you can finally be your true selves without feeling repressed. This anthology does have triggering points with some stories but each one packs a powerful punch and as someone who grew up not in America and someone who is white myself and lived a semi-sheltered life as I might have been exposed to events like child abuse, poverty, suicide, etc but I also lived in a pretty sheltered family home where we did things mainly as a family unit and I didn't have friends outside of school hours. If you are wanting an anthology to help guide your views of justice and empowerment especially if you too live in America, then you will love this YA anthology which includes some of my favorite YA authors like Amy Reed, Ellen Hopkins, Julie Murphy, Sandhya Menon, Maurene Goo, Nina LaCour, and Hannah Moskowitz, etc.
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I don't want to give this anthology a rating, because how could I judge these women's truths?
Twenty-something women of various ages, races, and experiences write about their stories of being their own particular brand of female in America. Most, but not all, of the writers are published young adult authors. Each essay reads like a love letter to today's teen girls. There is anger, regret, pride, sass, and wisdom. Every teenage girl could find something here that speaks to her. -
really good!!! except for Ellen Hopkins' essay. I found that one bad and offensive honestly. but otherwise I really enjoyed it!!!!!
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So many of us are hearing the message right now that we do not belong, that we are not welcome. To that - I think I speak on behalf on all of the authors in this book - I say bullshit. You are wanted. You are loved. You belong. I hope you read these pages and see yourself in our stories, see that there is a place for you, with us. I hope the words of these authors help you feel less alone. I hope you read about women just like you, and I hope you read about women very different from you, and I hope your heart opens for all of them. I hope you see in the diversity of our stories a common light, a shared humanity and dignity, a community that includes you and all the people you care about."
Our Stories, Our Voices is an anthology edited by Amy Reed featuring the voices of 21 different young-adult authors who write essays about their experiences being female in America.
Because this is a non-fiction anthology, I do not feel comfortable rating each individual story as I do not believe I can rate people's individual life experiences, but I am giving the entire anthology a full five stars because I believe there are very empowering messages contained within this anthology for all women.
So, I'm going to dig a little deeper into the individual stories and then wrap-up with my thoughts as a whole! [I go quite in-depth about these essays, so if you want to know nothing about them, I would suggest skipping over the mini-reviews.]
My Five Favorite Essays:What I've Learned About Silence by Amber Smith
Black Girl, Becoming by Tracy Deonn Walker
Changing Constellations by Nina LaCour
Finding My Feminism by Amy Reed
Roar by Jaye Robin BrownI share this part of my journey because I feel like so many of my experiences have been related: home life, school life, being assaulted, being bullied, being in the closet, and feeling like an outsider. All of those roads lead back to the same place: silence. And it is this silence that is at the core of rape culture.
Amber Smith's What I've Learned About Silence is, without a doubt, my single favorite essay in this whole anthology. Smith's essay begins with her detailing her own trauma, - her own past as someone who was a victim of rape and grew into a survivor of rape - being someone who battled the confusion of being a lesbian when it wasn't talked about, being bullied, and more. But then it develops into an essay about rape culture in our society and our society's constant necessity to silence these people. She writes an essay about the darkness of keeping trauma silent, and that path from growing from a victim into a survivor and gaining that empowerment. She writes an essay that is moving and heartfelt and honest.That was the first hint that my desires - my attractions, what I like, what makes me happy - might not be good topics to share in social spaces. This was the first indication that being a Black girl meant treading carefully. This was the first time I realized I might have an identity illness.
Tracy Deonn Walker's Black Girl, Becoming is the story of growing from a young Black girl who hid her Blackness, and into an adult who embraced her voice and used it to loudly share her truth. It is a story that involves her detailing a moving performance, a performance that moved me even as I read it rather than watched it. It was a story that moved me to my very core.No matter how engaged we are, no matter how much we stand up for our neighbors and friends, when we aren't directly affected by injustice we have the luxury of turning away from it.
Changing Constellations is Nina LaCour's love letter to a high school best friend of hers, and her narrative about the difference in how injustice impacted when she was a bystander watching her gay best friend get bullied versus when she herself realized she was queer. Changing Constellations is a beautiful love letter to a pivotal figure in LaCour's life, and how his fight shaped hers.But I remember feeling a glimmer of something inside, something like being seen, like maybe I did have some validation of my pain, that maybe my story was enough to earn the brokenness I felt, that maybe all those women who were marching against rape were marching for me,too.
Finding My Feminism by Amy Reed is an essay about a version of herself who did not fit the typical "good-girl appearance," but who was also an outspoken activist for all women but herself. She writes an essay about her journey in coming to terms with her trauma and her struggle with feeling like she is not a good enough feminist. She writes a story about finding a community where she starts to be able to share her voice - the voice that is open about her past with sexual violence. This one really resonated with me because of her advocacy for all other experiences, but her division when it came to being a self-advocate. And it was everything. (TW: sexual violence/rape)But, as a girl, it didn't take me long to figure out that we are not considered our own.
This truly might be my favorite quote from the whole anthology - from Roar, Jaye Robin Brown's essay. Roar is Brown's essay about her struggle with being a 'good Southern girl,' her struggle with how being queer (lesbian, specifically) does not fit that narrative, and how her acceptance of being feminine led her to understand that there was no right way to be a lesbian and, certainly, no right way to be a girl. Brown's essay deals with themes that I think are still far too prevalent in our society today, in how femininity is seen as "bad" and "bowing down to gender roles," and that is likely why this essay especially stuck out to me.
Runner-Up:Gaslighting sounds like a sophisticated technique, but it's not. All it requires is a convincing facsimile of conviction and the mere suggestion that reality is not what it seems...That's the real terror of gaslighting - that your sense of reality begins to warp and bend until you're excusing the abuser and doing his work for him.
Trumps and Trunchbulls by Alexandra Duncan was a runner-up for one of my top five favorite essays of this anthology, so I guess we can agree that it's at number six. Trumps and Trunchbulls is an essay about abuse and the techniques that abusers use to ruin their victims as much as possible, with a focus on the technique of gaslighting (which is despicable and anyone who uses that to manipulate others should be ashamed). Duncan writes about the betrayal that came when Trump was put into power, and the big 'fuck you' that was sent to survivors of abuse when an abuser was put into power. Duncan writes a narrative about abuse that needs to be discussed more, and I commend her for having the bravery to do so. (TW: abuse)
I detail six out twenty-one stories in this review. And by no means is this anthology perfect:
- Not Like Other Girls contains deadnaming and misgendering of Caitlyn Jenner.
- Accidental Activist by Ellen Hopkins is the one essay I did not enjoy...a story by an author who is known not to be intersectional in her feminism detailing how watching the pain of marginalized women led her to become an activist.
However, I truly believe the good outweighs the bad.
Our Stories, Our Voices provides a voice for women with all different stories - no two essays in this anthology are the same. It provides a voice for women of color and queer women, allowing a space for women from all backgrounds and experiences.
Our Stories, Our Voices is an empowering anthology for young women everywhere, and there is so much good in it. -
Okay, wait. 21 YOUNG ADULT authors writing about their experiences of being a female in america. This can't get any better, right?
WRONG. Wait until you actually read this book. AND if you are worried about something in this book Amy Reed provided all the info on things in this book that might be bad for someone younger to read about.
"My Immigrant American Dream" By
Sandhya Menon
"Her Hair Was Not of Gold" By
Anna-Marie McLemore
"Finding My Feminism" By
Amy Reed
"Unexpected Pursuits: Embracing My Indigeneity & Creativity" By
Christine Day
"Chilled Monkey Brains" By
Sona Charaipotra
"Roar" By
Jaye Robin Brown
"Easter Offering" By
Brandy Colbert
"Trumps and Trenchbulls" By
Alexandra Duncan
"Tiny Battles" By
Maurene Goo
"These Words Are Mine" By
Stephanie Kuehnert
"Fat and Loud" By
Julie Murphy
"Myth Making: In the Wake of Hardship" By
Somaiya Daud
"Changing Constellations" By
Nina LaCour
"The One Who Defines Me" By
Aisha Saeed
"An Accidental Activist" By
Ellen Hopkins
"Dreams Deferred and Other Explosions" By
Ilene (I.W.) Gregorio
"Not Like the Other Girls" By
Martha Brockenbrough
"Is Something Bothering You?" By
Jenny Torres Sanchez
"What I've Learned About Silence" By
Amber Smith
"Black Girl, Becoming" By
Tracy Deonn Walker
I think that everything I read in this (I had to skip some due to content) was very inspiring, and I think that every person can read a part of this book.
AGE RECOMMENDATION: Everyone can read a bit of this but this isn't a book for anyone under 5th grade, though they can read some of this it wouldn't be the best thing I think.
I hope you enjoyed my review! Follow me for more like this. Happy Reading! -Ruby Rose -
Thanks to Riveted I have access to this anthology for 24 hours.
Since I can't finish all of the short stories, I will tell you what I read and what I liked.
❤ = Really Liked. ❤❤ = Loved
"Finding my Feminism" by Amy Reed - ❤
"Fat and Loud" by Julie Murphy
"Unexpected Pursuits: Embracing my Indigeneity and Creativity" by Christine Day
"Chilled Monkey Brains" by Sona Charaipotra - ❤❤
"Myth Making" by Somaiya Daud - ❤
"Black Girl, Becoming" by Tracy Deonn Walker - ❤❤
But the older I got, the more the lines blurred, the more I realized there's not really a hierarchy of identity but a strange constellation within myself." - Somaiya Daud
I know now that I am not responsible for living within the limited imaginations of others, nor am I insufficient because they cannot full conceive of me. I know this because art once whispered, then yelled, then roared through me that it is the world that might be ill and that I am becoming whole." - Tracy Deonn Walker
THIS BOOK NEEDS TO BE AN OPTIONAL READ IN CLASSROOMS. -
This anthology is an inspiring and harrowing look into what it is like to grow up in the United States over the past few decades. It is so important to not dismiss feelings or opinions and this book provided me with many experiences that I have experienced but even more that I will never experience as a white female. I highly recommend this anthology.
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Haunting
An incredible collection of well-curated, powerful, and beautiful essays that hung with me after the book was closed. Each chapter was a new and eye-opening look into a life experience that I have not and cannot experience, and I am grateful for every one of them. -
If you’re a woman living in the United States, you NEED to read this book. Featuring 21 stories from beloved YA authors such as Anna-Marie McLemore, Ellen Hopkins, Maurene Goo, and many more, this anthology discusses the injustice and empowerment women feel living in the USA, and under the Trump administration.
The anthology takes aim at sexism first and foremost, but also racism, classism, xenophobia, religious prejudice, and discrimination based on sexual orientation. This book had representation of every color, creed and sexuality. The only thing it lacked was a story from a trans-woman, but I appreciated that the preface calls out this fact.
There were so many stories that spoke to me on such a deep level. I was moved to tears and I pumped my fist with joy multiple times. There was Amy Reed’s story of sexual assault, and how she struggled with blaming herself before coming to terms with the fact that she’s a survivor. Christine Day’s story of embracing her indigenous identity. She opened my eyes to the struggles Native Americans face, which I know very little about. Nina LaCour’s story of finding her voice within the LGBTQ+ community.
But I’ve never felt so seen as when I read Hannah Moskowitz’s story. Though her life differs from mine in many ways, she too grew up with a Christian-born mother and Jewish father. She identifies as Jewish, but talks about the struggles of feeling too Jewish in some circles, and not Jewish enough in others. I’ve never been able to properly put that into words before, and seeing it written out on the page knocked the wind out of me. Someone out there gets it!
So many of their stories talked about being stereotyped, or even feeling like they don’t fit into a stereotype enough to claim that identity. They talked about toeing the line between multiple selves and finding a resting place that appreciates all part of their experience. They talk about the love that comes with acceptance, from inside yourself and from the people in your life. This was one of the most powerful and impactful reading experiences I’ve ever had. This needs to be read by everyone. ❤️ -
4.5/5 stars My Immigrant American Dream by Sandha Menon
I quite enjoyed this piece as I am also a first generation immigrant, I could resonate with the author. I completely agree with her quote "I'd been taught to always respect my elders, to never disagree, to accept what I was told. But adults, I was quickly learning, could be judgemental and cruel, prejudiced and bigtoed. Adults did not automatically get a pass anymore. I had the right to question them." as well as "There is no one way to be American. There is no one language, no one color, no one accent, no one religion. We are a country of multitudes; we should be proud to remain that way." A million time YES!
3/5 stars Her Hair Was Not of Gold by Anna-Marie McLemore
4/5 stars Finding My Feminism by Amy Reed
Survivor story. Powerful. This is the story of her journey as a feminist, how she felt fake and that she was not one of the survivors, and the spark within her to be that support for other women now through her writing.
4.5/5 stars Unexpected Pursuits: Embracing My Dignity & Creativity by Christine Day
An indigenous author's story about her life in school, erasure of her culture, finding her voice & passion, and the continuous journey she is taking.
4/5 stars Chilled Monkey Brains by Sona Charaipotra
Discusses the importance of own voices writing and how much representations really matter to us POC. This mentions the spark of this movement and the hope that it will become the norm.
4/5 stars Roar by Jaye Robin Brown
Important piece about finding and accepting oneself.
4.5/5 stars Easter Offering by Brandy Colbert
Talks about our whitewashed history and how racists the suffragists were. I now know that the quote "I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired" came from Fannie Lou Hamer, a black woman civil rights activist who focused on voting rights for Southern Black people. How cool is she? Yet, it is unfortunate that I never heard of her until now. Powerful and empowering piece.
4.5/5 stars Trumps and Trunchbulls by Alexandra Duncan
Very important essay that thoroughly describes gaslighting with examples. I also enjoyed the empowering way it ended.
4/5 stars Tiny Battles by Maurene Goo
Piece by a Korean-American woman whom I can relate to because I've gone through some similar things she has gone through. I really liked that she said "Rage has empowered me, and I give you permission to let it empower you."
4/5 stars These Words are Mine by Stephanie Kuehnert
This is a supportive piece to all survivors that can validate their experience. A strong message that you are not alone.
3/5 stars Fat and Loud by Julie Murphy
A piece on someone learning to be an ally. I appreciate that she acknowledged her privilege.
3.5/5 stars Myth Making: In the Wake of Hardship by Somaiya Daud
This piece felt like a letter to future writers.
3.5/5 stars Changing Constellation by Nina LaCour
This piece focused on a friend whovleft and what the author felt she could have done and what she learned from that friend. A thank you note for being their unapologetic self wherever they may be.
3.5/5 stars The One Who Defines Me by Aisha Saeed
It frustrates me to hear about how blatantly racists these teachers can be. They make such a big impact on their students whether negative or positive. I can relate to the not burdening my immigrant parents with racist things that happened to me in school. It took me a long time to actually talk to peers about it (college).
3/5 stars Our Genes by Hannah Moskowitz
I haven't got much to say about this one except we can learn from racist upbringing.
3/5 stars An Accidential Activist by Ellen Hopkins
Message to keep active and staying informed.
4/5 stars Dreams Deferred and Other Explosions by Ilene (I.W.) Gregorio
Yes! I love her end piece regarding smashing the model minority because that is exactly what I plan on doing.
3/5 stars Not Like The Other Girls by Martha Brockenbrough
Wow. Second grader. Men are sick. So many different memories regarding similar things happened to this author and it twists my stomach how hard she tries to be like a boy to try to level out the playing field.
4/5 stars Is Something Bothering You? by Jenny Torres Sanchez
Wow. A recalling of the time in her childhood where her father was terrorized and chased down by KKK members just because he answered someone's question back in Spanish. Chilling account of the fear after the event & then after the 2016 result were announced. But ends with hope.
3/5 stars What I've Learned About Slience by Amber Smith
Literally the title of this essay. How slience fester and finding strength and a voice.
4/5 stars Black Girl, Becoming by Tracy Deonn Walker
Denying ones identity due to micro aggression and the process of expressing oneself freely. Lovely.
Overall this was a phenomenal anthology filled will so many voices, experiences, and encouragement. It was reassuring to hear the shared nightmare November 8, 2016 was to a handful of these women as I felt completely hopeless that day and cried because I felt our America was crumbling down (granted it was not amazing for all in the first place, but we weren't regressing as much as we are now) the blatant racism and overall hate is flooding our America. However, what is emerging from this is a new sea of hope from people who are just tired of being slienced. This gives me hope. -
From a wide range of female YA authors comes a beautiful collection of essays that explore what it means to be a woman in our society. From topics ranging from sexual assault to sexuality and identity and belonging. This is such an important work.
Read it, because it will show you glimpses into your own past, and it will give you a picture of how some other women live. The essays are so real and heart wrenching. I loved all of them for different reasons. This would be great for a women’s studies class, or just a gift to give the women in your life. -
Lots to like from this anthology. Anna Marie McLemore and Julie Murphy continue to be stand out essay writers for me, but I enjoyed reading from all of them. Maureen Goo’s piece was ferocious, and Brandy Colbert’s will be on my mind for a long time. There are trigger warnings for all pieces as required in the book, with several on the theme of racism, and rape and sexual assault.
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Feminist anthologies need more trans women.
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Every essay in this anthology stood alone as an enthralling and thought-provoking personal essay. As a collection of twenty-one stories, there is a little bit of everything and for every reader. It is very telling that every author wanted their story heard, and OUR STORIES, OUR VOICES gives the microphone to everyone. There was not a single essay that was not captivating, and every piece takes on present-day America from a different angle.
A typical YA anthology is several short stories connected by a common theme, but OUR STORIES, OUR VOICES was different and the only nonfiction YA anthology that I have ever read. Not only does it include the real lives of authors whose works I know and love, but it opened me up to just as many more whose books I am now reaching for to read. Two of the short stories even came from authors who are not yet published, and theirs ended up being some of my favorites.
All 21 authors had a significant piece in crafting this compelling read that ultimately has made me see YA in a new light. Because it is written with current events and politics in mind, it is incredibly relevant to present conversations and will continue to be. Additionally, every author approached their essay differently with what they chose to include and naturally, they all experience life differently. One of my favorite chapters was “Unexpected Pursuits: Embracing My Indigeneity & Creativity” by Christine Day, who is not yet a published author but had one of the most interesting stories to tell. Some others like “Fat and Loud” by Julie Murphy, “The One Who Defines Me” by Aisha Saeed, and “Dreams Deferred and Other Explosions” by I.W. Gregorio were written by authors whose books I had read, and it honestly did make me see their work in a different light. Now when I read any of these other authors records, I am going to understand better their writing style and inspiration.
Readers who love anthologies of any sort will enjoy OUR STORIES, OUR VOICES. Those interested in politics and current events, as well as young adult fans, will appreciate all that this anthology is. It is the perfect read for anyone needing inspiration or looking for fresh viewpoints from some favorite YA authors. -
I don't usually read books like this- memoirs and autobiographies. But I was pleasantly surprised at the personal essays and inspiring stories of women who face injustice and inequality and are finding their own ways of fighting it. You can't really rate people's experiences because every single woman in this book faced hardships, but my favorite essays were definitely Finding My Feminism by Amy Reed and What I've Learned About Silence by Amber Smith. They were raw, heartfelt, and beautifully written.
Overall, I definitely recommend this for anyone looking for inspiring stories or a YA lover. -
This book is was a really powerful read. Written by 21 amazing female authors, this book really highlights the struggles we all feel when growing up in America; whether it be gender, race, religion, or a mix of all three. It was really hard to read at times, but also very inspiring at others. I really wish there were more books that focus on the topics covered in this one. It's also amazing that the authors came forth and shared their stories. Talking about experiences that haunt you is hard enough to do to one person, let alone thousands of readers that pick up this book.
I recommend this book to everyone!! -
These are true stories framed as essays or letters to today’s teen girls from (mostly published) YA authors. A good collection. I think it’s weird to give it a rating since these are very personal stories.
