| Title | : | Cool. Awkward. Black. |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0593525094 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780593525098 |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 336 |
| Publication | : | First published January 10, 2023 |
A girl who believes in UFOs; a boy who might have finally found his Prince Charming; a hopeful performer who dreams of being cast in her school's production of The Sound of Music; a misunderstood magician of sorts with a power she doesn't quite understand.
These plotlines and many more compose the eclectic stories found within the pages of this dynamic, exciting, and expansive collection featuring exclusively Black characters. From contemporary to historical, fantasy to sci-fi, magical to realistic, and with contributions from a powerhouse list of self-proclaimed geeks and bestselling, award-winning authors, this life-affirming anthology celebrates and redefines the many facets of Blackness and geekiness--both in the real world and those imagined.
Cool. Awkward. Black. Reviews
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**3/11/2021**
Even the rights report of this made me emotional.... I would have LOVED for a book like this when I was a teen. My Black, Awkward, Cool geekish heart can't wait for this!
**01/17/2023**
As always with anthologies, there were some I liked and some not so much. I DID like how every type of nerd, from anime to theater kids to bookworms, all of it was in here. I just found that so cool and reassuring. Coming from someone who didn't get that when I was in grade school, I would have loved to have a book like this to make me feel less alone. Real review to come on my blog. -
Anthologies are always hit or miss for me when they are comprised of several authors, but I felt like this anthology was the ode to my Black, queer, nerdy heart. I related to so many of these stories and experiences. I don’t even think that I can pick a favorite because I could easily see myself in all of them. This right here is why representation matters!
Thank you Penguin Teen for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own. -
Cool. Awkward. Black. is a YA anthology of stories by Black authors about Black teenagers who are awkward or nerdy or just into something really specific. This is an anthology celebrating difference and the unique things that make people who they are- specifically celebrating Black teens who don't fit into a stereotypical mold.
The included genres range from contemporary fiction to fantasy, paranormal, and sci-fi. Several of them center queer characters (including a great story about a trans boy on a cruise with his step-family), some deal with complex family dynamics, friendships, or romance. There's even a fun one where a D&D game takes on a life of it's own!
There's a wide range and not every story was a hit, but most of them were. There are some amazing authors in this collection and it's definitely worth a read. It's a very strong anthology. I received a copy of this book for review via Netgalley, all opinions are my own. -
Thank you to Penguin Teen and Negalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest opinion. All opinions are my own.
This was such a lovely collection of short stories. I loved them all! Nina Evans, in the Round had me tearing up at the end, it was such a feel good story. I hope we continue to see more anthologies like this one and
Reclaim the Stars: 17 Tales Across Realms & Space. I love anthologies and have gotten a fair number of queer ones so it's only time for ones by various ethnicities/races. I hope we continue to see these voices given their times and money. I hope we also see ones that have multiple marginalizations as well.
Really can't express how much I loved this collection and I will be obtaining a copy as soon as I can!
Rep: All Black MCs, a good majority are queer.
CWs: Racism, religious bigotry, misogyny, sexism. -
3.5 ⭐️ It’s always hard for me to rate anthologies. Should you rate it based off of the total number of stories you enjoy, the cohesiveness of the stories, or maybe both? I try to take all of these things in to account.
Taken together, there were some stories I loved and other that were just okay; however I am not the target age group for this book and that has to be taken into account as well.
This is a book that I definitely wished that I had as a teenager because I like a lot of the protagonist in these stories, was in fact awkward and didn’t “fit in” because of this. Having a book like this definitely would have lifted my spirits.
This was such a fun book to read and I definitely could see myself picking it up again! -
I absolutely loved this! Novels like these are hard to rate just because of how contrasting the ratings between stories can be. I did overall think this was well done though. I started giving short reviews to each short story but promptly gave up around halfway when I realized how many there were. Here were the half that I did do though! The others were (mostly) great as well.
— "Our joy, Our Power" by Julian Winters
★★★★☆
I was super excited for this short story because of my love for Julian Winters! This was super sweet, especially the overarching message. The setting was adorable, and I liked the main couple even if we didn't get time to see them develop.
— "The Book Club" by Shari B. Pennant
★★★☆☆
I'm a sucker for a good bookstore setting and fantasy, so I knew I'd like this from the start. Secret magical societies are going to hit every time, so I wish I could've gotten more of this.
— "Nina Evans, in the Round" by Kalynn Bayron
★★★★☆
I'm like really not a fan of this author, so this was a bit a change. I quite liked the wholesomeness with the family dynamics and hopefulness of this one. I enjoyed the inclusion of theater in this historical setting.
— "Earth is Ghetto" by Ibi Zoboi
★☆☆☆☆
I'm not going to lie. I was confused for most of the start, but... ailens! I did like the relatability of the main character in ways but not much else. It's definitely an interesting idea, though? I ended up skimming this one.
— "Initiative Check" by K. Arsenault Rivera
★★★☆☆
This was so fun! Second chances in this magical setting. I wish I could spend more time with these characters and get more explanation on the fantasy, but it works as a short story.
— "Corner Booth" by Leah Johnson
★★★★☆
Another author, I'm not a huge fan of who surprised me! I'm finding that I just love most of these settings. This was nerdy and cute and just a good time. It was predictable, but I doubt it was really trying to throw you for a turn with the twist.
— "Betty's Best Craft" by Elise Bryant
★★☆☆☆
I can't really bring myself to like these second chance stories that much just because I feel like I need more attachment to the characters. But also, this relationship wasn't my favorite of the bunch. I did like the inclusion of crafts and such in this, though.
— "The Panel Shows the Girl" by Amanda Joy
★★★★★
I loved Anaya and her magical little sketchbook. I can't really say much without spoiling this one, but I thought the plot was creative and executed nicely as well!
— "Spirt-filled" by Jordan Ifueko
★★☆☆☆
I just wasn't really interested in this one. I also ended up skimming it. I'm also just not a fan of most works with religious themes.
— "Cole's Cruise Blues" by Issac Fitzsimons
★★★★★
Adored the trans rep in this one! Queer middle school stories are always just pleasant as a whole. There's always a tenderness to them. This was probably my favorite! I also adored the authors other novel so I expected to enjoy this one and was correct. -
I’m in this one🥰
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I absolutely loved this anthology! It feels so good to be seen and this is one I will recommend forever. I bought this the day it came out and I’m so so happy I finally got to it.
This book gathers black authors (both new and old to me) and they all have different versions of what it means to be weird and nerdy. I loved how different the stories were. We go from cosplayers and anime fans to kids who love competitive spelling and doing crafts. It goes from fantasy to contemporary and everything in between. I was so impressed by this.
My favorites were probably:
Nina Evans, in the round : Kalynn Bayron
Corner Booth: Leah Johnson
Betty’s best craft: Elsie Bryant
Cole’s Cruise Blues: Isaac Fitzsimons
High Strangeness: Desiree S. Evans.
Wolf tracks: Roseanne A. Brown
All of these stories spoke to me for different reasons, though. There isn’t just one way to be black. People may look at you and expect you to be a certain way, but that isn’t your job to live up to anyone’s expectations. You aren’t weird for what you love and there will always be people out there who accept you for who you are. If you’ve ever felt left out, weird, awkward, strange, or like you don’t belong for your hobbies, this is for you I also loved all the anime references as a weeb myself. -
Find my bookstagram tour stop for this book
here :)
A wonderful anthology that's not just inclusive - it shows Black nerds carving out their own spot in fandom and geekdom, places where they are not always welcomed or represented. It's a really important book for teens seeking that representation, and important to share with non-Black teens too, so they grow to understand that diversity alone isn't enough and that a space needs to be truly inclusive to be welcoming.
I love the spread of authors and blend of genres in this anthology. I recommend for basically anyone, and I think reluctant readers will like the 20-page(ish) stories. -
Great short story collection featuring Black heroes and heroines. Most of them have a sci-fi or fantasy element, but some are just generally nerdy. There were a couple that felt more like the first chapter to a novel than a closed short story but that’s not necessarily a problem. I enjoyed all of them, not a bad one in the lot.
This is my first NetGalley book that I have reviewed for thegeekywaffle.com. Full review there reads:
Cool. Awkward. Black. is a short story collection edited by Karen Strong to be released January 10, 2023. It contains eighteen stories about nerdy Black teenage protagonists, most leaning into the sci-fi or fantasy genre. These stories are appropriate for ages 12 and up, with some light violence and non-sexual romance throughout.
Short story collections are often a grab bag, where some stories will really resonate with you and others may be easily forgotten, but all eighteen of these YA stories were engaging and memorable. While featuring Black protagonists, there were also some other non-white protagonists and a good amount of queer representation as well. If this is the future of YA speculative fiction, I am so excited.
Two of the stories felt more like the first chapter of a novel, Shari B. Pennant’s “The Book Club” and Tracy Deonn’s “Catalyst Rising.” It’s not ideal to have a short story that feels like a first chapter because it leaves the audience with a cliffhanger to a story that may or may not ever be continued, rather than a closed loop with a satisfying conclusion. Then again, the stories were so strong on their own that I would rather have a cliffhanger than not have read them at all.
Pennant’s “The Book Club” introduces four Black teenage girls who have unique supernatural abilities that they need to fight an evil magician who has been trapped for centuries inside a book. And Deonn’s “Catalyst Rising” features a twist on the mythological Philosopher’s Stone with two groups fighting over its power. Given that Deonn’s Legendborn series is some of the best YA writing that I’ve ever read, I’m not surprised that her short story here also packs a punch. Pennant doesn’t currently have any novels published, but I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for any future works.
K. Arsenault Rivera’s “Initiative Check” will be a hit for any D&D fans, Elise Bryant’s “Betty’s Best Craft” has some superb character growth that would be a good blueprint for young writers, and Isaac Fitzsimons’ “Cole’s Cruise Blues” is a sweet trans coming of age story. I was really impressed with Roseanne A. Brown’s treatment of gender in “Wolf Tracks.” The men in the protagonist’s family are werewolves, which includes the trans men. Most gender-based powers in existing literature either willfully ignore trans people or give them the power of the wrong gender in favor of what sex was assigned at birth, but Brown refreshingly chooses to respect people’s chosen gender- proof that this respect is easily accomplished.
I could wax poetic about every single story in this collection, but it’s best experienced first-hand. Run to your local store or library for a copy of this volume, as it’s not only a great read on its own, but a list of eighteen authors to seek out further for more great writing. -
This is an absolute powerhouse of an anthology with a lot of big names behind it (including many I've read before like Kalynn Bayron, Tracy Deonn, Leah Johnson, Julian Winters, and Ibi Zoboi to name a few)! This is a great anthology of talented black YA writers with the theme of scifi, fandom, and nerdiness. I like that there are queer authors and stories included, too. Like with most anthologies, there are some I loved and some I didn't like quite as much, but all were enjoyable and good in their own way! My absolute favorites were "Nina Evans, in the Round" (musical theater), "Corner Booth" (scrabble and words), and "Betty's Best Craft" (knitting/sewing).
Thank you so much to penguin teen for sending me a copy as part of their penguin teen partners in exchange for an honest review! Cool, Awkward, Black is available on 10 JAN 2023 -
Cool. Awkward. Black. accomplishes what it seeks to do: challenge the concept of the Black geek. We have wizards, comicon loving kids, witches, anime kids, theater lovers: the list could go on and on. Each story had something I liked about it. There wasn't a single dud in the mix. However, there were some I liked more than others.
Some of the stand out stories for me were:
"Initiative Check" by K. Arsenault Rivera
"Corner Booth" by Leah Johnson
"Requiem of Souls" by Terry J. Benton-Walker
"Wolf Tracks" by Roseanna A. Brown
All in all, a well rounded and profound collection.
I received this ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review. -
This was the kind of book I wished existed when I was middle school. Oh, how this would not only be a great favorite but also a great comfort during rough times.
This analogy was so good. It was just a celebration of black nerdiness and I loved it. -
This was easily one of the most positive anthology reading experiences I've ever had. There was no story I really disliked. Huge thanks to PenguinTeen for sending a copy for me to read and share with students!
Here are my ratings for each story.
Our Joy, Our Power by Julian Winters - 5/5 stars
The Book Club by Shari B. Pennant - 4/5 stars
Nina Evans, in the Round by Kalynn Bayron - 5/5 stars
Earth is Ghetto by Ibi Zoboi - 3/5 stars
Initiative Check by K. Arsenault Rivera - 3/5 stars
Corner Booth by Leah Johnson - 5/5 stars
Betty's Best Craft by Elise Bryant - 4.5/5 stars
The Panel Shows the Girl by Amanda Joy - 4.5/5 stars
Spirit-Filled by Jordan Ifueko - 4/5 stars
Cole's Cruise Blues by Isaac Fitzsimmons - 4/5 stars
High Strangeness by Desiree M. Evans - 5/5 stars
Catalyst Rising by Tracey Deonn - 3.5/5 stars
Requiem of Souls by Terry J. Benton-Walker - 4/5 stars
Honor Code by Kwame Mbalia -3.5/5 stars
Drive Time by Lamar Giles - 3/5 stars
Wolf Tracks by Roseanne A. Brown - 4/5 stars
The Hero's Journey by Tochi Onyebuchi - 3/5 stars
Abyss by Amerie - 3.5/5 stars -
Amazing stories! A great collection for young Black kids who consider themselves blerds to feel seen, know they are not alone, and connect with many great characters. I love stories that showcase the many sides of Black culture and encourage young people to be themselves!
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Very different, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
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So many good stories!!
My favorites:
"The Book Club" by Shari B. Pennant
"Nina Evans, in the Rounds" by Kalynn Bayron
"Corner Booth" by Leah Johnson
"Catalyst Rising" by Tracy Deonn
"Wolf Tracks" by Roseanne A. Brown
Honorable mentions:
"Betty's Best Craft" by Elise Bryant
"Spirit-Filled" by Jordan Ifueko -
TW/CW: racism, misogyny, religion-based bigotry
Cool. Awkward. Black. was hit or miss as a whole, but above all, there were a few fantastic stories in the bunch, and I loved the spotlight on Black sci-fi fantasy, as well as geek culture. With all Black protagonists, many of which are queer and/or disabled, it’s a breath of fresh air, even if not every story was a hit for me.
Since this is an anthology, I’ll do shorter reviews of each story in chronological order.
~
“Our Joy, Our Power” – Julian Winters (⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)
I was expecting to not be a fan of this one after not being a fan of Running With Lions, but this was a surprisingly sweet story! With a tender, queer romance at a comic con and some great commentary on the racism within cosplay culture, this was a great start to the anthology. I’m not sure if it’s enough for me to give Winters’ novels another chance, but I certainly enjoyed it.
“The Book Club” – Shari B. Pennant (⭐️⭐️.5)
I felt obligated to like this one as a former book club president, but this one was a letdown. The concept of this one was interesting enough—a girl finds a book that seems to speak to her when she picks it up, and is then invited to a secret society of magic wielders in the guise of a book club—but the prose veered onto the cheesy side more often than not. I wish we’d gotten a little bit more context around the Society (and…okay, maybe the name was vague on purpose, but I would’ve liked a name more interesting than just “The Society”) and more of what their magic entailed other than the Evil Magician™️ that Must Be Defeated.
“Nina Evans, In the Round” – Kalynn Bayron (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
This one was an unexpected highlight of the anthology! Again, my expectations were rather low after how much of a sore disappointment Cinderella is Dead was for me, but I loved this story of a Black girl determined to get the role of Maria in her high school’s production of The Sound of Music. Her story of determination was a powerful and timely one, and I loved the poignant themes of Nina breaking the mold and never surrendering.
“Earth is Ghetto” – Ibi Zoboi (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Even without the fantastic title, “Earth is Ghetto” is undoubtedly one of the best stories in this anthology! It follows Ingrid, a Haitian immigrant, who witnesses First Contact, and upon speaking to the aliens and wishing to go to their planet, realizes that they harbor many of the same prejudices as humans back on Earth. It’s witty, it’s timely, and it’s unflinchingly questioning of the norms upon which both we and the aliens built our societies. I loved the hopeful ending as well; it’s hard to get this kind of ultimatum that Ingrid has to make across in such a short story, but Zoboi managed to do all that and subvert the usual tropes and endings that go along with it. Great stuff.
“Initiative Check” – K. Arsenault Rivera (⭐️⭐️⭐️)
This was the first time I’d ever heard of K. Arsenault Rivera, and this was a decent story, I’d say. The whole story comprises a group of friends and their Dungeons and Dragons campaign, and although I wasn��t as big of a fan of the campaign aspect of it, I loved the subtle, tender chemistry that Rivera created between her larger cast of characters. A nice, sweet story, but nothing that changed my life.
“Corner Booth” – Leah Johnson (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Following in the footsteps of Johnson’s solid rom-coms, “Corner Booth” was the story of two teens meeting after competing with each other for years over a competitive, Scrabble-like spelling app. I loved the definitions scattered throughout, showing Rose’s knack for strategy and etymology, and I loved the buildup of the enemies/rivals-to-lovers romance blossoming between her and Wes. It’s an adorable addition to the anthology, and a standout without a doubt.
“Betty’s Best Craft” – Elise Bryant (⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)
Elise Bryant perfectly captures the chaos of a high school group project, but I find myself wishing that mine had the romance of this story. Another sweet enemies-to-friends/lovers, Bryant wonderfully weaves in the grudge that Betty’s had against Jhamir for years, and takes that buildup into a blossoming friendship—or maybe something more—on a final project for an African American History class. I’ve only read Bryant’s Happily Ever Afters, but “Betty’s Best Craft” felt the same way—a light, sweet, and artsy romance of second chances.
“The Panel Shows the Girl” – Amanda Joy (⭐️⭐️.5)
I really wanted to like this one, and there was one aspect that I really did like—the discussion around disability and accommodations. Amaya’s struggles with trying to get accommodations for her ADHD was one that I knew all too well, and I’m glad to see that perspective represented. That being said, the rest of the story felt clunky to me; the twist about the drawings coming to life felt shoehorned in and poorly executed, and most of the dialogue felt stilted and corny as well. Shame…
“Spirit-Filled” – Jordan Ifueko (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
I expected nothing less from the author of Raybearer, and “Spirit-Filled” delivered! I loved the discussions around Romilly questioning her faith and the role of women, as well as the suspense built by Romilly’s secret library book locked in the supply closet of her church. Like many of the other short stories in this story, I love how unapologetic it is about questioning authority and systems, and Romilly was a great vehicle for exploring misogyny in some parts of organized religion. Plus, the youth pastor character was appropriately cringey, so that was pretty funny.
“Cole’s Cruise Blues” – Isaac Fitzsimmons (⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)
Although I wasn’t as much of a fan of the writing in this one, it had a wonderful emotional core, and I loved that it featured a trans protagonist! Also, I definitely felt for poor Hailey…man, I feel that 10-year-old feel of botching something in front of an audience 😭 I JUST WANNA GIVE THE POOR KID A HUG
“High Strangeness” – Desiree S. Evans (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
More than ever, this story made me yearn for the experience of stargazing in the middle of nowhere with a goth girlfriend…is that too much to ask?
…please?
“Catalyst Rising” – Tracy Deonn (⭐️⭐️.5)
Unlike some of the other stories, I went into this story with low expectations, and the low expectations were…met. I wasn’t as blown away by Legendborn as everybody else seemed to be, and this story was more of the same. It felt like a very cliched setup for a fantasy chosen one in the real world, and although I liked the inclusion of Petra’s anxiety, the story as a whole just felt so overdone and exaggerated.
“Requiem of Souls” – Terry J. Benton-Walker (⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)
I LOVED the concept of this one, especially the trio of unique ghosts that follow Rocko around, and Rocko using them to get back at those who have wronged him. The musical aspect was a lot of fun as well, and it added some very Tim Burton-like, campy fun to this story. Plus, although being Gen Z has given me a permanent Minecraft association to the word “creeper,” I loved this story’s monstrous Creeper as well.
“Honor Code” – Kwame Mbalia (⭐️⭐️)
The dialogue felt very stilted for me on this one, and beyond that, it felt more like a comprehensive guide to LARPing and not an actual story. If “Honor Code” leaned more on the present day and not so heavily on the multiple flashbacks, it would’ve held so much more water. This one might be my least favorite story in the collection.
“Drive Time” – Lamar Giles (⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Although it wasn’t the most well-written of the collection, I loved the multiple POVs and the nonstop action of “Drive Time.” The writing was more than a little cheesy, but unlike some of the other stories, it felt cheesy for the right reasons—this story is essentially if a botched driver’s test turned into something like Fast & Furious, after all. I appreciate the art of well-placed cheese.
“Wolf Tracks” – Roseanne A. Brown (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Nothing beats werewolves tearing a racist troll to shreds (literally, in this sense), does it? I was super excited to read Brown’s addition to the story, and she delivers every bit of it with humor, heart, and grounding emotion that balances levity with more grounded themes.
“The Hero’s Journey” – Tochi Onyebuchi (⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)
I wasn’t expecting to like this one as much after how disappointing Beasts Made of Night was, but “The Hero’s Journey” perfectly captured writer’s block in a way that I’ve never seen in a short story—or any novel that I can think of. I didn’t expect to be called out with the [INSERT CHARACTER NAME IN BRACKETS], but here we are. Happens to the best of us.
“Abyss” – Amerie (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
I was super impressed by Amerie’s short story in A Phoenix Must First Burn, and her story here was a perfect sendoff for Cool. Awkward. Black. Her character work and descriptions are once again fantastic, and for once, she can make a lack of quotation marks in dialogue an understandable stylistic choice that still makes the story flow. The latter is something that usually gets on my nerves, but Amerie used it greatly to her advantage in “Abyss.���
I averaged out my ratings for each story, and they came out to about a 3.5! I’d say that’s accurate—it was a mixed bag, but there were unexpected gems from both authors that I love and authors that I didn’t like as much previously. Not every one shone, but there were enough fantastic ones in there to make this a wonderful experience. And my ratings aside, I loved the diversity of both the characters and the genres of each story—it’s a very unique collection. 3.5 stars! -
our joy, our power • julian winters
A cute little story about a boy at a con and the boy he meets there. I loved how this was a story about a black boy who feels welcomed by anime and comics, where he can picture himself in those stories. He dresses up as a non-black character for a cosplay contest and gets told he "didn't embody the character" and should have gone for a canonically black character. I would have liked more from this story--like maybe just some more conversations between Jalen and Carter.
the book club • shari b. pennant
Amara Crane has magic, and one day while she's at the bookstore, she's invited to a society of witches. Like the first story, this one gives you a sense of belonging, as Amara has finally found people like her, among whom she won't have to be an outsider. Interesting, but we're suddenly thrown into a very intense big final battle, and we don't really know what's going on or why.
nina evans, in the round • kalynn bayron
Nina wants to be in the school musical, but her parents want her to focus on getting into nursing school. And her school won't be receptive to her being the lead in the musical. Her mother takes her to an all-black production and they talk about belonging and how they've been here all along.
earth is ghetto • ibi zoboi
Ingrid is a Haitian immigrant trying to make contact with aliens in her school's computer lab. She looks at humanity through the lens of how aliens would see them. Aliens land in Ingrid's neighborhood and tell her that if she gets another female and two males, she can become the queen of the new human world? I'm not entirely certain what is going on here. Also, while Ingrid does question the "male/female" thing on the basis of trans and nonbinary people, later someone asks if with the four people they want one white and one black of each, and I'm just like... there are far more races than that and it wasn't even talked about? I just don't really know what this story was trying to say. Ingrid is very fixated on hierarchies for some reason. Not a huge fan of this one.
initiative check • k. arsenault rivera
A group of friends plays Dungeons and Dragons and Jaz invites a girl she likes (or she dated her before?) who her best friend feels iffy about having as part of their campaign. Suddenly, they all turn into their D&D characters and continue with their campaign in person. Interesting and strange, but also sweet and cute--we have two queer couples, and that was awesome.
corner booth • leah johnson
Fergie is a spelling champ. She plays an online spelling game in the corner booth of a diner. One day a boy comes in. loud and taking up space in her space, so she goes off on him. But then he keeps coming back, and she apologizes, and they get to talking. Eventually, they find out that they are the opponent they've both been trying to beat in their spelling game. This one is super cute and I loved it.
betty's best craft • elise bryant
Betty is super crafty and she used to be best friends with Jhamir. But then they fell apart, and now they have to work on a group project together. As they work together, old hurts come to light and Jhamir admits to Betty that he pulled away because he needed to fit in with the other kids rather than standing out. I liked how they talked through what happened between them and how they're going to be friends again. This was adorable!
the panel shows the girl • amanda joy
Amaya is an artist and she begins drawing her peers as different anime characters--leading to them turning into those characters with their powers. Amaya is also dealing with her conflict with Naomi, who used to be her best friend until they drifted and Naomi came out and Amaya was too afraid to admit her feelings. And then suddenly Amaya is sent back in time to just before her sketch book was stolen, which led to all the chaos. I don't know how or why that happened. Or how or why any of it happened, honestly.
spirit-filled • jordan ifueko
Romilly questions the role of women according to religion, as well is tyrannical authority. She's reading a fantasy book and every little while a religious statement comes to mind and leaves her questions what's right and what's not quite right. Oh gosh, this story was all over the place. Questioning religion, a cheating youth pastor, a girl secreting away books to escape from her world.
cole's cruise blues • isaac fitzsimons
Cole just came out as trans last year, so he's still trying to figure out who he wants to be. He figuring out his look as he goes on a cruise with his dad and his new stepmother and stepsister. On the cruise, he gets to know his new sister, Hailey, and the two of them grow close as he teaches her a bit about magic (the real world kind). She enters them in a talent show, but Cole doesn't want to join her after embarrassing himself in front of Evan. In the end, he winds up helping her on stage and with Evan's help, they save the show. This was cute and sweet.
high strangeness • desiree s. evans
A group of girl friends chase aliens. Lola has a crush on Mikayla, and they finally get the chance to talk and get to know each other They fall for each other under the stars, and it's super sweet. I loved the girl gang and the romance and everything.
catalyst rising • tracy deonn
Petra is in therapy and has anxiety. She goes to science class and they have a weird sub. They do an experiment, but Petra doesn't have all the materials, and yet the chemical reaction occurs. After class, the sub comes and tells her she's an alchemist. Then a boy shows up and gets her away, saying he knows her mom. She's the chosen one! This should probably be a longer story.
requiem of souls • terry j. benton-walker
Rocko's mother's boyfriend is a monster, unkind to both Rocko and his mother. At school, he discovers music notes for something called "requiem of souls," set for a flute, which is what he plays. When he plays the song, he sees ghosts surrounding him. There is also a monster--the Creeper. When his mother's boyfriend learns of her escape plan, Rocko summons the ghosts to stop him. Definitely interesting, takes a dark turn, but I liked Rocko and that he and his mom get away from the abusive boyfriend.
honor code • kwame mbalia
A kid goes LARPing? I don't have much to say about this one.
drive time • lamar giles
This was so strange. Theo and Annaliese show up for driving class and some super sketchy guy has them drive him around to get his errands done. I don't really know why they stick around. This seems like a good way to get killed. Theo and Annaliese have fun conversations and become friends as they wait for Zedd at every stop. He does strange things everywhere. Funny and super strange.
wolf tracks • roseanne a. brown
The men in Daniel's family are werewolves. I liked how this story made a point to say it was all men, whether you were cis or trans, your wolf found you. Daniel has a crush on his best friend, Benji, but he has to be careful until he has complete control over his wolf so he doesn't become like his uncle--who lost control and killed the man his wife was having an affair with. Daniel and Benji go to a con together, get drunk, and make out. When Daniel wakes up the next morning, Benji pretends not to remember anything. At the con, a man pokes at them and calls them boyfriends and Benji vehemently denies it. Daniel loses control, scratches the man, and changes into a werewolf. I liked how Daniel and his dad talked through things at the end and how they understand each other now.
the hero's journey • tochi onyebuchi
This might have been my favorite in the collection, and not even because of the story, but because of how perfectly it captured writer's block. I felt this on a deep soul level. The way the stories would start so well-written and thought out and then slowly fizzle out. I DO THIS ALL THE TIME.
abyss • amerie
Magic, school, secret societies. Kinda meh. -
4.25. This was a solid anthology! My favourites were Initiative Check and Wolf Tracks, but Requiem of Souls, Honor Code and Nina in the Round were close runner-ups!
Our Joy, Our Power by Julian Winters: a great start to the anthology as it perfectly encapsulates its theme, which is Black people taking up the space they are owed in nerdy, fantastical spaces. This is done in the context of a ComicCon-style event, with the MC reflecting on his experience with racism at it, and also having a convo with another Black boy about what the future should look like. I also liked the little twist! It brought an element of fairytale happiness.
The Book Club by Shari B. Pennant: I think this would have worked better with lower stakes, but I loved the concept of finding magical community in a bookstore, and also the MC’s drive to understand why she was given magic.
Nina in the Round by Kalynn Bayron: this was fantastic! It explored so many things in such a short time, but not in a rushed way. It showed how white people respond to Black success with racist violence and the advancement of white mediocrity to try to undermine it. It showed how Black parents try to protect their children from going through the racist things they have experienced, but how sometimes this doesn’t work out. It showed the importance of representation, and the hypocrisy of the theatre for believing itself to be welcoming of everybody but then also upholding racism. I loved seeing the MC’s passion for singing and the joy it brought her, and loved the ending.
Earth is Ghetto by Ibi Zoboi: this was very thought-provoking. I liked its exploration of the human condition, namely that imperfection is an unavoidable part of the human experience. It doesn’t count oppressive systems as imperfections, of course - these ARE avoidable, and the MC is working to dismantle them. But the MC also realises the folly in trying to create a perfect human world without “mistakes”; it wouldn’t be a human world without them.
Initiative Check by K. Arsenault Rivera: I really enjoyed this one!!! I’m a sucker for a Jumanji-style concept, so add in a queer second-chance romance and I’m sold. I’m actually desperate for this to be turned into a full-length book!
Corner Booth by Leah Johnson: this was cute, essentially about wordy nerds in love. I love that the MCs got to find solace in each other and in the diner at night (this setting was particularly calming to read about). It made their connection really believable.
Betty’s Best Craft by Elise Bryant: this was so sweet. I really loved how MC and LI realised that they both had been responsible for the loss of their friendship, and that in building it back up again they got to experience new things. I do wish we had more of Betty’s crafting described to us though.
The Panel Shows the Girl by Amanda Joy: the magic in this one kind of comes out of nowhere and we also never find out why it exists. I also thought that the friendship problem was somewhat randomly resolved without any communication. But I did like the concept of drawings coming to life!
Spirit-Filled by Jordan Ifueko: this was a compelling short story. I enjoyed how the plotline of the MC trying to get her book back was woven in with her interactions within the church community. I also think Ifueko’s writing style is stunning. In terms of fitting in with the anthology’s theme, I don’t think it was quite there.
Cole’s Cruise Blues by Isaac Fitzsimons: this was a super cute and heartwarming story. I really enjoyed the sibling relationship and also Cole coming to terms with himself. I do wish magic had been included from the start as a hobby of Cole’s as it would have fitted the theme of the anthology better.
High Strangeness by Desiree S. Evans: I felt like the romance in this story took away from the nerdy plot line, i.e. I wish more time had been spent on finding aliens than developing the romantic relationship.
Catalyst Rising by Tracy Deonn: I liked the premise of this one, especially because our MC, who is extremely science-oriented, has to grapple with knowing her worldview isn’t wholly accurate. I also appreciated that there wasn’t any romance. But the pacing was kind of weird, and then it just ends on a random sentence. I also didn’t like the vaguely anti-therapy sentiments. I don’t think this was bad, but I do think the execution could have been better.
Requiem of Souls by Terry J. Benton-Walker: this was phenomenal! A powerful story with immaculate pacing. Music magic will always get me. I don’t, however, think the epilogue was needed.
Honour Code by Kwame Mbalia: this was super character driven, which I really enjoyed. I liked how the MC could find solace, comfort, and community in LARPing, and how he was trying to figure out how to take care of himself.
Drive Time by Lamar Giles: this was fun and pacey, and a really refreshing change in genre - without straying too far from the anthology’s theme. I like stories that have bizarre, humorous plot points and this was one!
Wolf Tracks by Roseanne A. Brown: This was genuinely perfect up until the last little bit!! I loved the con, I loved the friends-to-lovers forced proximity, I loved how the MC and his dad were learning emotional intimacy!! Unfortunately the friends-to-lovers becoming reality at the ending was lacklustre; it kind of just happened without any fanfare. But I still really liked this story overall. And it has my favourite quote from the whole anthology: “…it actually isn’t enough for me that his acceptance looks like silence.”
The Hero’s Journey by Tochi Onyebuchi: this was super meta which I loved. I could see it working really well as a graphic novel. I do wish the themes of the auntie story had been connected to the earlier failed stories a little more as it felt a little disjointed.
Abyss by Amerie: the dark academia vibes of this story were immaculate. I also found the MC really interesting in her motivations and desires. The magic was a bit baffling but that could well be a me problem due to brain fog!! -
This is the second book I read for the Read Queerly 2023 Challenge. This is for #1: A Black main character. I know this isn't one story and all the characters in the stories weren't LGBTQIA2+ but there were at least 7 stories with gay, trans or lesbian characters so I thought this would work, plus they were all Black.
Overall, I really liked this YA anthology. All the authors and main characters of the stories are Black and that's really the only similarity. They are all different genres, anywhere from 15 to 30 pages each, with different tones, paces, character development and ages of characters. I'll state right now my rating of each story is mainly biased by my interest in the genre. Since I'm not a fan of fantasy or sci-fi in general, those stories didn't really hold my interest, with two exceptions.
Introduction by Karen Strong - I'm not going to rate this but I really enjoyed it and found it powerful.
Our Joy, Our Power by Julian Winters 5/5 - Loved this first story about being a strong, loving, gay man, however you want that to look.
The Book Club by Shari B. Pennant 2.5/5 - Couldn't really get into this fantasy piece about secret girl magic.
Nina Evans, In the Round by Kalynn Bayron 4.5/5 - A wonderful historical piece about a Black girl trying out for a normally-white girl lead part in a school play.
Earth is Ghetto by Ibi Zoboi 3/5 - A science fiction piece about a girl trying to pick people to go onto an alien ship with her felt too long to me.
Initiative Check by K. Arsenault Rivera 3.75/5 - A fantasy story about a group of kids playing D&D that gets a little too real, especially between two girls.
Corner Booth by Leah Johnson 5/5 - Great story about a foster girl who spends her nights playing a spelling app at a diner and the boy who interrupts her routine.
Betty's Best Craft by Elise Bryant 5/5 - A lovely story of crafting, friendship, old hurts and new beginnings.
The Panel Shows the Girl by Amanda Joy 5/5 - I was surprised to love this fantasy story of a girl drawing anime that comes to life and has to figure out how to make it all never happen.
Spirit-Filled by Jordan Heuko 5/5 - A Black religious girl who wants to read romance books and ask questions without getting in trouble with family or God. Funny and well-written.
Cole's Cruise Blues by Isaac Fitzsimons 4.5/5 - A sweet story about a transgender boy deals with trying to figure out who he is while on a cruise with his family and cute boy.
High Strangeness by Desiree S. Evans 5/5 - A sweet story about a group of girls who go looking for aliens on the main character's birthday and find friendship and romance (and maybe some aliens).
Catalyst Rising by Tracy Deonn 2/5 - A rather boring sci-fi/fantasy piece with magic and "the one" tropes.
Requiem of Souls by Terry J. Benton-Walker 3.75/5 - An odd horror piece about a boy who finds sheet music, plays it with his flute and has to deals with the ghosts and beast it brings to life.
Honor Code by Kwame Mbalia 4/5 - A boy trying to avoid the problems in his life for the day by attending a LARP competition with his friend.
Drive Time by Lamar Giles 5/5 - An amazingly hilarious dual POV story of two teens trying to get driving lessons from a skeezy dude with errands to run.
Wolf Tracks by Roseanne A. Brown 4/5 - A fantasy story of a boy with a crush on his best friend who wolfs out, literally.
The Hero's Journey by Tochi Onyebuchi 2/5 - A sci-fi piece about a boy writing a space story that keeps petering out and goes nowhere. Yawn.
Abyss by Amerie 1/5 - A long fantasy story that didn't make much sense with characters I couldn't tell apart about magic at school. Wasn't a fan.
All of these stories together equalled 3.9/5 so I rounded that up. I would have liked it more if it had more realistic stories and less sci-fi and fantasy but I get why the editor gathered such diverse stories together. A very cool anthology that should be accessible and fun for everyone. -
Spoilers. The views expressed in this review are just my own personal opinion. All of these authors are amazing and each of their stories has something unique, but there were some I liked more than others. Individual reviews for the stories are short because I'm tired.
"Our Joy, Our Power" - Julian Winters
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - 5 stars
This one was super sweet! I'm a sucker for tender, gay romances.
"The Book Club" - Shari B. Pennant
⭐⭐ - 2 stars
While it was kind of confusing, this one still hooked me, so I was disappointed when, in my opinion, it ended just as it was getting even more interesting. I feel that this might have been better as a novel, or at least a longer short story.
"Nina Evans, in the Round" - Kalynn Bayron
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - 5 stars
This one shines a light on the struggles people of color have within the theater community, and I found myself rooting passionately for Nina!
"Earth is Ghetto" - Ibi Zoboi
⭐ - 1 star
I had no idea what was going on in this story, whatsoever. The premise and topic felt a little too broad to be condensed into one short story. Also, I guess I don't prefer aliens.
"Initiative Check" - K. Arsenault Rivera
⭐⭐⭐ - 3 stars
Queer rep? Check. Fantasy? Check. This one was interesting and kept me reading along, though I was a little confused at how they were magically transported into the game.
"Corner Booth" - Leah Johnson
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - 4 stars
I love word games, and so I loved this story.
"Betty's Best Craft" - Elise Bryant
⭐⭐⭐ - 3 stars
Crafting is cool. I did like the "Enemies to lovers" trope.
"The Panel Shows the Girl" - Amanda Joy
⭐⭐ - 2 stars
I wanted to like this one, and the queer rep was great, but I was confused at the magic system; like, suddenly they're all turning into magical creatures? But then we find out it was all in the mc's imagination?
"Spirit-Filled" - Jordan Ifueko
⭐⭐⭐ - 3 stars
I liked how this one handled the hypocrisy of Churches and things like that. I kind of wish that it had been a bit longer, though.
"Cole's Cruise Blues" - Isaac Fitzsimons
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - 5 stars
A gay trans mc?!?! Yay!!! This one was super sweet, and was one of my favorites!
"High Strangeness" - Desiree S. Evans
⭐⭐⭐ - 3 stars
Not much to say on this one. Intriguing storyline.
"Catalyst Rising" - Tracy Deonn
⭐⭐⭐ - 3 stars
One thing that I've noticed with this anthology is that there are quite a few stories with an unexplained magic system that's kind of confusing and that there are also stories that could have been longer. This one fulfilled both categories. Still, I thought that alchemy was cool.
"Requiem of Souls" - Terry J. Benton-Walker
⭐ - 1 star
Horror creeps me out. Gay mc, though.
"Honor Code" - Kwame Mbalia
⭐⭐⭐ - 3 stars
Cool, interesting story.
"Drive Time" - Lamar Giles
⭐⭐⭐ - 3 stars
A humorous read. I did think that the main characters should have just not done the driving thing once they saw how shady it was, though.
"Wolf Tracks" - Roseanne A. Brown
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - 4 stars
Gay mc!!!! Fandom!!!! Also, the wolf thing was really interesting. I WANT A NOVEL.
"The Hero's Journey" - Tochi Onyebuchi
⭐⭐⭐ - 3 stars
As an aspiring writer, I felt like this story got me. However, it was still a little confusing, though I loved the concept.
"Abyss" - Amelie
⭐ - 1 star. Dnfed 60%.
Ehhhh.
Anyways. I think that my general take away from this anthology is that it had some really great, sweet stories, though I would have liked a few to have clearer/longer storylines, but I still appreciate all of them. After reading several short story anthologies I think I can determine that I will like 1/3 of the stories, dislike another 1/3, and the remaining 1/3 are just okay. However, I am glad that I read this. It's always important to read stories about/written-by people who are different from us. -
Karen Strong brings us a new anthology with 17 incredible Black stories. There’s magic, there’s love, there’s character growth, within ever short story. This book is truly beautiful and deserves a place on every single shelf.
Rather than go through and tell you my thoughts on each individual short story, I’ll share my top three below.
Nina Evans, In the Round by Kalynn Bayron
This one actually had me tearing up! Nina Evans is a passionate theater kid in the mid 70’s when so few parts are given to black people. She’s desperate to try out for the lead at her school musical but it’s a very real possibility that the mediocre popular will get the role. Her mom tries to steer Nina away from the stage because of how she struggle in her own acting career. But they come to understand each other and take the stage by storm.
Corner Booth by Leah Johnson
We saw bits of the world outside but the story focuses on the biggest thing in Fergie’s world. The Diner. Where she plays Dictionary Dynamo and feels a few hours of freedom from her life. Until she gets thrown off her game by some obnoxious boy, causing her to lose to her rival. Johnson puts so much into just a few pages, you can really feel how Fergie suppresses her emotions. And the moment everything comes out! Perfection!!
Betty’s Best Craft by Elise Bryant
Serious what is with these short stories having me all choked up? Betty is a crafter extraordinaire, she knows more than anyone. When she’s pair to work with Jhamir Watson, her ex best friend and archenemy, on a creative school project, she is livid. But could this project warm her heart to him like a glue stick in a hot glue gun and knit them back together like strings of yarn? (I’m not sorry about those puns)
Overall, I’m giving Cool. Awkward. Black. 4.5 stars because there were so many incredible short stories. The purpose and message of this anthology is so important and well executed. There were just a couple stories that I didn’t feel were up to par with the others, hence the .5 star dock. -
a fun collection of stories about black people in spaces we rarely see ourselves in. here are some of my favorites.
“catalyst rising” NEEDS to become an actual book series.
“drive time” was the best of all. a wacky semi road trip adventure about two kids who just needs their drivers license being pulled into the shenanigans of their shady driving instructor. it was hilarious and so fun.
“wolf track” was really cool, mostly because i’m a sucker for stories about werewolves.
“the heroes journey” really surprised me. at first i was so confused, wondering what the hell was going on and why there was so much japanese words being spoken, which i found a little cringey. but it all made sense by the end and was a beautiful story about how black people deserve to be the leads in stories that feel like the anime/manga we love to watch and read. as someone who was conditioned into making all the characters in my stories white (from western media) and then japanese (from when i got into anime) in my younger years, this story resonated so much with me. i never believed someone with brown skin and afro-centric hair could ever be the lead of the type of stories i saw on tv that i wanted to write, but i’m so thankful for growth because rn every story I come up with will always have a black lead.
“requiem of souls” was such a great horror. would really like that one to be turned into a short movie lol. -
COOL. AWKWARD. BLACK. is such a wonderful anthology of unique and creative stories! Each story felt so different from the last and quickly captured my attention. It was easy to get wrapped up in each story and the breadth of characters; I felt like I could have read full novels for each of these short stories.
I loved how the stories varied from fantasy to contemporary; the multi genre aspect was really interesting and made for a captivating reading experience! I loved how you could go from reading a story about frenemies doing a class project together to aliens touching down on Earth and recruiting a young girl to find three other classmates to bring along with her! I was so intrigued by what the next story would be about that this made for a really quick read.
This was a really fun YA anthology and I can see these stories resonating with a wide audience. I loved the representation throughout the book and I know this will be an amazing book to share with any young adults in your life! I also appreciated the chance to sample the writing of so many authors who have other works published and can’t wait to read those next. I highly recommend reading COOL. AWKWARD. BLACK. - pub date is January 10th! -
I received a free digital ARC of Cool. Awkward. Black. from PenguinTeen in exchange for a review.
Cool. Awkward. Black. is a YA anthology featuring a variety of bestselling Black authors who challenge the concept of being a nerd. Black people experience criticism for enjoying "white" hobbies, and the author's of Cool. Awkward. Black. wrote a diverse network of stories that showcase a variety of hobbies. The stories are all well-written, independent of each other, and span various genres.
Some of my favorite stories include a young trans man on a cruise with his father and stepfamily, an uptight young woman who loves crafting, and a young man going to his favorite con. Many stories talk about racism, transphobia, sexism, and homophobia but also feature themes of love and character growth.
While I did not love every story in the anthology, there is a story for everyone. Perfect for fans of Blackout and Whiteout, this book makes me proud to be cool, awkward, and black.
Thank you to PenguinTeen for sending me a free digital copy. I really appreciate it and love the book. -
Are you interested in: a short story collection that is very Queer, very Black, and definitely nerdy?
How about stories from familiar and new faces that run the gamut of finding love in line for a fan convention to finding yourself a key component of a secret alchemist’s society?
If this description appeals to you, then you should run and grab Cool. Awkward. Black. A short story collection that made this pop culture nerd feel affirmed, Cool. Awkward. Black. is just the jolt of energy that nerds across age bracket can appreciate for the joy, fun, adventure, and mystery in its pages. Snapshot review:
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