Book Report: March 2011 - Anthology Edition, Take 2
ta-da! the last of the books for March. Now onto April! * ignores the fact that it is already June *
Geektastic: Stories From the Nerd Herd
Edited by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci
According to legend, this particular anthology is the result of a philosophical conversation between Black and Castellucci on the probability and repercussions of a romantic liason between aTrekkie and a Jedi-wanna-be. Recognizing a genius idea when they saw one, they quickly decided that - for the good of all humanity - they must write this story and find a way to make sure it got published.
Which, if nothing else, shows that Holly Black has been involved in the creation of some of the best anthology themes ever.
Once You're a Jedi, You're a Jedi All the Way by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci
This story could have been simply an extended cliche, but thanks to the mad skillz of Black and Castellucci, it lives up to the awesomeness of the initial idea. While we do get the kind of amusing scenes that this plot suggests (face off! on the convention floor! between Klingons and Jedis! lightsabers included!) the authors also do a very good job of exploring why we pick the fandoms we do, what makes seemingly similar fandoms so often fundamentally different, and how we all still have so much in common despite that.
One of Us by Tracy Lynn
I was much more skeptical of this story, which is about a cheerleader who hires a group of nerds to give her the basics of nerd!pop culture so she can keep her boyfriend’s interest. Even fairly far into it, it seemed full of stereotypes and nothing more than an excuse to have constant geek!outs. In the end though, while we do get the requisite “everyone is human!” resolution, the ending does manage to be just sweet and real enough to make this a worthwhile read.
Definitional Chaos by Scott Westerfeld
I’m not entirely certain that I understood everything that was going on in this story and it felt more adult than most of the others. I also kept picturing it in my head as if it was a short film starring John Cusack. (A briefcase full of money, a train, a potentially dangerous love interest, and a young man who is just a little out of step with much of the world....) None of which is a bad thing, and it was an interesting story, but it did feel a little jarring and out of place.
I Never by Cassandra Clare
This was absolutely adorable and is officially my favorite piece ever by Clare. It’s not only a relatable story about meeting imaginary internet friends for the first time, it’s also cautionary tale of internet romance that manages to be nothing at all like an after school special.
The King of Plinesse by M. T. Anderson
Another confusing story (yeah, maybe my brian was not working this day?), this time about a young boy who searches out an aging pulp fiction writer. I actually rather enjoyed the way it went back and forth between the journey and the writer’s stories, but the ending felt like more of a let down than a twist.
The Wrath of Dawn by Cynthia Leitch Smith and Greg Leitch Smith
I have to admit up front that I am biased - I actually rather liked the Dawn storyline in Buffy, even if I was also often tempted to give the character a good shake. So I was pretty much destined to love this tale of another Dawn who stands up for the Buffy character who shares her name.
Quiz Bowl Antichrist by David Levithan
David Levithan is quickly becoming one of my favorite YA writers, and this story is a good example as to why. It isn’t just a story about crushes (and being crushed) among geeks, or being the odd one out even among geeks, it’s also about finding a middle ground between obsession and indifference.
The Quiet Knight by Garth Nix
Yay! a Garth Nix story that doesn’t make me go “meh” but, instead, that I love to pieces! Nix does an excellent job here of capturing the awkwardness of adolescence, the social anxiety that prompts people - especially teens - to hide parts of themselves from others, and the reasons why role playing can be so very cathartic.
Everyone but You by Lisa Yee
While I liked that this was about a band camp nerd (we need at least one in this anthology, yes?), it didn’t really stand out otherwise. For the most part, it was a pretty typical new girl in a new school kind of story. Felicity’s brother’s situation and her decision at the end of the story helped, but that still wasn’t enough to make me love it.
Secret Identity by Kelly Link
Forget what I said about any other story being hard to follow at times - this story was confusing as hell. And slightly disturbing. Although I may just be thinking something happened that didn’t.
Freak the Geek by John Green
John Green, I love you. Other things I love? Kaylee. Lauren. This story. It’s just rather amazing how much depth of character Green was able to pack into a very short story about two best geeky friends on the run from the prep school equivalent of a hit squad.
The Truth About Dino Girl by Barry Lyga
I was rather digging this story of a nerdy girl (who is into dinosaurs!) getting her revenge...right up until the end. There is nothing like a good dose of slut-shaming - and what most blogs I read would consider to be a form of sexual assault - to nix those feelings of joy. Now, I do not mind this stuff being in a story (YA or otherwise) and I’m not asking for it to only be included when accompanied by some preachy lecture about sexting or other disapproving noises form the narrative. I don’t even need a story that doesn’t make me feel conflicted about Katie’s actions. I just tend to prefer stories that do not have the main character committing sexual assault - and seem to be expecting me to cheer her on while she does it. It kinda squicks me out, and not in a good way.
This is My Audition Monologue by Sara Zarr
While the idea of having the entire story be nothing more than an audition monologue had potential, I don’t think it really paid off. I have to admit I spent much of the time cringing - because public embarrassment is my kryptonite, and I kept picturing someone actually saying this on stage. So even though I was cheering at lines like “I will be the best Onlooker # 8 this town has ever seen,” it was a struggle to get through this story, even as short as it was. That may have just been me though.
The Stars at the Finish Line by Wendy Mass
How sweet is this story? It’s sweet like vanilla cupcakes with lots of frosting and sprinkles. (mmm...cupcakes. now I’m hungry.) Plus! all the action revolves around a stargazing party. *sighs * Outdoors. Astronomy. Childhood rivals. and Flirtation. What more can you ask for? Well, since it’s Mass, you also get some really intriguing and relatable characters.
It’s Just a Jump to the Left by Libba Bray
I, myself, was never a Rocky Horror Picture Show kinda geek, but oh, my, did I feel for Leta. Let’s just say I completely understand immersing oneself in an imaginary world as a way of dealing - or not dealing, as the case may be - with the real one, and then finding one’s sanity, sense of control, and self threatened when your ability to do that is taken away.
Geektastic: Stories From the Nerd Herd
Edited by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci
According to legend, this particular anthology is the result of a philosophical conversation between Black and Castellucci on the probability and repercussions of a romantic liason between aTrekkie and a Jedi-wanna-be. Recognizing a genius idea when they saw one, they quickly decided that - for the good of all humanity - they must write this story and find a way to make sure it got published.
Which, if nothing else, shows that Holly Black has been involved in the creation of some of the best anthology themes ever.
Once You're a Jedi, You're a Jedi All the Way by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci
This story could have been simply an extended cliche, but thanks to the mad skillz of Black and Castellucci, it lives up to the awesomeness of the initial idea. While we do get the kind of amusing scenes that this plot suggests (face off! on the convention floor! between Klingons and Jedis! lightsabers included!) the authors also do a very good job of exploring why we pick the fandoms we do, what makes seemingly similar fandoms so often fundamentally different, and how we all still have so much in common despite that.
One of Us by Tracy Lynn
I was much more skeptical of this story, which is about a cheerleader who hires a group of nerds to give her the basics of nerd!pop culture so she can keep her boyfriend’s interest. Even fairly far into it, it seemed full of stereotypes and nothing more than an excuse to have constant geek!outs. In the end though, while we do get the requisite “everyone is human!” resolution, the ending does manage to be just sweet and real enough to make this a worthwhile read.
Definitional Chaos by Scott Westerfeld
I’m not entirely certain that I understood everything that was going on in this story and it felt more adult than most of the others. I also kept picturing it in my head as if it was a short film starring John Cusack. (A briefcase full of money, a train, a potentially dangerous love interest, and a young man who is just a little out of step with much of the world....) None of which is a bad thing, and it was an interesting story, but it did feel a little jarring and out of place.
I Never by Cassandra Clare
This was absolutely adorable and is officially my favorite piece ever by Clare. It’s not only a relatable story about meeting imaginary internet friends for the first time, it’s also cautionary tale of internet romance that manages to be nothing at all like an after school special.
The King of Plinesse by M. T. Anderson
Another confusing story (yeah, maybe my brian was not working this day?), this time about a young boy who searches out an aging pulp fiction writer. I actually rather enjoyed the way it went back and forth between the journey and the writer’s stories, but the ending felt like more of a let down than a twist.
The Wrath of Dawn by Cynthia Leitch Smith and Greg Leitch Smith
I have to admit up front that I am biased - I actually rather liked the Dawn storyline in Buffy, even if I was also often tempted to give the character a good shake. So I was pretty much destined to love this tale of another Dawn who stands up for the Buffy character who shares her name.
Quiz Bowl Antichrist by David Levithan
David Levithan is quickly becoming one of my favorite YA writers, and this story is a good example as to why. It isn’t just a story about crushes (and being crushed) among geeks, or being the odd one out even among geeks, it’s also about finding a middle ground between obsession and indifference.
The Quiet Knight by Garth Nix
Yay! a Garth Nix story that doesn’t make me go “meh” but, instead, that I love to pieces! Nix does an excellent job here of capturing the awkwardness of adolescence, the social anxiety that prompts people - especially teens - to hide parts of themselves from others, and the reasons why role playing can be so very cathartic.
Everyone but You by Lisa Yee
While I liked that this was about a band camp nerd (we need at least one in this anthology, yes?), it didn’t really stand out otherwise. For the most part, it was a pretty typical new girl in a new school kind of story. Felicity’s brother’s situation and her decision at the end of the story helped, but that still wasn’t enough to make me love it.
Secret Identity by Kelly Link
Forget what I said about any other story being hard to follow at times - this story was confusing as hell. And slightly disturbing. Although I may just be thinking something happened that didn’t.
Freak the Geek by John Green
John Green, I love you. Other things I love? Kaylee. Lauren. This story. It’s just rather amazing how much depth of character Green was able to pack into a very short story about two best geeky friends on the run from the prep school equivalent of a hit squad.
The Truth About Dino Girl by Barry Lyga
I was rather digging this story of a nerdy girl (who is into dinosaurs!) getting her revenge...right up until the end. There is nothing like a good dose of slut-shaming - and what most blogs I read would consider to be a form of sexual assault - to nix those feelings of joy. Now, I do not mind this stuff being in a story (YA or otherwise) and I’m not asking for it to only be included when accompanied by some preachy lecture about sexting or other disapproving noises form the narrative. I don’t even need a story that doesn’t make me feel conflicted about Katie’s actions. I just tend to prefer stories that do not have the main character committing sexual assault - and seem to be expecting me to cheer her on while she does it. It kinda squicks me out, and not in a good way.
This is My Audition Monologue by Sara Zarr
While the idea of having the entire story be nothing more than an audition monologue had potential, I don’t think it really paid off. I have to admit I spent much of the time cringing - because public embarrassment is my kryptonite, and I kept picturing someone actually saying this on stage. So even though I was cheering at lines like “I will be the best Onlooker # 8 this town has ever seen,” it was a struggle to get through this story, even as short as it was. That may have just been me though.
The Stars at the Finish Line by Wendy Mass
How sweet is this story? It’s sweet like vanilla cupcakes with lots of frosting and sprinkles. (mmm...cupcakes. now I’m hungry.) Plus! all the action revolves around a stargazing party. *sighs * Outdoors. Astronomy. Childhood rivals. and Flirtation. What more can you ask for? Well, since it’s Mass, you also get some really intriguing and relatable characters.
It’s Just a Jump to the Left by Libba Bray
I, myself, was never a Rocky Horror Picture Show kinda geek, but oh, my, did I feel for Leta. Let’s just say I completely understand immersing oneself in an imaginary world as a way of dealing - or not dealing, as the case may be - with the real one, and then finding one’s sanity, sense of control, and self threatened when your ability to do that is taken away.