From an impressive sisterhood of YA writers comes an edge-of-your-seat anthology of historical fiction and fantasy featuring a diverse array of daring heroines. Crisscross America on dogsleds and ships, stagecoaches and trains from pirate ships off the coast of the Carolinas to the peace, love, and protests of 1960s Chicago. Join fifteen of today s most talented writers of young adult literature … literature on a thrill ride through history with American girls charting their own course. They are monsters and mediums, bodyguards and barkeeps, screenwriters and schoolteachers, heiresses and hobos. They’re making their own way in often-hostile lands, using every weapon in their arsenals, facing down murderers and marriage proposals. And they all have a story to tell.
With stories by:
J. Anderson Coats
Andrea Cremer
Y. S. Lee
Katherine Longshore
Marie Lu
Kekla Magoon
Marissa Meyer
Saundra Mitchell
Beth Revis
Caroline Richmond
Lindsay Smith
Jessica Spotswood
Robin Talley
Leslye Walton
Elizabeth Wein”
more
Anthologies are so hard to review. So, I did write quick comments on each short story as I read (see below).
They are nice because they expose you to new/different authors and stories. I definitely want to check out Y.S. Lee’s books now and I’d never even hear of her before. It’s a very diverse anthology in a variety of ways which is a plus of anthologies-a variety of POVs.
Most of these stories felt like a set-up for a large story. I wouldn’t mind the reading of those books, but that isn’t the purpose of an anthology.
Some of my favorite stories are:
Madeline’s Choice
Gold in the Roots of the Grass
The Legendary Garrett Girls
Hard Times
And here are my individual thoughts/reviews:
Mother Carey’s Table: 3 Stars. This one came across a little blah. Because it’s short there’s little opportunity to explore these characters. The descriptions were good and I could feel what Joe was feeling. But it wasn’t anything special.
The Journey: 3 Stars. It deals with Europeans (I assume) encroaching on Native lands. She does a decent job of showing a snapshot in time. And there was tension that had me interested. But I wasn’t blown away.
Madeline’s Choice: 4 Stars. I really enjoyed this. It talked about a group of people I’ve never even hear of (which is awful). I really felt for Maddie and her situation. New Orleans has such a different history than the rest of the US. I liked a glimpse into that story/place in time. I wouldn’t hate if Ms. Spotswood wrote a whole series in this setting. Now, I need to learn more the gens de couleur libres.
El Destinos: 3 Stars. This follows mythological characters-the Fates-in a non-traditional setting. It was interesting to see her play with the setting and culture. I cared about these characters, but would have preferred more. It kind of feels like a lot to shove into a short story.
High Stakes: 3 Stars. This story blends supernatural elements with the historical fiction. It had potential, but too much scope for such a short story. I was engaged and wanted to know more which kept me reading. But ultimately, I was a little disappointed.
The Red Raven Ball: 3 Stars. Another Civil War-set story which I’m beginning to realize I don’t read a lot of. It is an interesting time to explore-especially because the war split families apart. This was a bit predictable. And again felt like a lot for a short story-not so bad if you look at it as a snapshot in time. There is a trend with these stories.
Pearls: 3 Stars. This was probably one of the better stories, but I can’t give it more than 3 stars. You have to make a lot of guesses/inferences about certain events and characters. Ms. Revis left the right amount of bread crumbs. And I really liked the ending.
Gold in the Roots of the Grass: 4 Stars. My favorite (so far) which is even more impressive because this isn’t a setting I particularly like. There was so much packed into this story and it was done well. Ms. Meyer slowly weaved cultural and character background info so you understood, but didn’t get an info dump. She showcased the darkness of the setting, but also had a beautiful hopefulness.
The Legendary Garrett Girls: 3 Stars. I really enjoyed this. It’s almost a 4 star, but I can’t quite go there. The characters were interesting-I particularly like the sister’s relationship. Ms. Lee kept me on the end of my seat and I had no idea how the conflict would be resolved. I’ve never even heard of Ms. Lee, but I’m definitely interested in checking out her books now.
The Color of the Sky: 3 Stars. What to say? This was good, but not for me. It was like a snapshot in time (again) which is not something I typically like. I did like learning about a historical figure I’ve never heard of. I definitely want to learn more about here.
Bonnie & Clyde: 3 Stars. I don’t even have anything to say. But I want to write something for each story. This was fine, but fairly forgettable.
Hard Times: 3 Stars. This was so close to four stars. It was interesting with compelling characters. But it was another set up/snapshot story. I would love a full-length exploration of this story and characters.
City of Angels: 3 Stars. This story made me so sad. there was a hopefulness to it, but mostly it made me sad for Evie (and Frankie) and the real people who were in their situation. It is written well-very close to 4 stars. Sorry, I can’t explain why.
Pulse of the Panthers: 3 Stars. This story covers a difficult and awful time in American history. It’s important to discuss this time. It was well-written but I think the Black Panthers are a complicated organization, so it’s hard to discuss them in a short story. I did recently listen to a podcast that discussed Bobby Seale so it was interesting to read his name.
The Whole World is Watching: 3 Stars. Thankfully, this story had a hopeful element. When it started I thought the anthology would end on a sad note because of the content. Again, I think this is a pretty complicated time/situation/event to condense into a short story. And I came in with some outside knowledge.
Loved this collection.
A TYRANNY OF PETTICOATS : 15 stories of belles, bank robbers & other badass girls edited by Jessica Spotswood.
This is a wonderful collection of historical fiction, from 1710 to 1968 and from coast to coast, with courageous and independent women finding their way through life’s problems. Most of the authors were new to me, but I’ll be looking for more books by most of them, as all were excellent, a rare collection! It’s YA, but so is much of the finest writing these days. I recommend it without reservations.
Wow. So, I’m going to give each individual story their own ratings, and kind of average them together for the overall anthology. With maybe a little extra credit since the concept of this book is so amazing and so wonderful and even if it had failed to deliver I probably would’ve just said “Do it again! Try again! Keep trying until it’s perfect!”
It’s not perfect, nothing is, but it is damn amazing.
Mother Carey’s Table- 4 stars
I am loving the girl-disguised-as-a-boy-on-a-ship story. I love the story of Mary Lacey (via Rejected Princesses), so Joe was like meeting a new best friend who has a lot in common with another friend of yours and then getting on like a house on fire. Of course, the mythological element of Mother Carey was…creepy. Mother Carey is creepy and supernatural and I got chills. Excellent story.
The Journey- 4.5 stars
I cried reading this. Super awkward since I was not at home, but I think I managed to somewhat keep my cool. I haven’t read any of Marie Lu’s other works yet, but I’ve had them in my TBR for sometime. This short story definitely moved them up the pile towards the top. This story had BEAUTIFUL description and hugely evocative (for lack of a better term) language. I could’ve reached out and touched Ataneq’s fur and I was shivering from the snow and ice. Amazing.
Madeline’s Choice- 3.5 stars
I mean, everything was going to be a come down after The Journey, really, so this story had a tough act to follow. It was interesting, it was good, I liked the story. Nothing really wowed me, and I kind of saw the ending coming (which, it’s a short story- these are tricky creatures), but it was not bad at all. Will I reread it? Probably.
El Destinos- 5 stars
This is, without a doubt, my favorite of these stories. Wow. Just wow. The three sisters, the story of them, the love the pain the purpose of them all. It bowled me over. I kind of just had to sit for a few minutes after reading this to let it settle into my soul. Absolutely amazing. The concept of the three fates being girls in Southwest Texas at this time was something I’d never even dream of AND IT WORKED SO WELL. Add into that how the three sisters became so alive and yet so utterly removed from the living and it was astounding. Two thumbs way up.
High Stakes- 3 stars
I legitimately had forgotten about this story by the end of the book. There’s nothing wrong with it, but it just didn’t make much of an impression amongst all the other stories. However, I will say that the ending is pretty damn fabulous. So don’t skip it.
The Red Raven Ball- 4 stars
Hot damn, I did not see that plot twist coming. Which, for a story about a girl looking for a spy at a ball, is damn good. I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out the spy and I got a few hints in one direction that I thought was leading one way and then BAM FOOLED YOU. The hints made total sense in a new context and I would’ve felt dumb for not figuring it out but I was too busy siting there marveling at that plot twist.
Pearls- 4.5 stars
Snaps for this story. I loved the ending. Helen Davies. What a girl. I’d be so proud to be friends with her. She rose up like a freaking phoenix and the fact that she teaches a little Annie-Oakley-inspired girl is just icing on the cake. What a star. Possibly my second favorite story of the book, but it’s hard to decide.
Gold in the Roots of the Grass- 4 stars
Wow. I gotta say, all these girls are freaking badass. I adore them all. Sun Fei-Yen is no exception and not just cuz the girl can see ghosts. And wow, what a subtly done romance that nevertheless now owns part of my soul forever. It’s a Wild Wild West showdown meets the Ghost Whisperer meets I don’t even know what but there’s even more to it. Owns. My. Soul.
The Legendary Garrett Girls- 3.5 stars
Listen, I will always be here for sisterhood girl power we-will-save-our-damn-selves stories. I don’t know why this one doesn’t get more stars, but I did really like it. And the Garrett Sisters and their rules are new role models.
The Color of the Sky- 4.5 stars
I knew a little about Bessie Coleman going into this. Enough to know that she is truly a role model and icon for the ages. Never forget Bessie Coleman. I did not know that, upon her death, some newspapers didn’t even bother reporting her name when they discussed the accident that also resulted in the death of another pilot. A white male pilot. Who got his name printed. While Bessie Coleman, first African American woman to get a pilot’s license, didn’t apparently rate a mention. Bessie Coleman, who was trying to open a school for African American kids to learn to fly. Bessie Coleman. I am so mad just thinking about this. I got so fired up reading about this I was ready to storm somewhere and start protesting, but I am several decades too late for that BUT STILL. I AM ANGERED. Now, this story’s telling me of this brought me to a towering rage on behalf of Bessie Coleman, but it also, oddly enough, gave me some closure. I guess reading about a little girl who was there and had so much more to lose with the death of Bessie Coleman than I ever did, and reading about her journey towards a sort of closure while also finding her own purpose? That was powerful.
Bonnie and Clyde- 3 stars
Nothin’ wrong with it, just a lot of introspection that I guess I wasn’t much in the mood for. It was a more internal dialogue piece. And while reading about a cross-dressing girl who robs banks during the depression to help feed her family is basically always a great idea, nothing much wowed me with this one. At least compared to the others. Still, very good.
Hard Times- 3 stars
Again, nothing wrong with it, just wasn’t my particular cup of tea. It was interesting and I liked the main character, and while she felt life like, she didn’t feel like a friend. I guess I’d just need a little more to this story, a little more time to get invested in these particular characters and their stories, in order to give it a higher rating.
City of Angels- 4 stars
Evie, my darling, you deserved so much better than Frankie, but I guess it was a good learning experience and growth and yada yada yada for you. You still deserved better and I want to read about you finding someone who is so worthy of all your brilliance because this experience only made you so much more you and more than you were letting yourself be and I feel very strongly about how much I want you to be forever happy and successful and writing. Which I guess, your journey towards that was the point of this particular short story and how you learned to love yourself better by knowing yourself better. Which is some of the most courageous shit I’ve ever seen.
Pulse of the Panthers- 3 stars
Very introspective. I don’t know- nothing had really changed for the main character at the end of the story. She was changed by the experience, no doubt, but I don’t know if she was going to effect any change herself now. Whether that be on her life or on the world. I didn’t see much growth for her, which I would’ve liked to have some evidence of.
The Whole World Is Watching- 3.5 stars
I sort of under stand why the book ended with this one. (Beyond the fact that the stories were going in chronological order- which makes sense.) The world is watching. Especially in today’s society, and we see the beginnings of all that happening here. The courage is being yourself even when the whole world is watching. And remembering, when you are in a position to make change- the world is watching, and history will remember you. Whether for success of failure, you must decide. All in all though, this story wasn’t anything too extraordinary compared to the others. It was good, it highlighted a tense time period that echoes a lot of what’s going on today (a lot of these stories echo what’s going on today). However, I didn’t get much of a sense of who Diane was as a person. Or even who Jill was. But it was mostly Diane I wanted to know better. If you’re going to have someone be the love interest, you’d better tell me why they’re the love interest. I don’t know Diane well enough to say who she is as a person. So despite this story having a lot of focus on the romance, I didn’t really ship them because…I didn’t really know them. I wasn’t as invested as I’d like to be.
Overall- the scores are in, the judges have tallied, and the final is 3.8 stars, but I’m rounding up to 4.25 for the overall awesomeness of an anthology of historical fiction based around badass women/girls. Two thumbs way up.
This book is wonderful. I loved it so much.