REVIEW: “Last Call on Lindisfarne” by J. B. Toner

Review of J.B. Toner, “Last Call on Lindisfarne,” Unfit Magazine 2 (2018): Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

As someone who lives not that far from Lindisfarne but has as yet never managed to make it there to visit, I was excited to read a story set there! Except it turns out that this Lindisfarne is on a small asteroid in the Sagittarius cloud. Friar Clump is a monk at the Abbey of St. Francis there, spending his days extracting raw booze from the celestial clouds and extracting it into the finest whiskeys and ales. Everything runs peacefully and smoothly until two space pirates come along, and amusing hijinks ensue. A fun little yarn.

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REVIEW: “Toys, Going Home” by Eric Del Carlo

Review of Eric Del Carlo, “Toys, Going Home,” Unfit Magazine 2 (2018): Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

This was an utterly delightful story about a motley assort of Story robears, programmed to make their way back to their holders whenever separated from them, so that they can tell the Story of their travels when they return.

In case any of you are like me and cannot stomach the idea of a story of toys trying to find their way hoome that doesn’t end up happily, well: No kittens were harmed in the making of this story.

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REVIEW: “An Algorithm for Fools” by Cat Rambo

Review of Cat Rambo, “An Algorithm for Fools,” Unfit Magazine 2 (2018): Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

The narrator of this story is doing pretty well for himself, after the alien apocalypse; there may not be many other people around, but that’s okay because he doesn’t really go in for that whole “human commerce, or interaction” sort of thing. It’s so lovely to read a story where I find myself resonating with the main character, and then a bit later on have it explicitly confirmed, by the character themself, that they’re on the spectrum. That frisson of fellow-feeling really helps endear a story to me! And I loved the narrator’s algorithms for coping.

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REVIEW: “A Curse, A Kindness” by Corinne Duyvis

Review of Corinne Duyvis, “A Curse, A Kindness”, in Marieke Nijkamp, ed., Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens (Farrar Straus Giroux, 2018): 276-304 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman. (Read the review of the anthology).

This was the other stand-out story of the volume, sitting alongside of Fox Benwell’s story a cut above the rest. It was so unexpected and charming and an unabashed, straight-up fairy tale, complete with a curse, a wholly unexpected genie, three wishes, and a happy ending. A great story, and a great way to end the anthology. Any misgivings I had reading the first story of the anthology were wholly banished by ending it on this note.

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REVIEW: “Mother Nature’s Youngest Daughter” by Keah Brown

Review of Keah Brown, “Mother Nature’s Youngest Daughter”, in Marieke Nijkamp, ed., Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens (Farrar Straus Giroux, 2018): 260-275 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman. (Read the review of the anthology).

Mother Nature’s youngest daughter came into her powers early, earlier than any of her siblings. Being able to control snowstorms doesn’t make it any easier for Millie to control her teenage emotions and reactions, especially not when she is being bullied and no one — not the teachers, not the other kids, not even her siblings — will say a word to stop it. If no one else will help her, then Millie has got to help herself — maybe, being the daughter of Mother Nature isn’t the worst thing in the world.

This was an engaging story, but I felt it was a little flat compared to some of the others in the collection, perhaps unfairly because some of the others really sparkled. This one was still a good story, just not one I’m likely to remember strongly.

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REVIEW: “Ballad of Weary Daughters” by Kristine Wyllys

Review of Kristine Wyllys, “Ballad of Weary Daughters”, in Marieke Nijkamp, ed., Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens (Farrar Straus Giroux, 2018): 240-259 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman. (Read the review of the anthology).

This is a story for anyone whose favorite part of Anne of Green Gables was the idea of kindred spirits — friends whose bond is forged early and will remain forever unbroken, no matter how many stumbling blocks life throws at them. Whether it is River’s father walking out on her family, or the way the doctors have to keep tweaking her bipolar meds, or whether it is Lucy’s younger brother coming home with a bad report card or her older brother disappearing, all of these seems nothing more than window-dressing for the real story, and that is their friendship.

As a teenager, I couldn’t even begin to imagine having a friend like that. Maybe if I had had more stories about teenaged girls being friends, I would have learned better how to do it. More stories like this one, please.

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REVIEW: “A Play in Many Parts” by Fox Benwell

Review of Fox Benwell, “A Play in Many Parts”, in Marieke Nijkamp, ed., Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens (Farrar Straus Giroux, 2018): 205-239 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman. (Read the review of the anthology).

Take a bunch of misfit teenagers, combine them into a theatre company, and give them Marlowe’s Faustus, and the result is this absolutely smashing story — the best in the volume. Five stars, two thumbs up, would pay to see this story-cum-play turned into an actual stage-production.

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REVIEW: “Dear Nora James, You Know Nothing About Love” by Dhonielle Clayton

Review of Dhonielle Clayton, “Dear Nora James, You Know Nothing About Love”, in Marieke Nijkamp, ed., Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens (Farrar Straus Giroux, 2018): 177-204 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman. (Read the review of the anthology).

This was such a sweet story. Nora James doesn’t date — not interested in dating! (besides, who would want to date someone with IBS, always running to the bathroom?) — but she knows all about love, as her Madame Amour column in the school newspaper clearly illustrates. This story alternated between episodes in Nora’s life and the letters Madame Amour has received and the replies she writes. Thoroughly teenagerish, entirely non-speculative, but still a very good read.

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