If Foreshadow were a high school literature class, there might be many more college English majors. This anthology, which began life as an online platform, is a perfectly mixed blend of 13 bright, exciting short stories by new YA authors that also offers writing advice and analysis from editors Emily X.R. Pan (The Astonishing Color of After) and Nova Ren Suma (The Walls Around Us).
The stories are peopled with characters who lure us in, sometimes skirting the far edges of reality, yet consistently making it easy to suspend our disbelief. We are right there with the girl who becomes a lobster (Rachel Hylton's "Risk") and the daughter who watches her mother sprout wings and fly away ("Flight" by Tanya S. Aydelott); we also swoon over the romance (Sophie Meridien's "Break") and tense at the loss, fear and vulnerability in "Belly" by Desiree S. Evans. Each story is introduced by a YA luminary like Jandy Nelson or Jason Reynolds and followed by an author's note and an essay by the editors. Half the stories also have a story prompt following the essay. Back matter includes an excellent and informative q&a with the four fiction editors who worked directly with the authors of Foreshadow, the "original seeds" of each author's story and one final story prompt. Even the afterword and "Magical Origin Story" of this anthology are rich with ideas, inspiration and huge cheerleading support for every hopeful YA author. --Emilie Coulter, freelance writer and editor