ARC Review: The Radical Element by Jessica Spotswood and more

Title: The Radical Element Series: A Tyranny of Petticoats #2 Written by: Jessica Spotswood and more Published: March 13, 2018 by Candlewick Press (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis:In an anthology of revolution and resistance, a sisterhood of YA writers shines a light on a century and a half of heroines on the margins and in the intersections. To respect yourself, to love yourself—should not have to be a radical decision. And yet it remains as challenging for an American girl to make today as it was in 1927 on the steps of the Supreme Court. It's a decision that must be faced whether you're balancing on the tightrope of neurodivergence, finding your way as a second-generation immigrant, or facing down American racism even while loving America. And it's the only decision when you've weighed society's expectations and found them wanting. In The Radical Element, twelve of the most talented writers working in young adult literature today tell the stories of the girls of all colors and creeds standing up for themselves and their beliefs—whether that means secretly learning Hebrew in early Savannah, using the family magic to pass as white in 1920s Hollywood, or singing in a feminist punk band in 1980s Boston. And they're asking you to join them.

I read A Tyranny of Petticoats in 2016 and I totally enjoyed it. I don't read a ton of short story anthologies but I loved that one and I was excited to read more, especially with the amazing authors in this collection, and I was not disappointed.

Like the last book, this one was full of diverse stories. It spanned different locations and centuries and immersed the reader in the period and the setting. Each author did a great of establishing the time and place. Some of the stories and locations were familiar and others were completely new to me. Some of the stories had some magic to them, and others were rooted in reality. I think some of my favorites were ones that had more fantasy elements like When the Moonlight Isn't Enough By Dhonielle Clayton and Glamour by Anna-Marie McLemore. I also loved The Magician by Erin Bowman, Step Right Up by Jessica Spotswood, and Land of the Sweet Home of the Brave by Stacey Lee. Obviously some stories were better than others but I don't think there was a bad story in the bunch.

I think one of the best things about this book and the real connective tissue is the characters. Even though they were so different, they all had one thing in common. For one thing, they are all these kick ass female characters. But the real reason they all felt so familiar is that they all had this yearning. This yearning and desire to be more than they are or exactly who they are even though it may not be what people expect for them. It made them really engaging and likable characters. I rooted for all of them and wanted to seem them achieve their goals. Each author really did such a great job with the characterization in such a short story.

This was a really short and easy read. Each of the stories was engaging and interesting and it was easy to read them in short bursts. But before you know it you have finished the entire book. Each story on it's own was really great but collectively this is look at amazing young women throughout history who were completely themselves and achieved their yearning for more. It's a fantastic collection of stories of kickass women that I really enjoyed.

I give The Radical Collection by Jessica Spotswood and more 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy! This was a really good read. I enjoyed the stories a lot and I think not only will fans of anthologies or short stories will like it but also fans of historical fiction.

Have you read The Radical Element? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Audiobook Review: A Tyranny of Petticoats Edited by Jessica Spotswood

Title: A Tyranny of Petticoats: 15 Stories of Belles, Bank Robbers & Other Badass Girls Edited by: Jessica Spotswood Published: October 11, 2016 by Amulet Books (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: 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.  Criss-cross 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 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.

I really liked this collection of short stories. I'm not usually a fan of short stories but with this collection of authors writing an anthology of badass females I knew I had to read it and I'm glad I did.

For one thing, this is a very diverse collection of stories. It spans decades and the entire continent of North America giving us stories of young women from all walks of life. And because of that, every story is so different. It was really great to be able to see such a wide collection of stories. As a fan of historical fiction I enjoyed being taken to different places and being immersed in the different historical times and places. So many of them are not often written and explored periods too, which was great and made for really unique reads.

But the settings and the stories wasn't the only diverse thing about this collection of stories. The characters too were extremely diverse. And I don't just mean that they were different characters, I mean that they are characters from all walks of life. It gives us characters who are different races, ethnicities, and have different sexual orientations. Every character is different and unique which was fantastic in not only differentiating the stories but actually in connecting with the stories. All these badass young women were well, badass and I loved meeting and connecting with each and every one too.

The stories were also really different in their tone. There are a few stories that have more of a fantasy tone to them which was a pleasant surprise to me, while others had a strong mystery element, and others still felt more like traditional historical fiction. This too made for a diverse and interesting collection of stories. They were all really good but dmittedly, some of them were better than others. I think my favorites were The Journey by Marie Lu which had a fantasy feel, Madeline's Choice by Jessica Spotswood, The Red Raven Ball by Caroline Tung Richmond which had spies and mystery, The Legendary Garrett Girls by Y.S. Lee which was a great old west kind of story, City of Angels by Lindsay Smith which was set on the homefront during WWII. But honestly there wasn't a bad story among them.

I listened to the audiobook for this and while I thought at first that I would have rather each story had it's own narrator I honestly think that the narrator here, Bahni Turpin, did a great job. Each story did have it's own feel and the characters all sounded so different. She did a great job setting the scene and helping you connect with the different times and places as well as the diverse characters.

If you love historical fiction or you are trying to explore the genre a little more, I would definitely recommend this anthologies. I'm not a huge fan of short stories but if there are more like this I could maybe warm up to them.

I give A Tyranny of Petticoats Edited by Jessica Spotswood 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy/Borrow. Absolutely read this book. Listen to the audiobook. Even if you don't like short stories anthologies or historical fiction, give it a try. It's really fantastic. I liked it just as much as I thought I would if not more.

Have you read A Tyranny of Petticoats? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping and HAPPY READING!