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Welcome Home collects a number of adoption-themed fictional short stories, and brings them together in one anthology from a diverse range of celebrated Young Adult authors. The all-star roster includes Edgar-award winner Mindy McGinnis, New York Times bestselling authors C.J. Redwine (The Shadow Queen) and William Ritter (Jackaby), and acclaimed YA authors across all genre
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This collection of short stories about adoption is outstanding. With each story written by a different author, your Want to Read list may grow exponentially (mine did.)
I liked the idea behind this collection more than I liked the collection. Short stories about adoption, all of them with happy endings? Yes please. But the execution let me down a little, I feel like most of the stories were rushed and ended abruptly. It was more of a glimpse into a story, then a story itself. There’s a lot of interesting glimpses into potentially beautiful stories, making me wish there was at least a little bit more.
What was absolutely enjoyable though was the abundance of diff ...more
What was absolutely enjoyable though was the abundance of diff ...more
Super excited to be part of such an important anthology.
This was written with the intention of giving adopted kids stories of their own, which is a great idea, and I'm sure if I were adopted this might be easier to connect with. The problem is that all the stories are only around ten pages. Ten pages is just not enough to come up with a coherent plot and character development, no matter the talent of the author.
At some point I decided I didn't want to keep going with this; it was clear that though many were very talented, almost none of the authors ...more
At some point I decided I didn't want to keep going with this; it was clear that though many were very talented, almost none of the authors ...more
This was one of those anthologies I have talked about before where a publishing house (this time it was an agent) gets a couple of high profile authors to contribute stories to a themed anthology and then they fill the rest of the book with unknown, some even previously unpublished, writers. Collections like this are usually less than 50% good, and that would be okay if the publisher only charged $1.99, or even better, 99¢ for the ebook because they are basically promotional samplers. This ebook
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A lot of strong, heatwarming stories in this adoption-centered anthology. I'm not a huge anthology person, so I gave it a 3.5 overall. Some stories were awesome, some were okay, didn't hate any of them. This anthology probably has the most authors I have ever seen in one anthology, so the stories were all pretty short, almost like flash fiction. Recommended for people who enjoy short story collections!
Welcome Home
Carlos and the Fifteen-Year-Old Heart by Adi Alsaid - 4 stars
Well written but h ...more
Welcome Home
Carlos and the Fifteen-Year-Old Heart by Adi Alsaid - 4 stars
Well written but h ...more
Mar 30, 2017
Liza Wiemer
marked it as to-read
I'm really looking forward to reading this. What many people DO NOT know about me is that I have/had an adopted brother. There's an intense story there, one perhaps I'll share/write about one of these days.
But it does remind me of this: Remember, be kind and compassionate to people. Unless you live with someone, you really don't know what goes on behind closed doors, and even then, within your own home, you may not know everything. Be very careful with your assumptions and judgments. xx
This is a ...more
But it does remind me of this: Remember, be kind and compassionate to people. Unless you live with someone, you really don't know what goes on behind closed doors, and even then, within your own home, you may not know everything. Be very careful with your assumptions and judgments. xx
This is a ...more
3.5 stars
I do have ratings for each individual story which I will add later (if I remember). Overall I enjoyed this anthology. I have no experience with any kind of adoption process but I really hope these stories can help others, who might have been through similar things, feel heard.
Some of the stories are really short and I personally didn't get a lot out of a few but there are definitely some goodies in there.
I do have ratings for each individual story which I will add later (if I remember). Overall I enjoyed this anthology. I have no experience with any kind of adoption process but I really hope these stories can help others, who might have been through similar things, feel heard.
Some of the stories are really short and I personally didn't get a lot out of a few but there are definitely some goodies in there.
I am so excited to be a part of this! Can't wait to hold it in my hands.
Individual Thoughts On The Stories:
1- Carlos and The Fifteen-Year-Old Heart by Adi Alsaid. 4/5 stars
This was one of the stories that I remember the most. Maybe it is because it was the first one I read, the first one that introduced me to the anthology, or maybe because the elements of this first short tale surprised me a lot. I don’t want to give anything about this one away, though.
All I’m going to say about Adi Alsaid’s short story was that I really liked it. The narration was soothing and it ...more
1- Carlos and The Fifteen-Year-Old Heart by Adi Alsaid. 4/5 stars
This was one of the stories that I remember the most. Maybe it is because it was the first one I read, the first one that introduced me to the anthology, or maybe because the elements of this first short tale surprised me a lot. I don’t want to give anything about this one away, though.
All I’m going to say about Adi Alsaid’s short story was that I really liked it. The narration was soothing and it ...more
OhMyHeart...this book should come with a pallet (not a box) of tissues.
My Top 5 (in no particular order)
The Take Back
Peace of Paper
Up By A Million
These Broken Stars
Ink Drips Black
Read it.
My Top 5 (in no particular order)
The Take Back
Peace of Paper
Up By A Million
These Broken Stars
Ink Drips Black
Read it.
A mixed bag, but there are some goodies in it.
I received an ecopy of this through netgalley; however all opinions are my own.
I received an ecopy of this through netgalley; however all opinions are my own.
Jun 16, 2017
Holly
marked it as did-not-finish
Carlos and the Fifteen-Year-Old Heart by Adi Alsaid was eh. I think I got what he was going for, but it just didn't click well for me. (2 stars)
Strong Enough by Karen Atkins twisted the topic of adoption through a superhero storyline. So that was interesting, but I wish it'd been longer. I know it's an anthology and these are supposed to be short, but it really didn't feel like, well, enough. Also, if you took out the fact that the MC was adopted by non-supers, it would not be in this collection ...more
Strong Enough by Karen Atkins twisted the topic of adoption through a superhero storyline. So that was interesting, but I wish it'd been longer. I know it's an anthology and these are supposed to be short, but it really didn't feel like, well, enough. Also, if you took out the fact that the MC was adopted by non-supers, it would not be in this collection ...more
Gripping my heart and holding it until the final page, I cried, I laughed, and stayed up late reading the many stories in this anthology. Home comes in many sizes and colors, and it’s the characters and the love they share that make the many stories of this anthology real. I have personal experience with adoption. My daughter came to me fresh out of eighth grade from a troubled home. She’s become so much a part of my life that it feels like she’s always been here. The many genres of stories in t
...more
4.5 stars
E-arc provided by Netgalley.
Like all anthologies this was a mixed bag of ones I loved, some meh ones, and some I truly hated. But I loved more by far than I hated or even felt meh about, and even if that wasn't the case the ones I love were just so good that I still would have given this a high rating. It may just be because I'm adopted (adopted by my father) but so many of these stories actually brought tears to my eyes and just punched me in the heart. I loved that we had stories with ...more
E-arc provided by Netgalley.
Like all anthologies this was a mixed bag of ones I loved, some meh ones, and some I truly hated. But I loved more by far than I hated or even felt meh about, and even if that wasn't the case the ones I love were just so good that I still would have given this a high rating. It may just be because I'm adopted (adopted by my father) but so many of these stories actually brought tears to my eyes and just punched me in the heart. I loved that we had stories with ...more
I am so here for this!
I'm honored and excited to be a part of this short story collection focusing on adoption stories. The book releases September 5, 2017!
This is really special anthology. All of the contributors's lives have been touched by adoption in some way, and I feel that their experiences certainly came through in the stories they've created, and Eric Smith has done a tremendous job putting them all together. I'm a huge fan of anthologies, and this is one that I have really been looking forward to for a while now.
There is just about every kind of story you could imagine about adoption in this collection from the beautiful and heartwarming ...more
There is just about every kind of story you could imagine about adoption in this collection from the beautiful and heartwarming ...more
This is a case of "It's not you, it's me", because I need to stop reading anthologies. I just don't like them.
I liked the theme of adoption here, and think this book will do so much, and I did like some of the stories...but I also disliked some.
I would recommend this book, and think it contains some great stories and messages, but naturally all of them just weren't for me, and I'm disappointed that I didn't like it more.
I liked the theme of adoption here, and think this book will do so much, and I did like some of the stories...but I also disliked some.
I would recommend this book, and think it contains some great stories and messages, but naturally all of them just weren't for me, and I'm disappointed that I didn't like it more.
Dec 29, 2018
Beyond Words
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
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favourites-2018
There were 29 stories, and while three fell flat for me, and four were mediocre, the majority were pleasant reads. There were some that contained humour, some more serious than others, some pleasantly deviating from the contemporary genre, and was mainly quite the joy to read. However, I found it a bit sad that I found some mistakes in the book, such as words being misspelled. All in all, the diverse range in the way these stories have gone in was great and kept the theme of love and adoption in
...more
Anthologies can be difficult, but boy does this one get it right. I didn't connect with every single story, but the majority made me wish they were excerpts from longer books, which I'd call a success. Lots of perspectives on adoption that readers might not anticipate, in the best way.
May 13, 2017
Leah
rated it
liked it
Shelves:
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m-f,
gay,
arcs-review-copies,
m-m,
queer-literature,
3-stars,
ebooks-kindle,
anthology,
f-f
With nearly thirty short stories to be found within this novel, there is an assortment of different settings and storytelling techniques for a reader to choose from and enjoy. This collection of stories is at times heartbreaking while, at others, it’s like a balm to soothe your wounded heart.
Check out the full review on my blog! ...more
Check out the full review on my blog! ...more
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
I was really excited to read this anthology because of my personal connection to adoption: my youngest is adopted. In general, the stories were very short, which made them a bit harder to connect to. Still, some of these were gems.
A few of my favorites were “Up by a Million,” “Happy Beginning,” “The Take Back,” “Jar of Broken Wishes,” and “Upon the Horizon’s Verge.” That last one was my favorite and has stuck with me t ...more
I was really excited to read this anthology because of my personal connection to adoption: my youngest is adopted. In general, the stories were very short, which made them a bit harder to connect to. Still, some of these were gems.
A few of my favorites were “Up by a Million,” “Happy Beginning,” “The Take Back,” “Jar of Broken Wishes,” and “Upon the Horizon’s Verge.” That last one was my favorite and has stuck with me t ...more
Jan 14, 2018
Kristi Housman Confessions of a YA Reader
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
physical-books-i-own
I enjoyed every story in Welcome Home. I rated each story separately. 3-4 meant that I liked the story and how it was presented. 4 1/2-5 meant that I really wanted more to the stories. Something connected to me a bit more in those ones. Overall, I gave the book 4 stars.
Carlos and the Fifteen-Year-Old Heart by Adi Alsaid 4 stars
Strong Enough by Karen Akins 4 stars
The Sign by Erica M. Chapman 4 stars
Up by a Million by Caela Carter 5 stars This one stood out a bit more than some of the others. An ...more
Carlos and the Fifteen-Year-Old Heart by Adi Alsaid 4 stars
Strong Enough by Karen Akins 4 stars
The Sign by Erica M. Chapman 4 stars
Up by a Million by Caela Carter 5 stars This one stood out a bit more than some of the others. An ...more
WELCOME HOME is a collection of stories about adoption from a number of perspectives, from teens who are meeting their birth parents for the first time to ones choosing whether or not to have their own children up for adoption. There is a wide variety of authors from C.J. Redwine to Eric Smith (also the editor of the collection to Sangu Mandanna.
Anthologies are some of the hardest books to review, particularly in this case. The voices, genres, and perspectives range across the board, bound by t ...more
Anthologies are some of the hardest books to review, particularly in this case. The voices, genres, and perspectives range across the board, bound by t ...more
Read this review and more on my blog.The Book Return Blog
*I received this book for free from the Publisher (via Netgalley) in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
*I received this book for free from the Publisher (via Netgalley) in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I have mixed feelings about anthologies. Anthologies are a great way to be introduced to new authors. However, in every anthology there are always few stories that just aren't really my jam. I do love adoption stories so I thought I would give this one a shot.
I loved al
...more
(Disclaimer: I received this free book from the editor. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Welcome Home features stories that blur the magical with the ordinary with the thread of adoption connecting them all. There's mermaids, moments stuck in 1985, and superheroes. The collection features short stories of various lengths, and I do mean short. They pack a punch in few words. There is hope and heartbreak within one story. All in all this was an emotional read for me ab ...more
Welcome Home features stories that blur the magical with the ordinary with the thread of adoption connecting them all. There's mermaids, moments stuck in 1985, and superheroes. The collection features short stories of various lengths, and I do mean short. They pack a punch in few words. There is hope and heartbreak within one story. All in all this was an emotional read for me ab ...more
Feb 18, 2018
ElizrdbthSpeaks
marked it as to-read
I am getting really frustrated with Goodreads ... please understand that it isn't the author ... i won a kindle copy of this book through Goodreads and didn't get it ... I am not sure what is going on ...but I apparently have won 3 books from different authors and not gotten any of them??! Not sure what is going on with Goodreads or Amazon ... just not sure? I think it needs to be known ... not sure what we the reader can do? so frustrating. : (
I read about half of the novellas. Some were good, some weren't so good but the main problem I had with this was that all the novella's were by different authors. Yes, they all centred around adoption but one was set in the real world and one was set in space!
This meaningful anthology takes readers on an emotional journey with these gifted writers, as it explores complex adoption circumstances, including different skin colours, cultures, etc.
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Eric Smith is an author and literary agent from Elizabeth, New Jersey.
His Young Adult books include the Inked duology (Bloomsbury), the anthology Welcome Home (Flux), The Girl & the Grove (Flux), and Don't Read the Comments (Inkyard Press).
His first non-fiction book, The Geek's Guide to Dating, was published with Quirk Books in December 2013. It was an Indiebound bestseller and has sold into eight ...more
His Young Adult books include the Inked duology (Bloomsbury), the anthology Welcome Home (Flux), The Girl & the Grove (Flux), and Don't Read the Comments (Inkyard Press).
His first non-fiction book, The Geek's Guide to Dating, was published with Quirk Books in December 2013. It was an Indiebound bestseller and has sold into eight ...more
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