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Underdog: #LoveOzYA Short Stories
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Short tales from the Australian writers of tomorrow.
#LoveOzYA celebrates the best of new Australian writing for teenage readers. It has grown from a humble hashtag into a movement, reflecting the important role young-adult fiction plays in shaping our current generation of readers. This anthology collects, for the first time, some of the tremendous work from the #LoveOzYA ...more
#LoveOzYA celebrates the best of new Australian writing for teenage readers. It has grown from a humble hashtag into a movement, reflecting the important role young-adult fiction plays in shaping our current generation of readers. This anthology collects, for the first time, some of the tremendous work from the #LoveOzYA ...more
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Paperback, First Edition, 280 pages
Published
March 5th 2019
by Underdog Books
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Start your review of Underdog: #LoveOzYA Short Stories

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What a fantastic collection of diverse stories! Underdog really captures what it means to be Australian, through different voices, themes and genres. Reading it felt both familiar and new, as these stories highlighted beautiful places in our country but also the wonderful diversity that we have here - from LGBTQIA+ voices, to those across cultures, minds and stories.
full review to come ...more
What a fantastic collection of diverse stories! Underdog really captures what it means to be Australian, through different voices, themes and genres. Reading it felt both familiar and new, as these stories highlighted beautiful places in our country but also the wonderful diversity that we have here - from LGBTQIA+ voices, to those across cultures, minds and stories.
full review to come ...more

The #LoveOzYA anthology holds a collection of worlds and experiences by fantastic debut authors that Australia is in desperate need of. In her foreword, Fleur Ferris explores how everyone's publication story is different and highlights that there is no set path or story for each author. 'Underdog' however marks the beginning of writing careers for these young Australians that should not be ignored.
"Take a deep breath. Close your eyes, and let it settle all around you. Smell the beery wash of eu ...more
"Take a deep breath. Close your eyes, and let it settle all around you. Smell the beery wash of eu ...more

A delightful and diverse #LoveOzYA collection. I loved the vast majority of these stories, and still enjoyed the ones that weren't really my thing. It's so great to see such wonderful examples of emerging talent, with many of these stories the first published work of fiction by the author.
I will be looking forward to seeing what the future hold for all these authors. ...more
I will be looking forward to seeing what the future hold for all these authors. ...more

Wow, I'm BLOWNNN AWAY. A strong and incredible YA anthology of Australian stories!!
And if these stories are any indication of the future of Australian literature, then the future is bright.
- Features 12 stories that all center on Australian teens -- and the cool thing is that Underdog showcases the diversity of the teenage and Australian experience.
- The stories featured are the authors' first published work, and if there's a message you should take away from this anthology, it is that new voic ...more
And if these stories are any indication of the future of Australian literature, then the future is bright.
- Features 12 stories that all center on Australian teens -- and the cool thing is that Underdog showcases the diversity of the teenage and Australian experience.
- The stories featured are the authors' first published work, and if there's a message you should take away from this anthology, it is that new voic ...more

I was just so incredibly impressed by all the short stories debuted in this anthology!! Each were written so incredibly well, all of them so exciting and insightful to read and what really impressed me was how diverse this anthology is - no two stories are the same and you can really hear the voice and the passion speaking up through the pages by each contributing author. It was very difficult to choose a favourite as each was so unique I loved each story equally but for different reasons. I bel
...more

Just finished my final proofreading notes! I can't believe how far all of these stories have come since the submission stages. It's been an absolute pleasure to work as assistant editor.
...more

Another wonderful collection of short stories, these from previously unpublished Australian authors. They were fresh and exciting and many of them about contemporary issues like climate change. My only complaint was that there weren't enough of them.
...more

Dec 21, 2018
Sofia Casanova
rated it
it was amazing
· (Review from the author)
·
review of another edition
Loved everyone's stories and I can't wait for the world to read them!
...more

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Yes good this is good
Yes good this is good

Wow what a great & diverse collection of stories; very eclectic & holistic:
There were LGBT protags
There were ethnic protags
There was angst
There was grief
There was contemporary setting
There was magic
There was magical realism
there was a lot more than I could ever fit here
There is basically everything to have in this anthology. An absolutely top job by editor, Tobias Madden (his story is also in there and just so heartbreaking - most especially so since I heard it was inspired by his own experience ...more
There were LGBT protags
There were ethnic protags
There was angst
There was grief
There was contemporary setting
There was magic
There was magical realism
there was a lot more than I could ever fit here
There is basically everything to have in this anthology. An absolutely top job by editor, Tobias Madden (his story is also in there and just so heartbreaking - most especially so since I heard it was inspired by his own experience ...more

Thanks so much to the Underdog team for sending me a copy of this collection! I loved these stories so much! There was a good mix of different kinds of stories - mostly contemporary with some specific too , and told from perspectives of all kinds of people. Each one of them felt really personal, and I'm looking forward to reading what these writers all do next!
...more
...more

3 1/2 stars. I always enjoy reading new Australian authors, and this was an interesting collection of YA stories. Those I particularly enjoyed were: Meet and greet, Mediocre heroes, Variation, and Living Rose

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Jan 04, 2019
Trisha
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
arty,
grief-loss,
australian-ya,
male-author,
male-mc,
ozya2019,
road-trip,
travel,
diversity-in-ya,
lgbt
A consistently well written collection of stories

Nov 25, 2018
Michael Earp
rated it
it was amazing
· (Review from the author)
·
review of another edition
Taking my own story out of the equasion, this is a fantastic collection of really varied and great short stories that I enjoyed immensely. It's exciting to hear from new voices. If you want a good mix YA stories, then give this one a go.
...more

As the editor of this anthology, I've had to read all 12 short stories countless times. I can safely say that they STILL manage to make me laugh and cry!
...more

I love the variety that a short story compilation usually offers. It’s a bit like an Allen’s Retro Party mix- you usually get some awesome stuff like pineapples and raspberries but then you might get a few black cats as well 🤢. But at least the black cats make you feel something.
Maybe I’ve read too many #loveozya books recently because I feel like, with Underdog, I’m getting a bag full of milk bottles. You know what I mean, they’re not particularly unpleasant, but they’re not extremely satisfyi ...more
Maybe I’ve read too many #loveozya books recently because I feel like, with Underdog, I’m getting a bag full of milk bottles. You know what I mean, they’re not particularly unpleasant, but they’re not extremely satisfyi ...more

Meet and Greet by Michael Earp – 4 stars
Breathe Me In by Sophie L. MacDonald – 5 stars
Remnants by K.M. Stamer-Squair – 4.5 stars
Mediocre Heroes by Sarah Taviani – 5 stars
The Swan by Felicity Martin – 5 stars
The Chinese Menu for the Afterlife by Vivian Wei – 3.5 stars
Variation by Tobias Madden – 4 stars
Chemical Expression by Jes Layton – 4 stars
The Bees by Stacey Malacari – 5 stars
The Gap Between Us by Sofia Casanova – 4 stars
After Death by Cassi Dorian – 3 stars
Living Rose by Kaneana May – 4.5 s ...more
Breathe Me In by Sophie L. MacDonald – 5 stars
Remnants by K.M. Stamer-Squair – 4.5 stars
Mediocre Heroes by Sarah Taviani – 5 stars
The Swan by Felicity Martin – 5 stars
The Chinese Menu for the Afterlife by Vivian Wei – 3.5 stars
Variation by Tobias Madden – 4 stars
Chemical Expression by Jes Layton – 4 stars
The Bees by Stacey Malacari – 5 stars
The Gap Between Us by Sofia Casanova – 4 stars
After Death by Cassi Dorian – 3 stars
Living Rose by Kaneana May – 4.5 s ...more

What a perfect introduction to short stories! This is my first and I was unsure if I'd be into it. But I found it fascinating. The stories in here really give you a vast look into different points of view. Some were sad, some were hopeful, the first story I found absolutely adorable! Just made me go aawww! Through most of it.
Fascinating is how I sum this book up.
Thank you to all the new authors in there and I hope to see some more books from you! ...more
Fascinating is how I sum this book up.
Thank you to all the new authors in there and I hope to see some more books from you! ...more

I loved Underdog. LOVED IT. I don’t usually read short stories because I thought I preferred full-length novels but this book single-handedly converted me to the short side.
I am not even sure where to begin with this review but this #LoveOzYa collection of short stories was well thought-out, the stories were all totally unique but cohesive and the writers impeccably chosen.
So many important topics were included – sexuality, friendship, depression and drugs and a combination of styles from dystop ...more
I am not even sure where to begin with this review but this #LoveOzYa collection of short stories was well thought-out, the stories were all totally unique but cohesive and the writers impeccably chosen.
So many important topics were included – sexuality, friendship, depression and drugs and a combination of styles from dystop ...more

Average of 3.5 rounded up.
The Favourites:
Mediocre Heroes - 4 stars
The Chinese Menu for the Afterlife - 4 stars
Variation - 3.75 stars
The Gap Between Us - 4.5 stars
Overall a good round up of entertaining #LoveOzYA short stories. While some could have benefited from being novellas, there were some fantastic stories that really bloomed in this format.
The Favourites:
Mediocre Heroes - 4 stars
The Chinese Menu for the Afterlife - 4 stars
Variation - 3.75 stars
The Gap Between Us - 4.5 stars
Overall a good round up of entertaining #LoveOzYA short stories. While some could have benefited from being novellas, there were some fantastic stories that really bloomed in this format.

Overall, there were several stories that I really connected with and felt were executed effectively. However, there were also several stories that were repetitive in their plot, which I didn't enjoy. This may have also been due to the fact that the subject matter did not interest me (i.e. something about space).
...more

May 08, 2020
✨ emma ✨ RiverReeds
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
two-thousand-and-twenty
A good collection of writing that explores a range of topics relatable for the teenage reader. Grief. Comedy. Dystopia. Queer romance. Friendship. Family. All packaged up into a short story, clever titles, with right-now-and-trending contemporary metaphors and language. An easy one to fly through, but a good breakthrough for young Australian writers.

There are so many wonderful stories in this anthology!
I won a proof copy on Instagram and have finally (!!!) finished it just now.
It was so great to see such a collection of #LoveOzYa short stories in an awesome book!
I'm really intrigued to see what these authors write next! ...more
I won a proof copy on Instagram and have finally (!!!) finished it just now.
It was so great to see such a collection of #LoveOzYa short stories in an awesome book!
I'm really intrigued to see what these authors write next! ...more

I really thoroughly enjoyed reading this! I never thought I was into short stories so it surprised me how into this I got. The beauty of it is there is something here for everyone and I definitely found quite a few of these really spoke to me! 😻😻 I'd definitely recommend!!
...more
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Tobias is an author and editor from Sydney, Australia. Originally from Ballarat, Tobias worked for ten years as a performer, touring Australia and New Zealand with musicals such as Mary Poppins, CATS, Singin' in the Rain, and Guys and Dolls. In 2019, he edited and published UNDERDOG, the first #LoveOzYA short story anthology for previously unpublished Aussie young adult fiction writers. Also in 20
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