Unmasked

by Olivia G. Booms (Editor, Author, Illustrator), Hannah Grace (Editor, Author), Cerra Cathryn

As we see the world overcome with darkness and fear, it's easy to lose sight of the light. We lose our hope, seeing, instead, only the fear.
Written from the hardship of these times, Unmasked is a collection of poems and short stories meant to bring hope to a hopeless world. It was written for those lost, hurting, and searching, to bring them the light at the end of the tunnel.

Genres: Poetry, Anthologies

214 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 4, 2021

About the author

Olivia G. Booms was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder at age two, couldn’t read until age ten, and now somehow writes young adult fiction. Olivia writes about broken characters that still shine with hope, light, and a touch of the extraordinary for girls who want to be seen, known, and loved.

In her spare time, Olivia can be found chasing down cats that don’t belong to her, drinking too much tea, and organizing her bookshelves by color.

Reviews

[Elizabeth]

I'm so excited to read this book! Unmasked is an anthology containing eighteen poems and five short stories, written by various young authors.
Hoping to post a review soon, though I have yet to finish the book. I've read the first few poems and one short story and they are really good.

[E.C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

UNMASKED is a gorgeous collection of short stories and poems by multiple young authors. While I don't usually read anthologies, I found myself pleasantly surprised by this collection.

The authors of UNMASKED wove together a collection of poems and short stories that somehow encompass the essence of feelings, emotions, and memories during these trying times. So relatable and beautiful, but also salted with hope.

The advanced reader copy I received had some typos, which is why I deducted half a star, but overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this anthology, and I would definitely consider purchasing a copy it to adorn my bookshelves (and I'm not a book-buying person, so that should say a lot).

4.5/5 stars (very wow-worthy).

Disclaimer: I received a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. It did not affect my opinion of this anthology whatsoever. A big thank-you to the UNMASKED author team for providing a copy.

[Olivia G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, I’m one of those authors who rates her own book.

Unmasked has been the labor of many months. It contains stories and poetry about the aftermath of a natural disaster, sacrifice, 2020, the changing seasons, forgiveness, and picking up the broken pieces to make something beautiful.

We all worked hard to bring something new, touching, and beautiful into the world for the Lord, and that will always earn 5 stars to me.

[Mandie Chase · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet anthology.
What I liked about it:
~The poetry was super sweet
~The overall messages were outstanding
~It had a lot of unique stories

What I didn't like about it:
~The short stories were hard to get into
~Just a few minor typos

Overall, I would definitely recommend it as a quick, sweet read.

[Cheyenne McCumbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first time reading an anthology, and I definitely picked a good one to start with! Each of the poems and short stories included was beautiful! I hope all of the young authors who participated in this project keep writing!

[Anna Stowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unmasked is such a hidden gem. Written by young authors to bring hope in the heart of the pandemic, it's full of love and light. While I don't normally read anthologies, I thoroughly enjoyed Unmasked! It is made up of a series of poems and short stories and did not feel clunky or off-balance like some anthologies I've read in the past.

Disclaimer: I received a free e-arc of this book which did not effect my review. Thank you so much!