Monstrous Affections

Starred review from July 21, 2014
Link and Grant (Steampunk!) present an engrossing, morally complex anthology of 15 stories centered on the seemingly antagonistic concepts of monsters and love. Throughout, troubled protagonists meet genuine monsters—some traditional, like vampires, others much less so. Almost invariably, it’s understood that other people in the protagonists’ lives are far worse than the monsters. In Paolo Bacigalupi’s poetic “Moriabe’s Children,” a teenager fleeing her abusive stepfather finds sisterhood with the kraken that haunt the nearby sea. In Holly Black’s bloody but funny “Ten Rules for Being an Intergalactic Smuggler (The Successful Kind),” a girl stows away on her uncle’s spaceship, fights off pirates, and partners with a purported alien killing machine. M.T. Anderson’s wistful and beautifully realized tale of WWII on the home front, “Quick Hill,” concerns a young man’s sacrifice for his community’s safety, and Kathleen Jennings’s graphic short, “A Small Wild Magic,” is a delightful variation on the story of the boy who receives three magical wishes. Additional stories are written by Cassandra Clare, Patrick Ness, and others; all of the entries are strong, and many are splendid. Ages 14–up. Agent: Renee Zuckerbrot, Renee Zuckerbrot Literary Agency.

Starred review from September 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-Find a dark corner, light a candle, and wrap yourself in a blanket-these are stories that beg to be read in the dark. Between these pages readers will find entries by literary greats as well as new authors. Some of these tales are moving, others terrifying, but they all have one thing in common: monsters. In Paolo Bacigalupi's "Moriabe's Children," a girl hears the kraken that drowned her father calling her to come to them. A disobedient teen discovers that interstellar space pirates are more monstrous than the creatures she's been taught to fear in the amusing "Ten Rules for Being an Intergalactic Smuggler (The Successful Kind)" by Holly Black. In "This Whole Demoning Thing" by Patrick Ness, a young demon discovers how to be true to herself through music. And "Left Foot, Right" by Nalo Hopkinson is an eerily touching story about one girl's crippling grief and the monsters that guide her through to the other side. From vampires to ghosts and from strange creatures made of mercury to half-harpies, these beasts will broaden readers' perspectives. Teens will never think about monsters in the same way again. Long after the last page is turned, these tales will linger in readers' brains, in their closets, under their beds, and in the shadows.-Heather M. Campbell, formerly at Philip S. Miller Library, Castle Rock, CO

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 15, 2014
Short stories with otherworldly creatures may be a dime a dozen, but rarely do they offer such nuanced scope.Link and Grant, who edited the fantasy half of The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror anthology until its demise in 2009, know their way around excellent short fiction, and their editorial skills are on display here. From the light(ish) and delightful to the subversively unromantic, from humor to horror, each entry both tells a good story and says something about monstrousness. "This Whole Demoning Thing" posits a world of demons but demonstrates that sometimes the greatest power is just being yourself; "Wings in the Morning" and "A Small Wild Magic" are laced with romance regardless of species, while "The Woods Hide in Plain Sight" takes the "girl meets vampire, finds eternal love" trope and turns it inside out. On the other end of the spectrum, "Son of Abyss" and "Mothers Lock Up Your Daughters Because They Are Terrifying" guarantee cold shivers and probably nightmares, one through gore and the other through psychology. Standouts include Paolo Bacigalupi's "Moriabe's Children" and Holly Black's "Ten Rules for Being an Intergalactic Smuggler (The Successful Kind)," both of which clearly prove that monstrous behavior is usually human in form.An anthology of riches, even if they aren't always fair of form. (introduction) (Anthology/horror/fantasy. 13 & up)

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October 1, 2014
Grades 9-12 The stories in this anthology focus on both monsters and lovefor family, for friends, and, of course, for loversbut the heart of each story is the experience of being a teen. From Luke, whose harpy DNA is emerging in Sarah Reese Brennan's Wings in the Morning, to Alaine, a young woman caught between a lecherous stepfather and the kraken who calls to her from the sea in Paolo Bacigalupi's Moriabe's Children, the characters in these stories are struggling with first loves, identity, family problems, friendship, and the death of loved ones. Most of the tales are dark fantasy, though a few, such as Holly Black's Ten Rules for Being an Intergalactic Smuggler (the Successful Kind) and Kelly Link's The New Boyfriend, have a more sci-fi focus. Link and Grant clearly spent a lot of time building this collection, which includes a graphic entry, and consequently none of the stories disappoint. Authors such as Cassandra Clare and Patrick Nessalong with the monster dripping blood on the coverwill draw in readers eager for creepy, atmospheric tales.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2015
On the heels of their very successful short-story anthology, Steampunk!, editors Link and Grant turn to another currently popular theme: monsters, both familiar and strange, in all their various permutations. Like its predecessor, some fabulous talents--M. T. Anderson, Paolo Bacigalupi, Holly Black, Cassandra Clare, editor Link, and Patrick Ness--contribute to the appealing volume's welcome variety.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)