Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens

by Marieke Nijkamp

Overview

This anthology explores disability in fictional tales told from the viewpoint of disabled characters, written by disabled creators. With stories in various genres about first loves, friendship, war, travel, and more, Unbroken will offer today's teen readers a glimpse into the lives of disabled people in the past, present, and future.

The contributing authors are awardwinners, bestsellers, and newcomers including Kody Keplinger, Kristine Wyllys, Francisco X. Stork, William Alexander, Corinne Duyvis, Marieke Nijkamp, Dhonielle Clayton, Heidi Heilig, Katherine Locke, Karuna Riazi, Kayla Whaley, Keah Brown, and Fox Benwell. Each author identifies as disabled along a physical, mental, or neurodiverse axis—and their characters reflect this diversity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780374306502
Publisher:	Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication date:	09/18/2018
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	522,610
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.20(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Marieke Nijkamp is the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of This Is Where It Ends. She is a storyteller, dreamer, globe-trotter, and geek. She currently resides in her home country, the Netherlands.

Editorial Reviews

★ 10/22/2018
Nijkamp (This Is Where It Ends) presents 13 fictional short stories written by authors with disabilities and featuring variously abled teens. Authors including William Alexander, Corinne Duyvis, and Heidi Heilig represent varied genres and diverse protagonists. Kody Keplinger offers romance in “Britt and the Bike God,” which traces the relationship between a blind cyclist and her tandem riding partner. Katherine Locke’s sci-fi story, “Per Aspera ad Astra,” introduces Lizzie, who may be able to save her planet if she can harness her anxiety. More often than not, what makes these protagonists different proves far less relevant than the universal emotions they express. Ages 14–18. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

*A Junior Library Guild Selection*
*A Kirkus Best YA Book of 2018 That Feeds Imaginations*

"What makes these protagonists different proves far less relevant than the universal emotions they express." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

"The stories feature wide variety and high quality, but most importantly, none of the teens at the center of the stories are defined by their disabilities. Teens disappointed by the lack of nuanced depictions of disability in YA fiction will cheer for these compassionate, engaging, and masterfully written stories." —Booklist, starred review

"For intersectional representations of disabled kids leading complex lives—sometimes painful, sometimes funny, never sentimentally inspirational—a vital collection." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Fans of every genre will find someone to root for in this collection focused on disabled heroes and heroines." —Seventeen Magazine

"There is something for everyone in this volume. VERDICT A great choice for all YA collections." —School Library Journal

"Unbroken is a much needed short story collection featuring disabled teens as heroes of their own stories. The anthology successfully subverts stereotypes and long-held literary tropes about characters with disabilities. This strong assortment of stories will attract a large teen audience and should be in collections serving young adult readers." —VOYA

From the Publisher

09/01/2018
Gr 8 Up—The founding member of We Need Diverse Books and author of This Is Where It Ends, has compiled and edited a much-needed collection of short stories about disabled teens by authors who identify as disabled. The disabilities of the authors and the characters in the stories include physical differences and myriad types of neurodivergence. In every story, the protagonists face challenges, both internal and external; the struggle with the disability is the main challenge in some entries while the presence of a disability or difference is more subtle in others. Issues of intersectionality are addressed—other identities, such as race, socioeconomic status, and concerns faced by those in the LGBTQ+ community are threaded throughout. The settings are varied; in one vignette the main character goes on a pilgrimage to Mecca while in another a character uses her coding skills to save her futuristic world from attacking invaders—but both struggle with debilitating anxiety. A particularly moving story by Francisco X. Stork features Alberto, a young Mexican immigrant who has been told he has an intellectual and developmental disability. His constant companion is Captain America, a voice who speaks to him in his head and doesn't necessarily have his best interests in mind. The collection of stories is eclectic—not every selection will appeal to every reader—but there is something for everyone in this volume. VERDICT A great choice for all YA collections.—Ragan O'Malley, Saint Ann's School, Brooklyn

School Library Journal