Written by Brooklyn Saliba
Kindred: 12 Queer #LoveOzYA Stories features stories by Australian authors Jax Jacki Brown, Claire G Coleman, Michael Earp, Alison Evans, Erin Gough, Benjamin Law, Omar Sakr, Christos Tsiolkas, Ellen Van Neerven, Marlee Jane Ward, Jen Wilde, and Nevo Zizin.
Honestly, I can’t even begin to explain how important this book is because everyone should have a copy in their collection of books! It’s a must read and I personally found there was a lot to love about this short story anthology. Plus now I’m also excited to discover more work from these Australian authors as I’ve previously only read Jen Wilde, but hope to read Erin Gough and Alison Evans soon!
The stories are all incredibly diverse and it was great to see how each author brought something so interesting and incredible to each story as it was filled to the brim with emotion and pride. As the reader, I felt myself getting swept up in these characters’ stories and just feeling so proud of all these characters!
I dare you to try and not be moved by these stories because it’s near impossible. For example, in Rats – where a supposed “street rat finds her crew in peril, only to also encounter a fateful meeting that same day” – my heart swelled right from the get go! Just the way these characters (not just in Rats, but in each of the stories) just leapt off the page – I just wanted them all to be happy!
Which brings me to say, I love that most of these characters felt comfortable in their skin. It makes me happy and proud reading about people of different orientations just being happy and owning it in their own skin – as everyone should be! The number of non binary characters that made their way into these stories just made me feel excited that these people are being included. From bisexual and gays to lesbian characters, it just really goes to show how amazing these authors are at bringing these characters to the page so effectively and a voice.
I can’t really fault anything with these stories, if at all – I wish they were longer. It really felt like you could read full length books on what happens to the characters after their individual stories whether it be first meetings to weddings or literally just everything in between!
Can we also appreciate that one of these stories, by the wonderful Jax Jacki Brown, featured a gay female character who is confined to a wheelchair along with the other prominent character in the same story is as well? I had honestly never read a story where the main character was wheelchair reliant, and I just found her narrative to be really empowering – this character, when meeting up with another, goes on to say how people that are able bodied with two legs to walk on don’t really take the needs of disabled people into account when it comes to different things such as accessing buildings. It just makes you want to stand up for everyone to have equal rights so we’re all treated equally.
Another highlight for me was Jen Wilde’s story of a bisexual fangirl at a convention who feels anxious despite the slight presence of her closest friend, before she unexpectedly meets fellow fangirls who are all queer too! One is even the designer of a t-shirt the main character wears! I just love seeing fangirls and fanboys and people sharing their love for fandom whilst celebrating their pride, it just makes my heart happy!
Something I loved in the introduction of this book was Michael Earp’s writing a human is a human is a human – it’s so true! We all have the same basic needs and all have the right to love whoever we wish to so everyone should respect that! We are not hurting anyone with who we choose to want to be with!
Kindred: 12 Queer #LoveOzYA Stories is available from Book Depository and other good book retailers. Lastly, a huge thank you to the team at Walkers Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and also to the lovely AusYABloggers crew for having my own blog on the blog tour!
Have you read Kindred? Or will you be checking it out? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
Twelve of Australia’s best writers from the LGBTQ+ community are brought together in this ground-breaking collection of YA short stories.
What does it mean to be queer? What does it mean to be human? In this powerful #LoveOzYA collection, twelve of Australia’s finest writers from the LGBTQ+ community explore the stories of family, friends, lovers and strangers – the connections that form us. This inclusive and intersectional #OwnVoices anthology for teen readers features work from writers of diverse genders, sexualities and identities, including writers who identify as First Nations, people of colour or disabled. With short stories by bestsellers, award winners and newcomers to young adult fiction including Jax Jacki Brown, Claire G Coleman, Michael Earp, Alison Evans, Erin Gough, Benjamin Law, Omar Sakr, Christos Tsiolkas, Ellen van Neerven, Marlee Jane Ward, Jen Wilde and Nevo Zisin.
