ARC Review: Come On In – 15 Stories about Immigration and Finding Home – Edited by Adi Alsaid

Posted November 15, 2020 by Lisa Mandina in Review / 2 Comments

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

ARC Review:  Come On In – 15 Stories about Immigration and Finding Home – Edited by Adi AlsaidCome On In by Adi Alsaid, Yamile Saied Méndez, Zoraida Córdova, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Maurene Goo, Justine Larbalestier, Sona Charaipotra, Nafiza Azad, Maria E. Andreu, Misa Sugiura, Sharon Morse, Sara Farizan, Varsha Bajaj, Lilliam Rivera, Isabel Quintero
Published by Inkyard Press on October 13, 2020
Genres: YA Contemporary
Pages: 146
Source: the publisher
Format: ARC
My Rating: four-stars
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Synopsis:

This exceptional and powerful anthology explores the joys, heartbreaks and triumphs of immigration, with stories by bestselling and beloved YA authors who are themselves immigrants and the children of immigrants.

WELCOME

From some of the most exciting bestselling and up-and-coming YA authors writing today…journey from Ecuador to New York City and Argentina to Utah, from Australia to Harlem and India to New Jersey, from Fiji, America, Mexico and more… Come On In.

With characters who face random traffic stops, TSA detention, customs anxiety, and the daunting and inspiring journey to new lands, who camp with their extended families, dance at weddings, keep diaries, teach ESL, give up their rooms for displaced family, decide their own answer to the question “where are you from?” and so much more, Come On Inilluminates fifteen of the myriad facets of the immigrant experience.

My Review:

So, to be honest, I didn’t read the whole book. I got about halfway through, and then what almost always happens to me with short story collections, I got sidetracked with other books that had review tours that had to be done by a certain date, so I just couldn’t make myself pick it back up. But I did read half of it, the first 7 stories, so I feel like I read enough to give it the 4 star rating I ended up giving it. The reason I gave it 4 stars is because the stories were all really meaningful and I feel important for teens or anyone today to read. Personally, I had issues with some things in the stories, because I know as a teenager I would not have liked certain things characters might have said or ways they’d acted. And that’s not just me as an adult thinking that, I just know as a teen I probably would have quit at those points and not pushed on like I tried to do. Part of the reason I say that is because I did live a very sheltered, and I guess priveleged life as a white middle class female, and so at that time, I might not have seen the other points of view. I might have though at that age, so I think it is still an important read for kids today. Here are some quick notes about the stories I did read.

  • All the Colors of Goodbye by Nafiza Azad – The first story was good in that I don’t often think about how some may not want to leave their home, how not everyone, kids especially, always see exactly what’s going on around them if it’s not affecting them directly.
  • The Wedding by Sara Farizan – I enjoyed this and the traditions that the author wrote about as well as the older generation connecting and how it was for them.
  • Where I’m From by Misa Sugiura – This story has really good examples of what could be called microaggressions.
  • Salvation and the Sea by Lilliam Rivera – This is an author I’ve wanted to read for a while, this was a sad story.
  • Volviendome by Alaya Dawn Johnson – This story wasn’t my cup of tea. Too all over the place and I had to keep going back and rereading to try to figure out what was happening.
  • The Trip by Sona Charaipotra – This story was really good and really made me think about a lot of things. This is another author I’ve wanted to read for awhile but just haven’t gotten around to yet.
  • The Curandera and the Alchemist by Maria E. Andreu – This story was really good, but really sad.
  • A Bigger Tent by Maureen Goo – I actually haven’t finished this one, it is where I kind of got stuck. It’s not that it isn’t good, I just kind of lost interest in the book itself.

Now the two authors I’ve actually read before and one that I really like, I haven’t read those yet. I am going to try to put this book by my bed and finish a story a night until I’m done. But I wanted to go ahead and post my review that it is worth reading. Just know how short story collections work for me, so it isn’t the book’s fault I took so long to get through it.

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2 responses to “ARC Review: Come On In – 15 Stories about Immigration and Finding Home – Edited by Adi Alsaid

  1. Short story collections are really hit or miss for me. I don’t read many of them. I tend to really like some stories but not the majority. It does sound like some important subjects are raised though, so that’s great.

    -Lauren

    • Lisa Mandina

      Same, I just don’t know why I keep picking them up. Although I know the stories in this one sounded like ones I wanted/needed to read, and will definitely get for my students! Thanks for stopping by!

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