Hope nation YA authors share personal moments of inspiration

Review by New York Times Review

HOPE NATION. Edited by Rose Brock. Read by a full cast of contributors, including Angie Thomas, AUDIO David Levithan and Jason Reynolds. (Listening Library.) A collection of essays and intimate recollections by some of today's most celebrated young adult authors dedicated to emboldening teenage audiences through the power of optimism, heart talk. By Cleo Wade. Read by the author. (Simon & Schuster Audio.) Her inspiring microlife-lessons have become a hit on Instagram, but the artist, poet and social media phenomenon's own idiosyncratic voice makes her spiritual and practical wisdom even more forceful, how to AMERICAN: AN IMMIGRANT'S GUIDE TO DISAPPOINTING YOUR PARENTS. By Jimmy O. Yang. Read by the author. (Hachette Audio.) The "Silicon Valley" star blends humor and pathos in his coming-ofage memoir, revealing the intricacies of life as a Chinese immigrant growing up in California, from cultural assimilation to interracial dating, the escape artist. By Brad Meitzer. Read by Scott Brick and January LaVoy. (Hachette Audio.) The veteran audiobook narrators bring to life the best-selling author's latest military thriller, about a soldier who was once presumed dead but is now discovered to be on the run. raw. By Lamont "U-God" Hawkins. Read by the author. (Macmillan Audio.) A gritty and uplifting account of the author's path from a singleparent childhood on the rough streets of Brooklyn to becoming a hip-hop legend as a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. & Noteworthy "I've never been drawn to 'Game of Thrones' - too many grim characters in leather chest plates and furry capes for me. But David Benioff, a showrunner and co-creator of the series, is a masterful storyteller, and I have been absolutely mesmerized by his novel, city of thieves. He tells the story of Lev Beniov, a self-conscious 17-year-old Jewish boy during the siege of Leningrad. He survives, even as German bombs rain down on the city, destroying Lev's apartment building, sending most of his family to the countryside and killing neighbors and friends. The city feels eerily hollowed out and menacing, and nobody has anything to eat. But the story contains moments that are surprisingly human, loving and beautiful, after Lev and an unlikely companion, an utterly charming and overconfident young Cossack named Kolya, set out on an impossible journey, during which they discuss love, poetry, hunger, sex, chickens, elephants and of course whether the Nazis will win the war. A scene in which Lev savors a baked potato - with butter! - after months near starvation is so delicately and deliciously told, I could feel my stomach start to growl." - CAROLYN RYAN, ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR, ON WHAT SHE'S READING.

Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [August 30, 2019]

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Review by Booklist Review

*Starred Review* Hope is something many people struggle to understand, much less achieve, and teens are no exception. In this anthology of 21 essays, 1 short story, and 1 conversation, 24 YA authors pour their deepest emotions into a variety of interpretations of hope. Many write about survival in the current political climate. Others address marginalization or speak to being overwhelmed by a variety of internal and external influences. David Levithan reveals his feelings about today's politics via a short-short story set at a march complete with pussy hats. Libba Bray shares a harrowing account of the car accident that left her with a prosthetic eye. Atia Abawi opens up about the prejudice she faced while working to become a TV news reporter. Romina Garber's essay talks about the immigrant experience, perceived pressures, sacrifices, and labels. These and the other 20 authors come from diverse backgrounds that span race, religion, economic class, family makeup and stability, experience, age, country of birth, and sexual orientation. Yet they all overcame obstacles to their dreams through hope. Attitudes and tone differ from one piece to the next, but the essential point is that hope is a decision, and one that requires work. This amazing outpouring of strength and honesty offers inspirational personal accounts for every reader who wonders what to do when everything seems impossible.--Fredriksen, Jeanne Copyright 2018 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Horn Book Review

In this anthology, twenty-three established YA authors share essays on the broad topics of hope and resilience. A few passionate expository pieces have a distinctly political bent and seem to be written in response to the 2016 U.S. presidential election; most others are moving personal stories from the authors' diverse experiences as teens. A consistently readable and well-curated collection. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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Review by Kirkus Book Review

Hope Nation brings together 24 top young adult authors who share personal essays about hope.Their audience is teenagers, but this collection is a treasure trove of wisdom for older readers too. It achieves this with stories from a wide array of perspectives and diverse identities: the struggles of being Muslim in a post-9/11 world as described by Aisha Saeed, the complex constrictions of life in the closet made plain by Alex London, and the terrifying anxieties of being black in contemporary America by Nic Stone, among others. Even if these authors' stories do not exactly mirror each of their readers', together they open the door to an investigation of what hope means. Although it can mean different things and present itself in innumerable ways, the underlying message of this anthology is that it is important to cling to hope: Use hope as a flashlight, a mantra, a walking stick, a tool for every circumstance life throws at human beings. This work comes at a crucial time, as many people struggle to find hope in a confusing and disappointing world.A salve when days are bleak. (Nonfiction anthology. 14-adult)

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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Dear Reader, Like some of you, I'm a reader. Like others, I wasn't always. My family came from Germany to the United States when I was in elementary school, and for all kinds of reasons, I struggled. Coming from somewhere different was hard. Learning English--learning in English--was hard. That slowly changed, thanks mostly to books. Books became my escape, my window to this new American world. I still remember my first book friendships; before I had real friends at my new school, I basked in the company of fictional friends. Since that point, reading books has been one of the things I cherish most. Here's another thing you should know about me. Until she passed away, I was fed a steady diet of hopeful anecdotes by my immigrant mother. Hers were often focused on her childhood during World War II in Germany. After losing all their possessions in an Allied bombing, my grandmother and her five children fled their city to Bavaria to start over again while they waited for my grandfather to be released from a camp for prisoners of war. Although my family was on the wrong side of history, it seemed that the lessons served to my mom were ones that resonated, and for that reason, in my childhood home, finding hope was a directive. It was expected that the world's lemons would be made into fresh lemonade. Perhaps that is the reason I'm an optimist. A dreamer. A hoper. And whether it's in my genetic makeup to see the glass as half full or it's a product of conditioning, I love stories of resilience and tenacity, and I look for hopeful stories everywhere--in books, in movies, and most importantly, in real life. The older I get, the more I understand that finding and holding on to hope can be hard. At times it can feel impossible. So what is Hope Nation ? Simply, it's a collection of unique and personal experiences shared by some of my favorite writers for teens. Stories of resilience, resistance, hardship, loss, love, tenacity, and acceptance--stories that prove that sometimes, hope can be found only on the other side of adversity. I'm so grateful to each of these talented writers for sharing their own paths to hope. Mr. Rogers of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood once said that during a crisis, it's vital to look for the helpers. The authors featured in Hope Nation are our helpers; the gift of their stories is the reason I am able to share this book with you. The making of it is a hopeful endeavor in every way--in lieu of being paid to share their stories, my amazing team of contributors have donated 100 percent of their fees to charities that give meaning to them, organizations and charities working to make our world a better place for you and me. And my publisher is matching each donation.  To me, Hope Nation is the gift I want to give back to all the young people in my life, especially my daughters, Madeleine and Olivia. It's for the teens closest to me who have been left feeling disempowered and hopeless. We see you. It's for all of you that we say, "Hope is a decision." I hope it's a choice you make for yourself. Dr. Rose Brock Excerpted from Hope Nation All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

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