The Curiosities by Maggie Stiefvater, Tessa Gratton, and Brenna Yovanoff Review

Title: The Curiosities: A Collection of Stories
Author(s): Maggie Stiefvater, Tessa Gratton, and Brenna Yovanoff
Age Group: Teen/Young Adult
Genre: Anthology/Short Stories
Series: N/A
Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.

Maggie Stiefvater, Tessa Gratton, and Brenna Yovanoff are three titans in the young adult literature industry. All are bestselling authors, two of which have series under their belts. They have also started a blog called 'The Merry Sisters of Fate', where most of the pieces in this collection first appeared. (That site can be found at: themerryfates.com.) I have read books from Yovanoff and Stiefvater, and will be looking into Gratton's work as soon as I'm able. (Norse mythology in young adult fiction? I am so excited for The Songs of New Asgard series!)

This book completely blew me away. A collection of pieces from all three women, complete with drawings and notes in said pieces. It was an unusually formatted book, but I loved it. As both a reader and writer, it spoke to my soul. It was beyond thrilling to be granted a window into all three women's writing processes, as well as to read these beautiful, though often dark, stories. I'm not going to review it like I normally do for a short story collection, as there are just far too many to review one at a time. But you can also see, through this volume, the deep friendship that the authors share: as women, as authors, and as readers. This book was such a treat, in that the stories were so intensely personal.

This book really has me tempted to go to my library and grab as many books by these three as possible. The short stories in this collection were like brief, tiny windows into the worlds (and minds) of these blockbuster authors, and I enjoyed every single dark, twisted, crazy minute of it. There was not a story in this book that didn't speak to me in some way--I loved them all. It was such a fun journey into how these women think and work--it felt like I was being admitted to a secret world, the world of people who do what I do for a living: write, even when they want to tear their hair out. It was so fun.

What can I say? This book was just wonderful, and if anyone has ever been curious about the writing process, or love short stories, you need to get your hands on this must-have collection. I promise you, you won't regret it. The bottom line: A fun, and often dark, window into these writers' brains, The Curiosities is a fantastic, can't miss collection--a short story volume to be read by all who have a passion for stories and writing! One of my very favorite books! Next on deck: Conversion by Katherine Howe!

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