Fantastical Summer by Vella Karman, etc.
Short Story Magical Realism Anthology. 252 Pages. 4 Stars
Synopsis:
What would you do if you started growing a fluffy tail every time you felt embarrassed?
A mermaid outcast, a girl who can steal stars, and a high schooler suddenly affected by gravity in a gravity-free world—these are just a few of the fantastical premises you’ll find in this collection of short stories.
Weaving classic coming-of-age themes into magical versions of our world, fifteen Christian writers each bring a fresh perspective on childhood, loneliness, and identity.
Save a spot in your beach bag, because this collection of clean, fun summer stories is more than a fluff read. This beautifully brave anthology leads us to ask hard questions while staying grounded in the truth of the Bible. You’ll want to revisit these thought-provoking stories throughout the year.
Presented by The Company and The Pearl, Fantastical Summer features these short
“Alone,” by R.J. Catlin
“Leaving Lake June,” By Lucy Grecu
“Summer Miracles,” by K.Ann
“Closed Doors Don’t Open,” by Vella Karman
“Oh Deer,” by Adara King
“Gravitational Issues,” by Vannah Leblanc
“The Beast,” by Noah J. Matthews
“Circus of the Moon,” by Juli Ocean
“Sneakers of Joy,” by Gregory O’Donnell
“The Girl Who Lived Under the Water,” by Brad Pauquette
“Soul Marks,” by Alli Prince
“Beachcombing,” by Sarah Sax
“Goodbye to Yesterday,” by Hannah Stiff
“Turn to Face the Wind,” by Faith Tevy
“Confessions of a Mermaid Outcast,” by Thirzah
My Review:
I don’t typically read a ton of short stories – or anthologies of them, for that matter. And this was honestly such a total impulse buy and read. Like the part-mermaid I am, I was immediately drawn by the mermaid cover, and the rest is history.
Sadly, there was only one story in the whole anthology with a mermaid in it! (There are 15 stories total, for context.) So, I was admittedly a little disappointed to learn that. BUT, I must say I was delightfully surprised by the collection.
The book is very appropriately named. Each story had a perfect summer read vibe with a dash of the fantastical. Honestly, I was surprised at how refreshing it was to read these. They were so uniquely creative. I found myself unplugging from my editor brain and just reading, curious where the stories would go, and usually at a loss to guess. The more I read the more I looked forward to discovering the new unique, creative premise of the next story. They felt like there was no agenda except to delight the reader, and that was really a lot of fun.
A few quick thoughts on each:
The Beast – a great reflection on the voices in our own heads and the lies we combat in invisible battles in broad daylight
Beachcombing – a creative premise I’d love to see explored more, but what really got me in this one was the relationship between the characters
Soul Marks – a sweet one that kind of touched my heart in a way that surprised me
Oh Deer – absolutely adorable! This one was just super cute
Goodbye to Yesterday – the idea behind this one was horrific in the best way possible, it felt like such a nightmare and had the perfect ending
Alone – this one was super cute with some fun summer relationship building
Sneakers of Joy – this one was delightful in another surprising way, I didn’t expect the strong nostalgia it gave me of my own college days and it just had something fun about it
Closed Doors – the suspense and build in this one hooked me in, a super creative concept
Circus of the Moon – the surface level of this story was kind of wild and fantastical, but it’s the subtler undertone and deeper story of the relationships in this one I particularly enjoyed
Confessions of a Mermaid Outcast – mermaid! Mmkay, but seriously, I really enjoyed the character and her journey in this one, loved the ending
Gravitational Issues – another creative concept of a bit of an upside down world
Summer Miracles – I love stars possibly more than I love mermaids, so this was one of my favorites, but more than the premise, the relationships and journey in this one, just yes
Turn to Face the Wind – another one of my favorites, the scenery and emotion in this one were right up my alley
Leaving Lake June – charming little addition to the collection that delighted me way more than I thought it would
The Girl Who Lived Under the Water – oddly, the tapping may have been my favorite element in this one, can’t really explain that
Content: a few clean romances, no swearing, some fantastical, magical elements, and not really any violence, but does touch on (lightly – as in doesn’t go super deep into them, not makes light of) with some deeper themes like abandonment, loneliness, grief, loss, dysfunctional relationships, etc. Probably something I’d recommend for 14/15+ depending on the kid
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If you liked this book, try:
Fifteen, Sky of Seven Colors, Coral, Clara’s Soldier, or Jack Zulu and the Waylander’s Key