All Sleek and Skimming: Stories

Booklist

"Readers will encounter sex, teen pregnancy, divorce, incest, murder, and disfigurement...Chosen with an eye to building a bridge between young adult and adult fiction, these tales limn the mundane horror of adolescence in ways that frequently jolt expectations."

Resource Links

"Public and school librarians who are building collections of Canadian short fiction will appreciate All Sleek and Skimming."

Quill & Quire

"22 powerful stories on the adolescent condition by gifted Canadian writers. For young readers it will be an eye-opener to learn that it is possible to read-and write-in this way."

Globe & Mail

"All Sleek and Skimming makes a very good case for upping what might be called the wattage in literature for teens... It's gritty and literary, worldly-wise, funny, sad and utterly engaging."

Broken Pencil

"All Sleek and Skimming brings together a bunch of stories by adult authors who write about protagonists in their late teens. And it's not condescending, which is big. The language and writing style aren't unchallenging or uninteresting, but the characters' lives aren't alienating either. For the most part it's current, engaging and sometimes suicidally complete."

The Women's Post

"The pieces are varied in style, from first person confessional narrative to graphic fiction. Literary gems, each with a different colour and lustre, are strewn throughout the pages of this book. Most likely, All Sleek will act as a map for teens, guiding them toward further treasures in their library or bookstore."

Shameless Magazine

"There's a little something for everyone here, each addition to the collection a short, strong gem of a read that refuses to believe that younger readers need a filtered down version of the truth. I highly recommend it from cover to cover."

Canadian Children's Book News

"The assortment of stories to be found in this collection are solid, perceptive and illuminating, and they will undoubtedly inspire many readers to read (or re-read) the books from which many of them have come "

Toronto Star

"It's all here, seen from many approaches: sad, funny, ironic, morose and more ."

Books in Canada

"A beautiful balance has been struck between tackling issues that affect adolescent lives and providing quality writing...Details are rich and closely observed."

Children's Literature - Quinby Frank

The entries is this intriguing Canadian collection include excerpts from novels and graphic novel/cartoons, poems, and short stories. The editor writes that the book tries to draw on an audience of young adult readers who are eager to read adult literature and averse to anything smacking of "children's literature." The overall tone is grim, even nihilistic, which should indeed appeal to adolescent angst. Tales of dysfunctional families, cruelty, broken dreams, isolation, and hopelessness are well represented here. Some context notes would have helped provide background for some of the novel excerpts. Notable offerings include "Dawn" by Tim Wynne- Jones which is moving, real, and tightly constructed. Graphic novel enthusiasts will enjoy "Paul in the Metro" and "Giant Strawberry Funland" which help to break up the overly long text content of the book. "The Art of Embalming" by Diana Aspin is about a young gay man and is one of the best inclusions. "Mermaid in a Jar" by Sheila Heti provides that gut wrenching shock value beloved of self-absorbed teenagers. Information about the authors at the end is humorous. A centralizing theme or title would have helped unify the book. Still, the stories all contain that edge that will appeal to young people struggling to find their own identities in a confusing and sometimes brutal world. Reviewer: Quinby Frank

School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up-These 22 stories by Canadian authors are invariably tender and true to life. In both Tim Wynne-Jones's "Dawn" and Joe Ollmann's graphic story "Giant Strawberry Funland," two boys with dysfunctional families find solace from their troubles with girls who introduce them to music as escape and comfort. Issues of life and death are contemplated in James Heneghan's "The Legacy," in which Danny's father is murdered in war-savaged Ireland, and in the moving "Rock Paper Scissors" by Susan Kernohan, in which Russ and his dimwitted pregnant girlfriend must decide if they're capable of raising a baby. Finding happiness in spite of loneliness is a central theme in Ania Szado's "Camping at Wal-mart," in which Evelyn's dreams of modeling and unpredictable friendships keep her afloat amid her nomadic lifestyle with her grandmother. Other notable stories in the rich collection include Madeleine Thien's "Alchemy," in which Miriam struggles to understand and defend her friend who has run away from a family whose dark secret is well kept, and the comical graphic story "Paul in the Metro" by Michel Rabagliati, in which the narrator reflects on the nature of his teenage shenanigans when left to his own devices. The selections-ranging from lighthearted to mysterious to tragic-are well crafted and worth the read. And while they have all been previously published, together they create a well-rounded portrait of teenage life told through authentic voices.-Jane Cronkhite, Cuyahoga County Public Library, OH Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.