In “Recreation”, a town swimming pool, a run-down house, a mysterious Vietnamese woman and two boys with too much time on their hands provide a lesson in getting to know your neighbors. Toney also designs her stories with people of diverse ethnicities and abilities often set in the intense humidity of the deep South. Toney is a favorite of mine, as her signature style of multigenerational friendships, especially with teens and senior citizens, always brings together an unlikely and extremely likeable group. The narrative is filled with edge-of your seat action and the pace and the length of the story will have even the most reluctant reader hanging on until the end. Though dystopian fiction does not rank as one of my favored genres, the story has well-developed characters (also seen in Turner’s full-length books) and shows the true value of friendship. This dystopian story puts two friends, Bane and Margo, in a race for their lives as their quest for an adventurous summer picnic turns into a case of mistaken identity.

“The Under-Appreciated Virtues of Rusty Bicycles” by Corinna Turner The general tone of the stories is never preachy or off-putting, with more than a few surprise endings. While some of the stories are more active, and others introspective, the overreaching theme is one of faith and reliance on God and prayer to persevere. In each of the stories, the protagonist’s secret forces a choice in a moral dilemma or mystery, which tests their faith, endurance and resolve. With a foreword by Mark Hart of Life Teen International, and dedicated to Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, this book is sure to please teen readers and their parents-a rare combination in today’s publishing world!įive of the stories in this 200-page anthology are contemporary, one is dystopian and one historical. One of the many efforts of this talented group is the 2018 release Secrets: Visible & Invisible, a short story anthology by seven award-winning authors geared for the reluctant reader and the short story enthusiast. One of the best-kept secrets in the Catholic publishing world (though a group of authors are working hard to change that) is the association of young adult and teen writers who have pooled their talents in the website. ”-Mark Hart, of Life Teen International (from the foreword of Secrets ) “We tell stories because our Redeemer is a Master Storyteller-and the story is the net by which we catch souls for the Kingdom.

Rightfully Ours by Carolyn Astfalk