She’s all alone, except for her brother and friend, Chord. It’s in this city that we meet West Grayer, a fifteen year old girl waiting to be activated to kill her Alt. Whichever Alt survives is considered the strongest and worthy of living in Kersh. When the person reaches a certain age (usually their teen years), they must kill their clone, which they call Alts. In order to have the best, for every child born, an identical one of he or she is made. Kersh has managed to stay away from war by blocking its borders and raising the toughest and best citizens/soldiers. Will this character later feel regret, remorse? Will the story be taking an interesting psychological look into an assassin’s mind? Unfortunately, while it’s fast-paced and action-packed, Dualed never goes that deep.ĭualed is set in a future dystopia where a city, Kersh, is blocked off from the rest of the world. Intrigued, I kept reading on to see how it will turn out. This main character is hired to kill people, innocent ones, and she does it. There are no “moral” cop-outs, like vigilantism or self-defense kills. Here was an assassin who actually kills people for a living. When I chose to read Dualed, I had thought I found it. Ages 13–up.As the assassins’ trend continues to emerge in YA, I hoped to find one that changes it up. Thoughtfully compiled and written, this compendium is a must-read. Each story is followed by a missive from its author, sharing inspiration and background on creative choices and changes. Preeti Chhibber chooses a contemporary setting to showcase the Hindu festival Navratri in “Girls Who Twirl and Other Dangers,” in which a group of young girls resolves to teach an overconfident boy a much-deserved lesson.

In Alyssa Wong’s “Olivia’s Table,” a take on the traditional Chinese Hungry Ghost Festival, the protagonist inherits an important role in helping the dead pass on to the next plane of existence.

Roshani Chokshi’s lush, elegant “Forbidden Fruit” sets the tone for the anthology, remixing the Filipino folktale of Maria Makiling, a mountain spirit spurned by her mortal love. Fifteen Asian authors-including Renee Ahdieh, Melissa de la Cruz, Aisha Saeed, and Rahul Kanakia-share genre-spanning short retellings of myths and legends traditional to their own cultures in this outstanding anthology edited by Chapman and We Need Diverse Books president Oh.

Dualed by elsie chapman