Strangers Among Us: Tales of the Underdogs and Outcasts

Gr 10 Up—Nineteen writers tackle the subject of mental illness in this uneven compendium of speculative short stories. In this volume peppered with tales that range from simplistic to melodramatic to immature to downright disturbing, there are some that rise above the rest. Among these are two entries that demonstrate the quiet value of people with autism: one takes place in a fantasy kingdom and the other in a science fiction landscape. Another work takes a look at mental health through the metaphor of a disordered lawn—the implication is that the wildness of a chaotic mind is more lovely and exciting than uniformity. One of the strongest selections in the book is about a high school caught in the crossfire of an ancient battle among mythical creatures that include a kraken, a qi-lin, a gargoyle, a Minotaur, and a yeti. Watching from the sidelines is the girl with the Sight, who can doom or save them all. The writers of these stories address such varied subjects as agoraphobia, depression, schizophrenia, autism, anxiety, and addiction. Though this book has some shortcomings, readers who have mental illnesses may find themselves somewhere in these pages and as a result may no longer feel so alone or isolated.