Foretold: 14 Stories of Prophecy and Prediction

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Foretold: 14 Stories of Prophecy and Prediction

Author(s)

Carrie Ryan

Co-Authors / Illustrators

Publisher

Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Genre(s)

Anthology

Age Range

12+

Release Date

August 28, 2012

ISBN

978-0385741293

Buy This Book

Richelle Mead, Lisa McMann, Michael Grant, Meg Cabot, Laini Taylor, and nine more of the hottest YA authors to hit the shelves explore the concepts of prophecy and prediction in this story collection edited by NYT bestselling author of The Forest of Hands and Teeth, Carrie Ryan.

Have you ever been tempted to look into the future? To challenge predictions? To question fate? It's human nature to wonder about life's twists and turns. But is the future already written—or do you have the power to alter it?

From fantastical prophecies to predictions of how the future will transpire, Foretold is a collection of stories about our universal fascination with life's unknowns and of what is yet to come as interpreted by 14 of young adult fiction's brightest stars.

This collection includes works from: Malinda Lo (Ash) Lisa McMann (Wake) Kami Garcia (Beautiful Creatures) Margaret Stohl (Beautiful Creatures) Laini Taylor (The Daughter of Smoke and Bone) Michael Grant (Gone) Saundra Mitchell (The Vespertine) Richelle Mead (the Vampire Academy) Matt de la Pena (I Will Save You) Meg Cabot (The Princess Diaries) Heather Brewer (The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod) Diana Peterfreund (Rampant) Simone Elkeles (Perfect Chemistry) Carrie Ryan (The Forest of Hands and Teeth)Show More

Editor reviews

2 reviews

A Great Collection of Short Stories

October 05, 2012

Overall rating

4.0

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I'm totally loving this latest crop of YA anthologies. It's like my former UCI writing professor once told us, "Anthologies are perfect for busy people who love to read but don't have time for a novel. It's the best of both worlds."

I totally agree.

FORETOLD is no exception. Carrie Ryan is the editor behind this collection of short stories by YA authors that touch on the premise of prophecy and predictions. In this collection, destiny, is shown in different but yet equally satisfying ways.

Here's a little taste of what's in this collection:

Carrie Ryan's 'The Killing Garden' is about a girl who takes over her father's position of gardener and killer. That is until one prisoner melts her frozen heart. **This short story is one of my favorites of this anthology. Ryan has a way of digging deep inside her characters, showing readers the struggles/conflicts they go through. I seriously think this would be a great novel!

Simone Elkeles' 'Fate' about a loner who ends up in a beat-up RV and the very talkative girl who wins his heart. **Elkeles once again shows why she's the Queen of chemistry!

Kami Garcia's 'Improbable Futures' about a teen fortune teller at a cheap carnival who's futures actually do come true in unexpected ways.

Heather Brewer's 'Misery' shows how a gift can indeed be more colorful than expected.

Meg Cabot's 'Out of the Blue' shows her humor as she shows the after effects of an alien prophecy told from the POVs of the teens involved.

Lisa McMann's 'The Angriest Man' is a beautifully written short tale of the hungry behind finding someone.

That's just a little of what to expect in this collection. There's sure to be a story for just about everyone.

Highly recommended!

Good Points

1. Great collection of short stories
2. Love the paranormal premise behind the stories

Kim Baccellia, Staff Reviewer Top 10 Reviewer 878 reviews

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User reviews

2 reviews

Overall rating

4.5

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4.5(2)

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4.5(2)

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4.5(2)

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Decent

April 13, 2013

I really enjoyed some of these stories but there were a few that I didnt like. My favorite one was the one by Laini Taylor and most of them were pretty good and it was pretty decently written.

Sasha Shamblen Top 100 Reviewer 44 reviews

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Foretold: 14 Stories of Prophecy and Prediction

March 07, 2013

Overall rating

4.0

Plot

4.0

Characters

4.0

Writing Style

4.0

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N/A

Since this was a collection of short stories I'm just going to offer a brief opinion on each one, seeing how if I say too much it will ruin the stories for everyone else.

Gentlemen Send Phantoms by Laini Taylor 5/5
I think this was my second favorite story out of the whole book. It was just so, creepy but cute at the same time. Laini Taylor's writing is just magical and I kind of wish she would write a full length novel based on this story.?

Burned Bright by Diana Peterfreund 3/5
This one was alright, the whole premise really creeped me out, and was a bit too religion based for me. But in general it was a good story and was well written.

The Angriest Man by Lisa McMann 1/5
This one was a big disappointment. I love Lisa McMann but this story was highly repetitive and just made absolutely no sense to me. I really wanted to like this one but I just couldn't

Out of the Blue by Meg Cabot 4/5
I really enjoyed this one. The whole story takes place being told through the perspective of different teenager's who were there when an alien landed. The whole time I was reading this I kept imagining that they were being interviewed by The Men in Black. This was a great story, especially if you're a big sci-fi fan.

One True Love by Malina Lo 2/5
This one was an okay story. It involves love between two people of the same gender, which I have no problem with, but it really wasn't for me. I'm not a big fan of the whole knight in shining armor even if it is a woman!

This is a Mortal Wound by Michael Grant 3/5
This one was creepy, students no longer have to go to school and learn their lessons anywhere they want by using a computer. The teacher in this one went a little too far and that kind of freaked me out a little. The story goes pretty quick and it is definitely interesting.

Misery by Heather Brewer 4/5
I really didn't get what was going on until after I thought about it and then once I understood the ending I realised that I absolutely loved this story. It was dark and hopeful at the same time.

The Mind is a Powerful Thing by Matt De La Pena 3/5
This one just shows that if you think about something too much you are pretty much inviting it to happen. It was an interesting read and would have made a pretty good full length novel.

The Chosen One by Saundra Mitchell 2/5
I'm not a big fan of the whole princess having to save the other princess because she's better than her and what not. It just doesn't work for me. The only thing I really liked about this one was the ending. It was written well but it just wasn't for me.

Improbable Futures by Kami Garcia 3/5
What would you do if you learned that your predictions, which you thought were fake were suddenly coming true? I really enjoyed this one, it was interesting and I really didn't see the ending coming.

Death for the Deathless by Margaret Stohl 5/5
This is another one of my favorites. It was so well written and I loved the spin on Nostradamus. The ending was a major surprise for me seeing how there were predictions throughout the whole story but I guess it really shows that some things aren't what they appear.

Fate by Simone Elkeles 2/5
I'm not really sure about this one. I don't see what it has to do with prophecy or prediction or even fate for that matter. It was a cute story but I just don't see how it fits.

The Killing Garden by Carrie Ryan 5/5
The whole premise for this one was just awesome. Carrie Ryan definitely knows how to write an interesting story that leaves you breathless with the twist in the end. Definitely check this one out!

Homecoming by Richelle Mead 5/5
This one was my favorite out of the whole collection. I was so glad to dive back into the world of Vampire Academy with Rose and Dimitri. It's funny how even when they're on vacation they still find themselves facing strigoi, but those too probably can't sit still for too long anyway. For fans of Vampire Academy this story is an absolute must.

Sarah Top 100 Reviewer 47 reviews

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Great read!

November 21, 2012

Overall rating

5.0

Plot

5.0

Characters

5.0

Writing Style

5.0

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N/A

This was a great collection of short stories. It was interesting to see all the different ways the authors portrayed the same concept and it showed my some authors I didn’t even know existed. Perfect for if you only have short periods of time to read.