Common Sense Media Review
By Lucinda Dyer
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Ten authors embrace "weird" to create extraordinary stories.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
No story in THE COLLECTORS is quite like any other. In "La Concha" by eE. Charlton-Trujillo, Reina del Cuento lives in South Texas with her Model Citizen stepfather (he's not) and grave digging brother. She collects all sorts of things in jars and is building a tank to roll over everything that ever hurt her. David Levithan's "Take It From Me" has a character who builds collections by stealing from family and classmates. In high school, the character falls in love with K, who's nonbinary and collects doubts in a locked chest at the foot of their bed. In Randy Ribay's "White Savior Does Not Save the Day," superfan Perdita Padilla is searching for the final script from the show's last season to add to her collection of memorabilia. She's also searching for her birthmother, certain she's the actress who played the White Savior. G. Neri's "Pool Bandits" takes place in 1976 drought stricken Los Angeles. A group of entitled suburban skateboarders are looking for places to show off their skating skills, so they start collecting swimming pools that have been left drained and empty by absent homeowners. In "Sweet Everlasting" by M.T. Anderson, a demon despises humans so much he begins collecting people who "wish this moment would last forever." He freezes them in time to give them exactly what they asked for.
Is It Any Good?
Wildly inventive, brilliantly written, sometimes dark, often fantastical, and always thought provoking stories about searching, belonging, and growing up. Potential readers shouldn't be intimidated by The Collectors having won an award for literary excellence. There's a character or story that should intrigue any teen and once they read one story, it's certain to lead to others. It's also a chance for readers to be introduced to authors and explore storylines they might never have considered.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the authors in The Collectors embraced and were proud of their weirdness. What's different or quirky about you that you're proud of?
What part do curiosity and perseverance play in being a collector? Is there something you're curious about that might lead to a collection? How difficult would it be to build that collection.
The fictional TV show White Savior has several racist stereotypes. Do you think the media is doing a good job of portraying minority characters in a positive light or could it do better?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Literary Fiction
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , School ( High School )
- Character Strengths : Curiosity , Perseverance
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Dutton Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : September 19, 2023
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 18
- Number of pages : 272
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Award : ALA Best and Notable Books
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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