Up All Night [Library Binding]

Peter Abrahams (Author), Libba Bray (Author), David Levithan (Author), Sarah Weeks (Author), Gene Yang (Author), Patricia Mccormick (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 22, 2008

A brush with the supernatural? A rock concert? A reunion? A poolside revelation? The need to know what''s up? The confessions of a friend? The dream of escape? A sick pet? An English assignment? The rear-window view of a murder next door? The search for the mother you never met? What keeps you up all night? This remarkable collection of award-winning and bestselling authors is thought provoking, insightful, heartfelt, and powerful.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Invited by editor Laura Geringer to write about "a single night that matters"-about a character kept up all night and transformed by his or her vigil-six authors contribute six stunning stories. Varied in form and content, these entries share a confident, assured pace; the authors know how to build characters and settings, and they do not cut corners. Abrahams, for example, begins "Phase 2" as a girl describes her family's preparations for her father's homecoming from the Iraq war. At the expected hour, however, it is not the father who arrives but a lieutenant and a chaplain; the girl's mother turns white, "the color of a corpse in the movies." This dramatic but controlled setup leads to an emotionally nuanced encounter between the grieving mother and a medium, with the narrator and her younger brother crossing the most unexpected of barriers. The other stories, including Bray's '70s-era "Not Just for Breakfast Anymore," about a girl coming to terms with her father's recently announced gay identity; Patricia McCormick's "Orange Alert," in which a 15-year-old short-circuits an abusive relationship; and Gene Luen Yang's graphic-novel format "The Motherless One," featuring a chimp searching for "some small sign that... someone wanted me to exist," are equally complex and surprising. Of special interest: the publisher is sponsoring a story contest for teens. Ages 12-up.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

“Superb short story collection” (ALA Booklist )

The authors’ names alone will get teens to pick up this book, but it is the writing that will impress them the most. (School Library Journal )

This collection will keep teens reading long into the deep, dark night. (Kirkus Reviews )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Library Binding: 240 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen (April 22, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061370770
• ISBN-13: 978-0061370779
• Product Dimensions: 15.4 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,431,032 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Only because I'm not a fan of Anthologies, June 10, 2008

By 

The Book Muncher (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Up All Night: A Short Story Collection (Hardcover)

In this anthology, six phenomenal authors answer the question "What would keep you up all night?" The authors are Peter Abrahams, Libba Bray, David Levithan, Patricia McCormick, Sarah Weeks, and Gene Luen Yang.

At first, I thought this book would contain personal stories from these authors, but I soon realized they were fictional short stories. My favorite of the six had to be Libba Bray's short story about a group of four friends who go to a rock concert. Libba Bray, the author of the Great and Terrible Beauty series, is an amazing author. Out of the six stories, hers was the longest and most enjoyable one for me to read.

I also enjoyed the stories by David Levithan and Patricia McCormick. David's story was a little confusing and pointless at first, but I liked the ending. Patricia's story was just plain creepy until the ending, which was hilarious. Sarah Week's story was the saddest. And the other two were okay, but nothing something I would remember for a long time.

I have to say I had my doubts about reading this book because I'm not usually a fan of anthologies. I would say that this book is only okay; it's not something I would rush out to buy.

[...]

4.0 out of 5 stars A powerful collection of stories from brilliant authors, July 24, 2008

By 

Teenreads.com (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Up All Night: A Short Story Collection (Hardcover)

In her introduction to this fine short story collection, editor Laura Geringer says, "I hope you enjoy these unusual tales, as I have, and that whatever you select to take from them stays with you for many days and night to come, waking and dreaming."

Six great writers equal six fantastic short stories in this flawless collection of tales dealing with encounters of the world of sleepless nights. From Peter Abrahams's poignant and ghostly "Phase 2" to the zany appearance in "The Motherless One" of the monkey from Gene Luen Yang's AMERICAN BORN CHINESE, each story has a different twist for situations that people encounter as they skip sleep and struggle through the night.

Libba Bray, author of A GREAT AND TERRIBLE BEAUTY, offers "Not Just for Breakfast Anymore." Teenager Maggie is trying to adjust to her parents' divorce. But it's not just the divorce --- it's her mother's endless empty chatter and her father's new lifestyle. She can never share with her friends that her father is gay and actually living with his partner. Her shame and confusion are drowned out for a short while one night when she and friends Diane, Justine and Holly go out to see a band. The band never shows and they all get a little drunk, find themselves in some potentially dangerous situations and, ultimately, end up at her father's condo. Seeing her father in a different light and knowing that, despite all the pain, she has a safe haven where she and her friends can be themselves, turns out to be a revelation. It is a night of growing up for Maggie.

Patricia McCormick, noted author of CUT and SOLD, presents "Orange Alert," the story of a young girl trying to deal with a stepfather who is getting too familiar with her. She spends her nights giving herself driving lessons. Feeling herself developing an independent power, she eventually puts Ed/stepfather in his place. With her new sense of self-confidence, you know this is one girl who will make positive changes.

In "Superman Is Dead," Sarah Weeks explores the tender relationship between Nick and his little brother Joe. During the night Nick works on a short story for class, calling back and forth, sharing insights with his friend. The real drama, however, centers on the fading life of Joe's beloved hamster, Superman. Nick worries about how to deal with Superman when a call from his dad announcing that his new wife has had a baby (there are definitely issues to deal with here) also includes a helpful suggestion on what to do with the hamster. The night is long and painful for Nick, for Superman and for the emotional strings that twist around Nick's heart. This is a sad, enlightening and tender story whose rich characters could easily move into a book.

David Levithan's wonderful "The Vulnerable Hours" explores issues of loneliness and the superficiality of so many conversations. Phil wanders around during the night asking strangers "What's up?" until he finds Sara, who begins an awakening within herself from their conversation and offers:

"If you can conquer the vulnerable hours, you can allow yourself to be yourself, to go forward. You breathe in the night air, and it sustains you."

UP ALL NIGHT is an excellent addition to both public and high school libraries. Asking the question of "what have you ever done while staying up all night?" these entertaining stories will be a stimulating offering in the worlds of waking and dreaming.

--- Reviewed by Sally M. Tibbetts

5.0 out of 5 stars AWESOME, June 26, 2008

By 

Savvy Sal (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Up All Night: A Short Story Collection (Hardcover)

This is one of the best ideas for a collection that I have ever come across. The stories are as different from one another as can be, with the common thread being that each has a character who stays up all night for some reason. Strong writers, strong material, what's not to love about this book????