Dear Reader,

When I was young, I built a bed out of books. I’d used up all my shelf space, and since I obviously needed more books in my life, I loosened the slats from my bed frame and turned the area underneath my mattress into a giant bookcase.

I read all of those books, too. These days, my TBR list is a little more unwieldy, but at that point, I’d read everything. Some books I’d read a dozen times or more. I read every waking moment. I longed for fantasy worlds and adventures and midnight feasts and lost princes and secrets.

But despite reading more than a thousand books, I never saw myself as the hero of a story. I never thought I could be a hero. After all, disabled teens like me scarcely existed in the books I read, and if they did, they were there to teach lessons. Or as antagonists.

I didn’t know how to claim that space yet either, but I tried. One of the very first stories I wrote was a generic fantasy story about a petty thief in a generic fantasy city and she just happened to have a cane. I managed to make it three pages in but then I stopped. I didn’t know how to go on.

I did know to keep writing, which shouldn’t be too much of a spoiler, because if you are reading this, you’ve shelved and rated one of my other books. (Hey, you’re awesome.) But I kept looking for ways to claim story space for readers like me, one disabled character at a time.

And then this book happened. I got the chance to put together a collection of short stories written by some of the authors I admire most. All by disabled authors. All with disabled main characters. Across genres and experiences. Stories of love and war. Of wandering and home.

Unbroken.

From the very first story I read I knew this collection would be magical—it made me tear up and feel seen. And I could not be prouder to introduce it to you.

The authors in this book are YA superstars and superstars-to-be. They bring a wide variety of experiences to the table. They’ve written characters who are disabled along physical, mental, or neurodiverse axes; characters of color; characters of different genders and orientations. They show that disability as an axis of marginalization intersects with every other form of marginalization and demands to be reflected as such. Booklist calls their work “compassionate, engaging, and masterfully written stories.”

It’d be easy to say that if you like my books, you’ll enjoy Unbroken too. I hope so, of course. All of these authors are people whose work I deeply love and admire, and it’s an honor to share these pages with them. But honestly, there is something here for everyone.

If you want beautiful stories that break your heart, but gently, Kristine Wyllys’s “Ballad of Weary Daughters” is a deeply felt story about sisterhood and friendship, while Francisco X. Stork’s “Captain, My Captain,” is about being brave enough to be your own superhero.

If you love heartwarming stories about love (and dating debacles), Kody Keplinger’s “Britt and the Bike God” features a meet cute on a tandem bicycle, while Dhonielle Clayton’s “Dear Nora James, You Know Nothing About Love” has the advice column of your dreams. And what to think of Corinne Duyvis’s “A Curse, A Kindness,” about a genie in a bottle—and the girl she falls in love with?

If you’re a theater geek—like me—the thespian magic of both Fox Benwell’s “A Play in Many Parts” and William Alexander’s “Found Objects” will transport you right to the stage, including idiopathic magic, backstage drama, and pacts with devils.

If you’re looking for fierce adventures, Katherine Locke’s “Per Aspera Ad Astra” takes you to the heart of an interstellar war, and Kayla Whaley’s “The Leap and the Fall” brings you to an eerie abandoned carnival. And kissing.

If you love empowering stories about girls trying to find their way in the world, Heidi Heilig’s “The Long Road” and Karuna Riazi’s “Plus One” both follow girls carving out their own spaces, surrounded by strong bonds of community, trust, and hope. Meanwhile, Keah Brown’s “Mother Nature’s Youngest Daughter” is a powerful testament of sisterhood—and snow.

Unbroken has it all. It’s funny, heartwarming, painful, heartbreaking, complex. You won’t find teen characters who are used to teach a lesson or act as an inspiration or are defined by their disabilities. You will find teen characters who are passionate, curious, scared, desperately in love, and brave against all odds.

If you like that, you should probably read it.

And my own story? “The Day the Dragon Came” is about a boy who wishes to build a tower, a dragon that perches atop it, and a girl with a cane. She’s not a petty thief in a generic fantasy city, but she lives in the city that stole my heart.

Love,
Marieke

Unbroken by Marieke Nijkamp

This anthology explores disability in fictional tales told from the viewpoint of disabled characters, written by disabled creators. With stories in various genres about first loves, friendship, war, travel, and more, Unbroken will offer today's teen readers a glimpse into the lives of disabled people in the past, present, and future.

The contributing authors are award winners, bestsellers, and newcomers including Kody Keplinger, Kristine Wyllys, Francisco X. Stork, William Alexander, Corinne Duyvis, Marieke Nijkamp, Dhonielle Clayton, Heidi Heilig, Katherine Locke, Karuna Riazi, Kayla Whaley, Keah Brown, and Fox Benwell. Each author identifies as disabled along a physical, mental, or neurodiverse axis—and their characters reflect this diversity.

Start reading now.