Never Have I Ever: Stories
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"Drawing from science fiction, Filipino folklore, fantasy and horror, these thirteen stories are monstrous, scary, joyful, unexpected, inventive, eerie and weird."
- Karla Strand, Ms. Magazine
-- Washington Post
"Yap's unique voice is oft-praised for a reason -- her stories are unique and lyrical. Full of love and pain."
-- Rey Rowlan, Book Riot
"A wondrous and impressive collection from a gifted writer with a fresh voice."
-- Paula Guran, Locus
"Every story in this book is filled with magic and legend and power. My favorite thing about a short story is when it captivates me so completely I forget that only a fraction of the book is dedicated to this one world, and Never Have I Ever accomplished this again and again. Fans of folklore and myth will be swept up in this wonderful collection."
-- Katherine Nazzaro, Porter Square Books
"Vicious, vindicating, and visceral at once, Never Have I Ever balances compulsively readable humor with the good, transformative sort of devastation. This is a truly powerful, propulsive collection, exploring the makings and reshapings of myth, and the myriad ways we might save each other. Each character is vividly drawn, be it an exhausted magical girl wondering if she and her friends will ever be done slaying monsters, a servant in love with her charge, or the disbelieving new roommate of a vaguely discontented manananggal. Her stories tread somewhere between familiar and uncanny, interrogating human connection and monstrosity, and all unapologetically, beautifully Filipino. Each story with its own specific atmosphere, each its own sort of spirit, each sure to haunt the reader in its own uncanny shape. Here, magic makes mirrors of us, and we won't always like what we see. Yap writes with an expert hand as she moves the reader through the looming horror and magic of what it is to be alive."-- Maya Gittelman, Tor.com
"I urge you to dig in, to experience the dark wonder of a seriously underrated writer, and to take your time savoring these stories. Yap will surprise you, she will startle you, and she will impress you."
-- Arley Sorg, Lightspeed
"Never have I ever realized how much I've been waiting for this book. Full of magic and mystery, monsters, and miracles, everything a reader could need during these troubling times. I just wish I could read it for the first time all over again." -- Karen Joy Fowler, author of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves
"The first time I read Isabel Yap's work--she was in college at the time--it made me smile, it was so polished and assured. The next time I read a story of hers, it made me cry; it was so moving, yet nuanced. Over the years since, as this book proves, Yap has only gotten better, showcasing her impeccable yet seemingly effortless command of language, and a deft balance of emotional honesty and expert restraint. As one of her first editors, I'm filled with pride; as a fellow writer, with envy; and, as a reader, once again, with sorrow and delight."
-- Nikki Alfar, Palanca-award winning author of WonderLust
"The delight created by Yap's stories rests in her deep understanding of what makes us all human, that irrepressible longing to ask, to understand, to explore, to strive, to hold on, and to let go. In her hands, worlds open up and words become transformative."
-- Dean Francis Alfar, author of Salamanca and editor of Philippine Speculative Fiction
"These 13 captivating short stories entwine fantasy, horror, and science fi
