SHIFTING GROUND is a collection of 12 short stories set in dystopian New York State, a place where some children are born illegally and outcast, where being gay is illegal, where the lower class isn’t allowed to read, have children, or get married, and where upper-class women don’t get to choose the person they are to marry.
Publisher’s Description:
SHIFTING GROUND is a collection of 12 short stories set in dystopian New York State.
Join Chi, a child born illegally, running for his life, Akio, a gay boy ostracized by society, Craig, a lower-class boy crushed by his condition, Morgan, a girl forced into marriage to a boy she will never love, Jackson, a gender-fluid boy living in a state where being queer is against the law.
Genre: YA Dystopian Romance
Representation:
Gender:
Cis girls: Every female character
Cis boys: Every male character except for Jackson Miller
Gender Fluid: Jackson Miller
Sexuality:
Gay: Akio Sakamoto / Terrence Young / Gerald Rossi / Lance Clay
Lesbian: Karen Jones / Morgan Malas / Sofia Campbell
Bisexual: Chase Martinez / Narumi Kita
Asexual: Katsuo Kita
Pansexual: Jackson Miller / Elisa Gonzalez
Heterosexual: Chi Richards / Thia Clay / Stephen Richards / Willow Jenison / James Malone / Tina Davis / Cecilia Clay / Tyreese Lefort / Taylor Jones / Kayla Haynes / Mariana Alvarez
Romantic orientation:
Homoromantic: Akio Sakamoto / Terrence Young / Gerald Rossi / Lance Clay / Karen Jones / Morgan Malas / Sofia Campbell
Biromantic: Chase Martinez / Narumi Kita
Panromantic: Jackson Miller / Elisa Gonzalez
Heteroromantic: Katsuo Kita / Chi Richards / Thia Clay / Stephen Richards / Willow Jenison / James Malone / Tina Davis / Cecilia Clay / Tyreese Lefort / Taylor Jones / Kayla Haynes / Mariana Alvarez
Race/Ethnicity:
White: Chi Richards / Stephen Richards / Willow Jenison / James Malone / Cecilia Clay / Craig Owens / Terrence Young / Lance Clay / Gerald Rossi / Sofia Campbell / Jackson Miller
Black: Taylor Jones / Kayla Haynes / Karen Jones / Jake Smith / Tyreese Lefort
Latinx: Chase Martinez / Mariana Alvarez / Elisa Gonzalez
East Asian: Katsuo Kita / Narumi Kita / Akio Sakamoto
Middle Eastern/North African: Hind Daher / Karim Safi
Not mentioned: Thia Clay is biracial (this is a spoiler of the series since the readers won’t realize it until the last book)
Religion: (The characters’ religions are never mentioned in this book)
Disability: Terrence Young / Gerald Rossi / Craig Owens (illiteracy)
Trigger Warnings: Physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, cutting, suicidal thoughts, self-harm, alcoholism, depression
Additional Notes: The author pledges to donate 100% of sales revenue from “Shifting Ground” to The Ally Coalition (an LGBT association helping LGBT+ youth in need).
Ownvoices: This title is ownvoices for: Immigrants experiencing xenophobia, depression and cutting
Ending: This is a collection of short stories, most of which end with cliffhangers. Most of them are not HEA since this is a dystopian series where the HEA should come in the last book