Different Not Damaged

The title makes sense.

It was a good read despite me not knowing all of the mental challenges illustrated. I like how it referenced back to Voramis and other series I know.

Grim and heartfelt

Beautifully written and heartfelt. Grimdark and realistic wrapped up in an amazing fantasy setting. Carefully handled without tip toeing around or diluting the trauma. I was fully engaged throughout and can't wait to start one of the series this author has crafted!

Some of these stories were incredible, some just okay

I picked up Different, Not Damaged by Andy Peloquin on a whim after seeing a tweet containing the incredible cover and reading the quick blurb. I was disheartened that I couldn’t find the ebook on Amazon, but after a quick search I tracked it down on Andy’s website. Here are my thoughts for each of the short stories that make up this collection of stories about people who are Different, not Damaged. Strength and Courage One of the best displays of PTSD that I’ve ever seen in a book. The tension and fear was palpable and it made my heart flutter and my chest tighten. One of the rare occasions where I felt like the author had first hand experience, and if Andy hasn’t then hats off to him for eliciting such real and vivid scenes. Paint a Black Picture Errin struggles in a world where everything he paints appears black to everyone else. Not only that, but he paints future tragedy and must battle his disabilities to warn those he loves before they fall victim to cruel fate. The Goddess’ Gift I’m sad to say that I read this and didn’t absorb much if any of it. All I can recall is that the main character used her powers to take away people’s pain. At Any Cost This story was as good l, if not better than Strength and Courage. Dealing with a thief who goes to see an Illusionist Cleric in order to forget some painful memories he ends up losing more than he could want. This exploration of a man with ahlziemers was riveting and emotional. A Life for a Life The first of the two stories that are included but are specifically not about disability representation. Andy proves that he can write a dark, assassin central story just as well as he can write about disabled characters. I was enraptured by the Hunter and am beyond excited to read some of his novels if they are this good. The Path of Vengeance This was a long story, perhaps a little too long as it covers five seasons. I never really got invested in this story of revenge and ultimately it fell just a little flat. Some of these stories were incredible, some just okay. But Strength and Courage and At Any Cost will stick with me for a long time. The way that Andy portrayed some big mental illnesses in these stories was both powerful and real. I would be astounded if Andy didn’t have first hand experience with mental illness other than ASD, and if he didn’t then hats off to him and his sensitivity readers. He has put together one of the best short story collections I have ever read. They say don’t judge a book by its cover, but this one drew me in and the words exceeded even my lofty expectations. Well done, Andy. Well done. Rating: 3.5/5