Blue Rising: A Collection of Short Stories

The writing is often awkward, the editing deplorable... but the stories, Wow. Each one is emotionally charged; powerful, disturbing and even more so knowing the author's age: it hurts to see that awareness of suffering, that sensitivity, in one so young. “You'll probably finish reading this book in less than an hour,” the back-cover blurb suggests, but hell no: I had to digest each story for a long time.

Thomas has an uncanny sense for human pain, an empathy that will only grow stronger over time. Although she professes an inclination toward STEM (yasssss), I hope she'll continue to make time for writing, because I hope to read more from her.