What Are You Afraid Of?: Stories about Phobias (review)

Renowned anthologist Gallo here compiles ten stories about young people dealing with fears. Contributors are largely familiar names, from Gail Giles and Neal Shusterman to Angela Johnson and Joan Bauer; the subject phobias range from the well known (Alex Flinn's "The Door" features an agoraphobic trapped in his house during his parents' vacation, David Lubar's "Claws and Effect" is narrated by a young man whose romantic life is hampered by his terror of cats) to the unusual (in Angela Johnson's "D'arcy," the protagonist is desperately afraid of string). The stories are qualitatively variable, with several of them becoming heavy handed or purposive. On the other hand, Flinn's story vividly depicts the agony of a boy trapped in a prison his brain has made for him, while Ron Koertge's "Calle de Muerte" offers some perceptive and sardonic commentary on the phobic community ("So there's a guy afraid of string giving bad advice to another guy afraid of fish") and the ways some people resist any member's leaving—from a guy who realizes that his understanding isn't diminishing his phobia anyway. Such entries make for psychologically compelling reading that could engage readers with phobias as well as those just looking for some thoughtful brief fiction. Each story concludes with an extended note about its author, and the book closes with an extensive list of phobias and their formal names, plus a list of resources on and for phobics.