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This collection of twenty short stories is reminiscent of the stories found in the adventurous Boy’s Life magazine, whose title was changed to Scout’s Life in 2021. Anyone who has ever dreamed, as the character in the quote above, of being someone more intrepid than the person they see in the mirror can relate. The influences in these stories range from writers like Jack London to Earnest Hemingway and draw comparisons with characters such as Indiana Jones, pirates, and special ops personnel. These characters are seeking to leave a mark on the world.
Also included are Western tales, love stories, and science fiction. In “Neanderthals,” we see a caveman suddenly become aware of pity or compassion for his fellow man. The Western tale “Deserter” best exemplifies how fine a line can separate one man’s fortune from another as it closes with a nod to London’s naturalism.
Karolewski’s writing is typified by the swift, hard sentences of his influences rather than the flowing, highly literary sentences of someone like Fitzgerald. The collection of stories is an easy read and well-paced to keep the reader engaged in the narrative as it marches toward its end. The tales lean in the traditional, masculine sense, targeting teens and young men, and caregivers won’t need to worry about content warnings. There is also a familiarity to the stories in regards to plot and outcome, which will appeal to those not looking for a large shift from genre standards. Overall, this is a fine collection for a young adult looking for adventure stories and will likely be a good choice when searching for a book to entice reluctant readers.