“The Sum of Us,” edited by Susan Forest and Lucas K. Law, is a very sci-fi heavy anthology focused on the theme of caregivers. That’s not to say it’s all science fiction. My favorite stories contained here fall into the fantasy spectrum: “The Gatekeeper” by Juliet Marillier and “Things that Creep and Bind” (what a glorious title!) by Christie Yant. The former borders on magic realism (in my opinion) involves a refugee and a cat who senses when people will die, while the latter concerns a monster hunter trying to keep his wife alive. As you might have guessed, the anthology contains a wide range of worlds. There's everything from a nursing home for supervillains to a spaceship carrying an alien couple who are considering landing on earth. Writing styles vary as much as settings vary. For example, Kate Story’s “Am I Not A Proud Outlier?” reads like poetry, although it is written in the form of a ship log, while Charlotte Ashley’s “Orang Tua Adventure Home Academy” reads like a Peter Pan-esque fairy tale.

The most brilliant diversity of this anthology, though, is the staggering range of caregivers. A part of me expected a smattering of heroic nurses and mothers with romanticized experiences. Those roles are important in life, of course. It’s just that gushy repetitiveness is probably the most boring thing I could ever read. Some of these stories, such as “Blinders” by Tyler Keevil and “Sunshine of Your Love” by Nisi Shawl, dive right into the grittiness of existence. The former takes some time to explore how union-versus-company struggles can affect workers, while the latter examines the strange ways of genetics, sisterhood, attraction, and society.

I would recommend this anthology to nearly anyone, but particularly readers concerned with mental and physical health, with social issues, or with a general love for exploring writing styles. I think it would be a great addition to a classroom because it brings up so many important topics. As mentioned previously, the selection is diverse enough that there’s something in here for everyone. That said, it seems like one of those books that should be read at the right time. One reason for this is that it’s a very emotional anthology. If you read it all at once, like I did, you’re going to get one heck of a roller coaster. Where there’s a caregiver involved, there’s someone that needs care. Characters die or drift into dementia or senility. There’s more than one tearjerker in these pages. There’s also some warm fuzzy feelings that will make you appreciate everyone who has ever helped you (but not in a mushy way). If you’re looking to get in touch with your emotions, you’ve come to the right place.

There are one or two short stories tucked away in here that I just didn't think were that good. Both cases were due to repetitiveness. The word "carer" is one that I don't think I've ever heard anyone say out loud. According to Microsoft Word, it's not a word at all. The repetition of it in one story irked me. The other case involved the pressing of a theme so hard that it was straightforwardly stated twice. That's only two out of twenty-three stories, though, and both are only annoying to a close reader. If you aren't one of those readers, you probably won't even notice.

Some final reasons to read this book have to do with its impact on the real world. Your dollar will be doing double, if not triple duty. First off, a portion of the net revenue goes to the Canadian Mental Health Association. If that makes you happy, you should probably check out Laksa Media's other books and the causes they support. Second, there’s a nifty index in the back of the book discussing and listing mental health, caregiver, and caregiving resources. The afterword is also totally worth reading! So much so that I just used the word “totally.” The book is currently available for preorder and will be published Sept. 8, 2017.

Thanks, NetGalley, for giving me the opportunity to read this awesome anthology!