Alex West

Three years ago, an unexplained catastrophic event completely annihilated the small city of Poughkeepsie, leaving behind a heavily quarantined area known as the Spill Zone. Inside the borders, the laws of physics are broken, the wildlife is mutated, and lethal dangers wait around every corner. Addison lost her parents to the disaster and now serves as the sole provider for her traumatized, mute younger sister. To make ends meet, she takes illicit midnight motorcycle rides into the forbidden territory, capturing photographs of the twisted, neon colored anomalies to sell to wealthy art collectors. When an eccentric buyer makes a staggering million dollar offer for an unprecedentedly dangerous assignment, Addison breaks all her own survival rules. Venturing deeper into the zone than ever before, she discovers that the terrifying entities within the spill might actually be waiting specifically for her.

Fat teens are not side characters here. They are heroes, artists, friends, athletes, dreamers, fighters, and people falling in love on their own terms. Every Body Shines brings together sixteen YA short stories that celebrate fat main characters across many genres and moods. Some stories are joyful, some are tender, some are bold, and all of them push back against the idea that only one kind of body deserves adventure, beauty, romance, or confidence. For teen readers looking for body-positive fiction with many voices and perspectives, this anthology offers affirming, intersectional stories about being seen fully. It is also a strong choice for readers who enjoy contemporary YA collections centered on identity, self-worth, friendship, and love.