Three Sides of a Heart

The love triangle is a formulaic, ubiquitous hallmark of the YA genre, and in Three Sides of a Heart ( Natalie C. Parker rounds up 16 short stories from newcomers and veterans alike in this excellent anthology that upends expectations and poses “questions about self-determination and what it means to embrace the power of choice.” Divergent series author Veronica Roth contributes the heartfelt tale “Vim and Vigor” about three superheroloving girlfriends estranged after the loss of one of their own. Bethany Hagen combines boarding-school drama with vampires for “Unus, Duo, Tres.” Justina Ireland’s alternate history “Dread South” — a prelude to Ireland’s upcoming Dread Nation novel — follows a Georgia belle and the black girl who protects her from zombies in the postCivil War-era. Katie Cotugno opens the collection with “Riddles in Mathematics,” which follows a brother and sister both in love with the girl next door.