celina31's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
morainjay's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
mysticmegs's review against another edition
3.0
This was super cute and a really nice and light read, and I really enjoyed a couple of the stories in there. However, the majority of the stories really, really suffered as short stories - the pacing was way off and some of them just really didn’t work as short stories and I struggled to look past that which made some of the stories so difficult to get through. All in all it was a nice book, but the pacing issues really brought it down for me.
(How many times can Meg say stories in one review challenge)
(How many times can Meg say stories in one review challenge)
reyes_sf's review against another edition
2.0
I think this one is very much a case of me being too old for this book. With most anthologies I feel like there is one or two outstanding stories, one or two bad ones, and most of the book falls somewhere in the ok to ok-ish category - but for me most of the stories here were on the lower side of meh. I took notes after every story, behold my deep thoughts!
01. Bye bye, Piper Berry (fake relationship) - Julie Murphy
I do love fake relationships, but I could have done without the love triangle and the DRAMA. 1/5
02. Anyone else but you (stranded together) - Leah Johnson
I could read a whole book about this one. Not only stranded together but also "I have always liked you", and the background stories were interesting. Super cute. 3/5
03. The Idiom Algorithm (class warfare) - Abigail Hing Wen
Just no. I know the cultural differences play a big role here, but Rebecca was just a spoiled asshole, and that's me refraining from using stronger words, and honestly he wasn't much better. And where was the trope in this story?? Nope. 0/5
04. Auld Acquaintance (the best friend love epiphany) - Caleb Roehring
Cute, but kind of juvenile and I could have done with less tears and misunderstandings. 2/5
05. Shooting Stars (one bed) - Marissa Meyer
The akwardness!! The cuteness!! One bed!! My favourite so far ❤ 4/5
06. Keagan's Heaven on Earth (the secret admirer) - Sarah Winifred Searle
Couldn't read this one because Kindle is the absolute worst for graphic novels
01. Bye bye, Piper Berry (fake relationship) - Julie Murphy
I do love fake relationships, but I could have done without the love triangle and the DRAMA. 1/5
02. Anyone else but you (stranded together) - Leah Johnson
I could read a whole book about this one. Not only stranded together but also "I have always liked you", and the background stories were interesting. Super cute. 3/5
03. The Idiom Algorithm (class warfare) - Abigail Hing Wen
Just no. I know the cultural differences play a big role here, but Rebecca was just a spoiled asshole, and that's me refraining from using stronger words, and honestly he wasn't much better. And where was the trope in this story?? Nope. 0/5
04. Auld Acquaintance (the best friend love epiphany) - Caleb Roehring
Cute, but kind of juvenile and I could have done with less tears and misunderstandings. 2/5
05. Shooting Stars (one bed) - Marissa Meyer
The akwardness!! The cuteness!! One bed!! My favourite so far ❤ 4/5
06. Keagan's Heaven on Earth (the secret admirer) - Sarah Winifred Searle
Couldn't read this one because Kindle is the absolute worst for graphic novels
haylisreading's review against another edition
4.0
*Before reading this review further, please keep in mind that I definitely threw some mild to severe spoilers in for most of these stories!
Bye Bye, Piper Berry
(The Fake Relationship)
Julie Murphy
★☆☆☆☆
I was super excited that this anthology started out with Fake Dating and Julie Murphy, but this story was definitely the one I disliked the most. I know this is a trope and it has been done time and time again, but the idea itself was not very original. If I were to stop and think about the blandest, most bare bones Fake Dating idea would look like, it would be this story. There's no substance! It felt like it really lacked the signature Julie Murphy twist.
Anyone Else But You
(Stranded Together)
Leah Johnson
★★★☆☆
At first I was really, really annoyed by all the semi-obvious and unbelievable inconsistencies. First, our MC complains that her co president is late to a party store that's closing in less than half an hour. She goes inside and zooms past the employees and heads to the restroom. Where she finds her co president. Both girls drove themselves. How did the MC not see her "enemy's" car in a near empty parking lot???? And then, of course, they get locked in. It's two minutes after the store closes and the lights are off and doors locked. Why isn't there an alarm? Why did the employees not remember that there were two girls in the store, evident by the extra cars in the parking lot and, um, watching them literally walk in the store??? The power goes out sometime while they're there as well, so that took care of the security cameras, the girls said by the end. But they're also magically able to play music in the store from some sort of music player that seemed to be connected to store speakers? It wasn't explained but it all felt really sloppy.
I don't know why, but that stuff bothered me so much. (Also, this is my Assistant Manager Brain speaking and I'm annoyed with these imaginary party store employees.)
(Also, completely unrelated, but there were a lot of pop culture references that made me set down the anthology for a while and stare off into the void because... damn, Johnson knows how to cut deep and make a girl feel old. At one point I had to send a quote to my friend because I needed to not be the only one freaking out about it.)
Anyway... Onto the stuff I actually liked. I actually really liked the writing and the characters for this short of a story. I didn't really click with Johnson's debut novel because I have Prom Beef. (That's a rant for another review.) I liked the questioning and the awkwardness in the main character about her feelings for her nemesis. Overall, it was cute and I'm actually looking forward to reading Johnson's sophomore novel.
The Idiom Algorithm
(Class Warfare)
Abigail Hing Wen
★★★☆☆ (actual rating 3.5 stars)
I'm going to start by outing myself as a complete dork because it took me way too long to realize that this wasn't a class war as in school. I obviously haven't read many of the class war tropes because, wow.
Onto the actual story. I liked the drama! The love interest was shady from the beginning and the MC techy and trying to track her down. It was kind of a cool twist I wouldn't have expected, actually. The writing kept me captivated as a thriller would. I pretty much had to speed read it because I had to make sure that the program he made actually worked.
Auld Acquaintance
(The Best Friend Love Epiphany)
Caleb Roehrig
★★☆☆☆
This story wasn't bad. I didn't love or hate it. I'm pretty indifferent. I could definitely see this particular story drawn out a little more as a few more scenes or chapters in a book. That said, it felt a little rushed being as short as it was and there wasn't enough time to get to know and love the main characters.
Shooting Stars
(One Bed)
Marissa Meyer
★★★★☆
I am so happy that Marissa Meyer had a cute story to bring to the table! I was a little worried with the first stories, but this one was *chef's kiss*. We love a One Bed trope and this was pretty cute. Both love interests were adorable and relatable and awkward. The guy the MC likes has acne scars and unmanageable hair!!! (I'm sure there were other things but I can't remember them after the fact.) This is what I like to see in the YA genre!! Not the impossibly perfect, super model teens whose only flaws are that they're clumsy. This makes me really excited to actually and finally read her contemporary novel.
Keagan's Heaven on Earth
(The Secret Admirer)
Sarah Winifred Searle
★☆☆☆☆
I honestly had no idea what was going on with this illustrated short story, lol. It was short enough that there wasn't really enough content or explaination for anything. Like, I understood the gist of the plot, but the rest fell apart, in my opinion. Also, it didn't seem to fit the Secret Admirer trope besides the obvious flower with the note written out from the admirer that wasn't even sent.
Zora in the Spotlight
(The Grand Romantic Gesture)
Elise Bryant
★★★☆☆ (actual rating 3.5 stars)
This is the only story that actually made me laugh. There were some ridiculous moments and raging bull characters that all played out hilariously in my head. I loved the vulnerability from some of the characters and the wild grand gestures that were promised. This is another one that I would have loved to read a little more of in a full length novel. I had to check out what else Bryant has published and I was pretty stoked to see that I have one of her books on Audible! I have high hopes for more goofiness.
In a Blink of the Eye
(Trapped in a Confined Space)
Elizabeth Eulberg
★★★★☆
The beginning for this story was pretty cheesy. Our MC talks about how she believed in fairytales as a child which, bada bing bada boom, brings us to London. Don't ask, I can't remember how. This girl is an anglophile on a school trip(!!!) to London with her best friend and her best friend's boyfriend that she doesn't want to like. I really liked the friendship aspect of this story and that the MC was facing her fears with the boy she used to have a crush on. There was a nice backstory that didn't feel rushed or out of place for a short story like this. The ending was a little too cheesy for me, but it brought us all the way back around to the fairytale junk from the beginning. I am definitely interested in seeing what else this author has published!
Liberty
(The Makeover)
Anna-Marie McLemore (They/Them)
★★★★★
I honestly didn't think I'd get a 5 star story out of this anthology, but I'm so glad I was wrong. This is the first time I've read anything of McLemore's and wow... I still can't stop thinking about it hours after I've finished the book. They (mostly) made cheerleading terms make sense, which was delightfully unexpected. Usually, when I read a book that has some sort of sport with terminology that I can't quite wrap my head around, I tend to skim. Besides the cheerleading moves, their story was also about finding yourself and being yourself even if it doesn't fit what everyone else's ideals are. Also, that kiss had me blushing!!!!! It wasn't necessarily spicy.... just.... *girls*. I really need to put some of their books on my TBR for this year. Better yet, I'm writing them down for my next bookstore run.
The Surprise Match
(The Matchmaker)
Sandhya Menon
★★★★☆ (actual rating 4.5 stars)
Honestly, I'm surprised I ended up liking this story as much as I did after reading the phrase "le sigh" in a story published in 2022. Yes, I will be bitter and petty about it. And knock half a star of the rating. Ha!
Jokes aside, I liked this story. The love interests were adorable and dorky together. And the angst *clenches fist* was so good. Menon made the angst work for a short story like this. Any more and I wouldn't have been able to take it.
I'm also kind of embarrassed to say that I have four of Menon's books and I haven't read a single one. Le sigh. (LOL, I could not resist.)
Overall, for a YA anthology, I'm pretty happy with a lot of the stories. I knew I wouldn't like all of them, but I'm definitely more than pleased with the amount I ended up liking. On another note, I can’t get over how quickly some of these young adults blurt out “I love you” to someone. I’ve never been in love and I’m asexual so idk how realistic it is in some of these, but it all seemed like a bunch of insta love. In some cases. I feel like a lot of readers who hate insta love would hate a lot of these stories. The amount of times "I love you" is uttered between these young adults is kind of baffling to me.
Bye Bye, Piper Berry
(The Fake Relationship)
Julie Murphy
★☆☆☆☆
I was super excited that this anthology started out with Fake Dating and Julie Murphy, but this story was definitely the one I disliked the most. I know this is a trope and it has been done time and time again, but the idea itself was not very original. If I were to stop and think about the blandest, most bare bones Fake Dating idea would look like, it would be this story. There's no substance! It felt like it really lacked the signature Julie Murphy twist.
Anyone Else But You
(Stranded Together)
Leah Johnson
★★★☆☆
At first I was really, really annoyed by all the semi-obvious and unbelievable inconsistencies. First, our MC complains that her co president is late to a party store that's closing in less than half an hour. She goes inside and zooms past the employees and heads to the restroom. Where she finds her co president. Both girls drove themselves. How did the MC not see her "enemy's" car in a near empty parking lot???? And then, of course, they get locked in. It's two minutes after the store closes and the lights are off and doors locked. Why isn't there an alarm? Why did the employees not remember that there were two girls in the store, evident by the extra cars in the parking lot and, um, watching them literally walk in the store??? The power goes out sometime while they're there as well, so that took care of the security cameras, the girls said by the end. But they're also magically able to play music in the store from some sort of music player that seemed to be connected to store speakers? It wasn't explained but it all felt really sloppy.
I don't know why, but that stuff bothered me so much. (Also, this is my Assistant Manager Brain speaking and I'm annoyed with these imaginary party store employees.)
(Also, completely unrelated, but there were a lot of pop culture references that made me set down the anthology for a while and stare off into the void because... damn, Johnson knows how to cut deep and make a girl feel old. At one point I had to send a quote to my friend because I needed to not be the only one freaking out about it.)
Anyway... Onto the stuff I actually liked. I actually really liked the writing and the characters for this short of a story. I didn't really click with Johnson's debut novel because I have Prom Beef. (That's a rant for another review.) I liked the questioning and the awkwardness in the main character about her feelings for her nemesis. Overall, it was cute and I'm actually looking forward to reading Johnson's sophomore novel.
The Idiom Algorithm
(Class Warfare)
Abigail Hing Wen
★★★☆☆ (actual rating 3.5 stars)
I'm going to start by outing myself as a complete dork because it took me way too long to realize that this wasn't a class war as in school. I obviously haven't read many of the class war tropes because, wow.
Onto the actual story. I liked the drama! The love interest was shady from the beginning and the MC techy and trying to track her down. It was kind of a cool twist I wouldn't have expected, actually. The writing kept me captivated as a thriller would. I pretty much had to speed read it because I had to make sure that the program he made actually worked.
Auld Acquaintance
(The Best Friend Love Epiphany)
Caleb Roehrig
★★☆☆☆
This story wasn't bad. I didn't love or hate it. I'm pretty indifferent. I could definitely see this particular story drawn out a little more as a few more scenes or chapters in a book. That said, it felt a little rushed being as short as it was and there wasn't enough time to get to know and love the main characters.
Shooting Stars
(One Bed)
Marissa Meyer
★★★★☆
I am so happy that Marissa Meyer had a cute story to bring to the table! I was a little worried with the first stories, but this one was *chef's kiss*. We love a One Bed trope and this was pretty cute. Both love interests were adorable and relatable and awkward. The guy the MC likes has acne scars and unmanageable hair!!! (I'm sure there were other things but I can't remember them after the fact.) This is what I like to see in the YA genre!! Not the impossibly perfect, super model teens whose only flaws are that they're clumsy. This makes me really excited to actually and finally read her contemporary novel.
Keagan's Heaven on Earth
(The Secret Admirer)
Sarah Winifred Searle
★☆☆☆☆
I honestly had no idea what was going on with this illustrated short story, lol. It was short enough that there wasn't really enough content or explaination for anything. Like, I understood the gist of the plot, but the rest fell apart, in my opinion. Also, it didn't seem to fit the Secret Admirer trope besides the obvious flower with the note written out from the admirer that wasn't even sent.
Zora in the Spotlight
(The Grand Romantic Gesture)
Elise Bryant
★★★☆☆ (actual rating 3.5 stars)
This is the only story that actually made me laugh. There were some ridiculous moments and raging bull characters that all played out hilariously in my head. I loved the vulnerability from some of the characters and the wild grand gestures that were promised. This is another one that I would have loved to read a little more of in a full length novel. I had to check out what else Bryant has published and I was pretty stoked to see that I have one of her books on Audible! I have high hopes for more goofiness.
In a Blink of the Eye
(Trapped in a Confined Space)
Elizabeth Eulberg
★★★★☆
The beginning for this story was pretty cheesy. Our MC talks about how she believed in fairytales as a child which, bada bing bada boom, brings us to London. Don't ask, I can't remember how. This girl is an anglophile on a school trip(!!!) to London with her best friend and her best friend's boyfriend that she doesn't want to like. I really liked the friendship aspect of this story and that the MC was facing her fears with the boy she used to have a crush on. There was a nice backstory that didn't feel rushed or out of place for a short story like this. The ending was a little too cheesy for me, but it brought us all the way back around to the fairytale junk from the beginning. I am definitely interested in seeing what else this author has published!
Liberty
(The Makeover)
Anna-Marie McLemore (They/Them)
★★★★★
I honestly didn't think I'd get a 5 star story out of this anthology, but I'm so glad I was wrong. This is the first time I've read anything of McLemore's and wow... I still can't stop thinking about it hours after I've finished the book. They (mostly) made cheerleading terms make sense, which was delightfully unexpected. Usually, when I read a book that has some sort of sport with terminology that I can't quite wrap my head around, I tend to skim. Besides the cheerleading moves, their story was also about finding yourself and being yourself even if it doesn't fit what everyone else's ideals are. Also, that kiss had me blushing!!!!! It wasn't necessarily spicy.... just.... *girls*. I really need to put some of their books on my TBR for this year. Better yet, I'm writing them down for my next bookstore run.
The Surprise Match
(The Matchmaker)
Sandhya Menon
★★★★☆ (actual rating 4.5 stars)
Honestly, I'm surprised I ended up liking this story as much as I did after reading the phrase "le sigh" in a story published in 2022. Yes, I will be bitter and petty about it. And knock half a star of the rating. Ha!
Jokes aside, I liked this story. The love interests were adorable and dorky together. And the angst *clenches fist* was so good. Menon made the angst work for a short story like this. Any more and I wouldn't have been able to take it.
I'm also kind of embarrassed to say that I have four of Menon's books and I haven't read a single one. Le sigh. (LOL, I could not resist.)
Overall, for a YA anthology, I'm pretty happy with a lot of the stories. I knew I wouldn't like all of them, but I'm definitely more than pleased with the amount I ended up liking. On another note, I can’t get over how quickly some of these young adults blurt out “I love you” to someone. I’ve never been in love and I’m asexual so idk how realistic it is in some of these, but it all seemed like a bunch of insta love. In some cases. I feel like a lot of readers who hate insta love would hate a lot of these stories. The amount of times "I love you" is uttered between these young adults is kind of baffling to me.
britwalsh16's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I definitely enjoyed reading this book. I just took it one story at a time, it was a very relaxing read & i loved it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Cursing
Moderate: Body shaming, Confinement, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Fatphobia
Minor: Stalking, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Racism
katrenalove's review against another edition
4.0
This collection of short stories was a fun read. It was refreshing to see some of the well-known romantic tropes given a twist. It was fun to see these tropes that have been done over and over again but to feel like the stories and characters had more depth and they were not relying solely on the trope. I loved that these stories displayed a racially and sexually diverse cast of characters. Out of the 10 stories 4 of them feature LGBT romance stories and not one of those was a dramatic coming out stories. I can't explain wonderfully refreshing that was, to just have a love story about somebody who happened to be gay, having that fact treated as normal instead of this crazy big revelation was everything.
mattiececile's review against another edition
The first story was cute but the rest didn’t capture my attention. My library loan was due and I wasn’t interested in renewing.