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siavahda's review against another edition
Sarah Rees Brennan's wonderful story was really the only one worth reading. That was a solid five stars and almost worth the price of the entire anthology, but none of the others were anything very special. Overall, a pretty disappointing collection.
cseanread's review against another edition
4.0
Great collection.
I approve of how gay it is.
Favorites (in no particular order):
- "Wings in the Morning", Sarah Rees Brennan (I NEED THIS TO BE A FULL-LENGTH ADULT NOVEL. Ugh so good and sweet and I totally saw the ending coming a mile away but STILL)
- "Ten Rules...", Holly Black (of course I liked this one, I love Holly's work)
- "This Whole Demoning Thing", Patrick Ness (another favorite author)
- "Son of Abyss", Nik Houser
Honorable mentions:
- "The Diabolist", Nathan Ballingrud
- "The Woods Hide in Plain Sight", Joshua Lewis (probably would've liked this more six years ago, but it gave me a lovely sense of nostalgia for my early college years)
- "Mothers, Lock Up Your Daughters...", Alice Sola Kim
I approve of how gay it is.
Favorites (in no particular order):
- "Wings in the Morning", Sarah Rees Brennan (I NEED THIS TO BE A FULL-LENGTH ADULT NOVEL. Ugh so good and sweet and I totally saw the ending coming a mile away but STILL)
- "Ten Rules...", Holly Black (of course I liked this one, I love Holly's work)
- "This Whole Demoning Thing", Patrick Ness (another favorite author)
- "Son of Abyss", Nik Houser
Honorable mentions:
- "The Diabolist", Nathan Ballingrud
- "The Woods Hide in Plain Sight", Joshua Lewis (probably would've liked this more six years ago, but it gave me a lovely sense of nostalgia for my early college years)
- "Mothers, Lock Up Your Daughters...", Alice Sola Kim
usandalgona's review against another edition
I only wanted to read Sarah Rees Brennan's "Wings in the Morning" since I really loved In Other Lands, so I won't put a rating for this book since that's the only story I read.
It just made me feel like rereading In Other Lands. I liked how a tiny bit more was revealed about Luke's repulsion towards his heritage and how it was set off and how he reacts to it differently as the story continues. It was interesting reading about Elliot not in a sarcastic narrator's voice; I do prefer the original novel of course, but I'm glad I got to read this extra. I've always been a bit curious what Luke's voice would sound like.
It just made me feel like rereading In Other Lands. I liked how a tiny bit more was revealed about Luke's repulsion towards his heritage and how it was set off and how he reacts to it differently as the story continues. It was interesting reading about Elliot not in a sarcastic narrator's voice; I do prefer the original novel of course, but I'm glad I got to read this extra. I've always been a bit curious what Luke's voice would sound like.
vexatiousbird's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
There are a couple really good stories in here. Holly Black’s Intergalactic Smuggler contribution is GOLD and I want a full length sequel to go with it. 2nd person is a bold choice but it works. Quick Hill is weird but fascinating, interesting interpretation of “monster.” Moriabe’s Children, Son of Abyss, and Mothers Lock Up Your Daughters were other favorites.
But the rest of the collection is…uneven. A couple stories I just couldn’t get into and had to skip. A couple had potential but were ultimately just confusing and off-putting. A couple were predictable. Some average. It’s a shame because it really started off strong.
It seems like some people read this expecting horror, and it’s really not horror. Most of it ranges from some kind of fantasy to modern day world that just happens to include monsters, and usually (not always) the monsters are pretty friendly. It’s not really dark. Son of Abyss is dark thematically but it’s kind of a lighthearted world, just everyday high school demon drama. There were maybe only two or three stories I actually thought qualified as “creepy” and even then they had pretty happy endings.
But the rest of the collection is…uneven. A couple stories I just couldn’t get into and had to skip. A couple had potential but were ultimately just confusing and off-putting. A couple were predictable. Some average. It’s a shame because it really started off strong.
It seems like some people read this expecting horror, and it’s really not horror. Most of it ranges from some kind of fantasy to modern day world that just happens to include monsters, and usually (not always) the monsters are pretty friendly. It’s not really dark. Son of Abyss is dark thematically but it’s kind of a lighthearted world, just everyday high school demon drama. There were maybe only two or three stories I actually thought qualified as “creepy” and even then they had pretty happy endings.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, and Violence
Minor: Child abuse, Incest, and Sexual assault
rcbalter's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
m0ribund's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
cluckingbell's review against another edition
3.0
I received a copy for free through GoodReads' First Reads.
The value of an anthology for me is an opportunity to try out a bunch of different authors and see what sticks. Of the fifteen included here, about four I would consider seeking out in the future and only a couple I might take pains to avoid.
That said, I am not a young adult, nor do I parent one, so I feel ill-suited to reviewing this particular anthology on the basis of intended audience. There are some intriguing stories in this collection, and some relatively banal ones. Most that failed to excite me could still provide an interesting basis for discussion with or among teenagers, so this book could serve as a manageably portioned means of opening a dialogue with the young person in your life or helping them to think critically about what they read.
The value of an anthology for me is an opportunity to try out a bunch of different authors and see what sticks. Of the fifteen included here, about four I would consider seeking out in the future and only a couple I might take pains to avoid.
That said, I am not a young adult, nor do I parent one, so I feel ill-suited to reviewing this particular anthology on the basis of intended audience. There are some intriguing stories in this collection, and some relatively banal ones. Most that failed to excite me could still provide an interesting basis for discussion with or among teenagers, so this book could serve as a manageably portioned means of opening a dialogue with the young person in your life or helping them to think critically about what they read.
geldauran's review against another edition
2.0
More misses than hits for me. My favorites were "Moriabe's Children," "The Diabolist," "Wings in the Morning," and "A Small Wild Magic."