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Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'
All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens throughout the Ages by Saundra Mitchell
3 reviews
abrose2001's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
This collection of shorts stories has something for everyone, with some stories being incredibly realistic, others being rather idealistic, and some being a mix of the two. The balance of fantasy and realism between the stories was nice, too.
Graphic: Sexism, Violence, Death, and Homophobia
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship
flordemaga's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Iām not always one for short stories, but a friend bought me this book. He knew Iād like it. And I did! I like all the sapphics.
Iād have wanted some trans women. It seems trans women are so often forgotten or left out of narratives they should be a part of.
Technically, averaged out, it would be 3.13 stars. But I give this anthology 4 stars, because itās ballsy, and I think well-edited too.
Hereās a breakdownā¦..
1. Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore - 4.25ā
The world building is very clearā¦ you can just tell that the author really loved writing this.
2. The Sweet Trade by Natalie C. Parker - 5ā
I love pirates, and am therefore incapable of giving this any other rating.
3. And They Don't Kiss at the End by Nilah Magruder - 3.25ā
I liked it, but it felt both too long and too short.
4. Burnt Umber by Mackenzi Lee -Ā 3.75ā
Too many details about boners for me to truly love, but the writing is lovelyā¦ I like how it sort of builds and un-builds expectations.
5. The Dresser and the Chambermaid by Robin Talley - 4.75ā
I love all the little details! I am a sucker for history, after all. And theyāre sweet and intimateā¦ just verty lovely.
6. New Year by Malinda Lo - 3ā
I can never get into stories set in the 40s or 50s, and the writing style / tense mix lost me, but I liked the main character.
7. Molly's Lips by Dahlia Adler - 4ā
So heartfelt. It felt very real, like it could happen.
8. The Coven by Kate Scelsa - 2ā
Not my thing.
9. Every Shade of Red by Elliot Wake - 4.25ā
Very good, but I think itād be a better full book!
10. Willows by Scott Tracey - 1.25ā
I really donāt get this one and cannot get into it at all. I had to put the book down for a bit after this one.
11. The Girl with the Blue Lantern by Tess Sharpe - 3.75ā
This oneās cute. I love the magicā¦ but it feels rushed.
12. The Secret Life of a Teenage Boy by Alex Sanchez - 1ā
I donāt like stories where an adult and teenager relationship is posed as okay. I know history, I justā¦ donāt like it. I donāt think it helps anyone to pretend itās fine.
13. Walking After Midnight by Kody Keplinger - 3ā
This feels more modern than I thought it would.
14. The End of the World As We Know It by Sara Farizan - 4.25ā
Very sweet. The perfect length for a story like this.
15. Three Witches by Tessa Gratton - 3.75ā
The extreme catholicism of it all.
I donāt like the ending though, but I just dislike poetry.
16. The Inferno and the Butterfly by Shaun David Hutchinson - 2.75ā
Not my thing. I read a book on circuses recentlyā¦ I didnāt like it either. (Magic, circuses, all related, in my head). I just canāt quite get into it. But I like the main characterās voice.
17. Healing Rosa by Tehlor Kay Mejia - 3.5ā
The first sentence is so lovely. I donāt like the plot much, but the writing style is very careful, which I appreciate, and the world building feels solid.
Iād have wanted some trans women. It seems trans women are so often forgotten or left out of narratives they should be a part of.
Technically, averaged out, it would be 3.13 stars. But I give this anthology 4 stars, because itās ballsy, and I think well-edited too.
Hereās a breakdownā¦..
1. Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore - 4.25ā
The world building is very clearā¦ you can just tell that the author really loved writing this.
2. The Sweet Trade by Natalie C. Parker - 5ā
I love pirates, and am therefore incapable of giving this any other rating.
3. And They Don't Kiss at the End by Nilah Magruder - 3.25ā
I liked it, but it felt both too long and too short.
4. Burnt Umber by Mackenzi Lee -Ā 3.75ā
Too many details about boners for me to truly love, but the writing is lovelyā¦ I like how it sort of builds and un-builds expectations.
5. The Dresser and the Chambermaid by Robin Talley - 4.75ā
I love all the little details! I am a sucker for history, after all. And theyāre sweet and intimateā¦ just verty lovely.
6. New Year by Malinda Lo - 3ā
I can never get into stories set in the 40s or 50s, and the writing style / tense mix lost me, but I liked the main character.
7. Molly's Lips by Dahlia Adler - 4ā
So heartfelt. It felt very real, like it could happen.
8. The Coven by Kate Scelsa - 2ā
Not my thing.
9. Every Shade of Red by Elliot Wake - 4.25ā
Very good, but I think itād be a better full book!
10. Willows by Scott Tracey - 1.25ā
I really donāt get this one and cannot get into it at all. I had to put the book down for a bit after this one.
11. The Girl with the Blue Lantern by Tess Sharpe - 3.75ā
This oneās cute. I love the magicā¦ but it feels rushed.
12. The Secret Life of a Teenage Boy by Alex Sanchez - 1ā
I donāt like stories where an adult and teenager relationship is posed as okay. I know history, I justā¦ donāt like it. I donāt think it helps anyone to pretend itās fine.
13. Walking After Midnight by Kody Keplinger - 3ā
This feels more modern than I thought it would.
14. The End of the World As We Know It by Sara Farizan - 4.25ā
Very sweet. The perfect length for a story like this.
15. Three Witches by Tessa Gratton - 3.75ā
The extreme catholicism of it all.
I donāt like the ending though, but I just dislike poetry.
16. The Inferno and the Butterfly by Shaun David Hutchinson - 2.75ā
Not my thing. I read a book on circuses recentlyā¦ I didnāt like it either. (Magic, circuses, all related, in my head). I just canāt quite get into it. But I like the main characterās voice.
17. Healing Rosa by Tehlor Kay Mejia - 3.5ā
The first sentence is so lovely. I donāt like the plot much, but the writing style is very careful, which I appreciate, and the world building feels solid.
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Homophobia, Transphobia, Religious bigotry, Grief, and Death of parent
Skip The Secret Life of a Teenage Boy if you don't want to read about a sexual encounter between an adult and a minor.magicalghoul's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
I was really looking forward to allotting some time to read this since it's been on my to-read list for Ages. Overall it's an enjoyable anthology and I'll definitely look up some of the authors here so I can read more of them.
I will say though, I was expecting and would've liked a little more variety in terms of BIPOC (out of 17 stories only 7 feature non-white characters) as well as more trans/nb (3 out of 17 stories) and disabled narratives (1 out of 17) since this anthology was supposed to have visibility front and center.
And At Least a warning for the pedophilia in one of the stories.
Noteworthy stories (ā¢ liked; ā„ loved)
ā„ Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore
ā¢ The Dresser & The Chambermaid by Robin Talley
ā„ Burnt Umber by Mackenzi Lee
ā„ New Year by Malinda Lo
ā¢ Molly's Lips by Dahlia Adler
ā„ Willows by Scott TraceyĀ
ā¢ The Girl With The Blue Lantern by Tess Sharpe
ā¢ Walking After Midnight by Kody Keplinger
ā¢ The End of the World As We Know It by Sara Farizan
ā„ Three Witches by Tessa Gratton
ā„ The Inferno & the Butterfly by Shaun David HutchinsonĀ
ā„ Healing Rosa by Tehlor Kay Mejia
Every Shade of Red by Elliot Wake was written beautifully and I Adored the concept to bits but the descriptions and the way some of the characters of color were portrayed left me... With a weird taste.
Also, pedophilia warning for The Secret Life of a Teenage Boy by Alex Sanchez because it, sure is about a 16 year old mc planning to run away with a college aged guy he just met... And the adult reciprocating said advances. I know it's a coming of age story but it being framed so fondly and longingly made me the more anxious.Ā
That being said, I'm excited for the follow up and I hope they did better to improve the pitfalls of this one.Ā
I will say though, I was expecting and would've liked a little more variety in terms of BIPOC (out of 17 stories only 7 feature non-white characters) as well as more trans/nb (3 out of 17 stories) and disabled narratives (1 out of 17) since this anthology was supposed to have visibility front and center.
And At Least a warning for the pedophilia in one of the stories.
Noteworthy stories (ā¢ liked; ā„ loved)
ā„ Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore
ā¢ The Dresser & The Chambermaid by Robin Talley
ā„ Burnt Umber by Mackenzi Lee
ā„ New Year by Malinda Lo
ā¢ Molly's Lips by Dahlia Adler
ā„ Willows by Scott TraceyĀ
ā¢ The Girl With The Blue Lantern by Tess Sharpe
ā¢ Walking After Midnight by Kody Keplinger
ā¢ The End of the World As We Know It by Sara Farizan
ā„ Three Witches by Tessa Gratton
ā„ The Inferno & the Butterfly by Shaun David HutchinsonĀ
ā„ Healing Rosa by Tehlor Kay Mejia
Every Shade of Red by Elliot Wake was written beautifully and I Adored the concept to bits but the descriptions and the way some of the characters of color were portrayed left me... With a weird taste.
Also, pedophilia warning for The Secret Life of a Teenage Boy by Alex Sanchez because it, sure is about a 16 year old mc planning to run away with a college aged guy he just met... And the adult reciprocating said advances. I know it's a coming of age story but it being framed so fondly and longingly made me the more anxious.Ā
That being said, I'm excited for the follow up and I hope they did better to improve the pitfalls of this one.Ā
Graphic: Pedophilia and Adult/minor relationship
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