A review by burstnwithbooks
A Thousand Beginnings and Endings by Elsie Chapman, Ellen Oh
3.0
Forbidden Fruit by Roshani Chokshi- 5/5 STARS ARE YOU KIDDING ME THAT WAS SO FABULOUS. I'm obsessed. I hope the rest of the stories are this good.
Olivia’s Table by Alyssa Wong- 4.5/5 stars OMG. This anthology is shaping up to be SO incredible; I’m really enjoying it thus far. I only docked it a bit because there was a bit of confusion with the timelines, but I loved this story.
Steel Skin by Lori M. Lee- 2/5 stars I just wasn’t a fan. The story felt super forced and the plot really didn’t make sense. I’m not a fan of the writing style either.
Still Star-Crossed- 2.5/5 stars The premise of this story is interesting, but I guessed it too early and the entire thing was far too short. I didn’t have time to get connected or care or be surprised about the characters or anything else that happened in the story.
The Counting of Vermillion Beads by Aliette de Bodard- 3/5 stars I liked this story more than the previous two, but there wasn’t much to it. The original story is so interesting- I would love to see a full-length retelling that’s closer to that and darker than this rendition.
The Land of the Morning Calm by E. C. Myers- 3.25/5 stars I liked the concept of this story, but I didn't entirely understand what was happening until the end, so it wasn't as fun. It was a neat idea though.
The Smile by Aisha Saeed- 3.75/5 stars This story (and its root) is super interesting, but it's just so incredibly short that by the time I got into it, it was over. Still, I'll check out what else this author has published.
Girls Who Twirl and Other Dangers by Preeti Chhibber- 4/5 stars I really enjoyed this. The concept is super cute and fun, the characters are super comfortable, and the lore aspect is very cool. Love this writing style!
Nothing Into All by Renee Ahdieh- 4.25/5 stars Of course, I really enjoyed this. Renee’s writing style is fantastic and the story was whimsically dark.
Spear Carrier by Rahul Kanakia- 1/5 stars No!! I can’t even form words for this story. It was stupid and pointless, the writing style was both uneducated and pretentious, and I hated the main character. Please let this story cease to exist.
Code of Honor by Melissa de la Cruz- 2/5 stars The concept is interesting, but it’s very typical YA stereotyping, and it was just kind of boring. It ended as soon as it started to pick up the pace.
Bullet, Butterfly by Elsie Chapman- 3/5 stars I liked the writing style and premise for this. It lacked the emotional response that it needed (simply because it’s so short), but it was interesting.
Daughter of the Sun by Shveta Thakrar- 4/5 stars I love this writing style! The concept of the story was so unique, albeit a little odd, and the writing was really magical.
The Crimson Cloak by Cindy Pon- 4/5 stars I actually enjoyed this quite a bit, but I wish the author hadn’t spoken directly to the reader. It made the story feel jilted and uneven.
Eyes Like Candlelight by Julie Kagawa- 4/5 stars I love Julie’s writing and the concept of this one!
Olivia’s Table by Alyssa Wong- 4.5/5 stars OMG. This anthology is shaping up to be SO incredible; I’m really enjoying it thus far. I only docked it a bit because there was a bit of confusion with the timelines, but I loved this story.
Steel Skin by Lori M. Lee- 2/5 stars I just wasn’t a fan. The story felt super forced and the plot really didn’t make sense. I’m not a fan of the writing style either.
Still Star-Crossed- 2.5/5 stars The premise of this story is interesting, but I guessed it too early and the entire thing was far too short. I didn’t have time to get connected or care or be surprised about the characters or anything else that happened in the story.
The Counting of Vermillion Beads by Aliette de Bodard- 3/5 stars I liked this story more than the previous two, but there wasn’t much to it. The original story is so interesting- I would love to see a full-length retelling that’s closer to that and darker than this rendition.
The Land of the Morning Calm by E. C. Myers- 3.25/5 stars I liked the concept of this story, but I didn't entirely understand what was happening until the end, so it wasn't as fun. It was a neat idea though.
The Smile by Aisha Saeed- 3.75/5 stars This story (and its root) is super interesting, but it's just so incredibly short that by the time I got into it, it was over. Still, I'll check out what else this author has published.
Girls Who Twirl and Other Dangers by Preeti Chhibber- 4/5 stars I really enjoyed this. The concept is super cute and fun, the characters are super comfortable, and the lore aspect is very cool. Love this writing style!
Nothing Into All by Renee Ahdieh- 4.25/5 stars Of course, I really enjoyed this. Renee’s writing style is fantastic and the story was whimsically dark.
Spear Carrier by Rahul Kanakia- 1/5 stars No!! I can’t even form words for this story. It was stupid and pointless, the writing style was both uneducated and pretentious, and I hated the main character. Please let this story cease to exist.
Code of Honor by Melissa de la Cruz- 2/5 stars The concept is interesting, but it’s very typical YA stereotyping, and it was just kind of boring. It ended as soon as it started to pick up the pace.
Bullet, Butterfly by Elsie Chapman- 3/5 stars I liked the writing style and premise for this. It lacked the emotional response that it needed (simply because it’s so short), but it was interesting.
Daughter of the Sun by Shveta Thakrar- 4/5 stars I love this writing style! The concept of the story was so unique, albeit a little odd, and the writing was really magical.
The Crimson Cloak by Cindy Pon- 4/5 stars I actually enjoyed this quite a bit, but I wish the author hadn’t spoken directly to the reader. It made the story feel jilted and uneven.
Eyes Like Candlelight by Julie Kagawa- 4/5 stars I love Julie’s writing and the concept of this one!