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A review by flordemaga
All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens throughout the Ages by Saundra Mitchell
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
I’m not always one for short stories, but a friend bought me this book. He knew I’d like it. And I did! I like all the sapphics.
I’d 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 it’s ballsy, and I think well-edited too.
Here’s a breakdown…..
1. Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore - 4.25☆
The world building is very clear… you can just tell that the author really loved writing this.
2. The Sweet Trade by Natalie C. Parker - 5☆
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 - 3.25☆
I liked it, but it felt both too long and too short.
4. Burnt Umber by Mackenzi Lee - 3.75☆
Too many details about boners for me to truly love, but the writing is lovely… I like how it sort of builds and un-builds expectations.
5. The Dresser and the Chambermaid by Robin Talley - 4.75☆
I love all the little details! I am a sucker for history, after all. And they’re sweet and intimate… just verty lovely.
6. New Year by Malinda Lo - 3☆
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 - 4☆
So heartfelt. It felt very real, like it could happen.
8. The Coven by Kate Scelsa - 2☆
Not my thing.
9. Every Shade of Red by Elliot Wake - 4.25☆
Very good, but I think it’d be a better full book!
10. Willows by Scott Tracey - 1.25☆
I really don’t 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 - 3.75☆
This one’s cute. I love the magic… but it feels rushed.
12. The Secret Life of a Teenage Boy by Alex Sanchez - 1☆
I don’t like stories where an adult and teenager relationship is posed as okay. I know history, I just… don’t like it. I don’t think it helps anyone to pretend it’s fine.
13. Walking After Midnight by Kody Keplinger - 3☆
This feels more modern than I thought it would.
14. The End of the World As We Know It by Sara Farizan - 4.25☆
Very sweet. The perfect length for a story like this.
15. Three Witches by Tessa Gratton - 3.75☆
The extreme catholicism of it all.
I don’t like the ending though, but I just dislike poetry.
16. The Inferno and the Butterfly by Shaun David Hutchinson - 2.75☆
Not my thing. I read a book on circuses recently… I didn’t like it either. (Magic, circuses, all related, in my head). I just can’t quite get into it. But I like the main character’s voice.
17. Healing Rosa by Tehlor Kay Mejia - 3.5☆
The first sentence is so lovely. I don’t like the plot much, but the writing style is very careful, which I appreciate, and the world building feels solid.
I’d 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 it’s ballsy, and I think well-edited too.
Here’s a breakdown…..
1. Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore - 4.25☆
The world building is very clear… you can just tell that the author really loved writing this.
2. The Sweet Trade by Natalie C. Parker - 5☆
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 - 3.25☆
I liked it, but it felt both too long and too short.
4. Burnt Umber by Mackenzi Lee - 3.75☆
Too many details about boners for me to truly love, but the writing is lovely… I like how it sort of builds and un-builds expectations.
5. The Dresser and the Chambermaid by Robin Talley - 4.75☆
I love all the little details! I am a sucker for history, after all. And they’re sweet and intimate… just verty lovely.
6. New Year by Malinda Lo - 3☆
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 - 4☆
So heartfelt. It felt very real, like it could happen.
8. The Coven by Kate Scelsa - 2☆
Not my thing.
9. Every Shade of Red by Elliot Wake - 4.25☆
Very good, but I think it’d be a better full book!
10. Willows by Scott Tracey - 1.25☆
I really don’t 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 - 3.75☆
This one’s cute. I love the magic… but it feels rushed.
12. The Secret Life of a Teenage Boy by Alex Sanchez - 1☆
I don’t like stories where an adult and teenager relationship is posed as okay. I know history, I just… don’t like it. I don’t think it helps anyone to pretend it’s fine.
13. Walking After Midnight by Kody Keplinger - 3☆
This feels more modern than I thought it would.
14. The End of the World As We Know It by Sara Farizan - 4.25☆
Very sweet. The perfect length for a story like this.
15. Three Witches by Tessa Gratton - 3.75☆
The extreme catholicism of it all.
I don’t like the ending though, but I just dislike poetry.
16. The Inferno and the Butterfly by Shaun David Hutchinson - 2.75☆
Not my thing. I read a book on circuses recently… I didn’t like it either. (Magic, circuses, all related, in my head). I just can’t quite get into it. But I like the main character’s voice.
17. Healing Rosa by Tehlor Kay Mejia - 3.5☆
The first sentence is so lovely. I don’t like the plot much, but the writing style is very careful, which I appreciate, and the world building feels solid.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Homophobia, Transphobia, Grief, Religious bigotry, 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.