drumsofautumn | ALL OUT | Anthology Review @drumsofautumn | Uploaded February 2018 | Updated October 2024, 3 hours ago.
Here's my review of the ALL OUT anthology, all about QUEER TEENS THROUGHOUT THE AGES! The release date is February 27th! MORE INFO BELOW!
Goodreads:
goodreads.com/book/show/35140599-all-out
INDIVIDUAL RATINGS:
Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore: 5/5 stars. I loved the spin on Red Riding Hood and it was super easy to slip into this story even with its intricate style and world building. The writing was also beautiful.
The Sweet Trade by Natalie C. Parker: 4/5 stars. This story just made me unbelievably happy.
And they don't kiss at the End by Nilah Magruder: 4/5 stars. Oh my GOD, this was beautiful and put a smile on my face.
Burnt Umber by Mackenzie Lee: 4/5 stars. Some of this definitely made me cringe BUT I still found myself giggling a lot throughout it and the ending was so cute.
The Dresser & the Chambermaid by Robin Talley: 3/5 stars. This was good but definitely paled in comparison to the other stories.
New Year by Malinda Lo: 3/5 stars. I deeply appreciated the representation of Chinese-Americans in the 50s but it felt a bit like the queer element was forced so that it would fit into this anthology.
Molly's Lips by Dahlia Adler: 5/5 stars. This story resonated with me so much and I feel like it was a story written for my heart and my soul. I can't describe what I felt reading it but I cried my whole way through it. It's not as well-crafted as some of the other stories but it hit me in the feels.
The Coven by Kate Scelsa: 3/5 stars. This wasn't really my type of story but it was still very good.
Every Shade of Red by Elliot Wake: 5/5 stars. This was incredibly beautiful and definitely my favourite of the whole anthology.
Willows by Scott Tracey: 2/5 stars. This was very confusing for me and I'm not sure how I feel about the representation in it. I'd recommend checking out #ownvoices reviews for this one in particular. It had potential and is beautifully written but seemed a bit all over the place.
The Girl with the Blue Lantern by Tess Sharpe: 4.5/5 stars. Yet another absolutely beautiful story. A F/F FAIRYTALE MAN.
The Secret Life of a Teenage Boy by Alex Sanchez: 2/5 stars. I don't know, this just gave me weird vibes. While the age difference is ok, the power dynamic somehow seemed.. off?? Just wasn't a fan.
Walking After Midnight by Kody Keplinger: 3.5/5 stars. ADORABLE!
The End of the World as we know it by Sara Farizan: 3/5 stars. Another really cute one. Loved how it had a realistic storyline with a happy ending.
Three Witches by Tessa Gratton: Author is a trash bag.
The Inferno & the Butterfly by Shaun David Hutchinson: 4.5/5 stars. MY HEART! Another one that was just SO GOOD and had such beautiful writing.
Healing Rosa by Tehlor Kay Mejia: 4/5 stars. The atmosphere in this story was outstanding.
I received an ARC of this through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review!
GOODREADS: goodreads.com/drumsofautumn
TWITTER: twitter.com/drumsofautumn
Intro and Endcard Background made by ransie3.deviantart.com
Backgroung music:
"Fretless" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
Here's my review of the ALL OUT anthology, all about QUEER TEENS THROUGHOUT THE AGES! The release date is February 27th! MORE INFO BELOW!
Goodreads:
goodreads.com/book/show/35140599-all-out
INDIVIDUAL RATINGS:
Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore: 5/5 stars. I loved the spin on Red Riding Hood and it was super easy to slip into this story even with its intricate style and world building. The writing was also beautiful.
The Sweet Trade by Natalie C. Parker: 4/5 stars. This story just made me unbelievably happy.
And they don't kiss at the End by Nilah Magruder: 4/5 stars. Oh my GOD, this was beautiful and put a smile on my face.
Burnt Umber by Mackenzie Lee: 4/5 stars. Some of this definitely made me cringe BUT I still found myself giggling a lot throughout it and the ending was so cute.
The Dresser & the Chambermaid by Robin Talley: 3/5 stars. This was good but definitely paled in comparison to the other stories.
New Year by Malinda Lo: 3/5 stars. I deeply appreciated the representation of Chinese-Americans in the 50s but it felt a bit like the queer element was forced so that it would fit into this anthology.
Molly's Lips by Dahlia Adler: 5/5 stars. This story resonated with me so much and I feel like it was a story written for my heart and my soul. I can't describe what I felt reading it but I cried my whole way through it. It's not as well-crafted as some of the other stories but it hit me in the feels.
The Coven by Kate Scelsa: 3/5 stars. This wasn't really my type of story but it was still very good.
Every Shade of Red by Elliot Wake: 5/5 stars. This was incredibly beautiful and definitely my favourite of the whole anthology.
Willows by Scott Tracey: 2/5 stars. This was very confusing for me and I'm not sure how I feel about the representation in it. I'd recommend checking out #ownvoices reviews for this one in particular. It had potential and is beautifully written but seemed a bit all over the place.
The Girl with the Blue Lantern by Tess Sharpe: 4.5/5 stars. Yet another absolutely beautiful story. A F/F FAIRYTALE MAN.
The Secret Life of a Teenage Boy by Alex Sanchez: 2/5 stars. I don't know, this just gave me weird vibes. While the age difference is ok, the power dynamic somehow seemed.. off?? Just wasn't a fan.
Walking After Midnight by Kody Keplinger: 3.5/5 stars. ADORABLE!
The End of the World as we know it by Sara Farizan: 3/5 stars. Another really cute one. Loved how it had a realistic storyline with a happy ending.
Three Witches by Tessa Gratton: Author is a trash bag.
The Inferno & the Butterfly by Shaun David Hutchinson: 4.5/5 stars. MY HEART! Another one that was just SO GOOD and had such beautiful writing.
Healing Rosa by Tehlor Kay Mejia: 4/5 stars. The atmosphere in this story was outstanding.
I received an ARC of this through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review!
GOODREADS: goodreads.com/drumsofautumn
TWITTER: twitter.com/drumsofautumn
Intro and Endcard Background made by ransie3.deviantart.com
Backgroung music:
"Fretless" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
