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lana_gwddnd's review against another edition
4.0
Waiting - good story
Vega - yawn
A Hundred Thousand Threads- did not like the format but enjoyed the story
Before She Was Bloody - loved this one
Unos, Dos, Tres - good
Vega - yawn
A Hundred Thousand Threads- did not like the format but enjoyed the story
Before She Was Bloody - loved this one
Unos, Dos, Tres - good
iphi_kc13's review against another edition
3.0
I really loved some of the stories and some I was like "WTF". Definitely a little bit of everything for everyone, I think.
mandiluna's review against another edition
3.0
It was ok, I feel love triangles just need more time to develop so with the all the short stories it felt rushed.
courtnoodles's review against another edition
2.0
Average rating: 2.4375 stars
Which, unfortunately, in math, is rounded down.
This does what it set out to do, which was turn the love triangle tropes on their heads and make them interesting and different. Unfortunately, not all of them landed. Most of them didn't. And it wasn't necessarily because the love triangle sucks as a trope. This proves that it can be done really well. A lot of the ones that were bad were either because of bad writing, or it was hard to figure out what the three points of the triangle were (or that a triangle was unrealistic).
I still stand by that I would absolutely read a novel-length Before She Was Bloody. Hands down the best.
The Breakdown:
"Riddles in Mathematics" by Katie Cotugno
A recently out girl, her brother, and his best friend. Also some girl she might have kissed once? Idk. 2 stars.
"Dread South" by Justina Ireland
In post Civil War America, where a zombie apocalypse is midway, we have a girl, the boy she has a crush on, and the Black girl hired for her protection. In which she learns not to be racist. Joy. 1 star.
"Omega Ship" by Rae Carson
The last three humans in the galaxy. Two boys, one girl. Told from the girl's POV. Much deeper than you think. I really enjoyed this one. 4 stars.
"La Revancha Del Tango" by Renée Ahdieh
A girl on a solo trip to Buenos Aires. And...some other people. 2 stars.
"Cass, An, and Dra" by Natalie C. Parker
This is an interesting one that I can't really rate super well, nor explain the plot without giving it away. But I did get more into it once that twist hit. I'll go with 3 stars.
"Lessons for Beginners" by Julie Murphy
A plus sized high school student and the straight couple she gives kissing lessons to. 3 stars.
"Triangle Solo" by Garth Nix
I don't even know. Humans living on Mars. Walking on hands. The writing was so bad. 1 star
"Vim and Vigor" by Veronica Roth
Idk but it was cute. 2 stars.
"Work in Progress" by E.K. Johnston
??? 1 star
"Hurdles" by Brandy Colbert
These are getting so much harder to summarize. 2 stars.
"The Historian, The Garrison, and the Cantankerous Cat Woman" by Lamar Giles
Idk, magic. Also the ending made me angry. 1 star.
"Waiting" by Sabaa Tahir
I mean, come on. It's Sabaa. 4 stars.
"Vega" by Brenna Yovanoff
A boy, a girl, and Las Vegas. 3 stars.
"A Hundred Thousand Threads" by Alaya Dawn Johnson
Mexico! 1 star.
"Before She Was Bloody" by Tessa Gratton
Hands down the best one in the entire anthology. I would read an entire novel of this. 5 stars.
"Unus, Duo, Très" by Bethany Hagen
Heartbreaking. 4 stars
Which, unfortunately, in math, is rounded down.
This does what it set out to do, which was turn the love triangle tropes on their heads and make them interesting and different. Unfortunately, not all of them landed. Most of them didn't. And it wasn't necessarily because the love triangle sucks as a trope. This proves that it can be done really well. A lot of the ones that were bad were either because of bad writing, or it was hard to figure out what the three points of the triangle were (or that a triangle was unrealistic).
I still stand by that I would absolutely read a novel-length Before She Was Bloody. Hands down the best.
The Breakdown:
"Riddles in Mathematics" by Katie Cotugno
A recently out girl, her brother, and his best friend. Also some girl she might have kissed once? Idk. 2 stars.
"Dread South" by Justina Ireland
In post Civil War America, where a zombie apocalypse is midway, we have a girl, the boy she has a crush on, and the Black girl hired for her protection. In which she learns not to be racist. Joy. 1 star.
"Omega Ship" by Rae Carson
The last three humans in the galaxy. Two boys, one girl. Told from the girl's POV. Much deeper than you think. I really enjoyed this one. 4 stars.
"La Revancha Del Tango" by Renée Ahdieh
A girl on a solo trip to Buenos Aires. And...some other people. 2 stars.
"Cass, An, and Dra" by Natalie C. Parker
This is an interesting one that I can't really rate super well, nor explain the plot without giving it away. But I did get more into it once that twist hit. I'll go with 3 stars.
"Lessons for Beginners" by Julie Murphy
A plus sized high school student and the straight couple she gives kissing lessons to. 3 stars.
"Triangle Solo" by Garth Nix
I don't even know. Humans living on Mars. Walking on hands. The writing was so bad. 1 star
"Vim and Vigor" by Veronica Roth
Idk but it was cute. 2 stars.
"Work in Progress" by E.K. Johnston
??? 1 star
"Hurdles" by Brandy Colbert
These are getting so much harder to summarize. 2 stars.
"The Historian, The Garrison, and the Cantankerous Cat Woman" by Lamar Giles
Idk, magic. Also the ending made me angry. 1 star.
"Waiting" by Sabaa Tahir
I mean, come on. It's Sabaa. 4 stars.
"Vega" by Brenna Yovanoff
A boy, a girl, and Las Vegas. 3 stars.
"A Hundred Thousand Threads" by Alaya Dawn Johnson
Mexico! 1 star.
"Before She Was Bloody" by Tessa Gratton
Hands down the best one in the entire anthology. I would read an entire novel of this. 5 stars.
"Unus, Duo, Très" by Bethany Hagen
Heartbreaking. 4 stars
patti66's review against another edition
4.0
I liked most of these short stories. A collection is a great way to try out different authors.
lispylibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
Riddles in Mathematics by Katie Cotugno: 3/5 stars
This story was mildly predictable but sweet. The main character is in love with her brother's best friend.
Dread South by Justina Ireland: 4/5
WOW! A super fun story with zombies during the slavery period of U.S. History.
Omega Ship by Rae Carson: 5/5 HOLY SHIT!
Two boys and a girl are the last remaining humans in existence and have inhabited a new planet. That HOLY SHIT factor is for the main character being a straight badass and not choosing between two boys, but *SPOILERS* choosing herself.
La Reyencha del Tango by Renee Ahdieh: 4/5
The main character is visiting Brazil and is (conveniently) a pro-tango dancer which leads to her finding herself in a triangle between a douchey guy and a "Tango God."
Cass, An, and Dra by Natalie C. Parker: 3/5
This story was interesting but dry. Cass can see the future of her choices when she is about to make a big decision, but still has to choose.
Lessons for Beginners by Julie Murphy: 4/5
The main character gives kissing lessons to couples where kissing is an issue, and finds herself coming between a relationship.
Triangle Solo by Garth Nix: 2/5 Meh.
This one felt very middle-grade-esque. Two boys are in a school band on another planet (where it seems like Earth has colonized) and are visited by a girl from their past.
Vim and Vigor by Veronica Roth: 5/5 YAY!
A group of girls are mourning a death of one of their friends and comes back together one more time for a movie premiere of their favorite female superheroines which leads to another "future seeing."
Work In progress by E. K. Johnston: 0/5 Nope.
I couldn't even get through the first few pages of this one, the narrator shifted without any way of referencing who it was and it was just overall confusing and not appealing. #sorrynotsorry
Hurdles by Brandy Colbert: 4/5 UGH THAT ENDING!
Mavis is a track star set who has been training to eventually go to the Olympics, but when her best friend's brother returns from rehab, she questions her life choices.
The Historian, The Garrison, and the Cantankerous Cat Woman by Lamar Giles:
5/5 HOLY SHIT!
This story is great for fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but is a little confusing in the beginning. Overall it was FREAKING FANTASTIC! The main character is the "Giles" of this Universe and has to make a tough decision regarding the person who is the town guardian's life.
Waiting by Sabaa Tahir: 5/5 bc SABAA!
The main character's best friend (who she is in love with) is in jail while she prepares to leave for Stanford with a boy who is in love with her. SO GOOD!
Vega by Brenna Yovanoff: 2/5 stars
This one was a bit confusing until you understood who was speaking, but from what I understood, the love triangle was between Las Vegas (the city), Elizabeth, and Alex, who hates living in Las Vegas. It showed both the nightlife scene and how people living in Vegas live.
A Hundred Thousand Threads by Alaya Dawn: 4/5 stars
This one took some getting used to as you definitely have to figure out who is narrating or questioning or explaining, but it is worth sticking with! It takes place in the future in Mexico while a small town is being overtaken and industrialized by powerful people who are also involved in a trafficking scandal.
Before She Was Blood by Tessa Gratton: 0/5 stars
Nope. Tried. Gave up.
Unus, Duo, tres by Bethany Hagen: 5/5 stars
If you don't read any other short story in this anthology, READ THIS ONE! It is set in a private school where two vampires attend and meet a girl who has leukemia. Interesting concept as well as carry out. I loved it!
Overall, this anthology gave me all of the feels. Like all romance fan girls, I love a good love triangle, but what made this anthology special was that there was so many diverse authors that I wasn't familiar with and now can go find more from them.
This story was mildly predictable but sweet. The main character is in love with her brother's best friend.
Dread South by Justina Ireland: 4/5
WOW! A super fun story with zombies during the slavery period of U.S. History.
Omega Ship by Rae Carson: 5/5 HOLY SHIT!
Two boys and a girl are the last remaining humans in existence and have inhabited a new planet. That HOLY SHIT factor is for the main character being a straight badass and not choosing between two boys, but *SPOILERS* choosing herself.
La Reyencha del Tango by Renee Ahdieh: 4/5
The main character is visiting Brazil and is (conveniently) a pro-tango dancer which leads to her finding herself in a triangle between a douchey guy and a "Tango God."
Cass, An, and Dra by Natalie C. Parker: 3/5
This story was interesting but dry. Cass can see the future of her choices when she is about to make a big decision, but still has to choose.
Lessons for Beginners by Julie Murphy: 4/5
The main character gives kissing lessons to couples where kissing is an issue, and finds herself coming between a relationship.
Triangle Solo by Garth Nix: 2/5 Meh.
This one felt very middle-grade-esque. Two boys are in a school band on another planet (where it seems like Earth has colonized) and are visited by a girl from their past.
Vim and Vigor by Veronica Roth: 5/5 YAY!
A group of girls are mourning a death of one of their friends and comes back together one more time for a movie premiere of their favorite female superheroines which leads to another "future seeing."
Work In progress by E. K. Johnston: 0/5 Nope.
I couldn't even get through the first few pages of this one, the narrator shifted without any way of referencing who it was and it was just overall confusing and not appealing. #sorrynotsorry
Hurdles by Brandy Colbert: 4/5 UGH THAT ENDING!
Mavis is a track star set who has been training to eventually go to the Olympics, but when her best friend's brother returns from rehab, she questions her life choices.
The Historian, The Garrison, and the Cantankerous Cat Woman by Lamar Giles:
5/5 HOLY SHIT!
This story is great for fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but is a little confusing in the beginning. Overall it was FREAKING FANTASTIC! The main character is the "Giles" of this Universe and has to make a tough decision regarding the person who is the town guardian's life.
Waiting by Sabaa Tahir: 5/5 bc SABAA!
The main character's best friend (who she is in love with) is in jail while she prepares to leave for Stanford with a boy who is in love with her. SO GOOD!
Vega by Brenna Yovanoff: 2/5 stars
This one was a bit confusing until you understood who was speaking, but from what I understood, the love triangle was between Las Vegas (the city), Elizabeth, and Alex, who hates living in Las Vegas. It showed both the nightlife scene and how people living in Vegas live.
A Hundred Thousand Threads by Alaya Dawn: 4/5 stars
This one took some getting used to as you definitely have to figure out who is narrating or questioning or explaining, but it is worth sticking with! It takes place in the future in Mexico while a small town is being overtaken and industrialized by powerful people who are also involved in a trafficking scandal.
Before She Was Blood by Tessa Gratton: 0/5 stars
Nope. Tried. Gave up.
Unus, Duo, tres by Bethany Hagen: 5/5 stars
If you don't read any other short story in this anthology, READ THIS ONE! It is set in a private school where two vampires attend and meet a girl who has leukemia. Interesting concept as well as carry out. I loved it!
Overall, this anthology gave me all of the feels. Like all romance fan girls, I love a good love triangle, but what made this anthology special was that there was so many diverse authors that I wasn't familiar with and now can go find more from them.
yona_not_jonah's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
karty_v's review against another edition
3.0
Hit or Miss with the stories, but overall a decent, light fluff read that’s entertaining.
1. 2.5 ⭐️ slow paced
2. PASS
3. 3.5 ⭐️ interesting storyline, great twist
4. 3 ⭐️ interesting but felt incomplete at the end
5. 1.5 ⭐️ unique premise, wack execution
6. 3 ⭐️ slow pace but good storyline
7. PASS
8. PASS
9. PASS
10. PASS
11. 4.5 ⭐️ Cute, good storyline
12. 2 ⭐️ Lackluster
13. PASS
14. 3 ⭐️ Historical fic, sadistic main female in a fmf love triangle-strange but good
15. 3 ⭐️MM Vampire/ F Human love triangle, fast paced
1. 2.5 ⭐️ slow paced
2. PASS
3. 3.5 ⭐️ interesting storyline, great twist
4. 3 ⭐️ interesting but felt incomplete at the end
5. 1.5 ⭐️ unique premise, wack execution
6. 3 ⭐️ slow pace but good storyline
7. PASS
8. PASS
9. PASS
10. PASS
11. 4.5 ⭐️ Cute, good storyline
12. 2 ⭐️ Lackluster
13. PASS
14. 3 ⭐️ Historical fic, sadistic main female in a fmf love triangle-strange but good
15. 3 ⭐️MM Vampire/ F Human love triangle, fast paced
alexandralh's review against another edition
1.0
What did I just read...
So sad because I had a lot of hope for this anthology but I only ended up liking 3/16 of the short stories: Cas, An, Dra by Natalie Parker, Hurdles by Brandy Colbert, and Waiting by Sabaa Tahir. I guess the latter 2 are more ~realistic~ but everything else was all fantasy and I don't remember signing up for that. :(
So sad because I had a lot of hope for this anthology but I only ended up liking 3/16 of the short stories: Cas, An, Dra by Natalie Parker, Hurdles by Brandy Colbert, and Waiting by Sabaa Tahir. I guess the latter 2 are more ~realistic~ but everything else was all fantasy and I don't remember signing up for that. :(
alisarae's review against another edition
Some of these stories were great, others were not. But it’s cool to see that love triangles that span aaalllll genres and sexualities—everyone loves a love triangle!