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rachelcdm's review against another edition
4.0
I love these and I hope they bring out Autumn and Spring editions.
Twelve lovely stories, some fantastical and magical, others without magic but no less romantic.
My favourites are between Leigh Bardugo's "Head, Scales, Tongue, Tail" and "A Thousand Ways This Could All Go Wrong." Both heart achingly beautiful but in very different ways.
My least favourite was probably Clare's "Brand New Attraction" although the concept of the carnival was cool.
Like I said, I love these. Perfect for reading on the beach in summer
Twelve lovely stories, some fantastical and magical, others without magic but no less romantic.
My favourites are between Leigh Bardugo's "Head, Scales, Tongue, Tail" and "A Thousand Ways This Could All Go Wrong." Both heart achingly beautiful but in very different ways.
My least favourite was probably Clare's "Brand New Attraction" although the concept of the carnival was cool.
Like I said, I love these. Perfect for reading on the beach in summer
steph01924's review
3.0
Mini reviews for mini stories:
Head, Scales, Tongue, Tail:
This is the first time I've read any of Leigh Bardugo where it's not in the Grisha universe, and I really enjoyed this. The writing was very pretty, though at times I could FEEL it trying to be pretty, but overall I liked the aesthetic and the little town setting, and I wouldn't have minded the end being a little longer.
The End of Love:
I've never read anything by Nina LaCour before but something about this feels very familiar, though which author, I couldn't say. This makes me want to go camping, before I realize that camping in Florida in the summer means I would alternately sweat to death and be eaten alive by mosquitoes.
Last Night at the Cinegore:
I liked the setting of the old horror movie theater, but I got super confused once If all of that was a little more clear I would've liked it more, because there's nothing more annoying than not understanding how part A and B fit together when you're reading, especially for such a short story.
Sick Pleasure:
I was not a fan of this one. I've never really enjoyed this type of staccato, sparse, simplistic writing. It annoys me. I didn't like the way everyone just had a letter instead of a full name. The story was kind of depressing and didn't feel like it went with the rest. Pass.
In Ninety Minutes, Turn North:
Loved that this was a continuation from the last book, so it felt longer with more history behind it than most. The location felt perfect, North was adorable and Marigold was awesome, and I basically thoroughly enjoyed myself reading it.
Souvenirs:
The main character's voice could be a little annoying at times, but I liked the message of this one, how a good love doesn't have to be forever love, and it felt perfect for an anthology; i.e., I would not have wanted to read a full story about these people but it was just enough to keep me interested for twenty or so pages. The characters really did feel like real teens.
Inertia:
This was fine. I didn't love it, I didn't hate it. The concept was kind of interesting, but I don't know how I feel about the ending.
Love Is The Last Resort:
This reminded me of a mix of High School Musical 2, where they all randomly worked at a resort and Zac Efron would go singing and dancing across a golf course like Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music, along with Jane The Virgin, with the witty narrator commenting on everything. So, safe to say I liked it a lot. It was the perfect combo of cheesy and fizzy. While some reviews mentioned there were too many characters, I didn't feel confused at all. There wasn't enough time for any of them to be more than stereotypes, but since this was a short story that relied on humor and archetypes, it totally worked.
Good Luck and Farewell:
This was another one I would've happily read in a full-length version. The main character's resentment of her cousin's girlfriend--I've definitely felt that irrational jealousy before. The story managed to be touching enough to get me a little teary-eyed in such a short time, and all of the characters leapt off the pages.
Brand New Attraction:
I've never read anything from Cassandra Clare and this only reaffirms that I won't any time soon. It wasn't horrible, but there was a lack of nuance in the writing. Nothing made this short story stand out (in fact, when going to write this, I counted it twice as one I hadn't read yet until I clicked on the page and saw the little illustration). It was a fun and interesting premise that fell short for me due to the writing.
A Thousand Ways This Could All Go Wrong:
I really liked this one, as it's not something we've seen very often,. I was a little sad when it ended.
A Map of Tiny Perfect Things:
I loved the concept of taking in those little "perfect" moments. This was definitely a story that grew on me the more I read, because at first the MC seemed a little too silly. It was a kind of sappy and if this were a longer book I'd have way more questions about how this "wish" got granted, but overall it was a solid addition to the rest.
Head, Scales, Tongue, Tail:
This is the first time I've read any of Leigh Bardugo where it's not in the Grisha universe, and I really enjoyed this. The writing was very pretty, though at times I could FEEL it trying to be pretty, but overall I liked the aesthetic and the little town setting, and I wouldn't have minded the end being a little longer.
The End of Love:
I've never read anything by Nina LaCour before but something about this feels very familiar, though which author, I couldn't say. This makes me want to go camping, before I realize that camping in Florida in the summer means I would alternately sweat to death and be eaten alive by mosquitoes.
Last Night at the Cinegore:
I liked the setting of the old horror movie theater, but I got super confused once
Spoiler
the movie started talking and the owner of the theater was the...devil who trapped them in the movie? The movie that was decades old and traveled around from place to place? Was the owner of the theater the one who eventually got his old theaters burned down and moved on to a new one, stealing souls along the way?Sick Pleasure:
I was not a fan of this one. I've never really enjoyed this type of staccato, sparse, simplistic writing. It annoys me. I didn't like the way everyone just had a letter instead of a full name. The story was kind of depressing and didn't feel like it went with the rest. Pass.
In Ninety Minutes, Turn North:
Loved that this was a continuation from the last book, so it felt longer with more history behind it than most. The location felt perfect, North was adorable and Marigold was awesome, and I basically thoroughly enjoyed myself reading it.
Souvenirs:
The main character's voice could be a little annoying at times, but I liked the message of this one, how a good love doesn't have to be forever love, and it felt perfect for an anthology; i.e., I would not have wanted to read a full story about these people but it was just enough to keep me interested for twenty or so pages. The characters really did feel like real teens.
Inertia:
This was fine. I didn't love it, I didn't hate it. The concept was kind of interesting, but I don't know how I feel about the ending.
Spoiler
I thought Matt was going to be killed off, and even though I always prefer a happy ending, I was sort of okay with it, but then suddenly he was fine. So yeah, it was nice they got together, but unexpected. I suppose if he had died then it would've also been a bit more downer than I expected out of this anthology. So, basically, I'm torn.Love Is The Last Resort:
This reminded me of a mix of High School Musical 2, where they all randomly worked at a resort and Zac Efron would go singing and dancing across a golf course like Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music, along with Jane The Virgin, with the witty narrator commenting on everything. So, safe to say I liked it a lot. It was the perfect combo of cheesy and fizzy. While some reviews mentioned there were too many characters, I didn't feel confused at all. There wasn't enough time for any of them to be more than stereotypes, but since this was a short story that relied on humor and archetypes, it totally worked.
Good Luck and Farewell:
This was another one I would've happily read in a full-length version. The main character's resentment of her cousin's girlfriend--I've definitely felt that irrational jealousy before. The story managed to be touching enough to get me a little teary-eyed in such a short time, and all of the characters leapt off the pages.
Brand New Attraction:
I've never read anything from Cassandra Clare and this only reaffirms that I won't any time soon. It wasn't horrible, but there was a lack of nuance in the writing. Nothing made this short story stand out (in fact, when going to write this, I counted it twice as one I hadn't read yet until I clicked on the page and saw the little illustration). It was a fun and interesting premise that fell short for me due to the writing.
A Thousand Ways This Could All Go Wrong:
I really liked this one, as it's not something we've seen very often,
Spoiler
romance with a person on the spectrumA Map of Tiny Perfect Things:
I loved the concept of taking in those little "perfect" moments. This was definitely a story that grew on me the more I read, because at first the MC seemed a little too silly. It was a kind of sappy and if this were a longer book I'd have way more questions about how this "wish" got granted, but overall it was a solid addition to the rest.
kimberly88's review
3.0
I read and liked the following:
Head, Scales, Tongue, Tail by Leigh Bardugo
In Ninety Minutes Turn North by Stephanie Perkins
Brand New Attraction by Cassandra Clare
The Map of Tiny Perfect Things by Lev Grossman
Head, Scales, Tongue, Tail by Leigh Bardugo
In Ninety Minutes Turn North by Stephanie Perkins
Brand New Attraction by Cassandra Clare
The Map of Tiny Perfect Things by Lev Grossman
kamitc's review
3.0
Head, Scales, Tongue, Tail by Leigh Bardugo - 3.5/5
I love Leigh. The writing in this was very crisp and interestingly worded. I wasn't wowed but it was still beautiful. The ending was...odd. So odd. But I sort of loved it. Because it's weird, it's quirky, and it's a short story. I would have loved some of that magical element to be throughout the story though. It was all a little too contemporary.
The End of Love by Nina Lacour - 2/5 (purely for the writing)
I liked the voice of the narrator. Her thoughts flowed in a similar way to mine and I appreciated that. But I didn't care for the story.
Last Stand At the Cinegore by Libba Bray - 3.7/5
Okay one word: BIZARRE. but I totally dug it. It was funny and well written and I liked the little script paragraphs tossed it. Best one so far probably...but I can't help but hope there are better ones. I was much more impressed with the winter anthology quite honestly.
Sick Pleasure by Francesca Lia Block - 1/5
That was horrible. There was no clever purpose in naming all the characters letters and the MC claims to be a writer but she is bland and empty and writes everything in 2D. It's blunt and ugly and bizarre. And RANDOM. This was a waste of time.
In Ninety Minutes, Turn North - 5/5
I am SO happy she continued this story from the first anthology. It was my favorite. And in this one too. Not only because I got to see these beautiful characters again but because it took me on a ride unlike any of the other stories. I felt the tension, the anguish, the excitement, everything. And the TITLE! So clever. Every word choice is so clever I'm dead.
Souvenirs by Tim Federle - 3/5
Not bad. Cute story. Little sad. Little pointless. Not the worst of the lot that's for sure.
Inertia by Veronica Roth - 5/5
I really enjoyed the concept of the last visitation and the walk through the memories. It was very different but also classic Veronica Roth. I'm a sucker for the sci-fi stuff so. This story was adorable and it made me cry. I loved the ending and the setup and even the struggles of the narrator were so relatable. I can't rave enough about this one.
Love is the Last Resort by Jon Skovron - 4.5/5
Very cute story! Liked the writing style and the characters. I also enjoyed the narrators interjections it was super cute. Loved the setting too. Clever wrap up with the reveal of the narrator, made the story stand out in my mind.
Good Luck and Farewell by Brandy Colbert- 2/5
Lame. That's really all I can say. The romance part of the novel was rushed and somewhat unbelievable. The back story was sad but...uninteresting? I just feel like it wasn't anything spectacular or noteworthy. At all.
A New Attraction by Cassandra Clare - 4.9/5
I loved this. It was so unique and different and I loved how it was dark but the characters brought light. It just made me happy the way the carnival was her home and she was surrounded by family there...it felt a little rushed at the end which is why it's not a full 5/5 but I'm definitely impressed with this. CC does it again!
A Thousand Ways This Could All Go Wrong by Jennifer E. Smith - 4/5
I really like this one. Mostly because I could really relate to it. I'm working at a camp for special needs kids this summer and I felt like a page right out of my summer.
The Map of Tiny Perfect Things by Lev Grossman - 4/5
That's was cute and sad and cute and sad and just really cute and really sad. I loved the scifi element to it (as always I mean come on) but I'm a sucker for the romance and I even adored the mind wobbling confusing four dimensional metaphor. Good job Lev.
Although I found Margaret's character to be frustrating...but I'm glad Mark got what he wanted in the end. It all folded into a creative little bundle and it made me satisfied.
I love Leigh. The writing in this was very crisp and interestingly worded. I wasn't wowed but it was still beautiful. The ending was...odd. So odd. But I sort of loved it. Because it's weird, it's quirky, and it's a short story. I would have loved some of that magical element to be throughout the story though. It was all a little too contemporary.
The End of Love by Nina Lacour - 2/5 (purely for the writing)
I liked the voice of the narrator. Her thoughts flowed in a similar way to mine and I appreciated that. But I didn't care for the story.
Last Stand At the Cinegore by Libba Bray - 3.7/5
Okay one word: BIZARRE. but I totally dug it. It was funny and well written and I liked the little script paragraphs tossed it. Best one so far probably...but I can't help but hope there are better ones. I was much more impressed with the winter anthology quite honestly.
Sick Pleasure by Francesca Lia Block - 1/5
That was horrible. There was no clever purpose in naming all the characters letters and the MC claims to be a writer but she is bland and empty and writes everything in 2D. It's blunt and ugly and bizarre. And RANDOM. This was a waste of time.
In Ninety Minutes, Turn North - 5/5
I am SO happy she continued this story from the first anthology. It was my favorite. And in this one too. Not only because I got to see these beautiful characters again but because it took me on a ride unlike any of the other stories. I felt the tension, the anguish, the excitement, everything. And the TITLE! So clever. Every word choice is so clever I'm dead.
Souvenirs by Tim Federle - 3/5
Not bad. Cute story. Little sad. Little pointless. Not the worst of the lot that's for sure.
Inertia by Veronica Roth - 5/5
I really enjoyed the concept of the last visitation and the walk through the memories. It was very different but also classic Veronica Roth. I'm a sucker for the sci-fi stuff so. This story was adorable and it made me cry. I loved the ending and the setup and even the struggles of the narrator were so relatable. I can't rave enough about this one.
Love is the Last Resort by Jon Skovron - 4.5/5
Very cute story! Liked the writing style and the characters. I also enjoyed the narrators interjections it was super cute. Loved the setting too. Clever wrap up with the reveal of the narrator, made the story stand out in my mind.
Good Luck and Farewell by Brandy Colbert- 2/5
Lame. That's really all I can say. The romance part of the novel was rushed and somewhat unbelievable. The back story was sad but...uninteresting? I just feel like it wasn't anything spectacular or noteworthy. At all.
A New Attraction by Cassandra Clare - 4.9/5
I loved this. It was so unique and different and I loved how it was dark but the characters brought light. It just made me happy the way the carnival was her home and she was surrounded by family there...it felt a little rushed at the end which is why it's not a full 5/5 but I'm definitely impressed with this. CC does it again!
A Thousand Ways This Could All Go Wrong by Jennifer E. Smith - 4/5
I really like this one. Mostly because I could really relate to it. I'm working at a camp for special needs kids this summer and I felt like a page right out of my summer.
The Map of Tiny Perfect Things by Lev Grossman - 4/5
That's was cute and sad and cute and sad and just really cute and really sad. I loved the scifi element to it (as always I mean come on) but I'm a sucker for the romance and I even adored the mind wobbling confusing four dimensional metaphor. Good job Lev.
Although I found Margaret's character to be frustrating...but I'm glad Mark got what he wanted in the end. It all folded into a creative little bundle and it made me satisfied.
shirleymak's review
3.0
some reaaaaaaally good stories (VERONICA ROTH!!!! and the last one LOL)
and some really 'ok' ones
and some really 'ok' ones
agsztyl's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
bellabihren's review against another edition
DNF at 42%
decidi abandonar esse querido, pois depois de ler contos que me desanimaram muito, nem os mais legais que vieram depois me animaram pra ler
quem sabe num futuro eu não volte pra ele e leia os contos que faltaram? não sei, mas sei que agora não to mais afim :(
decidi abandonar esse querido, pois depois de ler contos que me desanimaram muito, nem os mais legais que vieram depois me animaram pra ler
quem sabe num futuro eu não volte pra ele e leia os contos que faltaram? não sei, mas sei que agora não to mais afim :(
heathersnerdyworld's review
4.0
1. Head, Scale, Tongues, Tail...4/5 Fantastical Summer Vibes
2. The End of Love... 3/5. I honestly forgot I read this story two days later. Not really memorable, but I enjoyed it in the moment.
3 . Last Stand at the Cinegore... 3/5. Interesting concept and great creepy read. Not sure what it really has to do with summer... getting more Halloween vibes than anything.
4. Sick Pleasure ... 2/5. This story is way too much of a downer for an anthology of Summer stories. Annoyed that character names were simply letters. I'm looking for fun lighthearted summer reads with this anthology of Summer stories....
5. In Ninety Minutes, Turn North... 4.5/5. Finally a nice fluffy summer read. Adorable story, and I would really enjoy a follow up short story of these two.
6. Souvenirs 4/5 - summer vibes, liked the style of humour
7. Inertia 4/5 - interesting concept, heartbreaking yet satisfying and enjoyable tale of 2 friends
8. Love is the Last Resort 5/5 - fun story all about relationships. Interesting pov & quirky charcters make this one of my favourite stories in this collection.
9. Goodluck and Farewell - 5/5 A short story with a lot of punch. Fleshed out backstories for characters with some serious topics, a diverse cast of characters that feels natural, all while being a great fun and romantic summer read.
19. Brand New Attraction - 3.5/5 I can't place why I wasn't a fan of this story, I think it may have been some expectations I set when I saw it was by Cassandra Clare. The tone was reminiscent of Clare's old writing, quicked paced and entertaining but leaving more to be desired. I was hoping for a new concept from Clare too, unforunately she gave us more demons.... was hoping to read something more contemporary from her. We all know she can do fantasy well, and I was hoping Clare would use this as an opportunity to try something new.
11. A Thousand Ways This Could Go Wrong - 5/5 This is definitely in the running for my favourite story in this collection. Diversity and an adorable romance set in a perfect summer back drop. More please! Thanks :)
12. The Map of Tiny Perfect Things - 4/5 Think Paper Towns with Groundhog Day (the movie).
2. The End of Love... 3/5. I honestly forgot I read this story two days later. Not really memorable, but I enjoyed it in the moment.
3 . Last Stand at the Cinegore... 3/5. Interesting concept and great creepy read. Not sure what it really has to do with summer... getting more Halloween vibes than anything.
4. Sick Pleasure ... 2/5. This story is way too much of a downer for an anthology of Summer stories. Annoyed that character names were simply letters. I'm looking for fun lighthearted summer reads with this anthology of Summer stories....
5. In Ninety Minutes, Turn North... 4.5/5. Finally a nice fluffy summer read. Adorable story, and I would really enjoy a follow up short story of these two.
6. Souvenirs 4/5 - summer vibes, liked the style of humour
7. Inertia 4/5 - interesting concept, heartbreaking yet satisfying and enjoyable tale of 2 friends
8. Love is the Last Resort 5/5 - fun story all about relationships. Interesting pov & quirky charcters make this one of my favourite stories in this collection.
9. Goodluck and Farewell - 5/5 A short story with a lot of punch. Fleshed out backstories for characters with some serious topics, a diverse cast of characters that feels natural, all while being a great fun and romantic summer read.
19. Brand New Attraction - 3.5/5 I can't place why I wasn't a fan of this story, I think it may have been some expectations I set when I saw it was by Cassandra Clare. The tone was reminiscent of Clare's old writing, quicked paced and entertaining but leaving more to be desired. I was hoping for a new concept from Clare too, unforunately she gave us more demons.... was hoping to read something more contemporary from her. We all know she can do fantasy well, and I was hoping Clare would use this as an opportunity to try something new.
11. A Thousand Ways This Could Go Wrong - 5/5 This is definitely in the running for my favourite story in this collection. Diversity and an adorable romance set in a perfect summer back drop. More please! Thanks :)
12. The Map of Tiny Perfect Things - 4/5 Think Paper Towns with Groundhog Day (the movie).
lamom77's review
3.0
I debated on giving this 2 or 3 stars. I admittedly did not read all the stories in this collection. There were 2 I loved (by Leigh Bardugo and Stephanie Perkins), a couple I liked, and others did not like at all and did not finish. On the upside, I will look for more books from Stephanie Perkins.