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elise_is_a_joy's review against another edition
4.0
Some of the stories were really good others not so much
woodlandbooklover's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic collection. These are YA short stories whose unifying theme is some kind of inter-cultural romance. The characters are all 14-20ish and span many races, religions, and nationalities. Some of the stories are even supernatural or in a fantasy realm. The stories are sweet with generally happy resolutions but they do not shy away from the big issues that arise when we interact across cultures. Whiteness is de-centered. There is that rare and wonderful queer (especially bi+) representation that isn't a plot device. This is so so good and should be on all YA reading lists. Get it for your kids! (And read it yourself first!)
guardianofthebookshelf's review against another edition
3.0
Grade: C+
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: This anthology is all about love stories. For my review, I'm going to rate them from the ones I liked best to least, and give a few comments on each story. Also, I should note that Danielle Paige's and Adam Silvera's stories were not included when I got my e-galley, so I cannot review/rate them.
"The Boy Is" by Elsie Chapman - 5 stars
Needed to be just a little bit longer with more swoons because I really liked this story! It has fully formed characters and good themes.
"The Agony of a Heart's Wish" by Samira Ahmed - 4.5 stars
I love a good historical fiction story. This one has a lovely basis in poetry and colonized nations with their heritage being erased by the British. The ending isn't what I expected from this anthology, though.
"Sandwiched in Between" by Eric Smith - 4 stars
Great story for this anthology, about navigating cultural differences and awkward family moments.
"Giving Up the Ghost" by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas - 4 stars
What a fun concept!! I liked the magical element, and the character voices were good.
"The Coward's Guide to Falling in Love" by Caroline Tung Richmond - 4 stars
Not a happy ending. Still, it's cute and earnest, like young adult fiction should be, especially when the protagonist is a sophomore.
"Five Times Shiva Met Harry" by Sangu Mandanna - 3.5 stars
A little short, somewhat simple, but it has a clear point and doesn't meander to get there. Oh, but I would've liked the British setting to be just a teeny bit clearer from the get-go.
"Gilman Street" by Michelle Ruiz Keil - 3.5 stars
This works well for a short story. Would've liked just a little more of Marco, though, since he felt a little shoehorned in at the end, but I did like him with Tam. And I appreciated the nuances of being Mexican-American that were explored.
"What We Love" by Lauren Gibaldi - 3.5 stars
This was sort of cute because I loved the nuances of the love interests' heritage, and how they got to know eachother. But also, I'm really tired of the mean girl Christian characters. So.
"Your Life Matters" by L.L. McKinney - 3 stars
This was okay. The superhero element took me by surprise, but I think I liked the story and what it said about Black Lives Matter.
"Turn the Sky to Petals" by Anna-Marie McLemore - 3 stars
Anna-Marie's story was both full of and lacking detail. Also, I'm sorry, but I'll never get on board with second-person POV.
"Faithfull" by Karuna Riazi - 3 stars
Some things about the writing were imperfect - the timeline early on, that the main character calls her mom by her first name, the lack of true grounding details. But the heart of the story was interesting.
"Yuna and the Wall" by Lydia Kang - 3 stars
I didn't really want a fantasy setting so that lessened the impact in some ways. It wasn't a bad story, though.
"Starlight and Moondust" by Lori M. Lee - 3 stars
Wasn't quite my thing, honestly. The mean girl inclusion was a little underused, and the timeline jumps too much.
"Death and the Maiden" by Tara Sim - 2 stars
This story was much too long. It also was fantasy, and I didn't really want full-on fantasy from this anthology.
Content warnings: foul language, some violence, racism and anti-Semitism, bullying
The Verdict: Semi-good but falls short like many anthologies.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: This anthology is all about love stories. For my review, I'm going to rate them from the ones I liked best to least, and give a few comments on each story. Also, I should note that Danielle Paige's and Adam Silvera's stories were not included when I got my e-galley, so I cannot review/rate them.
"The Boy Is" by Elsie Chapman - 5 stars
Needed to be just a little bit longer with more swoons because I really liked this story! It has fully formed characters and good themes.
"The Agony of a Heart's Wish" by Samira Ahmed - 4.5 stars
I love a good historical fiction story. This one has a lovely basis in poetry and colonized nations with their heritage being erased by the British. The ending isn't what I expected from this anthology, though.
"Sandwiched in Between" by Eric Smith - 4 stars
Great story for this anthology, about navigating cultural differences and awkward family moments.
"Giving Up the Ghost" by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas - 4 stars
What a fun concept!! I liked the magical element, and the character voices were good.
"The Coward's Guide to Falling in Love" by Caroline Tung Richmond - 4 stars
Not a happy ending. Still, it's cute and earnest, like young adult fiction should be, especially when the protagonist is a sophomore.
"Five Times Shiva Met Harry" by Sangu Mandanna - 3.5 stars
A little short, somewhat simple, but it has a clear point and doesn't meander to get there. Oh, but I would've liked the British setting to be just a teeny bit clearer from the get-go.
"Gilman Street" by Michelle Ruiz Keil - 3.5 stars
This works well for a short story. Would've liked just a little more of Marco, though, since he felt a little shoehorned in at the end, but I did like him with Tam. And I appreciated the nuances of being Mexican-American that were explored.
"What We Love" by Lauren Gibaldi - 3.5 stars
This was sort of cute because I loved the nuances of the love interests' heritage, and how they got to know eachother. But also, I'm really tired of the mean girl Christian characters. So.
"Your Life Matters" by L.L. McKinney - 3 stars
This was okay. The superhero element took me by surprise, but I think I liked the story and what it said about Black Lives Matter.
"Turn the Sky to Petals" by Anna-Marie McLemore - 3 stars
Anna-Marie's story was both full of and lacking detail. Also, I'm sorry, but I'll never get on board with second-person POV.
"Faithfull" by Karuna Riazi - 3 stars
Some things about the writing were imperfect - the timeline early on, that the main character calls her mom by her first name, the lack of true grounding details. But the heart of the story was interesting.
"Yuna and the Wall" by Lydia Kang - 3 stars
I didn't really want a fantasy setting so that lessened the impact in some ways. It wasn't a bad story, though.
"Starlight and Moondust" by Lori M. Lee - 3 stars
Wasn't quite my thing, honestly. The mean girl inclusion was a little underused, and the timeline jumps too much.
"Death and the Maiden" by Tara Sim - 2 stars
This story was much too long. It also was fantasy, and I didn't really want full-on fantasy from this anthology.
Content warnings: foul language, some violence, racism and anti-Semitism, bullying
The Verdict: Semi-good but falls short like many anthologies.
mandkips's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Bullying
raisin's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
raisinreads's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
livcg's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
kim_ammons's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars, rounding up for rating
Not generally a fan of short stories, but some of these were really fun. My favorite was "Giving Up the Ghost" by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas--laughed out loud so many times while reading that one
Not generally a fan of short stories, but some of these were really fun. My favorite was "Giving Up the Ghost" by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas--laughed out loud so many times while reading that one