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thenextgenlibrarian's review
4.0
When everyone else goes to bed, the ones who stay up feel like they’re the only people in the world.
kthornette's review
2.0
tl;dr - This was an anthology of stories with an intriguing concept but didn’t quite live up to my standards, seeing that I recognize a lot of the author’s names on this list. All of the stories were VERY diverse which I loved reading. As an audiobook, I was so glad there were different narrators for each story but it was kind of annoying to change the speed with each story. It would’ve been cool if all the stories explicitly took place in the same universe - I don’t recall if it was mentioned here but I’d believe it. As mentioned below, I do think some stories would’ve been better as full novels or even novellas.
Overall ranking:
If anyone actually cares for small bullet-point reviews for each story, then here you go:
Never Have I Ever
* Possible Karen McManus bias
* This would’ve would’ve been a really cool full novel but didn’t do well here because it was so short
Like Before
* Long-time besties is a favourite trope of mine
* Fixing a friendship that’s broken? Sign me up
* Scavenger hunt? Fuck yeah.
* “ABBA was her favourite bad during her uncool years” ... how dare you. Those were her cool years.
Old Rifts and Snowdrifts
* It could be because I listened to this at nearly 2 AM but I didn’t retain much from this story
* Really love the representation
Con Nights, Parallel Hearts
* I loved the fangirl besties confiding in each other about their past traumas
* Also noticed the use of “their/they/them” as an identifying pronoun. Nice touch that I don’t think I’ve seen in a lot of YA books
Kiss The Boy
* I loved all the makeup going on and the high school scavenger hunt
* The fact they were set up to be partners for the hunt? Yes!
Creature Catcher
* I relate to the “unable to make friends” — hell, I’ll be your friend
* Just tell me it’s Pokémon Go because it basically is (when was this book written?)
Shark Bait
* I think this was my favourite story in the bunch but, again, SHOULD’VE BEEN LONGER! Fucking cliffhanger. I hate it.
* Worrying about where to find chicken nuggets is my priority too
* I loved hernot me forgetting MC’s name relationship with Hunter … until that slight miscommunication at the end
* I’ve read a lot of stories dealing with race and racism, and I liked how this story presented it
A Place to Start
* Possible Nina LaCour bias
* Again, would’ve been better as a longer story - or at least a novella. I would’ve loved to read more about the step-siblings in their new unified life.
When You Bring Your Dog to Prom
* Please, I love this title
* I wanted more of the dog. I wanted the dog to be prom king/queen. Sometimes, I forgot the dog was in the story.
Missing
* Best opening to a story and the plot was super interesting.
* Damn, all these girls are so mean…
* Okay, I draw the line at the creepy voodoo dolls. Girl, what the hell? This whole story was creepy.
What About Your Friends
* You know what? This was a cute one. I feel like this was one where the shorter length worked.
Under Our Masks
*This title triggers me since I’m typing this in school while wearing a mask.
* Unexpected hero/vigilante theme ... very interesting concept but the execution was a bit boring. I do appreciate the secret identity/hidden sexual identity parallel. I was expecting more hero action rather than conversations.
* Shorter Dude and Taller Girl? Hell yeah. Roasting Gatsby? Hell yeah.
The Ghost of Goon Creek
*I won’t lie, I forgot to listen to this while it was playing.
Overall ranking:
1. Shark Bait
2. A Place to Start
3. What About Your Friends
4. Con Nights, Parallel Hearts
5. Kiss The Boy
6. Under Your Mask
7. Like Before
8. The Night Before
9. When You Bring Your Dog to Prom
10. Creature Catcher
11. Never Have I Ever
12. Old Rifts and Snowdrifts
13. The Ghost of Goon Creek
If anyone actually cares for small bullet-point reviews for each story, then here you go:
Never Have I Ever
* Possible Karen McManus bias
* This would’ve would’ve been a really cool full novel but didn’t do well here because it was so short
Like Before
* Long-time besties is a favourite trope of mine
* Fixing a friendship that’s broken? Sign me up
* Scavenger hunt? Fuck yeah.
* “ABBA was her favourite bad during her uncool years” ... how dare you. Those were her cool years.
Old Rifts and Snowdrifts
* It could be because I listened to this at nearly 2 AM but I didn’t retain much from this story
* Really love the representation
Con Nights, Parallel Hearts
* I loved the fangirl besties confiding in each other about their past traumas
* Also noticed the use of “their/they/them” as an identifying pronoun. Nice touch that I don’t think I’ve seen in a lot of YA books
Kiss The Boy
* I loved all the makeup going on and the high school scavenger hunt
* The fact they were set up to be partners for the hunt? Yes!
Creature Catcher
* I relate to the “unable to make friends” — hell, I’ll be your friend
* Just tell me it’s Pokémon Go because it basically is (when was this book written?)
Shark Bait
* I think this was my favourite story in the bunch but, again, SHOULD’VE BEEN LONGER! Fucking cliffhanger. I hate it.
* Worrying about where to find chicken nuggets is my priority too
* I loved her
Spoiler
and they really needed a car crash to talk? Get out of here. BUT IF HUNTER IS DEAD I SWEAR TO GOD.* I’ve read a lot of stories dealing with race and racism, and I liked how this story presented it
A Place to Start
* Possible Nina LaCour bias
* Again, would’ve been better as a longer story - or at least a novella. I would’ve loved to read more about the step-siblings in their new unified life.
When You Bring Your Dog to Prom
* Please, I love this title
* I wanted more of the dog. I wanted the dog to be prom king/queen. Sometimes, I forgot the dog was in the story.
Missing
* Best opening to a story and the plot was super interesting.
* Damn, all these girls are so mean…
* Okay, I draw the line at the creepy voodoo dolls. Girl, what the hell? This whole story was creepy.
What About Your Friends
* You know what? This was a cute one. I feel like this was one where the shorter length worked.
Under Our Masks
*
* Unexpected hero/vigilante theme ... very interesting concept but the execution was a bit boring. I do appreciate the secret identity/hidden sexual identity parallel. I was expecting more hero action rather than conversations.
* Shorter Dude and Taller Girl? Hell yeah. Roasting Gatsby? Hell yeah.
The Ghost of Goon Creek
*
hsinjulit's review
3.0
2.5 stars rounded up.
Short stories are always really tricky since the limited word count doesn’t allow a lot of space for an elaborate plot line. In Up All Night, I’d say about half of the stories were cute and well written and the other half of them were too random for me to care.
But I appreciate the range of representations; the editor has definitely made an effort to balance the stories. There is one with a disabled m-spec MC and another with a gay boy, a few with Black MCs, non-binary SCs, sapphic SCs, Asian SCs, etc. The book reflects the world teens want and need to see.
Some of the stories are romance, and others are about new or long-lost friendship and family. While I don’t want to individually rate each story, I’m highlighting a few I enjoyed, most of them toward the end of the book:
– “Old Rifts and Snowdrifts” by Kayla Whaley: a disabled m-spec MC snowed in with a (presumably) Japanese LI and ex-friend
– “What About Your Friends” by Brandy Colbert: two Black girls reconciling their best-friendship during a 24h dancing marathon
– “Under Our Masks” by Julian Winters: a gay, Black teen with metahuman abilities and a (presumably) Indian LI
Though Up All Night was overall a slight letdown, it was still worth reading for the several well-done and sweet stories.
content warnings: underage drinking, trespassing, accidental murder, rape (pedophilia, incest), HP references (2 stories), gore, body horror, loss of parent, racism, sexism
I received a digital review copy from Algonquin Young Readers via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Short stories are always really tricky since the limited word count doesn’t allow a lot of space for an elaborate plot line. In Up All Night, I’d say about half of the stories were cute and well written and the other half of them were too random for me to care.
But I appreciate the range of representations; the editor has definitely made an effort to balance the stories. There is one with a disabled m-spec MC and another with a gay boy, a few with Black MCs, non-binary SCs, sapphic SCs, Asian SCs, etc. The book reflects the world teens want and need to see.
Some of the stories are romance, and others are about new or long-lost friendship and family. While I don’t want to individually rate each story, I’m highlighting a few I enjoyed, most of them toward the end of the book:
– “Old Rifts and Snowdrifts” by Kayla Whaley: a disabled m-spec MC snowed in with a (presumably) Japanese LI and ex-friend
– “What About Your Friends” by Brandy Colbert: two Black girls reconciling their best-friendship during a 24h dancing marathon
– “Under Our Masks” by Julian Winters: a gay, Black teen with metahuman abilities and a (presumably) Indian LI
Though Up All Night was overall a slight letdown, it was still worth reading for the several well-done and sweet stories.
content warnings: underage drinking, trespassing, accidental murder, rape (pedophilia, incest), HP references (2 stories), gore, body horror, loss of parent, racism, sexism
I received a digital review copy from Algonquin Young Readers via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.
jwldt13's review
3.0
very hit or miss, some were really really amazing while others were kinda meh to me
notinjersey's review
5.0
Up All Night is an anthology of 13 stories taking place overnight! These stories cover topics of self discovery, friendship, romance, and more. The genres range from thriller to rom com to horror. My favorites were Never Have I Ever by Karen M McManus – which starts the book out with a twist, Creature Capture by Laura Silverman and Missing by Kathleen Glasgow. All of the stories were memorable!
thenextgenlib's review
4.0
When everyone else goes to bed, the ones who stay up feel like they’re the only people in the world.
brooke_review's review
4.0
Thirteen stories set in the depths and darkness of night are delivered up in the YA anthology, Up All Night. This anthology holds a good mix of entertaining stories, and altogether is a pretty solid compilation. I personally loved the theme of setting the stories in the middle of the night when most of the world is asleep. That premise gifted these tales a unique angle, as most of us don’t know what goes on in the world after we lay our head down to sleep at night. Up All Night answers that question.
Never Have I Ever by Karen McManus (5 Stars)
A tame game of Never Have I Ever turns sinister when the resident bad boy turns up at the band geeks’ late night party and changes all the rules.
I naively didn’t see the twists and turns coming in this suspenseful tale, earning Never Have I Ever a solid 5 stars. On the other hand, I should have expected this with a short story coming from renowned YA suspense author Karen McManus.
Like Before by Maureen Goo (3 Stars)
In a last ditch attempt to bring her childhood friends back together, a high school senior plans a night of scavenger hunting for memories.
Like Before will hit home with anyone who has watched their friendships drift apart and fade away as people got busy with their lives and went down different paths. For its intended teenage readers, it’s a portent of things to come as they prepare to leave the bubble of high school. Like Before earns 3 stars for trying to cram too much information into a short story format and not giving readers enough back story on the girls’ friendship to create a sense of caring and connection.
Old Rifts and Snowdrifts by Kayla Whaley (4 Stars)
An unexpected monster snowstorm in Atlanta causes two former best friends turned enemies to be snowed in overnight at the florist shop where they work.
Old Rifts and Snowdrifts is the first story in this anthology that can be categorized as a romance. This story, featuring diverse backgrounds, abilities, and sexualities, is cute and engaging. What’s more romantic than be snowed in with your crush?
Con Nights, Parallel Hearts by Marieke Nijkamp (2 Stars)
While waiting in line at a Con to meet the writer of her favorite TV show, a teenager debates three different endings to telling her best friend her darkest secret.
I wasn’t a fan of this story, not because it dealt with heavy subject matter, but rather because the writing was stilted and disengaging. Furthermore, the formatting of this story was confusing and the plot repetitive. None of the three endings varied greatly enough from each other to stand out or be memorable.
Kiss the Boy by Amanda Joy (4 Stars)
A teenage girl attempts to complete a pact she made with her best friends at the start of high school by kissing the boy of her dreams during Senior Game Night.
This story is a cute and fun rom-com set amid the thrill and excitement of the end of senior year. What better way to kick off your newfound freedom and explore future possibilities than by kissing the guy you’ve had your eye on?
Creature Capture by Laura Silverman (5 Stars)
A self-proclaimed nerd scours her town’s lakes with her best friend in the hopes of capturing a Loch Ness Monster in a Pokémon Go-inspired fantasy game.
I loved Creature Capture’s idea of venturing out into the night on a “quest” in search of an elusive Loch Ness Monster. This story was a lot of fun and I was filled with anticipation right alongside the characters as we hunted for Nessie.
Shark Bait by Tiffany D. Jackson (3 Stars)
A wealthy black teenager evaluates her current situation and reconsiders her future during the last night of the summer with her boyfriend on Martha’s Vineyard.
Shark Bait started off strongly for me, but took a turn when the exposition began moving too quickly and confusingly between past and present, and Jackson utilized stereotypes to push her main character in a certain direction.
A Place to Start by Nina Lacour (4 Stars)
Two stepsiblings rearrange their family’s new home decor on the night of their mother’s’ wedding, while learning more about each other.
I appreciated the moments of sibling bonding shared in A Place to Start. The idea of two teenagers making a big, empty house a home was intriguing and fun to read about.
When You Bring a Dog to Prom by Anna Mariano (2 Stars)
A group of friends determined to have a perfect prom are in for a wild night that none of them saw coming.
This story was just okay for me. I found it to be a bit boring, scattered, and outlandish. We are also introduced to too many characters for a short story - it made it difficult to keep track of everyone.
Missing by Kathleen Glasgow (3 Stars)
A group of girls go on a ghost hunt in an old abandoned mental asylum.
Ghost/paranormal stories are one of my least favorite genres, so I didn’t really enjoy Missing, but I think it could be a lot of fun for people who are into this sort of thing. I also had a hard time keeping track of the characters, which lessened my enjoyment.
What About Your Friends by Brandy Colbert (5 stars)
Black best friends, tired of being the “only ones” at their high school, find their plans to attend the same college derailed after one takes a gap year traveling in Europe, and the other joins a sorority to fill her friends absence.
I really liked this story because the friendship between Eleanor and Michaela felt genuine and true to life. How often do friendships end after high school, often because people become apathetic or just get busy with their own lives?
Under Our Masks by Julian Winters (4 Stars)
While on the lookout for Atlanta’s superhero Raven, two teenage boys share what’s in their hearts.
I appreciated this story for the unique novelty of it. I’ve never read a piece of fiction featuring superheroes, so the change of pace and theme was intriguing.
The Ghost of Goon Creek by Francesca Zappia (3 Stars)
When the “weird” girl at school gets invited to lead a ghost hunting expedition, the group discovers more than they bargained for.
The Ghost of Goon Creek is solid, but not the most interesting story. It’s a good tale about not assuming you already know what everyone thinks about you and that’s why they act the way they do.
Never Have I Ever by Karen McManus (5 Stars)
A tame game of Never Have I Ever turns sinister when the resident bad boy turns up at the band geeks’ late night party and changes all the rules.
I naively didn’t see the twists and turns coming in this suspenseful tale, earning Never Have I Ever a solid 5 stars. On the other hand, I should have expected this with a short story coming from renowned YA suspense author Karen McManus.
Like Before by Maureen Goo (3 Stars)
In a last ditch attempt to bring her childhood friends back together, a high school senior plans a night of scavenger hunting for memories.
Like Before will hit home with anyone who has watched their friendships drift apart and fade away as people got busy with their lives and went down different paths. For its intended teenage readers, it’s a portent of things to come as they prepare to leave the bubble of high school. Like Before earns 3 stars for trying to cram too much information into a short story format and not giving readers enough back story on the girls’ friendship to create a sense of caring and connection.
Old Rifts and Snowdrifts by Kayla Whaley (4 Stars)
An unexpected monster snowstorm in Atlanta causes two former best friends turned enemies to be snowed in overnight at the florist shop where they work.
Old Rifts and Snowdrifts is the first story in this anthology that can be categorized as a romance. This story, featuring diverse backgrounds, abilities, and sexualities, is cute and engaging. What’s more romantic than be snowed in with your crush?
Con Nights, Parallel Hearts by Marieke Nijkamp (2 Stars)
While waiting in line at a Con to meet the writer of her favorite TV show, a teenager debates three different endings to telling her best friend her darkest secret.
I wasn’t a fan of this story, not because it dealt with heavy subject matter, but rather because the writing was stilted and disengaging. Furthermore, the formatting of this story was confusing and the plot repetitive. None of the three endings varied greatly enough from each other to stand out or be memorable.
Kiss the Boy by Amanda Joy (4 Stars)
A teenage girl attempts to complete a pact she made with her best friends at the start of high school by kissing the boy of her dreams during Senior Game Night.
This story is a cute and fun rom-com set amid the thrill and excitement of the end of senior year. What better way to kick off your newfound freedom and explore future possibilities than by kissing the guy you’ve had your eye on?
Creature Capture by Laura Silverman (5 Stars)
A self-proclaimed nerd scours her town’s lakes with her best friend in the hopes of capturing a Loch Ness Monster in a Pokémon Go-inspired fantasy game.
I loved Creature Capture’s idea of venturing out into the night on a “quest” in search of an elusive Loch Ness Monster. This story was a lot of fun and I was filled with anticipation right alongside the characters as we hunted for Nessie.
Shark Bait by Tiffany D. Jackson (3 Stars)
A wealthy black teenager evaluates her current situation and reconsiders her future during the last night of the summer with her boyfriend on Martha’s Vineyard.
Shark Bait started off strongly for me, but took a turn when the exposition began moving too quickly and confusingly between past and present, and Jackson utilized stereotypes to push her main character in a certain direction.
A Place to Start by Nina Lacour (4 Stars)
Two stepsiblings rearrange their family’s new home decor on the night of their mother’s’ wedding, while learning more about each other.
I appreciated the moments of sibling bonding shared in A Place to Start. The idea of two teenagers making a big, empty house a home was intriguing and fun to read about.
When You Bring a Dog to Prom by Anna Mariano (2 Stars)
A group of friends determined to have a perfect prom are in for a wild night that none of them saw coming.
This story was just okay for me. I found it to be a bit boring, scattered, and outlandish. We are also introduced to too many characters for a short story - it made it difficult to keep track of everyone.
Missing by Kathleen Glasgow (3 Stars)
A group of girls go on a ghost hunt in an old abandoned mental asylum.
Ghost/paranormal stories are one of my least favorite genres, so I didn’t really enjoy Missing, but I think it could be a lot of fun for people who are into this sort of thing. I also had a hard time keeping track of the characters, which lessened my enjoyment.
What About Your Friends by Brandy Colbert (5 stars)
Black best friends, tired of being the “only ones” at their high school, find their plans to attend the same college derailed after one takes a gap year traveling in Europe, and the other joins a sorority to fill her friends absence.
I really liked this story because the friendship between Eleanor and Michaela felt genuine and true to life. How often do friendships end after high school, often because people become apathetic or just get busy with their own lives?
Under Our Masks by Julian Winters (4 Stars)
While on the lookout for Atlanta’s superhero Raven, two teenage boys share what’s in their hearts.
I appreciated this story for the unique novelty of it. I’ve never read a piece of fiction featuring superheroes, so the change of pace and theme was intriguing.
The Ghost of Goon Creek by Francesca Zappia (3 Stars)
When the “weird” girl at school gets invited to lead a ghost hunting expedition, the group discovers more than they bargained for.
The Ghost of Goon Creek is solid, but not the most interesting story. It’s a good tale about not assuming you already know what everyone thinks about you and that’s why they act the way they do.
kappareads's review against another edition
4.0
You can read my full review for the blog tour, click here!
haddy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Cool collection of short stories!! Won’t do full review of every one but:
Least fave: Never have I ever (1)
Fave: Old rifts and snow drifts (3)
1. Never have I ever: 2.25⭐️ - cool twist but a bit meh.
2. Like before: 2.5⭐️ okay but conclusion wasn’t very satisfying, unlikeable characters.
3. Old rifts and snow drifts: 5⭐️ soo cute, forced proximity, pining.. LOVE.
4. Con nights, parallel hearts: 3⭐️ quite liked the premise, nice enough.
5. Kiss the boy: 5⭐️ sooo cute. Adorable !!
6. Creature capture: 4⭐️ really loved the idea, main character a bit unlikeable.
7. Shark Bait: 4.5⭐️ I’M SORRY?? THE ENDING??!?!!!
8. A place to start: 4.25⭐️ super cute, calm, wholesome.
9. When you bring a dog to prom: 4.25⭐️ v cute but sorry dodge was so annoying at times ??
10. Missing: 3.25⭐️ kinda creepy and ewww. Didn’t like any characters really.
11. What about your friends: 3.5⭐️ cute but a bit boring.
12. Under our masks: 3.75⭐️ wholesome but predictable.
13. The ghost of goon creek: 3.75⭐️ enjoyed but a lot of character development in v short amount of time.
Lots of people getting with their long-time crush which is >>>
Average of 3.75⭐️ :)
Least fave: Never have I ever (1)
Fave: Old rifts and snow drifts (3)
1. Never have I ever: 2.25⭐️ - cool twist but a bit meh.
2. Like before: 2.5⭐️ okay but conclusion wasn’t very satisfying, unlikeable characters.
3. Old rifts and snow drifts: 5⭐️ soo cute, forced proximity, pining.. LOVE.
4. Con nights, parallel hearts: 3⭐️ quite liked the premise, nice enough.
5. Kiss the boy: 5⭐️ sooo cute. Adorable !!
6. Creature capture: 4⭐️ really loved the idea, main character a bit unlikeable.
7. Shark Bait: 4.5⭐️ I’M SORRY?? THE ENDING??!?!!!
8. A place to start: 4.25⭐️ super cute, calm, wholesome.
9. When you bring a dog to prom: 4.25⭐️ v cute but sorry dodge was so annoying at times ??
10. Missing: 3.25⭐️ kinda creepy and ewww. Didn’t like any characters really.
11. What about your friends: 3.5⭐️ cute but a bit boring.
12. Under our masks: 3.75⭐️ wholesome but predictable.
13. The ghost of goon creek: 3.75⭐️ enjoyed but a lot of character development in v short amount of time.
Lots of people getting with their long-time crush which is >>>
Average of 3.75⭐️ :)