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nikkibd4033's review against another edition
4.0
YA anthology of stories around romantic relationships outside the White Cis-Het stories that are the most common. It's a lovely addition to the YA romance genre, especially because you don't see a lot of interracial relationships in fiction still. Just like all anthologies of short stores, some stories are stronger than others. The strongest ones are so good it easily makes up for the average ones.
I read this as an ARC, and two of the stories (by Adam Silvera and Danielle Paige) haven't been included yet.
I read this as an ARC, and two of the stories (by Adam Silvera and Danielle Paige) haven't been included yet.
librarianelizabeth's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this. Many many different genres, some authors I already knew, some that were new to me. Some established romance, some meet cute, some friendships... I liked that even with an expectation of probably romance in most stories, the characters were developed well. I'm not sure which was my absolute favorite, which was a great sign, I think. Good stuff. Highly recommend.
harukoreads's review against another edition
4.0
I was interested in this book as soon as I heard it was about interracial relationships, because not only am I in one myself, but I grew up in a mixed family. Add to that the fact that this collection contains a lot of authors of color I enjoy (Anna-Marie McLemore! L.L. McKinney! Adam Silvera!) and I couldn't wait for this to come out. Overall I think this collection was a fun, light read. Individual reviews below:
Turn the Sky to Petal by Anna-Marie McLemore ★★☆☆☆
McLemore's writing is always so lyrical and poetic, it feels like you're in a dream. Unfortunately, this one felt so dreamlike I had a hard time following the story or the point. Not my favorite of theirs.
Prom by Danielle Paige ★★☆☆☆
This one was so short and unmemorable I had to flip back through my copy of the book to refresh my memory before writing this review - and I read this story just this week. Points for creative narrative choices, but underwhelming.
What We Love by Lauren Gibaldi ★★★☆☆
Very cute and nerdy!
Giving Up the Ghost by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas ★★★★☆
This was SO FUN. Set in a world where everyone is haunted by their own personal ancestor ghost, the main character is a boy with a famous pirate ghost who really wants to set him up. Very original and funny.
Your Life Matters by L.L. McKinney ★★★★☆
MAN I wish this was full length novel. I actually did a little dance when the superhero reveal happened. I do think the conflict was resolved a little quickly to be believable, but hey, who doesn't like a happy ending.
Starlight and Moondust by Lori M. Lee ★★☆☆☆
I'll be honest, this one felt very slow for me. I had a hard time focusing on it, and considering it's a short story, that's pretty unfortunate. I think Lee's writing might just not be for me.
Five Times Shiva Met Harry by Sangu Mandanna ★★★★☆
I really appreciated the pragmatic, honest message in this story about an Indian girl meeting a White boy: in order for interracial relationships to be authentic and successful, they often need examinations of privilege. Short but satisfying.
The Agony of a Heart’s Wish by Samira Ahmed ★★☆☆☆
I appreciate what this story was trying to do, but I have to say, for a collection meant to celebrate interracial relationships, I don't think this fit the bill.
The Cowards’ Guide to Falling in Love by Caroline Tung Richmond ★★☆☆☆
Similar to the story above, this felt like it didn't quite fit for a collection about interracial romantic relationships.
Death and the Maiden by Tara Sim ★★★★★
Probably my favorite of the collection - a sapphic, interracial retelling of Hades and Persephone! I adored this.
Faithfull by Karuna Riazi ★★☆☆☆
I had a really hard time getting into this one.
Gilman Street by Michelle Ruiz Keil ★★★★☆
I really enjoyed this one! Great discussion of what it means to be biracial, Latinx American, and queer.
“The Boy Is” by Elsie Chapman ★★☆☆☆
I sympathized with the main character but felt that the story was underdeveloped.
Sandwiched in Between by Eric Smith ★★★☆☆
The discussions of transracial adoption, microaggressions, and interracial dating were front and center in this story, which I appreciated, but I felt it lacked some conclusion. The ending felt a bit too much like "it is what it is" as opposed to saying "this is complicated but I'm going to be better".
Yuna and the Wall by Lydia Kang ★★☆☆☆
I gotta say, I'm wary of a lot of "racism as metaphor" stories in fantasy, and this did not do anything to make me feel better about that storytelling mechanism. This story was about prejudice against a poisoner's daughter and a boy marked by a pox. I think it missed the mark for a collection about interracial relationships.
Something Gay and Magical by Adam Silvera ★★★☆☆
Extremely short but pretty cute. Can't find fault with Silvera!
My average rating for this collection is 2.8, but I'm going to round up to 4. Even if some of these stories missed the mark for me, I really enjoyed this collection and recommend it to anyone who likes lighthearted YA romance.
Turn the Sky to Petal by Anna-Marie McLemore ★★☆☆☆
McLemore's writing is always so lyrical and poetic, it feels like you're in a dream. Unfortunately, this one felt so dreamlike I had a hard time following the story or the point. Not my favorite of theirs.
Prom by Danielle Paige ★★☆☆☆
This one was so short and unmemorable I had to flip back through my copy of the book to refresh my memory before writing this review - and I read this story just this week. Points for creative narrative choices, but underwhelming.
What We Love by Lauren Gibaldi ★★★☆☆
Very cute and nerdy!
Giving Up the Ghost by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas ★★★★☆
This was SO FUN. Set in a world where everyone is haunted by their own personal ancestor ghost, the main character is a boy with a famous pirate ghost who really wants to set him up. Very original and funny.
Your Life Matters by L.L. McKinney ★★★★☆
MAN I wish this was full length novel. I actually did a little dance when the superhero reveal happened. I do think the conflict was resolved a little quickly to be believable, but hey, who doesn't like a happy ending.
Starlight and Moondust by Lori M. Lee ★★☆☆☆
I'll be honest, this one felt very slow for me. I had a hard time focusing on it, and considering it's a short story, that's pretty unfortunate. I think Lee's writing might just not be for me.
Five Times Shiva Met Harry by Sangu Mandanna ★★★★☆
I really appreciated the pragmatic, honest message in this story about an Indian girl meeting a White boy: in order for interracial relationships to be authentic and successful, they often need examinations of privilege. Short but satisfying.
The Agony of a Heart’s Wish by Samira Ahmed ★★☆☆☆
I appreciate what this story was trying to do, but I have to say, for a collection meant to celebrate interracial relationships, I don't think this fit the bill.
The Cowards’ Guide to Falling in Love by Caroline Tung Richmond ★★☆☆☆
Similar to the story above, this felt like it didn't quite fit for a collection about interracial romantic relationships.
Death and the Maiden by Tara Sim ★★★★★
Probably my favorite of the collection - a sapphic, interracial retelling of Hades and Persephone! I adored this.
Faithfull by Karuna Riazi ★★☆☆☆
I had a really hard time getting into this one.
Gilman Street by Michelle Ruiz Keil ★★★★☆
I really enjoyed this one! Great discussion of what it means to be biracial, Latinx American, and queer.
“The Boy Is” by Elsie Chapman ★★☆☆☆
I sympathized with the main character but felt that the story was underdeveloped.
Sandwiched in Between by Eric Smith ★★★☆☆
The discussions of transracial adoption, microaggressions, and interracial dating were front and center in this story, which I appreciated, but I felt it lacked some conclusion. The ending felt a bit too much like "it is what it is" as opposed to saying "this is complicated but I'm going to be better".
Yuna and the Wall by Lydia Kang ★★☆☆☆
I gotta say, I'm wary of a lot of "racism as metaphor" stories in fantasy, and this did not do anything to make me feel better about that storytelling mechanism. This story was about prejudice against a poisoner's daughter and a boy marked by a pox. I think it missed the mark for a collection about interracial relationships.
Something Gay and Magical by Adam Silvera ★★★☆☆
Extremely short but pretty cute. Can't find fault with Silvera!
My average rating for this collection is 2.8, but I'm going to round up to 4. Even if some of these stories missed the mark for me, I really enjoyed this collection and recommend it to anyone who likes lighthearted YA romance.
sahibooknerd's review against another edition
4.0
This book has been on my tbr for a very long time, probably since the day it was announced. And I was so happy the day I got approved for the ARC. This is such a delightful read, full of adorable meet cutes and chance encounters and every story in its own way emphasizes that our differences can bring us closer and it’s so much better to learn from each other, than letting the color of our skin divide us. Really a nice set of empathetic stories and I would definitely recommend it to everyone. My experience was also enhanced by the fact that I buddy read it with my dearest friends.
Below are my individual reviews for the stories:
Turn the Sky to Petals by Anna-Marie McLemore
It’s always jarring when the first story starts off in second person, but this one turned out to be easy to adjust to. This is the story of a Latina girl who loves dancing and a Romani boy who’s very passionate about playing the cimbalom, who bond over the fact that the thing they love so much is also the reason for their body getting battered and having to live in constant pain. Their dread of maybe having to give up their art for the sake of living a relatively less painful life was very palpable and I could totally feel it. But what made this story was the descriptions of the amazing variety of flowers which made this a very atmospheric experience.
Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Prom by Danielle Paige
Another little story in second person, this was about two childhood friends who feel it’s just inevitable to be together, but one of them is a bit worried what others will think of their relationship. I’m actually unsure how I feel about this because it was too short to form an opinion.
Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️
What We Love by Lauren Gibaldi
The story of a Jewish girl and an Indian boy, this one quickly took a dark turn with a white girl continuously bullying the protagonists. And while they wanted to fight back, I thought it was both cute and awesome that they took inspiration from Star Wars to make their point but also not take revenge, deciding that they were better than the bully. I found the development of friendship and more pretty adorable.
Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Giving Up the Ghost by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas
A world which has ghost mentors for each person, this story was hilarious. I loved how snarky and bitchy Sanjiv’s ghost Ching was, but it was nice discovering she was a softy inside (probably “inside” isn’t a valid term for a ghost
Below are my individual reviews for the stories:
Turn the Sky to Petals by Anna-Marie McLemore
It’s always jarring when the first story starts off in second person, but this one turned out to be easy to adjust to. This is the story of a Latina girl who loves dancing and a Romani boy who’s very passionate about playing the cimbalom, who bond over the fact that the thing they love so much is also the reason for their body getting battered and having to live in constant pain. Their dread of maybe having to give up their art for the sake of living a relatively less painful life was very palpable and I could totally feel it. But what made this story was the descriptions of the amazing variety of flowers which made this a very atmospheric experience.
Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Prom by Danielle Paige
Another little story in second person, this was about two childhood friends who feel it’s just inevitable to be together, but one of them is a bit worried what others will think of their relationship. I’m actually unsure how I feel about this because it was too short to form an opinion.
Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️
What We Love by Lauren Gibaldi
The story of a Jewish girl and an Indian boy, this one quickly took a dark turn with a white girl continuously bullying the protagonists. And while they wanted to fight back, I thought it was both cute and awesome that they took inspiration from Star Wars to make their point but also not take revenge, deciding that they were better than the bully. I found the development of friendship and more pretty adorable.
Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Giving Up the Ghost by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas
A world which has ghost mentors for each person, this story was hilarious. I loved how snarky and bitchy Sanjiv’s ghost Ching was, but it was nice discovering she was a softy inside (probably “inside” isn’t a valid term for a ghost
marywahlmeierbracciano's review against another edition
4.0
From diverse group of prominent YA authors, Color Outside the Lines is a magical anthology of love stories featuring people of underrepresented ethnicities and sexual orientations in mixed-race relationships. A black girl superhero faces off with a white male police officer who also happens to be her girlfriend’s father, creating lasting change in her community. A boy with Chinese heritage is provoked by his ghost mentor, a hardcore female pirate, who nags him to talk to his crush. A Hmong girl falls in love with a man from the moon. Color Outside the Lines is the ultimate source of representational love stories for teens!
alenka's review against another edition
5.0
This is a really solid anthology! It's got good genre diversity in addition to, of course, racial diversity, and there's not a single story that drags or doesn't feel like it fits. Lots of fun, sweet surprises, a bit of heartbreak, and LOTS of queer relationships! My favorite story was Michelle Ruiz Keil's, I'm super excited to read her novel, now.
leannj's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Overall Average rating: 3.56/5 stars
Turn the Sky to Petals by Anna Marie-McLemore: 3.75/5 stars
Prom by Danielle Paige: 3/5 stars
What We Love by Lauren Gibaldi: 2/5 stars
Giving up the Ghost by Tarun Shankar and Kelly Zekas: 4/5 stars
Your Life Matters by L.L. McKinney: 4/5 stars
Starlight and Moondust by Lori M. Lee: 3.75/5 stars
Five times Shiva met harry by Sangu Mandanna: 2/5 stars
The Agony of a Heart's Wish by Samira Ahmed: 5/5 stars
The Coward's Guide to Falling in Love by Caroline Tung Richmond: 3/5 stars
Death and the Maiden by Tara Sim: 4.5/5 stars
Faithfull by Karuna Riazi: 4.25/5 stars
Gilman Street by Michelle Ruiz keil: 4/5 stars
"The Boy Is" by Elsie Chapman: 2.75/5 stars
Sandwiched in Between by Eric Smith: 3.5/5 stars
Yuna and the Wall by Lydia Kang: 4/5 stars
Something Gay and Magical by Adam Silvera: 3/5 stars
Turn the Sky to Petals by Anna Marie-McLemore: 3.75/5 stars
Prom by Danielle Paige: 3/5 stars
What We Love by Lauren Gibaldi: 2/5 stars
Giving up the Ghost by Tarun Shankar and Kelly Zekas: 4/5 stars
Your Life Matters by L.L. McKinney: 4/5 stars
Starlight and Moondust by Lori M. Lee: 3.75/5 stars
Five times Shiva met harry by Sangu Mandanna: 2/5 stars
The Agony of a Heart's Wish by Samira Ahmed: 5/5 stars
The Coward's Guide to Falling in Love by Caroline Tung Richmond: 3/5 stars
Death and the Maiden by Tara Sim: 4.5/5 stars
Faithfull by Karuna Riazi: 4.25/5 stars
Gilman Street by Michelle Ruiz keil: 4/5 stars
"The Boy Is" by Elsie Chapman: 2.75/5 stars
Sandwiched in Between by Eric Smith: 3.5/5 stars
Yuna and the Wall by Lydia Kang: 4/5 stars
Something Gay and Magical by Adam Silvera: 3/5 stars
alys's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent! I think I failed to actually read what the book was about when I grabbed it off the shelf, because I thought it was going to be contemporary romance short stories. I was very pleasantly surprised to discover that it wasn't just contemporary! There were historical stories (in the sense that the intended audience wouldn't have been alive in the 80's or 60's or whatever), science fiction, fantasy, lots of genres that I love. While all of the stories have some sort of crush or love or attraction in them, many were not actually love stories or romances the way I would traditionally think of them. I'll definitely be visiting the backlist of some of the authors whose work I had not read before but whose stories particularly captured me.
artfromafriend's review against another edition
4.0
This is the book of my heart. Love is diverse, and I'm so happy this book celebrates that.
- I absolutely loved this collection of stories, and I hope that it paves the way for more interracial relationships in fiction that explore the complexities and dynamics of interracial couples.
- Some of the stories you might find: the interracial relationship between a Black and white f/f couple in the context of BLM, an Asian teen who grapples with her Asian-fever white boyfriend, and a Hades/Persephone retelling where Hades is a woman and Persephone is an Indian MC!
- Explores a range of interracial relationships and the different challenges associated with them. From communication, to finding common ground, to being separated by differences, only for love and hope to bring them together, to differing expectations.
- Offers a range of genres, from mythology retellings, historical fiction, superhero sci-fi in a contemporary context, paranormal urban fantasy.
- Honestly? I loved it. I think this is the sort of stories we need more of, and I'm so so happy that this exists.
Full review to come, closer to release date.
Thank you so much to the publishers, Soho Press, for giving me a DRC of Color Outside the Lines!
- I absolutely loved this collection of stories, and I hope that it paves the way for more interracial relationships in fiction that explore the complexities and dynamics of interracial couples.
- Some of the stories you might find: the interracial relationship between a Black and white f/f couple in the context of BLM, an Asian teen who grapples with her Asian-fever white boyfriend, and a Hades/Persephone retelling where Hades is a woman and Persephone is an Indian MC!
- Explores a range of interracial relationships and the different challenges associated with them. From communication, to finding common ground, to being separated by differences, only for love and hope to bring them together, to differing expectations.
- Offers a range of genres, from mythology retellings, historical fiction, superhero sci-fi in a contemporary context, paranormal urban fantasy.
- Honestly? I loved it. I think this is the sort of stories we need more of, and I'm so so happy that this exists.
Full review to come, closer to release date.
Thank you so much to the publishers, Soho Press, for giving me a DRC of Color Outside the Lines!
dizzyiz's review against another edition
5.0
ahh this was so good! a couple of bad stories but mainly I just really loved this ❤️