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catchats's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
bookwormmuse's review against another edition
4.0
3.75 stars
Some of the stories really worked for me and some were a bit meh but all of them were pretty enjoyable.
Some of the stories really worked for me and some were a bit meh but all of them were pretty enjoyable.
iamrainbou's review against another edition
3.0
I'm sad to say I didn't enjoy this anthology as much as I would have liked. It's just... the stories were okay. There were some I didn't like, but mostly, I wasn't all in with them. My favorites were definitely Anna-Marie McLemore's (so beautiful and lyrical as always), Tara Sim's (sapphic Hades and Persephone, it was glorious) and Lydia Kang's (it was hopeful, poisonous and cute).
eve_polvay11's review against another edition
why did no one inform me of this amazing star-studded collab? Hm? Yes, I'm looking at you!
katiemack's review against another edition
4.0
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Anthologies are always tough to rate, but I enjoyed this one more than others I've read recently. I was immediately intrigued by a set of YA short stories about interracial relationships (personal bias), and this one does an admirable job highlighting the nuances and dynamics and the beauty of being in love with someone from a different culture and background. It provides a great deal of hope along with the entertainment, and I love how it runs the gamut of genres from fantasy to historical to contemporary.
Not all of the stories are stellar (for example, What We Love by Lauren Gibaldi--about a Jewish girl and an Indian boy joining together to get revenge on a Mean Blonde Girl--felt like a stereotyped 80s or 90s flick, and I expected more depth from the girl grappling with her mom's newfound faith and community in Faithfull by Karuna Riazi), but here are some standouts:
--"Your Life Matters" by L. L. McKinney (if you like secret superheroes)
--"The Agony of a Heart's Wish" by Samira Ahmed (if you like historical fiction and gut-punch endings)
--"Yuma and the Wall" by Lydia Kang (if you like fantasy villages)
--"Something Gay and Magical" by Adam SIlvera (if you like bookstore meet-cutes, though this one was far too short)
Anthologies are always tough to rate, but I enjoyed this one more than others I've read recently. I was immediately intrigued by a set of YA short stories about interracial relationships (personal bias), and this one does an admirable job highlighting the nuances and dynamics and the beauty of being in love with someone from a different culture and background. It provides a great deal of hope along with the entertainment, and I love how it runs the gamut of genres from fantasy to historical to contemporary.
--"Your Life Matters" by L. L. McKinney (if you like secret superheroes)
--"The Agony of a Heart's Wish" by Samira Ahmed (if you like historical fiction and gut-punch endings)
--"Yuma and the Wall" by Lydia Kang (if you like fantasy villages)
--"Something Gay and Magical" by Adam SIlvera (if you like bookstore meet-cutes, though this one was far too short)
themaliciousreader's review against another edition
5.0
*4.5 Stars*
I was provided an ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Color Outside the Lines is an anthology of short stories "exploring the complexity and beauty of interracial and LGBTQ+ relationships where differences are front and center". The anthology will contain 16 stories, but my review copy only had 14 since this comes out in November. When I rated each story one by one, it gave me an average 4.35 rating which I happily rounded up since I just love the concept of this book and definitely think it's an important one too. I really liked most of the story, they were all so different and interesting. They weren't two stories that were alike and I just found this anthology to be so captivating and all around amazing.
Story by story reviews:
Turn the Sky to Petals by Anna-Marie McLemore:
The writing was very Lyrical, it was cute but hard to follow, especially since the characters didn't have names. It didn’t really capture my attention...
3.5 Stars
TK by Danielle Paige [story forthcoming]
What We Love by Lauren Gibaldi
That was so very cute. I loved the whole dance thing and the Star Wars references. It was short but didn’t need more.
4.5 Stars
Giving Up the Ghost by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas
This one was cute and had ghosts. I really loved the main character’s ghost. It felt very short though.
4 Stars
Your Life Matters by L.L. McKinney
F/F couple with talk of Black Lives Matter & superheroine. Perfection.
5 Stars
Starlight and Moondust by Lori M. Lee
This was pretty good, it had nice characters, dragons, a shaman in the woods... But it was pretty hard to focus on... Kinda lyrical, poetic style. I think I have trouble focusing on this kind of style.
4 stars
Five Times Shiva Met Harry by Sangu Mandanna
That was a library romance where Harry educates himself on racism and Shiva has an overbearing dad. It was a fun read.
4.5 Stars
The Agony of a Heart’s Wish by Samira Ahmed
That was a historical romance between an Irish soldier and an Indian girl. It was a powerful story but too insta-love for me.
4.5 Stars.
The Coward’s Guide to Falling in Love by Caroline Tung Richmond
That was very good. I felt for her immediately and deeply related with her. I actually almost cried.
5 Stars
Death and the Maiden by Tara Sim
F/F retelling of Persephone and Hades. It was pretty damn great.
4.5 Stars
Faithfull by Karuna Riazi
This one wasn't bad but I felt like something was missing. The fact that the spacing wasn't right in my file didn’t help...
4 Stars
Gilman Street by Michelle Ruiz Keil
I loved this one. It's set in the 80’s. A girl skips school because her best friend abandoned her for her new boyfriend. She ends up in Berkeley and has an unforgettable adventure. Very cute lgbt+ story with lots of bi people.
5 stars
The Boy Is by Elsie Chapman
This was a cute story. It's mostly set in a food court. The main character breaks up with her asshole of a boyfriend at the very beginning of the story. I really loved the mc, this story left me wanting more.
4.5 Stars
Sandwiched in Between by Eric Smith
That story was a Thanksgiving story about a new couple going to both families houses. The have weird ass meals, fights. It was short and fun.
4 Stars
Yuna and the Wall by Lydia Kang
A nice read. I loved the whole quiet and wall thing, but had some trouble fully focusing. By the end, I felt like something was missing.
4 Stars
TK by Adam Silvera [story forthcoming]
I was provided an ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Color Outside the Lines is an anthology of short stories "exploring the complexity and beauty of interracial and LGBTQ+ relationships where differences are front and center". The anthology will contain 16 stories, but my review copy only had 14 since this comes out in November. When I rated each story one by one, it gave me an average 4.35 rating which I happily rounded up since I just love the concept of this book and definitely think it's an important one too. I really liked most of the story, they were all so different and interesting. They weren't two stories that were alike and I just found this anthology to be so captivating and all around amazing.
Story by story reviews:
Turn the Sky to Petals by Anna-Marie McLemore:
The writing was very Lyrical, it was cute but hard to follow, especially since the characters didn't have names. It didn’t really capture my attention...
3.5 Stars
TK by Danielle Paige [story forthcoming]
What We Love by Lauren Gibaldi
That was so very cute. I loved the whole dance thing and the Star Wars references. It was short but didn’t need more.
4.5 Stars
Giving Up the Ghost by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas
This one was cute and had ghosts. I really loved the main character’s ghost. It felt very short though.
4 Stars
Your Life Matters by L.L. McKinney
F/F couple with talk of Black Lives Matter & superheroine. Perfection.
5 Stars
Starlight and Moondust by Lori M. Lee
This was pretty good, it had nice characters, dragons, a shaman in the woods... But it was pretty hard to focus on... Kinda lyrical, poetic style. I think I have trouble focusing on this kind of style.
4 stars
Five Times Shiva Met Harry by Sangu Mandanna
That was a library romance where Harry educates himself on racism and Shiva has an overbearing dad. It was a fun read.
4.5 Stars
The Agony of a Heart’s Wish by Samira Ahmed
That was a historical romance between an Irish soldier and an Indian girl. It was a powerful story but too insta-love for me.
4.5 Stars.
The Coward’s Guide to Falling in Love by Caroline Tung Richmond
That was very good. I felt for her immediately and deeply related with her. I actually almost cried.
5 Stars
Death and the Maiden by Tara Sim
F/F retelling of Persephone and Hades. It was pretty damn great.
4.5 Stars
Faithfull by Karuna Riazi
This one wasn't bad but I felt like something was missing. The fact that the spacing wasn't right in my file didn’t help...
4 Stars
Gilman Street by Michelle Ruiz Keil
I loved this one. It's set in the 80’s. A girl skips school because her best friend abandoned her for her new boyfriend. She ends up in Berkeley and has an unforgettable adventure. Very cute lgbt+ story with lots of bi people.
5 stars
The Boy Is by Elsie Chapman
This was a cute story. It's mostly set in a food court. The main character breaks up with her asshole of a boyfriend at the very beginning of the story. I really loved the mc, this story left me wanting more.
4.5 Stars
Sandwiched in Between by Eric Smith
That story was a Thanksgiving story about a new couple going to both families houses. The have weird ass meals, fights. It was short and fun.
4 Stars
Yuna and the Wall by Lydia Kang
A nice read. I loved the whole quiet and wall thing, but had some trouble fully focusing. By the end, I felt like something was missing.
4 Stars
TK by Adam Silvera [story forthcoming]
utopiastateofmind's review against another edition
5.0
(Disclaimer: I received this free book from Edelweiss. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
It's always challenging to review anthologies, because I wonder if I review the stories, or the anthology as a whole. First off, the concept of this anthology is not only moving, but also so well executed. As Mandanna writes in the introduction, "representation matters" and these stories of relationships that cross borders, families, prejudices, and more are tender and heartfelt. Within this anthology are stories about superheros, ghosts, resistance, and poisons. They transform in front of your very eyes.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/review-color-outside-the-lines-edited-by-sangu-mandanna/
It's always challenging to review anthologies, because I wonder if I review the stories, or the anthology as a whole. First off, the concept of this anthology is not only moving, but also so well executed. As Mandanna writes in the introduction, "representation matters" and these stories of relationships that cross borders, families, prejudices, and more are tender and heartfelt. Within this anthology are stories about superheros, ghosts, resistance, and poisons. They transform in front of your very eyes.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/review-color-outside-the-lines-edited-by-sangu-mandanna/
mldavisreads's review against another edition
4.0
Young Adult short story collection. As with most short story collections, I liked some of these stories more and some of them less. It was fun to read more fro so many of the authors I read in [b:Hungry Hearts: 13 Tales of Food & Love|35858798|Hungry Hearts 13 Tales of Food & Love|Elsie Chapman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1538684262l/35858798._SY75_.jpg|57378773]. However, while these stories were connected by a theme (love outside the lines--ie racial lines, gender lines, etc) they were not actually connected to each other. While I know this is typical, I didn't enjoy it quite as much as I did the common setting for all of the stories in [b:Hungry Hearts: 13 Tales of Food & Love|35858798|Hungry Hearts 13 Tales of Food & Love|Elsie Chapman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1538684262l/35858798._SY75_.jpg|57378773]. These stories are from many genres-- contemporary realistic, fantasy, and there is even one set in the height of 80s punk culture. A fun anthology and I look forward to checking out additional work from some of these authors.
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.