Reviews

Some of the stories were kind of boring, but the ones that were good are REALLY good. Highly recommend this--I'd read a dozen other volumes just like it.

thebookishunicorn's review against another edition

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4.0

"Now I understood what my grandmother had wanted, for me to keep my heart soft but the edges of me hard enough to survivethe world as it was."

A really good collection of short stories! I enjoyed all the different time periods and sexual identities explored in each one. Also very glad for all the happy endings, queer love is something to celebrate, not mourn.

My favorites were:
Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore
Every Shade of Red by Elliot Wake
Walking After Midnight by Kody Keplinger
The Inferno and the Butterfly by Shaun David
Healing Rosa by Tehlor Kay Mejia

edavis0423's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

whatamidoing_rn's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful reflective tense 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

3.25

I thought it was an okay book. Some of the stories I really enjoyed and some of them not so much. Some of my favorites were “and they don’t kiss at the end,” “willows,” and “every shade of red.” “Willows” was so good I really liked the concept and I wish it was its own book!

Content Warnings

pb06's review against another edition

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4.0

I thought I could try again with short stories, even though I’ve never liked reading them. Turns out I should stop trying. I really don’t like reading short stories. But I gave it 4 stars because I liked the idea of it.

thelibraryskeeper's review against another edition

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4.0

I have decided because this is a collection of stories each written by a different author it will be best to review each story on a 1-5 scale sort of like the Goodreads stars system.

Roja 3
I felt like this was a section from the end of a bigger story that we don't get to read. But I loved the emphasis on names and their meaning or lack of meaning. The idea of a transboy finding a girl who also doesn't like the use of her true name because she has simply become known as poison. I loved the ending. "We lived. We survived to whisper our names to each other even if we could not yet confess them to anyone else."

The Sweet Trade 4
LADY PIRATES!!! Running away from weddings for adventures. "This was a girl she knew already, even as she knew her not at all" "And tomorrow's all about the life we choose"

And They Don't Kiss at The End 4
I love the aesthetic of this one, the roller rink and bright lights. I love that the editor chose to include a story with an asexual character, since its so rare when there is. "She liked that their romance was driven by intellect, conversation, and art. She liked that there was no kissing."

Burnt Umber 5
OH. MY. GOODNESS. This is precious. I love how innocent this one was. I think this was my favorite of all the stories. "When he looks up at me, the reflection of the dying light off the canal catches his eyes, the warm umber of cane sugar." "But I am the boy most accomplished at not becoming distracted by the first naked woman we draw. Which is something, I suppose."

The Dresser & The Chambermaid 5
This feels like the most complete story I've read in this collection so far. The country girl trying to fit into her new position and the chambermaid stunned by the new girls beauty. I loved how well written this one was.

New Year 3
I love that the aunt in this one is working for the math team for the Jet Propulsion Lab -AND she is based on an ACTUAL real woman!!! I loved that one of the themes for this one was the hope and possibility of living in America. "Its not natural, you know," Shirley says softly. "Ladies shouldn't look like men."

Molly's Lips 2
I think this is the first one I didn't super love at all. I couldn't relate to the story or the characters and it all felt meh.

The Coven 2
Another that was just meh for me. Also it felt weird that Hemingway just randomly showed up. I felt like I had no idea what was going on for the majority of this one.

Every Shade of Red 5
Within the first page I am already screaming 'OMG its a Robin Hood retelling'
This was however the first one that didn't have a happy ending. Can I please have this as a whole book???? I want more of this......
"Language is not only words. We speak with our whole bodies, with gesture and glance, with touch."

Willows 2
This one felt longer than any of the others. Its set in Massachusetts around the Salem witch trials. I got lost in this one and as a result I don't think I understood what was going on at all.

The Girl with the Blue Lantern 3.5
The first real fantasy story! I felt this could have been longer and more fleshed out. I would love to read a book expanding this story as the magic in it really appealed to me. It really reminded me of The Bear and the Nightingale in terms of the atmosphere.

The Secret Life of a Teenage Boy 3
While this one was a cute 'coming out' story I'm not sure how believable it really was. That being said it was just kinda meh.

Walking After Midnight 4
Fear of being stuck in one place is totally relatable. I got out of my town for the same reason and fear. Its scary to think about being confined to what your family has set up for you to basically be stuck in. This story was adorable. I love vintage stories especially vintage lesbian stories.

The End of the World as We Know It 3.5
Y2K and losing a friend due to time and just differences in life. Its hard to lose a friend you've had your entire life for no real clear reason. It made me sad when they were talking about school shootings being so terrible that surely after Columbine there wouldn't be another- and yet here we are.

Three Witches 4
This was really interesting because for once it was a story about a "witch" who wasn't even being held for witchcraft. She was imprisoned for loving another woman. During her time with the nuns she falls in love with one of them. I really enjoyed this one.

The Inferno & The Butterfly 4
Two boys who are each apprentices to magicians meet and fall in love, one of them has -actual- powers. This one was cute and I would totally read more about these two and their travels.

Healing Rosa 2
I don't even know with this one. I was lost and even after finishing it I still don't know what it was about. Its really too bad the book didn't end on a higher note.

garnettobs's review against another edition

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2.0

mid. thought it would be a lot better than it was :(

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