Scan barcode
steffiraquel's review against another edition
I only finished the short stories after I realised most of the stories were book extracts 🤧
jens_bookshelves's review against another edition
2.0
This book was quite a disappointment. Was really looking forward to some new short stories by some of my favourite authors and was not pleasantly surprised to find that half the "stories" in this book were extracts from novels, novels I have already read. I feel a bit ripped off. The only thing that made this a 2 star book and not a 1 star was the story by Laura Dockrill which I thought was amazing and David Levithan's contribution.
charleyreads's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't actually know it was a compilation book of new short stories and existing books, had i have known this i probably wouldn't have picked it up. I skipped a lot of the excerpts of books because either I had read them before or they were books I wanted to read and didn't want to 'spoil' by partially starting them.
I loooooved Juno Dawsons story though, total highlight for me
I loooooved Juno Dawsons story though, total highlight for me
bhav's review against another edition
3.0
I've got to warn you: Most of the stories in this book are snippets from already published books: Markus Zusak, Gayle Forman and Patrick Ness all included. Saying that, however, all the original stories in this book were fantastic, the snippets really let the book down, some made no sense and I couldn't get through others.
Humming Through My Fingers - [a:Malorie Blackman|172977|Malorie Blackman|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1258760862p2/172977.jpg] (original) 5/5
Wow. So clever. So lovely.
Synaesthesia is something I've been interested in for a very long time and it was so interesting to see this from a blind persons point of view. I really loved this story and feel like it could easily be fantastic whole book.
[b:More Than This|21969786|More Than This|Patrick Ness|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1398164413l/21969786._SY75_.jpg|22008332] - [a:Patrick Ness|370361|Patrick Ness|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1244216486p2/370361.jpg]
I've already read this book and didn't exactly LOVE it so I decided to skip the snippet.
[b:The Infinite Moment of Us|17290266|The Infinite Moment of Us|Lauren Myracle|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1372785234l/17290266._SY75_.jpg|23912412] - [a:Lauren Myracle|157676|Lauren Myracle|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1224298383p2/157676.jpg] 4/5
The snippet was cute and lovely. I liked what I saw of the characters and the conversation they had was really lovely. I don't think I'll actually pick up this whole book because it doesn't really appeal to me but the snippet was nice.
[b:If I Stay|4374400|If I Stay (If I Stay, #1)|Gayle Forman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347462970l/4374400._SX50_.jpg|4422413] - [a:Gayle Forman|295178|Gayle Forman|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1472502468p2/295178.jpg] 5/5
I love this book and I really regret not writing a review for it either time I read it because I have so much praise for it.
The cleverly inserted flashbacks never feel forced or out of place, they add to the story so well while letting you fall in love with every single character. This book is profound, deep, funny and beautiful written and if you haven't read it yet, please, please do.
Tumbling - [a:Susie Day|1387053|Susie Day|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1250382771p2/1387053.jpg] (original) 5/5
So fun. I actually had no idea who Susie Day was until reading this story but actually really, really enjoyed this story. However, I do think you need at least a small grasp on what tumblr is about and how it works to read this story, otherwise you may be a little confused and maybe a bit weirded out.
[b:Trouble|18138917|Trouble|Non Pratt|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1380372541l/18138917._SY75_.jpg|25482435] - [a:Non Pratt|6984795|Non Pratt|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1427122527p2/6984795.jpg] 4/5
Very interesting choice of a snippet. This book seems very real. It also seems like it's going in a place where that main character makes a lot of dumb decisions, but the idea is strong and the finishing line ("You could say I'm the father.") was a clever ending to leave the reader wanting to read on.
[b:Rani and Sukh|1059184|Rani And Sukh|Bali Rai|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320497215l/1059184._SY75_.jpg|1045760] - [a:Bali Rai|127331|Bali Rai|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1404396976p2/127331.jpg] 3/5
This snippet did what I feared and made me confused. Jumping into a book at a random place and understanding everything is difficult and I didn't understand exactly what was going on..
[b:You Against Me|8720917|You Against Me|Jenny Downham|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1311064228l/8720917._SX50_.jpg|13593837] - [a:Jenny Downham|628636|Jenny Downham|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1247516890p2/628636.jpg] 2/5
From this title I was expecting something a little more... sensual? But what I got was a little idiotic.
From what I understand the main character seeks out a boy, going from pub to pub, when we actually meet the guy, he's a manipulative creep.
[b:13 Little Blue Envelopes|17020|13 Little Blue Envelopes (Little Blue Envelope, #1)|Maureen Johnson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1375030179l/17020._SY75_.jpg|1008846] - [a:Maureen Johnson|10317|Maureen Johnson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1553388891p2/10317.jpg] 4/5
Cute and original, reminiscent of something by Stephanie Perkins. I've been wanting to read an actual book by Maureen Johnson for a very long time and this pretty much proved that I need to do that sooner rather that later.
[b:Junk|23986816|Junk|Melvin Burgess|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1437361242l/23986816._SY75_.jpg|2756729] - [a:Melvin Burgess|56977|Melvin Burgess|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1206545905p2/56977.jpg] 2/5
Kinda hard to get into and a little confusing..
[b:Noughts & Crosses|714902|Noughts & Crosses (Noughts & Crosses, #1)|Malorie Blackman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1443903273l/714902._SY75_.jpg|853421] - [a:Malorie Blackman|172977|Malorie Blackman|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1258760862p2/172977.jpg] 5/5
Malorie Blackman is fantastic. If you live in the UK and are a teen (or at least, have been one at some point), you've probably read a book by Malorie Blackman. Her work is just so strikingly clever. Fantastic snippet.
Gentlewoman - Laura Dockrill (orignal) 5/5
Blown. Away. Diversity is something that is SO important in YA. It's one of the many reasons I love books like Legend, Eleanor and Park, and Aristotle and Daunte Discover.. so much. Real people are so different, so unique and that needs to be reflected in what we read (not just a white, straight, female main character).
The idea for this story was clever, the battle going on for our main character was difficult but incredibly important and I superbly enjoyed reading it.
[b:Heroic|23020936|Heroic|Phil Earle|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1420792707l/23020936._SY75_.jpg|22372934] - [a:Phil Earle|4131804|Phil Earle|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1309248567p2/4131804.jpg] 3/5
In this snippet, a young boy is saddened to have to wait for his brother. The problem with this snippet wasn't that I disliked what I read, it was that the snippet was so short I don't think I got enough out of the story, but I definitely did like what I read so far.
Miss Lucy - [a:David Leviathan] (original) 5/5
This story was good, until the end, when it was fantastic.
The breakup was a little predictable (but the collection is called Love Hurts) but I expected Lucy to find someone else, to have a nice happy ending but instead we get a beautiful headstrong woman.
"Some people find happily ever after in being a part of a couple and for them, I say, good for you, but that's no reason we should all have to do it.
A great ending to a wonderful short story.
"Let the boys and girls go on kissing in the dark, I want more"
[b:I Am the Messenger|19057|I Am the Messenger|Markus Zusak|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1398483261l/19057._SY75_.jpg|2737065]- [a:Markus Zusak|11466|Markus Zusak|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1537240528p2/11466.jpg] 3/5
Maybe this snippet would have got to me more if I was reading the book and knew more about the characters but of what I read if felt slow and a little dreary.
[b:Grasshopper Jungle|18079719|Grasshopper Jungle|Andrew Smith|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1373059909l/18079719._SX50_.jpg|19209831] - [a:Andrew Smith|1383409|Andrew Smith|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1455127379p2/1383409.jpg] 4/5
I heard a lot about this book when it first came out last year (both good and bad) but either this snippet was very well chosen or this book is just very suited for me because I very much enjoyed it. It was sweet and had the exact right amount of humour and wit. This snippet really makes me want to pick up Winger soon (hopefully).
[b:Echo Boy|17997707|Echo Boy|Matt Haig|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1390141834l/17997707._SX50_.jpg|25255005] - [a:Matt Haig|76360|Matt Haig|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1296764418p2/76360.jpg] 3.5/5
A very intriguing snippet indeed, Echo's seem to be these manufactured robots input into society. Fast paced and more action than romance, I enjoyed this snippet and am interested in the idea Matt Haig has set up for this book.
[b:Forbidden|7600924|Forbidden|Tabitha Suzuma|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1394239949l/7600924._SY75_.jpg|10018976] - [a:Tabitha Suzuma|599916|Tabitha Suzuma|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1556933660p2/599916.jpg] 4/5
I wouldn't have understood anything at all about this story if I hadn't done a quick check on the synopsis on Goodreads but the story was great, it was very interesting and after the snippet I'm actually really interested in reading the whole book...
Endless Love: The Valentine of Daniel and Lucinda - [a:Lauren Kate|2905297|Lauren Kate|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1502298656p2/2905297.jpg]
I decided not to read this story because I really disliked Fallen, maybe if Lauren Kate had written a different story I would have read it but I didn't want to read another fallen story..
[b:Midwinterblood|10836471|Midwinterblood|Marcus Sedgwick|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1319727124l/10836471._SY75_.jpg|15750616]- [a:Marcus Sedgwick|110234|Marcus Sedgwick|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1298204345p2/110234.jpg] 3/5
It was good, but very short so I didn't really get much out of this snippet.
The Liars Girl - [a:Catherine Johnson|4955|Catherine Johnson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1309643098p2/4955.jpg] (original) 3.5/5
I'd never actually heard of Catherine Johnson before I read this short story and it this story was written in second person. It was a new experience, but a bit hard to get to grips with. I did enjoy the story though.
The Unicorn - [a:James Dawson Burns|542967|James Dawson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1323218999p2/542967.jpg] (original) 4/5
Really interesting point of view and plotline that drew me in straight away. Again, a diverse set of characters and a unique story. Very enjoyable.
[b:The Golden Compass|119322|The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, #1)|Philip Pullman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1505766203l/119322._SX50_.jpg|1536771] - [a:Philip Pullman|3618|Philip Pullman|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1396622492p2/3618.jpg] 3/5
This snippet was only about three pages long.. It was sweet, but still very short.
[b:We Were Liars|16143347|We Were Liars|E. Lockhart|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1402749479l/16143347._SY75_.jpg|21975829] - [a:E. Lockhart|173491|E. Lockhart|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1399077200p2/173491.jpg] 4/5
Even though I gave We Were Liars 3 stars in my original review, this is one of the best descriptions from the book, the way E. Lockhart writes is lyrical in this part and I superbly enjoyed it.
Humming Through My Fingers - [a:Malorie Blackman|172977|Malorie Blackman|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1258760862p2/172977.jpg] (original) 5/5
Wow. So clever. So lovely.
Synaesthesia is something I've been interested in for a very long time and it was so interesting to see this from a blind persons point of view. I really loved this story and feel like it could easily be fantastic whole book.
[b:More Than This|21969786|More Than This|Patrick Ness|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1398164413l/21969786._SY75_.jpg|22008332] - [a:Patrick Ness|370361|Patrick Ness|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1244216486p2/370361.jpg]
I've already read this book and didn't exactly LOVE it so I decided to skip the snippet.
[b:The Infinite Moment of Us|17290266|The Infinite Moment of Us|Lauren Myracle|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1372785234l/17290266._SY75_.jpg|23912412] - [a:Lauren Myracle|157676|Lauren Myracle|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1224298383p2/157676.jpg] 4/5
The snippet was cute and lovely. I liked what I saw of the characters and the conversation they had was really lovely. I don't think I'll actually pick up this whole book because it doesn't really appeal to me but the snippet was nice.
[b:If I Stay|4374400|If I Stay (If I Stay, #1)|Gayle Forman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347462970l/4374400._SX50_.jpg|4422413] - [a:Gayle Forman|295178|Gayle Forman|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1472502468p2/295178.jpg] 5/5
I love this book and I really regret not writing a review for it either time I read it because I have so much praise for it.
The cleverly inserted flashbacks never feel forced or out of place, they add to the story so well while letting you fall in love with every single character. This book is profound, deep, funny and beautiful written and if you haven't read it yet, please, please do.
Tumbling - [a:Susie Day|1387053|Susie Day|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1250382771p2/1387053.jpg] (original) 5/5
So fun. I actually had no idea who Susie Day was until reading this story but actually really, really enjoyed this story. However, I do think you need at least a small grasp on what tumblr is about and how it works to read this story, otherwise you may be a little confused and maybe a bit weirded out.
[b:Trouble|18138917|Trouble|Non Pratt|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1380372541l/18138917._SY75_.jpg|25482435] - [a:Non Pratt|6984795|Non Pratt|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1427122527p2/6984795.jpg] 4/5
Very interesting choice of a snippet. This book seems very real. It also seems like it's going in a place where that main character makes a lot of dumb decisions, but the idea is strong and the finishing line ("You could say I'm the father.") was a clever ending to leave the reader wanting to read on.
[b:Rani and Sukh|1059184|Rani And Sukh|Bali Rai|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320497215l/1059184._SY75_.jpg|1045760] - [a:Bali Rai|127331|Bali Rai|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1404396976p2/127331.jpg] 3/5
This snippet did what I feared and made me confused. Jumping into a book at a random place and understanding everything is difficult and I didn't understand exactly what was going on..
[b:You Against Me|8720917|You Against Me|Jenny Downham|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1311064228l/8720917._SX50_.jpg|13593837] - [a:Jenny Downham|628636|Jenny Downham|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1247516890p2/628636.jpg] 2/5
From this title I was expecting something a little more... sensual? But what I got was a little idiotic.
From what I understand the main character seeks out a boy, going from pub to pub, when we actually meet the guy, he's a manipulative creep.
[b:13 Little Blue Envelopes|17020|13 Little Blue Envelopes (Little Blue Envelope, #1)|Maureen Johnson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1375030179l/17020._SY75_.jpg|1008846] - [a:Maureen Johnson|10317|Maureen Johnson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1553388891p2/10317.jpg] 4/5
Cute and original, reminiscent of something by Stephanie Perkins. I've been wanting to read an actual book by Maureen Johnson for a very long time and this pretty much proved that I need to do that sooner rather that later.
[b:Junk|23986816|Junk|Melvin Burgess|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1437361242l/23986816._SY75_.jpg|2756729] - [a:Melvin Burgess|56977|Melvin Burgess|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1206545905p2/56977.jpg] 2/5
Kinda hard to get into and a little confusing..
[b:Noughts & Crosses|714902|Noughts & Crosses (Noughts & Crosses, #1)|Malorie Blackman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1443903273l/714902._SY75_.jpg|853421] - [a:Malorie Blackman|172977|Malorie Blackman|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1258760862p2/172977.jpg] 5/5
Malorie Blackman is fantastic. If you live in the UK and are a teen (or at least, have been one at some point), you've probably read a book by Malorie Blackman. Her work is just so strikingly clever. Fantastic snippet.
Gentlewoman - Laura Dockrill (orignal) 5/5
Blown. Away. Diversity is something that is SO important in YA. It's one of the many reasons I love books like Legend, Eleanor and Park, and Aristotle and Daunte Discover.. so much. Real people are so different, so unique and that needs to be reflected in what we read (not just a white, straight, female main character).
The idea for this story was clever, the battle going on for our main character was difficult but incredibly important and I superbly enjoyed reading it.
[b:Heroic|23020936|Heroic|Phil Earle|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1420792707l/23020936._SY75_.jpg|22372934] - [a:Phil Earle|4131804|Phil Earle|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1309248567p2/4131804.jpg] 3/5
In this snippet, a young boy is saddened to have to wait for his brother. The problem with this snippet wasn't that I disliked what I read, it was that the snippet was so short I don't think I got enough out of the story, but I definitely did like what I read so far.
Miss Lucy - [a:David Leviathan] (original) 5/5
This story was good, until the end, when it was fantastic.
The breakup was a little predictable (but the collection is called Love Hurts) but I expected Lucy to find someone else, to have a nice happy ending but instead we get a beautiful headstrong woman.
"Some people find happily ever after in being a part of a couple and for them, I say, good for you, but that's no reason we should all have to do it.
A great ending to a wonderful short story.
"Let the boys and girls go on kissing in the dark, I want more"
[b:I Am the Messenger|19057|I Am the Messenger|Markus Zusak|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1398483261l/19057._SY75_.jpg|2737065]- [a:Markus Zusak|11466|Markus Zusak|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1537240528p2/11466.jpg] 3/5
Maybe this snippet would have got to me more if I was reading the book and knew more about the characters but of what I read if felt slow and a little dreary.
[b:Grasshopper Jungle|18079719|Grasshopper Jungle|Andrew Smith|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1373059909l/18079719._SX50_.jpg|19209831] - [a:Andrew Smith|1383409|Andrew Smith|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1455127379p2/1383409.jpg] 4/5
I heard a lot about this book when it first came out last year (both good and bad) but either this snippet was very well chosen or this book is just very suited for me because I very much enjoyed it. It was sweet and had the exact right amount of humour and wit. This snippet really makes me want to pick up Winger soon (hopefully).
[b:Echo Boy|17997707|Echo Boy|Matt Haig|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1390141834l/17997707._SX50_.jpg|25255005] - [a:Matt Haig|76360|Matt Haig|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1296764418p2/76360.jpg] 3.5/5
A very intriguing snippet indeed, Echo's seem to be these manufactured robots input into society. Fast paced and more action than romance, I enjoyed this snippet and am interested in the idea Matt Haig has set up for this book.
[b:Forbidden|7600924|Forbidden|Tabitha Suzuma|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1394239949l/7600924._SY75_.jpg|10018976] - [a:Tabitha Suzuma|599916|Tabitha Suzuma|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1556933660p2/599916.jpg] 4/5
I wouldn't have understood anything at all about this story if I hadn't done a quick check on the synopsis on Goodreads but the story was great, it was very interesting and after the snippet I'm actually really interested in reading the whole book...
Endless Love: The Valentine of Daniel and Lucinda - [a:Lauren Kate|2905297|Lauren Kate|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1502298656p2/2905297.jpg]
I decided not to read this story because I really disliked Fallen, maybe if Lauren Kate had written a different story I would have read it but I didn't want to read another fallen story..
[b:Midwinterblood|10836471|Midwinterblood|Marcus Sedgwick|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1319727124l/10836471._SY75_.jpg|15750616]- [a:Marcus Sedgwick|110234|Marcus Sedgwick|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1298204345p2/110234.jpg] 3/5
It was good, but very short so I didn't really get much out of this snippet.
The Liars Girl - [a:Catherine Johnson|4955|Catherine Johnson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1309643098p2/4955.jpg] (original) 3.5/5
I'd never actually heard of Catherine Johnson before I read this short story and it this story was written in second person. It was a new experience, but a bit hard to get to grips with. I did enjoy the story though.
The Unicorn - [a:James Dawson Burns|542967|James Dawson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1323218999p2/542967.jpg] (original) 4/5
Really interesting point of view and plotline that drew me in straight away. Again, a diverse set of characters and a unique story. Very enjoyable.
[b:The Golden Compass|119322|The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, #1)|Philip Pullman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1505766203l/119322._SX50_.jpg|1536771] - [a:Philip Pullman|3618|Philip Pullman|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1396622492p2/3618.jpg] 3/5
This snippet was only about three pages long.. It was sweet, but still very short.
[b:We Were Liars|16143347|We Were Liars|E. Lockhart|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1402749479l/16143347._SY75_.jpg|21975829] - [a:E. Lockhart|173491|E. Lockhart|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1399077200p2/173491.jpg] 4/5
Even though I gave We Were Liars 3 stars in my original review, this is one of the best descriptions from the book, the way E. Lockhart writes is lyrical in this part and I superbly enjoyed it.
thebookheap12's review against another edition
2.0
I would like to thank the many authors involved in this book, the publishers at Random House Children’s Publishers UK for allowing me early access to this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I wanted to read more Malorie Blackman since I’ve read and enjoyed the first two books of the Noughts and Crosses series, so when this popped up on Netgalley under her name, I was instantly drawn to it. Nice fluffy YA stories? Check! Oh look! Patrick Ness? Phillip Pullman? Markus Zusak?! Where do I sign up!?
Except…it wasn’t quite what I thought it would be, which led to the major let down of this anthology. This book is comprised of love scenes (love here being of romantic, familial, friendship, self-acceptance…) from various young adult books, which have prior been published to this. So in a way, there is nothing “new” here. Which meant I had already read over half of the book. It just seemed like such a shame to me, and it didn’t help me to be drawn into the book as much as I would have liked because I already knew what would happen in those stories. Of the ones I hadn’t read before, I must say, I wasn’t very impressed with a lot of them. So I just need to throw that little disclaimer out there- if this had been all new stories, it would have gotten three stars from me, but because of this, it got knocked down to two.
Love Hurts is an anthology of short stories by popular young adult authors, exploring the trials and tribulations of the various kinds of love. From romantic, to familial- to hella familial (trigger warning: there is an incest story, ugh). It would be a nice read around valentine’s day and anyone who collects the authors involved should definitely add it to their collection- unfortunately, generally speaking, I wasn’t very impressed with this one myself.
Love Hurts is published 29th January 2015
For more of my reviews, please visit thebookheap
http://thebookheap.wordpress.com
I wanted to read more Malorie Blackman since I’ve read and enjoyed the first two books of the Noughts and Crosses series, so when this popped up on Netgalley under her name, I was instantly drawn to it. Nice fluffy YA stories? Check! Oh look! Patrick Ness? Phillip Pullman? Markus Zusak?! Where do I sign up!?
Except…it wasn’t quite what I thought it would be, which led to the major let down of this anthology. This book is comprised of love scenes (love here being of romantic, familial, friendship, self-acceptance…) from various young adult books, which have prior been published to this. So in a way, there is nothing “new” here. Which meant I had already read over half of the book. It just seemed like such a shame to me, and it didn’t help me to be drawn into the book as much as I would have liked because I already knew what would happen in those stories. Of the ones I hadn’t read before, I must say, I wasn’t very impressed with a lot of them. So I just need to throw that little disclaimer out there- if this had been all new stories, it would have gotten three stars from me, but because of this, it got knocked down to two.
Love Hurts is an anthology of short stories by popular young adult authors, exploring the trials and tribulations of the various kinds of love. From romantic, to familial- to hella familial (trigger warning: there is an incest story, ugh). It would be a nice read around valentine’s day and anyone who collects the authors involved should definitely add it to their collection- unfortunately, generally speaking, I wasn’t very impressed with this one myself.
Love Hurts is published 29th January 2015
For more of my reviews, please visit thebookheap
http://thebookheap.wordpress.com
princessjasminefliesaway's review against another edition
3.0
Right, this is a good book if you like other books being spoiled for you as the amount on extracts compared to little stories is huge but I enjoyed it.
My favourite parts being:
Humming through my fingers by Malorie Blackman
Tumbling by Susie Day (IT IS LESBIANS THROUGH TUMBLR AND ONE IS POORLY AND I DIE AND IT'S ALL SHERLOCK REFERENCES AND AHHH I DIEEEE!)
Miss Lucy had a steamboat by David Levithan
Endless Love: The Valentine of Daniel and Lucinda by Lauren Kate
The Unicorn by James Dawson
Ones I forgot but when looking back enjoyed:
More Than This by Patrick Ness
You Against Me by Jenny Downham
13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
Gentlewoman by Laura Dockrill
Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith
Echo Boy by Matt Haig
Ones that were messed up and I am seriously sickened by:
Junk by Melvin Burgess (SHE'S FOURTEEN AND THEY HAVE SEX! SERIOUSLY?! AND THE PEOPLE LOOKING AFTER THEM LET THEM!!!)
Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma (INCEST, ARE YOU SERIOUS?! WHAT THE HELL?!)
So get this book not for the extracts but for the short stories, there are two that are seriously messed up and just because it says Love Hurts doesn't mean all the love stories are going to hurt you, in fact some enlighten you.
My favourite parts being:
Humming through my fingers by Malorie Blackman
Tumbling by Susie Day (IT IS LESBIANS THROUGH TUMBLR AND ONE IS POORLY AND I DIE AND IT'S ALL SHERLOCK REFERENCES AND AHHH I DIEEEE!)
Miss Lucy had a steamboat by David Levithan
Endless Love: The Valentine of Daniel and Lucinda by Lauren Kate
The Unicorn by James Dawson
Ones I forgot but when looking back enjoyed:
More Than This by Patrick Ness
You Against Me by Jenny Downham
13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
Gentlewoman by Laura Dockrill
Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith
Echo Boy by Matt Haig
Ones that were messed up and I am seriously sickened by:
Junk by Melvin Burgess (SHE'S FOURTEEN AND THEY HAVE SEX! SERIOUSLY?! AND THE PEOPLE LOOKING AFTER THEM LET THEM!!!)
Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma (INCEST, ARE YOU SERIOUS?! WHAT THE HELL?!)
So get this book not for the extracts but for the short stories, there are two that are seriously messed up and just because it says Love Hurts doesn't mean all the love stories are going to hurt you, in fact some enlighten you.
softrosemint's review against another edition
3.0
Cross-posted on Knizhnitsa
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
“Love Hurts” is an anthology that - as the title suggests - revolves around stories that feature a star-crossed or unhappy love story. A mixture of short stories and excerpts, it brings together the stories of a versatile cast of characters.
I originally requested this book because I expected a collection of interesting and refreshing love stories, and with names such as Patrick Ness attached to the project, I was eager to see what authors known for presenting more than the average white middle class straight love story had prepared for us. Needless to say, I was quite disappointed. Quite a few of the stories felt clichéd and most of them were not original (and by that mean written specifically for this anthology); some of them I found slightly disturbing, some of them quite boring.
However, there were a few that got my attention. Those few make the book worth taking a look at. With that in mind, I felt like it would be more useful to briefly review each story separately (the ones I would recommend are marked with a *).
I “Humming Through My Fingers” by Malorie Blackman
This story is very cute and I think it is an appropriate beginning of the anthology. It is somehow light-hearted and ends on a positive note. I don’t think I would read an entire book of Amber’s and Ethan’s story (especially given that some parts of it came off as a bit pretentious) but I still found it very interesting and engaging.
II An excerpt from “More Than This” by Patrick Ness*
I love this book and I think that says enough. However, I was a bit disappointed that we didn’t get a new short story by Patrick Ness - I was definitely looking forward to that and it was one of the reasons why I requested this book on NetGalley to begin with.
III An excerpt from “The Infinite Moment of Us” by Lauren Myracle
This is a nice and somehow melancholic excerpt of what seems to be a fairly stereotypical YA love story. The writing comes off as a bit dry and boring at moments but I think fans of romantic YA reads would like it.
IV An excerpt from “If I Stay” by Gayle Forman*
Another book I’ve read and loved and I am not surprised it is among Malorie Blackman’s favourite love stories. I think the entire book overall is worth reading and I hope this would convince the people who have not read it yet to finally do it.
V “Tumbling” by Susie Day
I was a Sherlockian during Season 2 and this reminded me of me back then. My best friend is still a major contributor to the Sherlock and Johnlock community and this also kind of reminded me of her (although she is, admittedly, a lot more mature). It was a lovable story as far as it made me think about all of my online friendships and acquaintances that I have formed because of shared interests. However, a few things in it made feel quite frustrated - the writing style, for one. I, myself, tend to get side tracked a lot when I talk and/or write so I understand where the character was coming from. But at the same time I think that a published story should have undergone a bit more editing. Points for queer POC though.
VI An excerpt from “Trouble” by Non Pratt*
“Sixteen & Pregnant” is not my thing but I loved this excerpt and to be honest, I would like to read the entire book. Both of the main characters seem very lovable and I would like to see how their dynamic would develop further. I think the excerpt itself was very well chosen as it reveals enough context for the story but manages to present the characters well enough for them to be interesting and likable.
VII An excerpt from “Rani and Sukh” by Bali Rai
The blurb of the book says “An Asian Romeo and Juliet”... and that’s exactly what the story is about (even at some point one of the characters directly refers to the play). I found this quite off-putting as I feel that people who re-interpret “Romeo and Juliet” often concentrate on the romantic plotline, forgetting that this is not what the play is actually about. I think that this potentially could be a very good story, especially given its social and cultural context, but it either fails to achieve that or the excerpt itself doesn’t manage to showcase it in its best light.
VIII An excerpt from “You Against Me” by Jenny Downham
This seemed like quite a long excerpt that doesn’t tell us much about the context of the novel until its ending. Why is Ellie taken aback by Mikey’s last name? Who is Tom and why does he have some sort of problem with Mikey’s family? To understand this novel, you would have had to read the blurb for the actual novel first and this doesn’t work in its favour. (Side note: The novel itself sound very interesting but having the topic of rape as a central point of the plot can be very tricky. There are a lot of misconceptions related to the issue and it is a hard subject to present properly.)
IX An excerpt from “13 Little Blue Envelopes” by Maureen Johnson
Yet another confusing excerpt that just doesn’t give us enough information about the setting of the novel. It doesn’t really present us with any remarkable love story either so I cannot tell what would could attract a reader to it if judging by this excerpt alone.
X An excerpt from “Junk” by Melvin Burgess
This gives me very bad vibes, to be honest. She is fourteen, her newfound group of friends is… untrustworthy, to put it mildly, and she has ran away from home. This is not a book I would like to read or I would recommend. I realise I sound like a suburban mum right now but at the same time I don’t really understand how this story fits with the rest of the stories in the anthology.
XI An excerpt from “Noughts & Crosses” by Malorie Blackman*
I have heard about this book although it never really attracted my attention. However, this excerpt really got me interested - it was well selected and and intriguing and as far as stories about star-crossed lovers go, this one sounds good. My only big issue with it is Callum himself - he comes off as violent and unstable and I don’t think that relationship between him and Stephy can be deemed healthy when he’s seventeen and she’s fifteen and he’s screaming at her how he hates her and he says that he came to her house with the intention of smashing everything.
XII “Gentlewoman” by Laura Dockrill*
This is a short story about a transwoman who has not yet fully gone through transition and I am happy that this story was included. Danni is a 16 years old girl who is just starting college and is anxious if all the people who have known her as Dan up until now will accept her. I like that the story is very positive, even though Danni is scared and anxious and troubled and you can see that. Yet her parents are supportive of her, and so are her best friend and the girl she has a crush on and a lot of the people she knows. I think this story is important - it not only gives a better view of the experience every transperson goes through but also ends on a bright note.
XIII An excerpt from “Heroic” by Phil Earle
This story didn’t really grab me but I think this is mostly due to the fact that I struggle and avoid to read stories that deal with war (and I mean real war, a war that is happening right now or has happened, as opposed to a fantasy book with a war plot, for example).
XIV “Miss Lucy Had A Steamboat” by David Levithan
I have never read anything by David Levithan but I have heard a lot about him and his works. This is a nice little story, even though it kind of feels like it is told from the point of a boy rather that of a girl; it reads more like a coming of age story about a boy rather than a girl, a bit as if a MPDG was the POV character but she had the personality of the protag who is going to fall in love with her.
XV An excerpt from “I Am the Messenger” by Markus Zusak*
This is such an intriguing excerpt. I’ve got to admit that I wasn’t very big on “The Book Thief” but I like the sound of “I Am the Messenger”. Markus Zusak’s writing here in particular has some kind of hazy summery atmosphere about it and I love the feeling of melancholy it creates.
XVI An excerpt from “Grasshopper Jungle” by Andrew Smith
Is Austin bi? Hmmmm he better be. Anyways, it was a nice short excerpt and I think the book would be suitable for people who have liked “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe”.
XVII An excerpt from “Echo Boy” by Matt Haig*
This overall seems like a very good book that I would like to read. It reminded me a bit of “In the Flesh” for some reason. I am definitely asking for more!
XVIII An excerpt from “Forbidden” by Tabitha Suzuma
This reads a lot like fanfiction - they are screaming at each other, then they are crying, next thing you know they are making out, etc. etc. On top of that they are brother and sister. I have never been a fan of incest and I am certainly not big on this novel either.
XIX An excerpt from “Fallen in Love” by Lauren Kate
I have read the Fallen series and even though I found the parts where Luce visits her past selves quite interesting, I think I have had a bit too much of that. Of this series in fact. I swear to God, there was a scene which was 80% the same in one of the books. Anyways, moving on.
XX An excerpt from “Midwinterblood” by Marcus Sedgwick
This story is weirdly atmospheric and eerie; feels like you are watching a film or a TV show - Sedgwick’s words create a vivid image.
XXI “The Liar’s Girl” by Catherine Johnson*
I like this story. I found the chosen POV very interesting and I think it works in favour of the short story - it brings certain sadness and eeriness to it. The plot itself doesn’t seem very attention-worthy at the beginning but it leaves the reader enchanted by the end. However, I think this is good only as a short story and it wouldn’t work as a book.
XXII “The Unicorn” by James Dawson
The setting of this story is not really my type of thing but I liked it. It is a very honest, very realistic piece of fiction. And even if it didn’t have a traditional happy ending, I think it ended on a somehow positive note.
XXIII An excerpt from “Northern Lights” by Philip Pullman
I am ashamed to admit that I am yet to read the HDM series. However, this is a beautiful small excerpt from the first book that I really enjoyed. Pullman’s writing is really enchanting.
XXIV An excerpt from “We Were Liars” by E. Lockhart
Words cannot begin to explain how unimpressed I was with this book. It was an OK book but I feel like I’ve read plenty like it. This excerpt only reminded me of that.
The Verdict
Some of the stories really are worth reading. However, the big disappointed I felt after finding out that the majority of them aren’t neither stand-alones nor original, spoiled my pleasure of reading. I think this anthology should rather be market as a good starting point for discovering a few other books rather than as a fresh and original product (as the excerpts are a lot more than the original short stories).
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
“Love Hurts” is an anthology that - as the title suggests - revolves around stories that feature a star-crossed or unhappy love story. A mixture of short stories and excerpts, it brings together the stories of a versatile cast of characters.
I originally requested this book because I expected a collection of interesting and refreshing love stories, and with names such as Patrick Ness attached to the project, I was eager to see what authors known for presenting more than the average white middle class straight love story had prepared for us. Needless to say, I was quite disappointed. Quite a few of the stories felt clichéd and most of them were not original (and by that mean written specifically for this anthology); some of them I found slightly disturbing, some of them quite boring.
However, there were a few that got my attention. Those few make the book worth taking a look at. With that in mind, I felt like it would be more useful to briefly review each story separately (the ones I would recommend are marked with a *).
I “Humming Through My Fingers” by Malorie Blackman
This story is very cute and I think it is an appropriate beginning of the anthology. It is somehow light-hearted and ends on a positive note. I don’t think I would read an entire book of Amber’s and Ethan’s story (especially given that some parts of it came off as a bit pretentious) but I still found it very interesting and engaging.
II An excerpt from “More Than This” by Patrick Ness*
I love this book and I think that says enough. However, I was a bit disappointed that we didn’t get a new short story by Patrick Ness - I was definitely looking forward to that and it was one of the reasons why I requested this book on NetGalley to begin with.
III An excerpt from “The Infinite Moment of Us” by Lauren Myracle
This is a nice and somehow melancholic excerpt of what seems to be a fairly stereotypical YA love story. The writing comes off as a bit dry and boring at moments but I think fans of romantic YA reads would like it.
IV An excerpt from “If I Stay” by Gayle Forman*
Another book I’ve read and loved and I am not surprised it is among Malorie Blackman’s favourite love stories. I think the entire book overall is worth reading and I hope this would convince the people who have not read it yet to finally do it.
V “Tumbling” by Susie Day
I was a Sherlockian during Season 2 and this reminded me of me back then. My best friend is still a major contributor to the Sherlock and Johnlock community and this also kind of reminded me of her (although she is, admittedly, a lot more mature). It was a lovable story as far as it made me think about all of my online friendships and acquaintances that I have formed because of shared interests. However, a few things in it made feel quite frustrated - the writing style, for one. I, myself, tend to get side tracked a lot when I talk and/or write so I understand where the character was coming from. But at the same time I think that a published story should have undergone a bit more editing. Points for queer POC though.
VI An excerpt from “Trouble” by Non Pratt*
“Sixteen & Pregnant” is not my thing but I loved this excerpt and to be honest, I would like to read the entire book. Both of the main characters seem very lovable and I would like to see how their dynamic would develop further. I think the excerpt itself was very well chosen as it reveals enough context for the story but manages to present the characters well enough for them to be interesting and likable.
VII An excerpt from “Rani and Sukh” by Bali Rai
The blurb of the book says “An Asian Romeo and Juliet”... and that’s exactly what the story is about (even at some point one of the characters directly refers to the play). I found this quite off-putting as I feel that people who re-interpret “Romeo and Juliet” often concentrate on the romantic plotline, forgetting that this is not what the play is actually about. I think that this potentially could be a very good story, especially given its social and cultural context, but it either fails to achieve that or the excerpt itself doesn’t manage to showcase it in its best light.
VIII An excerpt from “You Against Me” by Jenny Downham
This seemed like quite a long excerpt that doesn’t tell us much about the context of the novel until its ending. Why is Ellie taken aback by Mikey’s last name? Who is Tom and why does he have some sort of problem with Mikey’s family? To understand this novel, you would have had to read the blurb for the actual novel first and this doesn’t work in its favour. (Side note: The novel itself sound very interesting but having the topic of rape as a central point of the plot can be very tricky. There are a lot of misconceptions related to the issue and it is a hard subject to present properly.)
IX An excerpt from “13 Little Blue Envelopes” by Maureen Johnson
Yet another confusing excerpt that just doesn’t give us enough information about the setting of the novel. It doesn’t really present us with any remarkable love story either so I cannot tell what would could attract a reader to it if judging by this excerpt alone.
X An excerpt from “Junk” by Melvin Burgess
This gives me very bad vibes, to be honest. She is fourteen, her newfound group of friends is… untrustworthy, to put it mildly, and she has ran away from home. This is not a book I would like to read or I would recommend. I realise I sound like a suburban mum right now but at the same time I don’t really understand how this story fits with the rest of the stories in the anthology.
XI An excerpt from “Noughts & Crosses” by Malorie Blackman*
I have heard about this book although it never really attracted my attention. However, this excerpt really got me interested - it was well selected and and intriguing and as far as stories about star-crossed lovers go, this one sounds good. My only big issue with it is Callum himself - he comes off as violent and unstable and I don’t think that relationship between him and Stephy can be deemed healthy when he’s seventeen and she’s fifteen and he’s screaming at her how he hates her and he says that he came to her house with the intention of smashing everything.
XII “Gentlewoman” by Laura Dockrill*
This is a short story about a transwoman who has not yet fully gone through transition and I am happy that this story was included. Danni is a 16 years old girl who is just starting college and is anxious if all the people who have known her as Dan up until now will accept her. I like that the story is very positive, even though Danni is scared and anxious and troubled and you can see that. Yet her parents are supportive of her, and so are her best friend and the girl she has a crush on and a lot of the people she knows. I think this story is important - it not only gives a better view of the experience every transperson goes through but also ends on a bright note.
XIII An excerpt from “Heroic” by Phil Earle
This story didn’t really grab me but I think this is mostly due to the fact that I struggle and avoid to read stories that deal with war (and I mean real war, a war that is happening right now or has happened, as opposed to a fantasy book with a war plot, for example).
XIV “Miss Lucy Had A Steamboat” by David Levithan
I have never read anything by David Levithan but I have heard a lot about him and his works. This is a nice little story, even though it kind of feels like it is told from the point of a boy rather that of a girl; it reads more like a coming of age story about a boy rather than a girl, a bit as if a MPDG was the POV character but she had the personality of the protag who is going to fall in love with her.
XV An excerpt from “I Am the Messenger” by Markus Zusak*
This is such an intriguing excerpt. I’ve got to admit that I wasn’t very big on “The Book Thief” but I like the sound of “I Am the Messenger”. Markus Zusak’s writing here in particular has some kind of hazy summery atmosphere about it and I love the feeling of melancholy it creates.
XVI An excerpt from “Grasshopper Jungle” by Andrew Smith
Is Austin bi? Hmmmm he better be. Anyways, it was a nice short excerpt and I think the book would be suitable for people who have liked “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe”.
XVII An excerpt from “Echo Boy” by Matt Haig*
This overall seems like a very good book that I would like to read. It reminded me a bit of “In the Flesh” for some reason. I am definitely asking for more!
XVIII An excerpt from “Forbidden” by Tabitha Suzuma
This reads a lot like fanfiction - they are screaming at each other, then they are crying, next thing you know they are making out, etc. etc. On top of that they are brother and sister. I have never been a fan of incest and I am certainly not big on this novel either.
XIX An excerpt from “Fallen in Love” by Lauren Kate
I have read the Fallen series and even though I found the parts where Luce visits her past selves quite interesting, I think I have had a bit too much of that. Of this series in fact. I swear to God, there was a scene which was 80% the same in one of the books. Anyways, moving on.
XX An excerpt from “Midwinterblood” by Marcus Sedgwick
This story is weirdly atmospheric and eerie; feels like you are watching a film or a TV show - Sedgwick’s words create a vivid image.
XXI “The Liar’s Girl” by Catherine Johnson*
I like this story. I found the chosen POV very interesting and I think it works in favour of the short story - it brings certain sadness and eeriness to it. The plot itself doesn’t seem very attention-worthy at the beginning but it leaves the reader enchanted by the end. However, I think this is good only as a short story and it wouldn’t work as a book.
XXII “The Unicorn” by James Dawson
The setting of this story is not really my type of thing but I liked it. It is a very honest, very realistic piece of fiction. And even if it didn’t have a traditional happy ending, I think it ended on a somehow positive note.
XXIII An excerpt from “Northern Lights” by Philip Pullman
I am ashamed to admit that I am yet to read the HDM series. However, this is a beautiful small excerpt from the first book that I really enjoyed. Pullman’s writing is really enchanting.
XXIV An excerpt from “We Were Liars” by E. Lockhart
Words cannot begin to explain how unimpressed I was with this book. It was an OK book but I feel like I’ve read plenty like it. This excerpt only reminded me of that.
The Verdict
Some of the stories really are worth reading. However, the big disappointed I felt after finding out that the majority of them aren’t neither stand-alones nor original, spoiled my pleasure of reading. I think this anthology should rather be market as a good starting point for discovering a few other books rather than as a fresh and original product (as the excerpts are a lot more than the original short stories).
alessandrajayne's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.5
liinaperho's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
vaikee arvoida kun on niin monen eri kirjalijan tarinoita, mut tbh tykkäsin ehkä kolmesta ja toi oli kuitenki noin pitkä kirja lmaooo.
annekdotes's review against another edition
2.0
A while back, I think it was about two months ago, I came across Love Hurts on a blog (don’t remember which one), and I immediately got excited. A collection of stories by authors such as Markus Zusak, Maureen Johnson, Patrick Ness and E. Lockhart? Yes, please! Unfortunately, I was rather disappointed.
Admittedly, part of this is my own fault. I didn’t read the description carefully enough, and thought Love Hurts would include only original stories by all of these authors. When I read said description again on NetGalley before requesting it, I noticed it would also feature extracts from other works. However, I did not expect that out of twenty-four contributions, only seven would be original short stories and the other seventeen would be excerpts from already published novels.
While I enjoyed the short stories, I was mostly annoyed and confused by the novel excerpts. The excerpt starts somewhere in the story (start, middle or end — I don’t know) and you have no idea what has happened to these characters before or who they are. Actions and words appeared random or strange to me because I didn’t know their context. The same goes for the characters: I didn’t know their history so I didn’t care about them yet, they didn’t mean anything to me. By the time I got (more or less) into the story, it was already over. More often than not, the endings seemed extremely abrupt, which isn’t all that strange, because the story is supposed to go on still. It left me very frustrated, and often with a dislike for the story, which isn’t really fair.
Having said that, I did deeply enjoy some of the actual short stories. I absolutely loved “Miss Lucy Had a Steamboat” by David Levithan, which is about a girl called Lucy who falls in love with the mysterious new girl in school. You can see from the beginning that it isn’t going to work, and when the “relationship” does indeed end, Lucy comes to a most refreshing conclusion.
This made me want to dance around and sing David Levithan’s praises because it was the most true thing I’d read in a while, and definitely in this book.
All in all, Love Hurts felt more like a marketing device than anything else, really. It felt like I was supposed to want to read on after reading the excerpts, and thus feel the need to buy the book it was from. I didn’t even read three of the excerpts because they were from novels I still want to read and I didn’t want the plot to be spoiled for me. The original short stories were often wonderfully sweet or really thought-provoking (like “The Unicorn” by James Dawson), but there were only seven of those amidst so many excerpts. I would probably feel a little cheated if I had actually bought this book.
More reviews on my blog: Books Baking and Blogging
Admittedly, part of this is my own fault. I didn’t read the description carefully enough, and thought Love Hurts would include only original stories by all of these authors. When I read said description again on NetGalley before requesting it, I noticed it would also feature extracts from other works. However, I did not expect that out of twenty-four contributions, only seven would be original short stories and the other seventeen would be excerpts from already published novels.
While I enjoyed the short stories, I was mostly annoyed and confused by the novel excerpts. The excerpt starts somewhere in the story (start, middle or end — I don’t know) and you have no idea what has happened to these characters before or who they are. Actions and words appeared random or strange to me because I didn’t know their context. The same goes for the characters: I didn’t know their history so I didn’t care about them yet, they didn’t mean anything to me. By the time I got (more or less) into the story, it was already over. More often than not, the endings seemed extremely abrupt, which isn’t all that strange, because the story is supposed to go on still. It left me very frustrated, and often with a dislike for the story, which isn’t really fair.
Having said that, I did deeply enjoy some of the actual short stories. I absolutely loved “Miss Lucy Had a Steamboat” by David Levithan, which is about a girl called Lucy who falls in love with the mysterious new girl in school. You can see from the beginning that it isn’t going to work, and when the “relationship” does indeed end, Lucy comes to a most refreshing conclusion.
Talk about something that was ingrained. I wasn’t letting go of love or sex or the idea of companionship. I was just rejecting the package in which it was being sold to me. I was going to say it was okay to be alone, when it felt like everyone in the world was saying that it wasn’t okay to be alone, that I had to always want someone else, that the desire had to fuel me.
This made me want to dance around and sing David Levithan’s praises because it was the most true thing I’d read in a while, and definitely in this book.
All in all, Love Hurts felt more like a marketing device than anything else, really. It felt like I was supposed to want to read on after reading the excerpts, and thus feel the need to buy the book it was from. I didn’t even read three of the excerpts because they were from novels I still want to read and I didn’t want the plot to be spoiled for me. The original short stories were often wonderfully sweet or really thought-provoking (like “The Unicorn” by James Dawson), but there were only seven of those amidst so many excerpts. I would probably feel a little cheated if I had actually bought this book.
More reviews on my blog: Books Baking and Blogging