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A review by itskitasai
Color Outside the Lines: Stories about Love by Sangu Mandanna
4.0
Overall rating :
Turn the Sky to Petals by Anna-Marie McLemore - 3/5 Although the writing was very beautiful, it's not a style I tend to love. I did love the imagery throughout, but the POV was the problem here.
Prom by Danielle Paige - 3.5/5 Short and Sweet, I wish it had been a little longer however. Similar writing style to the one above, but it conveyed the message perfectly.
What We Love by Lauren Gibaldi - 3.5/5 Loved the nerdyness of this, the story was a solid read for me
Giving Up the Ghost by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas - 4/5 I actually really enjoyed this, it gave me some similar vibes to The Archived which I read recently (although definitely not the same). I think that the ghost of the MC could have been better written, but I would love an entire series about this premise.
Your Life Matters by L.L. McKinney - 4/5 f/f BLM romance about a heroine and her sidekick. I just wanted more though. Also I felt like it was better written than the authors novel I read which is nice.
Starlight and Moondust by Lori M. Lee - 3.5/5 I don’t think I’m overly in love with Lee’s writing style, but this was a mildly interesting concept that I enjoyed.
Five Times Shiva Met Harry by Sangu Mandanna - 4.5/5 I really loved this one, but I was left wanting more! The concept was fun and I loved the way it was written
The Agony of a Heart's Wish by Samira Ahmed - 4.5/5 I really enjoyed this one too, I liked how it focused more on the impact their meeting had on their lives.
The Coward's Guide to Falling in Love by Caroline Tung Richmond - 3/5 Probably the most forgettable out of all of these and my least favourite
Death and the Maiden by Tara Sim - 4.5/5 Really loved this fresh retelling / mythology based short story.
Faithfull by Karunma Riazi - 4/5 I wish the characters backstories had been expanded on a bit more as I liked the concept but the execution let it down a little hence the 4/5.
Gilman Street by Michelle Ruiz Keil - 5/5 Definitely my favourite from this collection, I enjoyed the vibe of it the most. Also I felt like I could relate to the MC quite a bit.
"The Boy Is" by Elsie Chapman - 5/5 I also really enjoyed this one and the comments on authenticity.
Sandwiched in Between by Eric Smith - 3/5 It wasn’t anything special to me, quite forgettable as well.
Yuna and the Wall by Lydia Kang - 3.5/5 This was just alright, interesting concept and would have been better as the final story as I liked the way it progressed.
Something Gay and Magical by Adam Silvera - 4/5 I loved how short and sweet this was, although it had a few moments of cringe. I think it didn’t do well as the final story and I was left feeling like the anthology ended in a weird spot.
Overall rating is 3.9/5 so I have rounded up to 4/5. I wish there had been a bit more diversity in terms of ethnicities and body types - I know that sounds odd but it was the perfect time for a wide range of different couples and I felt like there were only a few. So while still being diverse, I think there were a few missed opportunities to make this a 5/5.
Turn the Sky to Petals by Anna-Marie McLemore - 3/5 Although the writing was very beautiful, it's not a style I tend to love. I did love the imagery throughout, but the POV was the problem here.
Prom by Danielle Paige - 3.5/5 Short and Sweet, I wish it had been a little longer however. Similar writing style to the one above, but it conveyed the message perfectly.
What We Love by Lauren Gibaldi - 3.5/5 Loved the nerdyness of this, the story was a solid read for me
Giving Up the Ghost by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas - 4/5 I actually really enjoyed this, it gave me some similar vibes to The Archived which I read recently (although definitely not the same). I think that the ghost of the MC could have been better written, but I would love an entire series about this premise.
Your Life Matters by L.L. McKinney - 4/5 f/f BLM romance about a heroine and her sidekick. I just wanted more though. Also I felt like it was better written than the authors novel I read which is nice.
Starlight and Moondust by Lori M. Lee - 3.5/5 I don’t think I’m overly in love with Lee’s writing style, but this was a mildly interesting concept that I enjoyed.
Five Times Shiva Met Harry by Sangu Mandanna - 4.5/5 I really loved this one, but I was left wanting more! The concept was fun and I loved the way it was written
The Agony of a Heart's Wish by Samira Ahmed - 4.5/5 I really enjoyed this one too, I liked how it focused more on the impact their meeting had on their lives.
The Coward's Guide to Falling in Love by Caroline Tung Richmond - 3/5 Probably the most forgettable out of all of these and my least favourite
Death and the Maiden by Tara Sim - 4.5/5 Really loved this fresh retelling / mythology based short story.
Faithfull by Karunma Riazi - 4/5 I wish the characters backstories had been expanded on a bit more as I liked the concept but the execution let it down a little hence the 4/5.
Gilman Street by Michelle Ruiz Keil - 5/5 Definitely my favourite from this collection, I enjoyed the vibe of it the most. Also I felt like I could relate to the MC quite a bit.
"The Boy Is" by Elsie Chapman - 5/5 I also really enjoyed this one and the comments on authenticity.
Sandwiched in Between by Eric Smith - 3/5 It wasn’t anything special to me, quite forgettable as well.
Yuna and the Wall by Lydia Kang - 3.5/5 This was just alright, interesting concept and would have been better as the final story as I liked the way it progressed.
Something Gay and Magical by Adam Silvera - 4/5 I loved how short and sweet this was, although it had a few moments of cringe. I think it didn’t do well as the final story and I was left feeling like the anthology ended in a weird spot.
Overall rating is 3.9/5 so I have rounded up to 4/5. I wish there had been a bit more diversity in terms of ethnicities and body types - I know that sounds odd but it was the perfect time for a wide range of different couples and I felt like there were only a few. So while still being diverse, I think there were a few missed opportunities to make this a 5/5.