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A review by jessicadoom
All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages by Saundra Mitchell
4.0
Roja - A beautiful retelling of a classic story laced with hidden history. I will be seeking out this author's works as I am not obsessed with her voice!
The Sweet Trade - My only complaint is that it was so short. I wished there was more action and more character development. Just a few more pages of the two girls and their adventures as pirates-to-be would have been welcome!
And They Don't Kiss at the End - It was okay. A sweet little character study, I suppose, into the mind of someone realizing they may be asexual.
Burnt Umber - AWWW. So cute. Then again, it's Mackenzi Lee and I would expect nothing less.
The Dresser & The Chambermaid - I'm finding most of these stories deal with people who are just meeting and suddenly discover interest in one another over the course of a day or so. And, although I find this to be a bit far fetched, I can't help but to love its romanticism. This story was far too perfect, but I can't say I didn't love how these two girls found each other and everything worked out for them.
New Year - This story was so far different from all the others before it that I was expecting a quick romantic twist at the end. When it didn't come, I was actually relieved. I was happy to see the story focused on a realization of existing in a world where there actually are others like you. And the insight into this lesser known bit of history was very intriguing, as well.
Molly's Lips - Throughout my teen years, all I wanted was what Annabelle and Molly shared. It was like a fantasy pulled directly out of my fucking mind.
The Coven - It was beautiful, but I can't help but feel it was unfinished?
Every Shade of Red - Okay, but...that can't be the end of it!! I demand a sequel! I haven't finished, but so far this is my favorite of the stories. I'm definitely seeking out more by this author....
Willows - I was confused at the beginning. I started to understand things in the middle. And then I reached the end and.... I just don't understand what happened at all.
The Girl with the Blue Lantern - It was a quick and beautiful story about finding home and family.
The Secret Life of a Teenage Boy - It was incredibly rushed and rash and a bit unrealistic from start to finish. But I'm glad it ended the way it did.
Walking After Midnight - I was thrilled to see the demi representation and found it to be quite cute.
The End of the World as We Know It - Wonderful - 90's callbacks and all! But what really stuck out the most for me was how much I loved Ezgi's father even from the small interaction we saw with him.
Three Witches - Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
The Inferno & The Butterfly - This one was stunning! It was so different and something I never knew I wanted.
Healing Rosa - In my opinion, this lacked something like direction. The whole story felt like a secret fed to the reader in small doses, but never enough to get the full picture. The language was flowery, but perhaps a bit overly so. Kind of a lackluster end to such a great collection.
Overall, I LOVED this book as much as I hoped I would! And I gained a few authors I need to check out, so that's always a positive!
The Sweet Trade - My only complaint is that it was so short. I wished there was more action and more character development. Just a few more pages of the two girls and their adventures as pirates-to-be would have been welcome!
And They Don't Kiss at the End - It was okay. A sweet little character study, I suppose, into the mind of someone realizing they may be asexual.
Burnt Umber - AWWW. So cute. Then again, it's Mackenzi Lee and I would expect nothing less.
The Dresser & The Chambermaid - I'm finding most of these stories deal with people who are just meeting and suddenly discover interest in one another over the course of a day or so. And, although I find this to be a bit far fetched, I can't help but to love its romanticism. This story was far too perfect, but I can't say I didn't love how these two girls found each other and everything worked out for them.
New Year - This story was so far different from all the others before it that I was expecting a quick romantic twist at the end. When it didn't come, I was actually relieved. I was happy to see the story focused on a realization of existing in a world where there actually are others like you. And the insight into this lesser known bit of history was very intriguing, as well.
Molly's Lips - Throughout my teen years, all I wanted was what Annabelle and Molly shared. It was like a fantasy pulled directly out of my fucking mind.
The Coven - It was beautiful, but I can't help but feel it was unfinished?
Every Shade of Red - Okay, but...that can't be the end of it!! I demand a sequel! I haven't finished, but so far this is my favorite of the stories. I'm definitely seeking out more by this author....
Willows - I was confused at the beginning. I started to understand things in the middle. And then I reached the end and.... I just don't understand what happened at all.
The Girl with the Blue Lantern - It was a quick and beautiful story about finding home and family.
The Secret Life of a Teenage Boy - It was incredibly rushed and rash and a bit unrealistic from start to finish. But I'm glad it ended the way it did.
Walking After Midnight - I was thrilled to see the demi representation and found it to be quite cute.
The End of the World as We Know It - Wonderful - 90's callbacks and all! But what really stuck out the most for me was how much I loved Ezgi's father even from the small interaction we saw with him.
Three Witches - Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
The Inferno & The Butterfly - This one was stunning! It was so different and something I never knew I wanted.
Healing Rosa - In my opinion, this lacked something like direction. The whole story felt like a secret fed to the reader in small doses, but never enough to get the full picture. The language was flowery, but perhaps a bit overly so. Kind of a lackluster end to such a great collection.
Overall, I LOVED this book as much as I hoped I would! And I gained a few authors I need to check out, so that's always a positive!