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A review by courtnoodles
Three Sides of a Heart: Stories About Love Triangles by Natalie C. Parker
2.0
Average rating: 2.4375 stars
Which, unfortunately, in math, is rounded down.
This does what it set out to do, which was turn the love triangle tropes on their heads and make them interesting and different. Unfortunately, not all of them landed. Most of them didn't. And it wasn't necessarily because the love triangle sucks as a trope. This proves that it can be done really well. A lot of the ones that were bad were either because of bad writing, or it was hard to figure out what the three points of the triangle were (or that a triangle was unrealistic).
I still stand by that I would absolutely read a novel-length Before She Was Bloody. Hands down the best.
The Breakdown:
"Riddles in Mathematics" by Katie Cotugno
A recently out girl, her brother, and his best friend. Also some girl she might have kissed once? Idk. 2 stars.
"Dread South" by Justina Ireland
In post Civil War America, where a zombie apocalypse is midway, we have a girl, the boy she has a crush on, and the Black girl hired for her protection. In which she learns not to be racist. Joy. 1 star.
"Omega Ship" by Rae Carson
The last three humans in the galaxy. Two boys, one girl. Told from the girl's POV. Much deeper than you think. I really enjoyed this one. 4 stars.
"La Revancha Del Tango" by Renée Ahdieh
A girl on a solo trip to Buenos Aires. And...some other people. 2 stars.
"Cass, An, and Dra" by Natalie C. Parker
This is an interesting one that I can't really rate super well, nor explain the plot without giving it away. But I did get more into it once that twist hit. I'll go with 3 stars.
"Lessons for Beginners" by Julie Murphy
A plus sized high school student and the straight couple she gives kissing lessons to. 3 stars.
"Triangle Solo" by Garth Nix
I don't even know. Humans living on Mars. Walking on hands. The writing was so bad. 1 star
"Vim and Vigor" by Veronica Roth
Idk but it was cute. 2 stars.
"Work in Progress" by E.K. Johnston
??? 1 star
"Hurdles" by Brandy Colbert
These are getting so much harder to summarize. 2 stars.
"The Historian, The Garrison, and the Cantankerous Cat Woman" by Lamar Giles
Idk, magic. Also the ending made me angry. 1 star.
"Waiting" by Sabaa Tahir
I mean, come on. It's Sabaa. 4 stars.
"Vega" by Brenna Yovanoff
A boy, a girl, and Las Vegas. 3 stars.
"A Hundred Thousand Threads" by Alaya Dawn Johnson
Mexico! 1 star.
"Before She Was Bloody" by Tessa Gratton
Hands down the best one in the entire anthology. I would read an entire novel of this. 5 stars.
"Unus, Duo, Très" by Bethany Hagen
Heartbreaking. 4 stars
Which, unfortunately, in math, is rounded down.
This does what it set out to do, which was turn the love triangle tropes on their heads and make them interesting and different. Unfortunately, not all of them landed. Most of them didn't. And it wasn't necessarily because the love triangle sucks as a trope. This proves that it can be done really well. A lot of the ones that were bad were either because of bad writing, or it was hard to figure out what the three points of the triangle were (or that a triangle was unrealistic).
I still stand by that I would absolutely read a novel-length Before She Was Bloody. Hands down the best.
The Breakdown:
"Riddles in Mathematics" by Katie Cotugno
A recently out girl, her brother, and his best friend. Also some girl she might have kissed once? Idk. 2 stars.
"Dread South" by Justina Ireland
In post Civil War America, where a zombie apocalypse is midway, we have a girl, the boy she has a crush on, and the Black girl hired for her protection. In which she learns not to be racist. Joy. 1 star.
"Omega Ship" by Rae Carson
The last three humans in the galaxy. Two boys, one girl. Told from the girl's POV. Much deeper than you think. I really enjoyed this one. 4 stars.
"La Revancha Del Tango" by Renée Ahdieh
A girl on a solo trip to Buenos Aires. And...some other people. 2 stars.
"Cass, An, and Dra" by Natalie C. Parker
This is an interesting one that I can't really rate super well, nor explain the plot without giving it away. But I did get more into it once that twist hit. I'll go with 3 stars.
"Lessons for Beginners" by Julie Murphy
A plus sized high school student and the straight couple she gives kissing lessons to. 3 stars.
"Triangle Solo" by Garth Nix
I don't even know. Humans living on Mars. Walking on hands. The writing was so bad. 1 star
"Vim and Vigor" by Veronica Roth
Idk but it was cute. 2 stars.
"Work in Progress" by E.K. Johnston
??? 1 star
"Hurdles" by Brandy Colbert
These are getting so much harder to summarize. 2 stars.
"The Historian, The Garrison, and the Cantankerous Cat Woman" by Lamar Giles
Idk, magic. Also the ending made me angry. 1 star.
"Waiting" by Sabaa Tahir
I mean, come on. It's Sabaa. 4 stars.
"Vega" by Brenna Yovanoff
A boy, a girl, and Las Vegas. 3 stars.
"A Hundred Thousand Threads" by Alaya Dawn Johnson
Mexico! 1 star.
"Before She Was Bloody" by Tessa Gratton
Hands down the best one in the entire anthology. I would read an entire novel of this. 5 stars.
"Unus, Duo, Très" by Bethany Hagen
Heartbreaking. 4 stars