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A review by tiaschmidt
Color Outside the Lines: Stories about Love by Sangu Mandanna
3.0
Average rating for individual stories: 2.94
My rating as a whole anthology: 3
Best stories: Giving Up the Ghost, The Boy Is, The Agony of a Heart’s Wish, Gilman Street
Worst stories: Prom, The Coward’s Guide to Falling in Love, Faithfull, Sandwiched in Between
Giving this 3 stars just like almost every other anthology I've ever read. There were stories I loved and stories I absolutely despised, but it was a decent anthology all around and I absolutely adore the overall theme (I'm a HUGE sucked for a good anthology theme. The more unique the better!!!!).
Individual ratings/thoughts:
Turn the Sky to Petals by Anna-Marie McLemore 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I've tried to read Anna-Marie McLemore MULTIPLE times and I can never get into her writing style. The lyricism just wraps me up too much. This was definitely the best thing I've ever read from her, but it still just wasn't for me.
Prom by Danielle Paige 2 ⭐️⭐️
I appreciated the attempted message, but this was WAY too short for me to form an opinion about any aspect of it fully. It needed to be at least double as long to have any impact.
What We Love by Lauren Gibaldi 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was ADORABLE and I genuinely really loved the message and meaning behind it all. That 99% of the time, being the bigger person is the right choice. That we may think all our cultures are extremely different, but they have more in common than we know. That you can find love and friendship in the most unexpected places ever. I just loved it.
Giving Up the Ghost by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was absolutely EVERYTHING!!!!!! So cute and funny and unique! It also had such an interesting kind of historical element to it that I loved. I can't say enough good things!! Definitely my favorite in the collection thus far.
Your Life Matters by L.L. McKinney 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
LOVED THIS! Black queer woman superhero who faces her girlfriend's ~blue lives matter~ cop dad during the middle of a BLM protest???? Like... what???? I know this came out 3 years ago, but I NEED a full-length story ASAP!!!
Starlight and Moondust by Lori M. Lee 2 ⭐️⭐️
A bit too convoluted for me, but I did like the writing style a lot.
Five Times Shiva Met Harry by Sangu Mandanna 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Never in my entire life have I met an Indian uncle who would talk about his daughter having sex like that lolol. Weirded me tf out. BUT I loved the message behind this one and felt it could have been really impactful, had it been longer. Right when I was starting to get into the story and really understand what Mandanna was trying to get across, the story just abruptly ended. Like, ok, he's reading books about British rule in India, and then... the book just ends? Like that's it? I needed more.
The Agony of a Heart’s Wish by Samira Ahmed 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Oh my godddddd. This was absolutely stunning. I literally have no words except that this was heartbreaking and I highly recommend NOT reading it in public like I did. Truly heartbreaking, especially since it so accurately describes historic India and British colonization of both India and Ireland.
The Coward’s Guide to Falling in Love by Caroline Tung Richmond 1 ⭐️
I just truly did not like or connect to this one at ALL. I can appreciate the ending and the empowerment message it's giving off, but the story itself wasn't for me.
Death and the Maiden by Tara Sim 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This seems to be the fan favorite of this collection, but I personally found it really average. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED the concept and story, but I just wasn't the biggest fan overall. I didn't feel that true Hades/Persephone spark that I was expecting.
Faithfull by Karuna Riazi 1 ⭐️
Another one that I really couldn't get into. I appreciated the story itself, but I couldn't get on with the writing style of this. A bit confusing and all over the place.
Gilman Street by Michelle Ruiz Keil 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was SOOOOOO cute. I absolutely loved this one. It was so fun and the ending made my heart absolutely swoon. I love seeing healthy mother-daughter relationships in literature.
The Boy Is by Elsie Chapman 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really didn't know what to expect with this story at the beginning and I definitely didn't expect it to be 5 stars, but this was AMAZING! Such an interesting look at culture and assimilation vs. acculturation. Most of the stories I've read surrounding the topic include parents clinging to their home culture and clashing with their more Americanized first-gen children. This was centered around a mother praying, hoping, and begging her child to fully assimilate and release her own culture for a more American way of life, but the child (our MC) wants to know herself and doesn't want to entirely give up her heritage. It was just SO different than anything I've ever read about immigrant parents/first-gen children and it was really a breath of fresh air and extremely intriguing. I'd take a full length on this, for sure.
Sandwiched in Between by Eric Smith 1 ⭐️
Really REALLY didn't like this one. Just something about the topic and how it's handled didn't sit right with me at all. And improper actions are never corrected or confronted. The story just abruptly ends without any conflict resolution. I just really didn't like this.
Yuna and the Wall by Lydia Kang 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Really interesting!!!! I didn't expect this kind of fantasy story in here and it was a refreshing take on the overall theme of the anthology. I saw a review mention this is a graphic novel, but I listened to this book audibly and I had no idea! I'm not 100% sure if it even is or not, but it would make a great one either way. Overall, I really liked this!
Something Gay and Magical by Adam Silvera 2 ⭐️⭐️
Good message and typical Adam Silvera writing (catchy, chic, etc.), but it was WAYYYY too short to have any sort of impact on me. I liked what it had to say, but I wish it overall said... more.
My rating as a whole anthology: 3
Best stories: Giving Up the Ghost, The Boy Is, The Agony of a Heart’s Wish, Gilman Street
Worst stories: Prom, The Coward’s Guide to Falling in Love, Faithfull, Sandwiched in Between
Giving this 3 stars just like almost every other anthology I've ever read. There were stories I loved and stories I absolutely despised, but it was a decent anthology all around and I absolutely adore the overall theme (I'm a HUGE sucked for a good anthology theme. The more unique the better!!!!).
Individual ratings/thoughts:
Turn the Sky to Petals by Anna-Marie McLemore 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I've tried to read Anna-Marie McLemore MULTIPLE times and I can never get into her writing style. The lyricism just wraps me up too much. This was definitely the best thing I've ever read from her, but it still just wasn't for me.
Prom by Danielle Paige 2 ⭐️⭐️
I appreciated the attempted message, but this was WAY too short for me to form an opinion about any aspect of it fully. It needed to be at least double as long to have any impact.
What We Love by Lauren Gibaldi 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was ADORABLE and I genuinely really loved the message and meaning behind it all. That 99% of the time, being the bigger person is the right choice. That we may think all our cultures are extremely different, but they have more in common than we know. That you can find love and friendship in the most unexpected places ever. I just loved it.
Giving Up the Ghost by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was absolutely EVERYTHING!!!!!! So cute and funny and unique! It also had such an interesting kind of historical element to it that I loved. I can't say enough good things!! Definitely my favorite in the collection thus far.
Your Life Matters by L.L. McKinney 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
LOVED THIS! Black queer woman superhero who faces her girlfriend's ~blue lives matter~ cop dad during the middle of a BLM protest???? Like... what???? I know this came out 3 years ago, but I NEED a full-length story ASAP!!!
Starlight and Moondust by Lori M. Lee 2 ⭐️⭐️
A bit too convoluted for me, but I did like the writing style a lot.
Five Times Shiva Met Harry by Sangu Mandanna 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Never in my entire life have I met an Indian uncle who would talk about his daughter having sex like that lolol. Weirded me tf out. BUT I loved the message behind this one and felt it could have been really impactful, had it been longer. Right when I was starting to get into the story and really understand what Mandanna was trying to get across, the story just abruptly ended. Like, ok, he's reading books about British rule in India, and then... the book just ends? Like that's it? I needed more.
The Agony of a Heart’s Wish by Samira Ahmed 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Oh my godddddd. This was absolutely stunning. I literally have no words except that this was heartbreaking and I highly recommend NOT reading it in public like I did. Truly heartbreaking, especially since it so accurately describes historic India and British colonization of both India and Ireland.
The Coward’s Guide to Falling in Love by Caroline Tung Richmond 1 ⭐️
I just truly did not like or connect to this one at ALL. I can appreciate the ending and the empowerment message it's giving off, but the story itself wasn't for me.
Death and the Maiden by Tara Sim 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This seems to be the fan favorite of this collection, but I personally found it really average. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED the concept and story, but I just wasn't the biggest fan overall. I didn't feel that true Hades/Persephone spark that I was expecting.
Faithfull by Karuna Riazi 1 ⭐️
Another one that I really couldn't get into. I appreciated the story itself, but I couldn't get on with the writing style of this. A bit confusing and all over the place.
Gilman Street by Michelle Ruiz Keil 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was SOOOOOO cute. I absolutely loved this one. It was so fun and the ending made my heart absolutely swoon. I love seeing healthy mother-daughter relationships in literature.
The Boy Is by Elsie Chapman 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really didn't know what to expect with this story at the beginning and I definitely didn't expect it to be 5 stars, but this was AMAZING! Such an interesting look at culture and assimilation vs. acculturation. Most of the stories I've read surrounding the topic include parents clinging to their home culture and clashing with their more Americanized first-gen children. This was centered around a mother praying, hoping, and begging her child to fully assimilate and release her own culture for a more American way of life, but the child (our MC) wants to know herself and doesn't want to entirely give up her heritage. It was just SO different than anything I've ever read about immigrant parents/first-gen children and it was really a breath of fresh air and extremely intriguing. I'd take a full length on this, for sure.
Sandwiched in Between by Eric Smith 1 ⭐️
Really REALLY didn't like this one. Just something about the topic and how it's handled didn't sit right with me at all. And improper actions are never corrected or confronted. The story just abruptly ends without any conflict resolution. I just really didn't like this.
Yuna and the Wall by Lydia Kang 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Really interesting!!!! I didn't expect this kind of fantasy story in here and it was a refreshing take on the overall theme of the anthology. I saw a review mention this is a graphic novel, but I listened to this book audibly and I had no idea! I'm not 100% sure if it even is or not, but it would make a great one either way. Overall, I really liked this!
Something Gay and Magical by Adam Silvera 2 ⭐️⭐️
Good message and typical Adam Silvera writing (catchy, chic, etc.), but it was WAYYYY too short to have any sort of impact on me. I liked what it had to say, but I wish it overall said... more.