Scan barcode
A review by katiemack
Color Outside the Lines: Stories about Love by Sangu Mandanna
4.0
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Anthologies are always tough to rate, but I enjoyed this one more than others I've read recently. I was immediately intrigued by a set of YA short stories about interracial relationships (personal bias), and this one does an admirable job highlighting the nuances and dynamics and the beauty of being in love with someone from a different culture and background. It provides a great deal of hope along with the entertainment, and I love how it runs the gamut of genres from fantasy to historical to contemporary.
Not all of the stories are stellar (for example, What We Love by Lauren Gibaldi--about a Jewish girl and an Indian boy joining together to get revenge on a Mean Blonde Girl--felt like a stereotyped 80s or 90s flick, and I expected more depth from the girl grappling with her mom's newfound faith and community in Faithfull by Karuna Riazi), but here are some standouts:
--"Your Life Matters" by L. L. McKinney (if you like secret superheroes)
--"The Agony of a Heart's Wish" by Samira Ahmed (if you like historical fiction and gut-punch endings)
--"Yuma and the Wall" by Lydia Kang (if you like fantasy villages)
--"Something Gay and Magical" by Adam SIlvera (if you like bookstore meet-cutes, though this one was far too short)
Anthologies are always tough to rate, but I enjoyed this one more than others I've read recently. I was immediately intrigued by a set of YA short stories about interracial relationships (personal bias), and this one does an admirable job highlighting the nuances and dynamics and the beauty of being in love with someone from a different culture and background. It provides a great deal of hope along with the entertainment, and I love how it runs the gamut of genres from fantasy to historical to contemporary.
--"Your Life Matters" by L. L. McKinney (if you like secret superheroes)
--"The Agony of a Heart's Wish" by Samira Ahmed (if you like historical fiction and gut-punch endings)
--"Yuma and the Wall" by Lydia Kang (if you like fantasy villages)
--"Something Gay and Magical" by Adam SIlvera (if you like bookstore meet-cutes, though this one was far too short)