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A review by thereadingtrashqueen
Short Stuff by Kate Fierro, Julia Ember
5.0
A huge thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
An average of 4,5/5 if rating the stories separately; two 5 stars, and two 4 stars.
This anthology is honestly so good! I am starting to write this review at 3:15am, after having read it in one go and I already kind of want to read it again. It's- I spent 4 hours smiling, or hurting but knowing I would smile soon enough, as the book promises happy endings, because dammit queer people deserve happy endings.
I don't even really know what to talk about. The stories are diverse, and none of them are like the others.
We have I Ate The Whole World To Find You which is about a swimmer getting ready for the Olympics, and a chef who provides said swimmer with food during his days at the pool. This is pure fanfiction material, and I spent the entire story with a huge smile on my face. They are boys, they are idiots, they are gay, and it is absolutely beautiful. It also made me want all of the food. (and yes there is the asshole coach and asshole sponsors, but they just set off the goodness even more.)
Then there is The August Sands. We follow Tommy, a gay boy on summer holiday with his family, before going off to college, which is something he struggles with. He struggles with his identity a lot and then he meets Chase, a confident boy who has no qualms in expressing interest. This story focuses on Tommy's struggles, and how he comes to terms with himself, while experiencing romance for the first time. Note that him coming to terms with himself is not about his sexuality! It's actually about who he is as a person, and being scared of change.
Next, we have Love in the Time of Coffee which follows Gemma and Anya from the time they were heading to school for the very first time, to them in college. You move through the story by the coffee they drink, which I actually really loved- and I find coffee absolutely gross, haha! I just really loved the set up of it, and I wonder if the book this is inspired by (Love in the time of Cholera) has a similar set up. Gemma is gay, and has been in love with her best friend Anya for ages. Anya, on the other hand, has a boyfriend, which is pretty serious. Lesbian and bi rep, here, y'all! Also, the ending is super cute hdfjksdgalsdf
Last, but certainly not least, we have Gilded Scales. This story is like nothing you would expect. It's the only one that's not contemporary, or even modern. It's fantasy, loud and clear, as there is a dragon. Yep, you read that right: there is a DRAGON! Besides the dragon there is a girl who wants desperately to be a warrior, but whose village won't let her and only wants her to marry and settle down. When a dragon is discovered, she volunteers to help save the girl the dragon is keeping prisoner. SPOILER ALERT (but not really a spoiler it's in the summary): the dragon and the girl are one and the same. This story is very subtle on the romance front, but you just know where they're headed. Safe to say, this story was nothing like I had imagined- I have never read a dragon like this and I loved it!
Add to the that the gorgeous cover and I'm in love. So in love I read this in one sitting and am still writing this review at 3:30am while my laptop is dying. Would wholeheartedly recommend, especially if you're in need of (queer!) feel good stories!
An average of 4,5/5 if rating the stories separately; two 5 stars, and two 4 stars.
This anthology is honestly so good! I am starting to write this review at 3:15am, after having read it in one go and I already kind of want to read it again. It's- I spent 4 hours smiling, or hurting but knowing I would smile soon enough, as the book promises happy endings, because dammit queer people deserve happy endings.
Spoiler
(The August Sands has a bittersweet ending, but in my head it ends up happy anyways because that's the kind of trash queen I am, and Gilded Scales promises plenty.)I don't even really know what to talk about. The stories are diverse, and none of them are like the others.
We have I Ate The Whole World To Find You which is about a swimmer getting ready for the Olympics, and a chef who provides said swimmer with food during his days at the pool. This is pure fanfiction material, and I spent the entire story with a huge smile on my face. They are boys, they are idiots, they are gay, and it is absolutely beautiful. It also made me want all of the food. (and yes there is the asshole coach and asshole sponsors, but they just set off the goodness even more.)
Then there is The August Sands. We follow Tommy, a gay boy on summer holiday with his family, before going off to college, which is something he struggles with. He struggles with his identity a lot and then he meets Chase, a confident boy who has no qualms in expressing interest. This story focuses on Tommy's struggles, and how he comes to terms with himself, while experiencing romance for the first time. Note that him coming to terms with himself is not about his sexuality! It's actually about who he is as a person, and being scared of change.
Next, we have Love in the Time of Coffee which follows Gemma and Anya from the time they were heading to school for the very first time, to them in college. You move through the story by the coffee they drink, which I actually really loved- and I find coffee absolutely gross, haha! I just really loved the set up of it, and I wonder if the book this is inspired by (Love in the time of Cholera) has a similar set up. Gemma is gay, and has been in love with her best friend Anya for ages. Anya, on the other hand, has a boyfriend, which is pretty serious. Lesbian and bi rep, here, y'all! Also, the ending is super cute hdfjksdgalsdf
Last, but certainly not least, we have Gilded Scales. This story is like nothing you would expect. It's the only one that's not contemporary, or even modern. It's fantasy, loud and clear, as there is a dragon. Yep, you read that right: there is a DRAGON! Besides the dragon there is a girl who wants desperately to be a warrior, but whose village won't let her and only wants her to marry and settle down. When a dragon is discovered, she volunteers to help save the girl the dragon is keeping prisoner. SPOILER ALERT (but not really a spoiler it's in the summary): the dragon and the girl are one and the same. This story is very subtle on the romance front, but you just know where they're headed. Safe to say, this story was nothing like I had imagined- I have never read a dragon like this and I loved it!
Add to the that the gorgeous cover and I'm in love. So in love I read this in one sitting and am still writing this review at 3:30am while my laptop is dying. Would wholeheartedly recommend, especially if you're in need of (queer!) feel good stories!