ricarda_reads 's review for:

All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages by Saundra Mitchell

3.0

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I had my eye on this anthology for literal years and now that I finally read it, I have to call it a bit of a letdown, unfortunately. Most stories were just fine to me. I don't even know what my problem was. Maybe I simply don't like anthologies as much as I want to, or maybe I just can't deal with YA in this format. The queer representation was very nice and varied, but many stories felt rushed or underdeveloped, especially when they tried to sell me a plausible love story within 30-something pages. I did like "The Dresser & the Chambermaid" by Robin Talley, about two girls in the service of a princess, "Every Shade of Red" by Elliot Wake, the most diverse Robin Hood reimagining ever, and "The Inferno & the Butterfly" by Shaun David Hutchinson, about a magician's assistant who is sent to uncover the trick of a rival but discovers a magical boy instead.