This lovely YA anthology holds thirteen stories all taking place during the magical hours between dusk and dawn when just about everything can happen. It was such a sweet, well-written and wonderfully inclusive collection of stories, with characters that were non-binary, bi, gay and lesbian, disabled or dealing with mental health issues and problems like how to come out when you are a superhero. It was a very solid collection with stories that were all highly entertaining, yet all very different, and all with added depths or twists and with a wonderful flow. I really liked the unique angle to focus on a specific time for all stories, and how they all managed to give you that feeling of being the only people in the world, the magic when the familiar drops away and how the night is a time for romance and adventure. As in all anthologies there were stories that I enjoyed more than others, but they were all very well written and added something unique. I especially appreciated the diversity of the stories and how they were all so different from one another, but how they all had some angle of queer or POC representation, disabilities or mental illness. Sometime as the main part of the story, but more often as a side detail or description of the characters without making a big deal of it, which I really found refreshing. My favorites were Creature Capture by Laura Silverman, When You Bring a Dog to Prom by Anna Meriano and Under Our Masks by Julian Winters.
Creature Capture by Laura Silverman was such a sweet story about the fear of making new friends, of showing your true self and taking chances. It had such a great friendship between Abby and Curtis without any hidden feelings. A boy and a girl really can be just friends. And I loved the important message about being true to who you are and not let anyone make you feel embarrassed for not wanting the same thing as everyone else. When You Bring a Dog to Prom by Anna Meriano was a sassy second chance story about how “heteronormative bullshit” like proms can be the perfect kind of different and make dreams come true for real. Great queer representation and a wonderful non-binary character with an emotional support dog. Under Our Masks by Julian Winters was the cutest of them all! It was such a sweet story about how superheroes get crushes too and feel vulnerable about coming out. “I’m Raven but I’m also a boy with a crush who’s scared to disappoint his family or end up alone.” I also really enjoyed Never Have I Ever by Karen McManus, it was such an addictive story with a twist I never saw coming, Kiss the Boy by Amanda Joy, which was a delightful story about finally being brave enough to go after your all high school crush, and the cute second chance story Old Rifts and Snowdrifts by Kayla Whaley with its strong and lovable disabled bi main character. I also want to mention Con Nights, Parallel Hearts by Marieke Nijkamp for being such a gripping story about the scars from child abuse, about friendship and found families and about the empowerment of sharing your darkest secrets and leave them behind. I only felt that I’d wanted a little more flow in the writing style for it to be fully as gripping as it could have been. Another story with wonderful representation that deserves a special mention was A Place to Start by Nina LaCour. This was a story about new families, with non-binary and lesbian characters, and about how something you don’t think you want could turn into the best thing when Claude’s and Jamie’s mothers get married. All in all, this was such a delightful, fun and sweet collection of YA stories that each had their distinct flavor and were all full of surprises, adventures, twists and with amazing representation and relatable characters! Highly recommended! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC and Algonquin Young Readers for the blog tour invitation for this wonderful book! All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Rating: 4.5 dazzling stars rounding up to 5 Get your own copy: Amazon • Barnes & Noble • Indiebound • Book Depository • Add on Goodreads Connect with Laura Silverman: Website • Twitter • Instagram
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CategoriesAll 1 Star 2 Stars 3 Stars 4 Stars 5 Stars Abbi Glines Abdi Nazemian Adam Silvera Adib Khorram Aiden Thomas Aisha Saeed Aislinn Brophy AJ Collins Alexandra Christo Alex Beltran Alexene Farol Follmuth Alexis Hall Alex Kelly Alex Sanchez Alice Dolman Alice Oseman Ali Hazelwood Alison Cochrun Al Riske Alwyn Hamilton Amanda Ferreira A. Meredith Walters Amy Aislin Amy Harmon Amy S. Foster Amy Spalding André Aciman Andy V Roamer Angie Thomas Annabeth Albert A. Poland Ashley Poston Ashley Woodfolk Ashlyn Kane Audrey Coulthurst Ban Gilmartin Becca Fitzpatrick Becky Albertalli Benjamin Alire Saenz Beth Bolden Bill Konigsberg B.L. Maxwell Briar Prescott Bri Spicer Brooke Skipstone Cale Dietrich Cara Dee Casey McQuiston Cassandra Clare C.F. White C.G. Drews Charlie Adhara Charli Meadows Chasten Buttigieg Chris Bedell Christina Lauren Ciara Smyth Clarissa Pattern C.L. Beaumont Colette Davison Colleen Hoover Courtney Kae Crystal Frasier C.S. Pacat Dallas Smith Daven McQueen David Biddle David Yoon Dean Atta Debbie McGowan Debbie Rigaud Debbie Schrack Deborah Harkness Delia Owens D.G. Carothers Dhonielle Clayton D.N. Bryn Douglas Stuart Dustin Thao Elisa A. Bonnin Elizabeth Acevedo Elizabeth Arroyo Elle Kennedy Elle Wright E.L. Massey E. Lockhart Emery Lee Emily M. Danforth Emily Mims Erin Watt Ernest Cline Evan J. Corbin Eve Morton Everina Maxwell Evie Dunmore Felice Stevens F.T. Lukens Grace Williams Gwen Martin Hannah Grace Hanya Yanagihara Hayden Stone Heather Truett H.E. Edgmon Hettie Bell Holly Black Hope Irving H.S. Valley Hudson Lin Ingrid Sterling Jacqueline Lee Jacqueline Woodson James L. Sutter Jamie Deacon Jandy Nelson Jax Calder Jay Hogan Jeanette Winterson Jeff Zentner Jen Bailey Jenna Evans Welch Jenn Burke Jennifer E. Smith Jennifer G. Edelson Jennifer Gilmore Jennifer Iacopelli Jennifer Kropf Jennifer Niven Jenny Downham Jenny Han Jeremy Ray Jesse H. Reign Joelle Lynne John Green Jonny Garza Villa Julianne Donaldson Julian Winters Kacen Callender Kami Garcia Kara Leigh Miller Kasie West Kate Larkindale Katharine McGee Kathleen Mareé Kathy Anderson KD Casey Kendall Grey Kevin Van Whye Kiley Reid Kim Fielding Kim Holden Kim Liggett Kitty Bardot Kris Ripper K.S. Marsden Laura Hall Laura Pavlov Laura Silverman Lauren James Lauren Shippen Laurie Frankel Leah Johnson Lee Matthew Goldberg Leigh Bardugo Leylah Attar Lisa Henry Lisa Williamson Lisa Wingate Liv Rancourt Liz Plum Lola Noire Lynn Michaels Mackenzi Lee Madeline Miller Magdalena Di Sotru Maggie Doolin Maggie Stiefvater Malin Persson Giolito Malorie Blackman Margaret Stohl Marie Lu Mary E. Pearson Mason Deaver Matthew R. Corr Melina Marchetta Meredith Russo Miel Moreland Mila Gray Miranda Kenneally Moa Backe Astot Morgan James M. Tasia Nancy Garden Natalie Haynes Nathaniel Shea Nicholas Sparks Nicola Yoon Nic Starr Nic Stone Nina Kenwood Nita Tyndall Nora Sakavic N.R. Walker Nyla K. Owen Lach Penny Aimes Phil Stamper Quinn Anderson Rachael Brownell Rachael Lippincott Rachel Hawkins Racquel Marie Rainbow Rowell Ray Stoeve Renée Dahlia Rhiannon Wilde Riley Hart River Braun Roan Parrish Robin Gow Roseanne A. Brown Rowan MacKemsley Ruby Moone Ruta Sepetys Ryan La Sala Sally Green Sally Rooney Sarah J. Maas Sarah Waters Sarina Bowen Sasha Laurens Saundra Mitchell Saxon James Serena Bell Shannon O’Connor Sidney Bell Simone Elkeles Siryn Sueng Sophia DeRise Sophia Soames Sophie Gonzales S.R. Lane Stephen Chbosky Stephenie Meyer Steven Salvatore Susan Mac Nicol Suzanne Collins Tahereh Mafi Tal Bauer Tamara Girardi Taylor Jenkins Reid Teagan Hunter Terry J. Benton-Walker Tiffany D. Jackson Timothy Janovsky T.J. Klune T.L. Bradford Tobly McSmith Tomasz Jedrowski Tomi Adeyemi Tracy Deonn Tucker Shaw Val Wise Veronica Rossi Veronica Roth V.E. Schwab Wesley Chu Victor Dixen Victoria Aveyard V.L. Stuart Xan Van Rooyen Yamile Saied Méndez Archives
May 2023
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