Saundra Mitchell

Take a journey through time and genres to discover stories where queer teens live, love and shape the world around them. Seventeen young adult authors across the queer spectrum have come together to create a collection of beautifully written diverse historical fiction for teens. From a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood set in war-torn 1870s Mexico featuring a transgender soldier, to two girls falling in love while mourning the death of Kurt Cobain, forbidden love in a sixteenth-century Spanish convent or an asexual girl discovering her identity amid the 1970s roller-disco scene, All Out tells a diverse range of stories across cultures, time periods and identities, shedding light on an area of history often ignored or forgotten. "Readers searching for positive, nuanced, and authentic queer representation--or just a darn good selection of stories--need look no further than this superb collection." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review Featuring original stories from:Malinda Lo Mackenzi Lee Robin Talley Kody Keplinger Elliot Wake Anna-Marie McLemore Shaun David Hutchinson Dahlia Adler Tess Sharpe Kate Scelsa Natalie C. Parker Sara Farizan Nilah Magruder Tessa Gratton Tehlor Kay Mejia Alex Sanchez Scott Tracey

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

garnet

mid. thought it would be a lot better than it was :(

Katherine Yang

loved this so much!! there was so much variety but always so sweet and wonderful. really excited to use this to find other queer fiction from these writers!!

Take a journey through time and genres to discover stories where queer teens live, love, and shape the world around them. Seventeen young adult authors across the queer spectrum have come together to create a collection of beautifully written diverse historical fiction for teens. From a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood set in war-torn 1870s Mexico featuring a transgender soldier…to two girls falling in love while mourning the death of Kurt Cobain…to forbidden love in a sixteenth-century Spanish convent…and an asexual girl discovering her identity amid the 1970s roller-disco scene, All Out tells a diverse range of stories across cultures, time periods, and identities, shedding light on an area of history often ignored or forgotten. “Readers searching for positive, nuanced, and authentic queer representation—or just a darn good selection of stories—need look no further than this superb collection.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review Featuring original stories from: Malinda Lo Mackenzi Lee Robin Talley Kody Keplinger Elliot Wake Anna-Marie McLemore Shaun David Hutchinson Dahlia Adler Tess Sharpe Kate Scelsa Natalie C. Parker Sara Farizan Nilah Magruder Tessa Gratton Tehlor Kay Mejia Alex Sanchez Scott Tracey Don’t miss the companion anthology, Out Now edited by Saundra Mitchell, which features seventeen new contemporary short stories from queer YA authors!

All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens throughout the Ages

Maga P

I was really looking forward to allotting some time to read this since it's been on my to-read list for Ages. Overall it's an enjoyable anthology and I'll definitely look up some of the authors here so I can read more of them.

I will say though, I was expecting and would've liked a little more variety in terms of BIPOC (out of 17 stories only 7 feature non-white characters) as well as more trans/nb (3 out of 17 stories) and disabled narratives (1 out of 17) since this anthology was supposed to have visibility front and center. 

And At Least a warning for the pedophilia in one of the stories.

Noteworthy stories (♢ liked; ❥ loved) 

❥ Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore 
♢ The Dresser & The Chambermaid by Robin Talley
❥ Burnt Umber by Mackenzi Lee 
❥ New Year by Malinda Lo
♢ Molly's Lips by Dahlia Adler
❥ Willows by Scott Tracey  
♢ The Girl With The Blue Lantern by Tess Sharpe 
♢ Walking After Midnight by Kody Keplinger 
♢ The End of the World As We Know It by Sara Farizan
❥ Three Witches by Tessa Gratton
❥ The Inferno & the Butterfly by Shaun David Hutchinson  
❥ Healing Rosa by Tehlor Kay Mejia 

Every Shade of Red by Elliot Wake was written beautifully and I Adored the concept to bits but the descriptions and the way some of the characters of color were portrayed left me... With a weird taste.

Also, pedophilia warning for The Secret Life of a Teenage Boy by Alex Sanchez because it, sure is about a 16 year old mc planning to run away with a college aged guy he just met... And the adult reciprocating said advances. I know it's a coming of age story but it being framed so fondly and longingly made me the more anxious. 

That being said, I'm excited for the follow up and I hope they did better to improve the pitfalls of this one.

menna

i don't really enjoy reading anthologys that much because i usually want more of the story. but this one had amazing ones and i fell in love with them!

[Completed my Arithmancy exams for the OWLs Magical Readathon✨]

Emelie

jess

This anthology combined two of my absolute favourite things: historical fiction and stories about queer people, which tend not to mix well. It's understandable, though certainly not an excuse: mainstream acceptance of queer people began, what, 2010? In my lifetime, if not in my recent memory. So reading this anthology was so, so lovely. Queer people have always existed. Queer people have had the ability to be both happy and queer. And I loved how all the wonderful authors in this story showed that. 

Even though I really loved that many authors didn't write about solely European/American history, I would have liked to see more diversity in time periods and places? (Though I honestly shouldn't be complaining; I'm inordinately interested in European history.) I really wanted to see some ancient Rome or Greece from this, or pre-colonial places. There were a lot of late twentieth century stories - and this is absolutely personal preference, but late nineteenth century America is fairly boring to me as a historical setting. No one decided to tackle anything before the Early Modern Era. I did like the stories set in colonial Mexico, though - definitely an era I need to learn more about. Some of the stories had more of a historical presence than others. 

I was really glad that even though many of the stories were set in European or American settings, people of colour were featured as well. Also, the range of queer identities represented was amazing: even though there may not have been words for asexuality, demisexuality, genderfluidity, or pansexuality, they were all wonderfully represented. 

Some of my favourites, in order of appearance: 
- "The Sweet Trade" by Natalie C. Parker: This was so cute, and I am so, so weak for lesbian pirates. Always. The writing was very good and felt historical, which I thought was super important. 
- "Burnt Umber" by Mackenzi Lee: And now I'm going to ignore my previous point and say that - even though Lee's historical fiction voice feels very modern, it's still so wonderful. Mackenzi Lee had me screaming and wanting to hide due to second hand embarrassment. Also, I love the Dutch Golden Age and it isn't a very well-known era, so to see this tackled was very nice. 
- "The Dresser and the Chambermaid" by Robin Talley: I really enjoyed this partially because we see so little fiction that explores the lives of servants, and also the romance was really sweet. 
- "Every Shade of Red" by Elliot Wake: This retelling of Robin Hood made my jaw drop. It was so well-written and soft and beautiful. 
- "Walking After Midnight" by Kody Keplinger: This was the sweetest, softest beginning to a romance that hade me grinning from ear to ear. This story felt really anchored in the fifties, the Hollywood Golden Age - even though it took place far from Hollywood - and it was so, so beautiful.

Inga Kühn 

Ich glaube während meiner wattpad Phase hätte mir das Buch deutlich besser gefallen.

Archita Birla

I really loved the premise of this, and I think I wanted to like it more than I actually did. Some of the stories were really lovely but some of them fell a little flat for me. I wish that there had been more m/m stories + I wish that each story had detailed a little premise, as they are all so different from each other.

Grace O'Callaghan

When I averaged it out this book wasn’t 5 stars, but as an anthology with no story under 4 stars, that is as perfect as you’re going to get. This anthology was an absolute pleasure to read. Light hearted whilst also talking about serious topic, it explores queer teens that history has forgotten. Of course it’s fiction, but these stories could have quite easily been real, I guess we’ll never know. An incredibly diverse read in all areas such as race, sexuality, gender, class and more. My only complaint was that it was only set in Europe and North America. Would’ve loved to see some more countries, but this is only a minor gripe. Despite all the stories being 20 pages or so they all had interesting plots, compelling main characters, and wonderful writing. I did write a mini review on each story, but don’t feel inclined to read all of them.

Roja by Anna Marie McLemore: 5/5 ⭐️
A beautiful romance set in Mexico inspired by Little Red Riding Hood and the story of Leonarda Emilia, an outlaw who flashed her breasts at men she robbed to show them they’d been bested by the ‘inferior sex’. The story is better known as La Carambada. With stunning writing, McLemore has created a fairytale for queer readers. I cannot wait to read more of her work.

The Sweet Trade by Natalie C. Parker: 4.5/5 ⭐️
‘Clara Elizabeth Byrd has been married twice by the Ava of sixteen and she had decided that she had no taste for it.’ This opening line sums up this whole story. Without revealing too much, we follow two queer girls as they set their sights on piracy over marriage. You don’t see many stories with female pirates, historical or fictional. It was wonderful of Natalie C. Parker to write a much needed narrative that women are just as capable of becoming pirates.

They Don’t Kiss At the End by Nilah Magruder: 4/5 ⭐️
The brilliant title says it all. This is not about lust and sex but just a sweet and adorable story set in the 1970s. Our main character is Dee who’s trying to sort out her feelings in a time where the word ‘asexual’ wasn’t all that common. This was such a delightful tale, I particularly enjoyed the ‘Pride and Prejudice’ references and a skating rink was the perfect backdrop for the story.

Burnt Umber by Mackenzi Lee: 5/5 ⭐️
Lee’s writing was as witty and comical as ever in this cheeky story set in the 17th century. Constantijn is very good at not getting distracted when drawing women, men on the other hand, not so much. Such an amusing read, I smiled the whole way whilst reading it. There’s also a lot of awkward sexual tension which is cringey but at the same adorable to read about.

The Dresser and the Chambermaid by Robin Talley: 4.5/5 ⭐️
Talley delivers us a warm and delightful read about two servant girls in Kensington Palace. Again, such an adorable read. I also really liked that the people that saw Susanna and Mary together accepted it as if it was completely normal back in the 18th century. It was just so lovely that even if it is fiction, their relationship wasn’t punished.

New Year by Malinda Lo: 4/5 ⭐️
Malinda Lo gives us an impactful story about a young Chinese American teen set in 1950s San Francisco. Not only is this story about a gay girl, it’s also about how Chinese people were seen by Americans in this time period. Our main character, Lily, wants to do more with her life and get out of Chinatown. My favourite part about this story was Lily’s aunt Judy. Obviously she’s fictional, but she was inspired by a woman named Helen who was one of the first Asian-American women to help humans get into space. 

Molly’s Lips by Dahlia Adler: 4.5/5 ⭐️
Set in Seattle, two days after Kurt Cobain’s body was found, two girls find love and confidence in Nirvana’s lyrics to admit their true feelings for each other. Adler gives us a short but powerful story dedicated to her love for Nirvana. 

The Coven by Kate Scelsa: 4.5/5 ⭐️
In 1920s Paris we follow two young women trying to figure out who they are to one another. Seeking help they go to Gertrude Stein (an actual writer who lived in Paris at this time) and her partner, Alice B. Toklas, who take them to meet a coven of witches. A very eerie story with the wonderful setting of Paris.

Every Shade of Red by Elliot Wake: 5/5 ⭐️
This was a wonderful retelling of the Robin Hood story. I always love stories that include a band of misfits and/or thieves, and this was no exception. Will Scarlet is deaf and in love with Robin. This was just a lovely and diverse read. Different races and girls are among the merry ‘men’ as well as the Sheriff of Nottingham being a woman. It was just a nice twist on the classic. I did not see the ending coming and may be my favourite of all the stories in this book. 

The Willows by Scott Tracey: 4/5 ⭐️
The Willows is a dark story set in the town of Southwyck, where the cursed are made to jump off the cliff into the treacherous waters below. Benjamin is one of the cursed, and with the help of Sebastian, they try to flee from the town’s people. This was so dark and enjoyable. I couldn’t give it a higher rating as I was a bit confused at times, but overall great.

The Girl with the Blue Lantern by Tess Sharpe: 4/5 ⭐️
Set in North California during the gold rush, we follow Ella, who wonders into the mysterious woods after her dog. She comes across a strange sprite-like creature and romance ensues. All about love, escapism and acceptance. Truly captivating.

The Secret Life of a Teenage Boy by Alex Sanchez: 4.5/5 ⭐️
This story is an ode to a very important year in queer history, 1969. Julio is in the closet and doesn’t know how to tell his family that he’s gay. But when Cliff, a free spirited stranger, appears on his doorstep he might be just the person to give Julio the push he needs. Absolutely loved this one, just a beautiful coming out tale.

Walking After Midnight by Kody Keplinger: 4.5/5 ⭐️
Usually I’m not the biggest fan of the ‘two strangers stay up all night talking’ trope, but in this I loved it. Betsy Burns was a child actress who hasn’t made any more success off her early career and is now in New York, trying to become a broadway actress. Laura has lived in the same town all her life working at the family diner and is afraid she’ll never go anywhere. One night, these two strangers meet and discover many things about each other and themselves. Such a heartwarming tale. Keplinger describes Betsy as graysexual which is really great and something I’ve never read about before.

The End of the World as We Know It by Sara Farizan: 4.5/5 ⭐️
It’s New Years Eve, 1999. Former best friends Ezgi and Katie have left a lot unsaid between them, so when the daunting year of 2000 approaches, Katie tries to make amends. I know I keep saying it but this was so sweet. I really loved that it was set on New Years Eve as it’s a time to let go and move on.

Three Witches by Tessa Gratton: 5/5 ⭐️
A very unique and interesting story compared to all the other stories in this book. It’s a lot darker and more raw than the others. Violante has been sent to a group of medieval nuns by her brother as she has ‘unnatural desires’. We see Violante and a nun, Gracia fall in lust (and potentially in love) with one another. This story conveys raw emotion and lust surrounding queer women, during a time when queerness of any kind was deemed unholy. Really interesting to see how religion played into these misconceptions.

The Inferno and the Butterfly by Shaun David Hutchinson: 5/5 ⭐️
This was automatically 5/5 stars from the instant I started reading it. Alfie tells us the story of how he became a street urchin to a magician’s assistant. He’s blinded by his love for his master, that is, until he meets Wilhelm. A story of love, magic and the impossible, Shaun David Hutchinson is an author I have to read more from.

Healing Rosa by Tehlor Kay Mejia: 5/5 ⭐️
‘Rosa was a summer girl, and I was a winter girl, but that fall we made magic.’ If this opening sentence doesn’t hook you I don’t know what will. The most beautiful and heartbreaking tale of love, loss and grief. The writing is absolutely exquisite and so evocative. The perfect ending to a perfect anthology.

All in all, the perfectly queer historical fiction anthology we all needed. Could not recommend it more.

Fallon Nicole

Looking forward to Out Now and Out There even more now. I discovered some new authors that I'll be checking out in the future and all of the stories were good in my opinion. 

Rankings: 
Healing Rosa (5 stars)
Roja (5 stars)
The Sweet Trade (5 stars)
Walking After Midnight (5 stars)
And They Don't Kiss at the End (5 stars) 
The Girl with the Blue Lantern (5 stars)
Three Witches (5 stars)
The Inferno and The Butterfly (5 stars)
Willows (5 stars)
Every Shade of Red (5 stars)
Molly's Lips (5 stars)
New Year (4 stars)
The Coven (4 stars)
The End of the World as We Know it (4 stars)
The Dresser and the Chambermaid (3 stars)
Burnt Umber (3 stars)
The Secret Life of a Teenage Boy (3 stars)

Lauren

There were a couple of really great stand-out stories but overall most of them left me a little underwhelmed.

Erin 

3.5-4 stars overall. This was slightly different than I expected it to be, but not necessarily in a bad way, just different. For some reason I presumed it was non-fiction, and was pleasantly surprised when it was not. I generally veer away from short story collections because they're generally hit-or-miss for me, but this one wasn't bad at all. I loved the historical/geographical diversity here. And also the intended LGBTQ+ diversity!! Bravo, authors. The only qualm I have (and it's just a picky geeky historical thing) is that I'm not overly fond of books/stories set in the past with super modern contemporary language. But I wouldn't change it for this book, because that's not the point of this story collection at all. And frankly, most people find it a bit boring to have historically-accurate dialogue and language, so if having contemporary speech in 1513 is what gets people to read this book, then I am all for it. Some of the stories were wonderful and fabulous and as soon as I finish this review, I'm going to be sending letters to the authors begging them to continue writing about these characters, because I was left hanging for so much more. Others, unfortunately, were a bit forgettable, and I found a lot of them blending together. Don't get me wrong, they all had excellent premise and rep, but I guess if everything is great, maybe nothing is?? I'm not sure. Anyway: a brief story by story breakdown for your pleasure:

Roja: 3 stars. Poetic, but not my favourite.
The Sweet Trade: 5 GINORMOUS SPARKLING STARS.
And They Don't Kiss at the End: 4 stars, because the ace rep was Awesome. Which makes me realise that even though this is my second year reading only LGBTQ+ books in the month of June, the number of books with an ace main character that I've read is zero.
Burnt Umber: 5 stars. I really really want to read so much more of this. Please please please!!
The Dresser and the Chambermaid: 5 stars. The language is all wrong for the time period but I don't care. It's great and I wish this was a full-on book.
New Year: 4 stars.
Molly's Lips: 3.5 stars.
The Coven: 3.5 stars (this is the part where they all started to blend together, oops).
Every Shade of Red: 4.5 stars. The rep is fantastic, but the plot feels unfinished (as is the curse of every short story ever). But has the BEST PLOT TWIST OF ALL TIME
Willows: 3.5 stars. A bit too poetic, and I didn't really grasp the plot.
The Girl with the Blue Lantern: 5 stars.
The Secret Life of the Teenage Boy: 3.5 stars. Fine, but nothing special.
Walking After Midnight: 5 stars!!!!! Um!!!! Excuse me!!! Who gave you the right!!!
The End of the World As We Know It: 3.5 stars. 
Three Witches: 3 stars?? I guess?? This one wasn't even in my original review, because I completely forgot about it.
The Inferno & The Butterfly: 2 stars. Let me tell you this: I read someone else's review, realised I had completely forgotten about this one, went to go edit my own review to include it, and in the .2 seconds it took for me to open my own review, I had already forgotten what this one was about. Again.
Healing Rosa: 3.5 stars. It was okay, but I basically skimmed it because I really wanted to finish the book.

Anyway, happy Pride!!

Les Reynolds

A few interesting and well done stories, in between a lot of “they meet, fall in love (without knowing anything about each other), and proceed to make out, etc.