Angie Thomas

Nic Stone

Tiffany D. Jackson

Nicola Yoon

Dhonielle Clayton

Ashley Woodfolk

Six critically acclaimed, bestselling, and award-winning authors bring the glowing warmth and electricity of Black teen love to this interlinked novel of charming, hilarious, and heartwarming stories that shine a bright light through the dark. A summer heatwave blankets New York City in darkness. But as the city is thrown into confusion, a different kind of electricity sparks... A first meeting. Long-time friends. Bitter exes. And maybe the beginning of something new. When the lights go out, people reveal hidden truths. Love blossoms, friendship transforms, and new possibilities take flight. Beloved authors--Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon--celebrate the beauty of six couples and the unforgettable magic that can be found on a sweltering starry night in the city.

Blackout

Helena-Elisabeth 

 »Es ist leichter, was Negatives zu glauben als was Positives.«

ingrid 

SO CUTEEEE I loved how everyone was connected <33

Claudia Sinclair.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book and I love how the narrators ( there were different narrators for each chapter ) conveyed everything felt so enthusiastic. I mean, they sounded like a teenager who was eager about bringing to light their life, which sounds very much like teenagers. And because of that, listening to this book felt like someone giving you their warmest hug and reminding you that you are not alone, you’re never alone. I love every chapter in this book, to the point that I want to meet them all.

Melissa Palmer

Good collection of short stories by diverse authors, all of which connect together. I think HS readers would enjoy this book. I recommend it.

Jule

NYC erliegt einer Hitzewelle und erlebt einen Blackout - die Stadt liegt für einige Stunden im Dunkeln. Während des Stromausfalls lernen wir verschiedene Charaktere kennen, deren Geschichten mehr oder weniger zusammenhängen und zuletzt am selben Punkt zusammenlaufen.

Alle Charaktere sind Teil einer großen, bunten, inklusiven Gemeinschaft. Die Kapitel besprechen Themen wie Liebe, Herzschmerz sowie Sexualität an, mit dem Schwerpunkt auf Glück und Freude.

Das Buch ist aus einer Idee während der Pandemie entstanden und ich fand es sehr charmant und passend für lange Sommerabende. Die Geschichten ähnelten sich in meinen Augen sehr. Hätten die Namen der Autorinnen also nicht über den jeweiligen Geschichten gestanden, wäre mir keine auf Grundlage vorheriger Werke stilistisch ins Auge gestochen.

Unterm Strich aber ein schönes Projekt, welches den Fokus auf Liebe und Freundschaft von POC setzt. Erschienen im cbj-Verlag ist es auch für junge Leser:innen zu empfehlen.

Kelsey Munson

This was so CHARMING and perfect for a late night summer read. 

I loved the layout of this book, like little novellas that subtly intertwine together as we see how a blackout in NYC affects different groups of people on their way to a party. Each chapter stood out on its own, and I was rooting for all of the characters. Cute and fluffy romances, I wish this was longer.

Sarah Selvaratnam 

Perfectly lovely. A refreshing collection of love stories that connect beautifully, a quick easy read, and definitely one to pick up.

Alexa M

objectively this is a good book however........... i am not a fan of YA contemporary/YA romance. at all. so this was extremely boring for me. giving it a 3 because its not a bad book in any way, just not for me.

Sven Test

I wanted so much more! The characters and story were amazing!

mafe

3.5/5 ⭐️ 
before saying anything: goodreads please update to give half stars to books anyway

the stories could have been better worked but i loved how unique every story was and how they were connected at the end of the book, i wanted more of that. nicola was definitely my favorite i love her way to write

Elizabeth Hagenlocher

This was a really nice collection, and I loved how the stories all connected with each other in this intricate way. You can tell a lot of care was poured into this. I really found myself rooting for each of the characters, and their respective love stories. And the Blackout theme added a nice quality—a scenario like that really would cause everyone to stop and examine what’s in front of them, especially if they’ve been avoiding it. I know that’s how the pandemic/lockdown felt for me.

Some stories were stronger than others, as is typical of anthologies. Here is my ranking though, from most enjoyable to least, in my opinion. 

1. Made to Fit by Ashley Woodfolk
This was just a really sweet sapphic story about two really big-hearted girls. I’m not usually an Insta-love fan (funny, since my spouse and I were literally Insta-love), but I found their relationship very honest. They hype each other up and remind each other of the exceptional parts of themselves they kinda forgot long the way. This one was just very special to me. 

2. Seymour and Grace by Nicola Yoon
Another “Insta-love” that was just super sweet. Definitely a fan of their ride-share meet cute. The Ship of Thesus undertone was also a profound way to set the tone. Both characters, in a way, were struggling to navigate shifting relationships. And in that way, they helped each other to see how they’ve grown and changed in good ways, and appreciate that about one another. 

3. No Sleep Till Brooklyn by Angie Thomas
A story about a girl caught in between two love interests, one of which she’s been in a relationship with for some time. And she wonders if maybe she’s missing out on something. I know that yes, it’s emotional cheating, but so also believe that it’s relatable for young people who are still figuring themselves out. I know as a teen I was caught up in something similar, and it’s really difficult to navigate something like that. Ultimately, I love that Kayla chose herself, and decided to take some space from both to learn more about herself.

4. All the Great Love Stories…And Dust by Dhonielle Clayton
A cute story about two lifelong friends with a competitive streak. I loved the characterization of Lana, and how she had this interesting way of seeing the world. And the footnotes were awesome. I found myself a bit confused about the “bet” between her and Tristán—to find the best book ever. If he’s as competitive as she says, why would he concede to her? Because this is the type of beg that isn’t exactly objective, like a bike race or something. It’s really Lena’s plan to confess her feelings for Tristán, who is apparently a serial monogamist. The conclusion of the story was cute, I just think that if we had spent a little time in Tristán’s mind it would have been better. 

5. The Long Walk by Tiffany D. Jackson 
This story was interspersed between the other stories, in 5 parts. I honestly really enjoyed the way this story wove in and out of the others, like we were dropping in to see how the walk was going (as they basically trekked from one end of the city to another). And I found myself most interested in the end, when we see the characters connect in a real way. But to me finding out that the whole thing was a big miscommunication annoyed me just a little. Tammi, Kareem’s ex, thought he was dating someone else during the whole walk, and he didn’t correct her until the very end. Then said, “What didn’t you know?” Obviously not, when Tammi continued to make comments about the girl she thought you were dating, Kareem. Apart from the miscommunication, I did think there story was sweet, I just really don’t enjoy that plot point in general. 

6. Mask Off by Nic Stone
I enjoyed the story about two boys harboring secret crushes on one another. I also enjoyed the exploration of masculinity and male bisexuality. I think these are really important topics to explore. I also love that J.J. is attentive when it comes to Tremaine’s claustrophobia. I just wasn’t as into this story as the others. Some parts seemed tacked on in an awkward way, like especially JJ’s fixation on public breastfeeding. Not in a creepy way…but I also don’t think the way it was written was realistically how a teen boy would think about it? I’d imagine it would be more of a nod and a “right on,” than a whole tangent about it. Anyway, I think it is an important story, just of the bunch it wasn’t my favorite.

Emi Gilmore 

I'm giving this 3 stars, since that's right in the middle and there's some stories I didn't love as much, but this was wayyyy to cute.

Makena Whitaker

I absolutely loved this book 🥰 I can wait to see this on the big screen!! Enjoy this lovely ☺️ tail of black love!!

Meagan Laird 

The way all of these different authors made such a cohesive book of different stories is incredible! It was captivating and an incredibly good read!

KADY BURNS

Loved loved loved this book. All of the little novellas wrapped around the goal of getting to a block party during a blackout. Loved that it was all POC characters, and it included lgbtqia representation. I know nothing about NYC and it made me feel like I was there. Brava ladies

Brooke Barnett

I liked the stories and how the different authors combined their writing styles to create a cohesive book.

Tatiana Alvarez 

This book had some incredible and powerful authors who contributed to it, so that is what sold me. Angie Thomas and Nic Stone are some of my favorite humans ever.

The concept of this book is really interesting! The entirety of New York City has lost power. The book is a bird's eye view into the city and different couples, while following an overall main story line. I loved reading about the different storylines and sexual orientations in this book. It was fantastic and a quick read.

The audiobook has some really amazing people reading it, so I would definitely suggest listening to it!

Lena 

Harriet Moar-Smith

such a lovely listen, with the little crossovers in everyone's lives. Just a really nice telling of teenage love stories

Alice

Well that was sweet.

I thought it was going to be an anthology, but it's not quite? Most stories are one-chapter stories, and they are all somehow connected (e.g. by two characters who know each other, or who go to the same school), then there's one story divided into chapter that each separate two other stories. It's a nice format.

My favourite stories were Mask Off by Nic Stone, Seymour and Grace by Nicola Yoon and Made to Fit by Ashley Woodfolk (see this review for summaries). I've loved Nic Stone's writing, and I'll definitely check out her novels.

I don't think I can pinpoint what I liked about the book exactly, it's more of a general vibe. It reminded me of 
  Meet Cute
, which also features work by Dhonielle Clayton and Nicola Yoon.

Tiffany Robinson

This was so good! I love all the short stories and how they all connected. Great set of authors.

alice nunes

The Long Walk by Tiffany D. Jackson - 5/5 
Mask Off by Nic Stone -5/5
Made to Fit by Ashley Woodfolk - 2/5
All The Great Love Stories…and Dust by Dhonielle Clayton - 2/5
No Sleep Till Brooklyn by Angie Thomas- 5/5
Seymour and Grace- 3/5

General rating: 3.6 
(I rounded up to 4 here because this idea is so cool and important and this was genuinely so good, it’s just that some stories were not my thing)

this was the first time i've ever read an anthology and it was a wonderful introduction to what they can be. i loved seeing how each character and all the stories connected. truly a beautiful collection.

Alex Hill 

These six Black women are incredible and this book is incredible!

Blackout

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