Summer Days and Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories

by Stephanie Perkins (Editor), Leigh Bardugo, Francesca Lia Block

Maybe it's the long, lazy days, or maybe it's the heat making everyone a little bit crazy. Whatever the reason, summer is the perfect time for love to bloom. Summer Days & Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories, written by twelve bestselling young adult writers and edited by the international bestselling author Stephanie Perkins, will have you dreaming of sunset strolls by the lake. So set out your beach chair and grab your sunglasses. You have twelve reasons this summer to soak up the sun and fall in love.

Head, scales, tongue, tail / Leigh Bardugo --
The end of love / Nina LaCour --
Last stand at the Cinegore / Libba Bray --
Sick pleasure / Francesca Lia Block --
In ninety minutes, turn north / Stephanie Perkins --
Souvenirs / Tim Federle --
Inertia / Veronica Roth --
Love is the last resort / Jon Skovron --
Good luck and farewell / Brandy Colbert --
Brand new attraction / Cassandra Clare --
A thousand ways this could all go wrong / Jennifer E. Smith --
The map of tiny perfect things / Lev Grossman

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Short Stories, Contemporary, Anthologies, Fiction, Fantasy

388 pages, Hardcover

First published May 17, 2016

About the author

Hi, there! I'm Stephanie Perkins, and I wrote Anna and the French Kiss, Lola and the Boy Next Door, and Isla and the Happily Ever After. I also edited (and contributed a short story to) a romantic holiday anthology called My True Love Gave to Me and its companion anthology Summer Days and Summer Nights. My most recent releases are horror novels—There's Someone Inside Your House, which was adapted into a film for Netflix, and The Woods Are Always Watching. I'm currently at work on my next novel, which has not been publicly announced yet.

I don't check my Goodreads inbox! Better ways to reach me are listed here: http://stephanieperkins.com/about/

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/naturallyste...
Twitter: http://twitter.com/naturallysteph

Reviews

[Emily May · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great collection. It's so many things: diverse, creative, funny and sad. That's actually what surprised me most of all: overall, this was a very melancholy, bittersweet collection, especially when compared to the mostly fun and feel-good My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories. The cover makes it look very cutesy, but it tackles a lot of important issues.

"Head, Scales, Tongue, Tail" by Leigh Bardugo - 4.5/5
This was such a great place to start. Bardugo writes some of the best short stories and this bittersweet, summery love story about river spirits was no exception. It's full of blazing atmosphere and lyrical fairy tale quality, with an ending I didn't see coming. “The summer took on a different shape - a desperate, jagged shape, the rise and fall of a dragon’s back. The world felt full of hazards. Every song on every album bristled with portent.”

"The End of Love" by Nina Lacour - 4/5
A lovely lesbian romance about a girl whose parents are divorcing, so she escapes from home by attending summer school and going camping with new friends (and the object of her affection). It's sweet, touching and the atmosphere is full of summer possibility. “Just because a person reveals something to you about yourself doesn’t mean they’re meant to do more than that."

"Last Stand At the Cinegore" by Libba Bray - 2/5
This one didn't work as well for me. It's less romantic and atmospheric, choosing instead to be a silly, lighthearted ode to classic horror movies. Lots of quirky references and some funny moments, but most of the humour wasn't to my tastes. The plot felt a little scattered and messy too. “Your emotions get super weird after you’ve been hunted by demons and forced to banish your boss to hell.”

"Sick Pleasure" by Francesca Lia Block - 4/5
I'm still reeling from this story because it was one that snuck up on me. It doesn't end how you think it will and it left me feeling quite overwhelmed with emotion, especially after I spent most of the story thinking it was just "okay". It's a heady, drug-fuelled summer haze of a read, and the ending was one I couldn't stop thinking about. “It can be hard to understand why we run toward certain people and away from others at different times in our lives. Why we search so hard for that thing we are looking for, and then run so fast when we find it.”

‘‘In Ninety Minutes Turn North’’ by Stephanie Perkins - 3.5/5
Perkins' stories are just so damn cute. This continuation of her story in the winter anthology sees a return to the relationship between Marigold and North. In truth, I'm not sure we needed to return here and part of me would have liked to see something completely new, and yet it was still sweet and adorable. It's pretty obvious how the story will play out, but fun to watch it happen. She smiled. “You’ve always been my favourite character.”

‘‘Souvenirs’’ by Tim Federle - 3.5/5
This one made me sad. It's "break-up day" for Matt and Kieth before they part ways. The characters were well-drawn and developed in the small amount of page time the author had and it left me with a lot of emotions. It's a gay romance/break-up with Dickens references and a lingering bittersweetness. Our first kiss happened beneath a murky moon, with mosquitoes buzzing around me like a halo.

‘‘Inertia’’ by Veronica Roth - 2/5
I really didn't care for Roth's short. Arguably, this was the most creative of the bunch with a sci-fi setting and memory play, but it honestly felt like another Tris and Four story. Long, lacking in chemistry and quite boring for the most part. “Come on. This isn’t where the story starts.” He reached for my hand, and the scene changed.

‘‘Love is the Last Resort’’ by Jon Skovron - 3/5
Hmm, I quite enjoyed how this one played out, but there were way too many characters for a short story. Still, it was enjoyable and fit well with the summer theme - set in a vacation resort where a bunch of teens play at matchmaking. Very light, funny and breezy compared to the other stories. Dear reader, I want to assure you that this is not a story about love or romance, regardless of what you may have read on the cover.

‘‘Good Luck and Farewell’’ by Brandy Colbert - 4/5
Another quite dark tale that opens up on a Chicago beach, summer sun shining down and sand between the characters' toes. However, it soon becomes clear that all is not well and Rashida's beloved cousin is moving to San Francisco with her girlfriend. What follows is a story about grief, depression and race, offering up a diverse, important addition to the anthology. More about love in all forms, than simple romance. She loves me, but that’s a different kind of love, and it’s not enough to make her stay.

‘‘Brand New Attraction’’ by Cassandra Clare - 2/5
The only thing that saves this from 1 star is the description of the carnival. I guess I'm one of those people that enjoys the creepy glow of carnivals, the mysteries lurking in the Tunnel of Terror, and the talk of popcorn and cotton candy. Other than that, though, the story lacks a hook. And, given the opportunity to write any kind of love story, with any kind of love interest, Clare decides to write about two cousins? Not my thing. Yeah, yeah, I get that they aren't "blood-related", but still not my thing. I tried to decide if it was immoral to lust after your step-cousin. I figured it wasn't. We weren't actually related. No shared blood.

‘‘A Thousand Ways this Could All Go Wrong’’ by Jennifer E. Smith – 3.5/5
This story grew in strength as it progressed. Initially, I thought this was standard romance fare that one would expect from the author, but things are gradually revealed that will change our minds. I especially liked the way our perception of the male love interest shifts as new information is brought to light. Slow-burn and natural. "Well," he says with a shrug, "there was only ever two options. Either it was going to be fine or it wasn't."

‘‘The Map of Tiny Perfect Things’’ by Lev Grossman - 4/5
I really didn't expect to like this one so much after my bad experience with The Magicians, but maybe Grossman's writing style is more suited to shorts. I found this Groundhog Day love story intelligent, thought-provoking and different. Unlike many of the others, it keeps you asking questions until the end. Here we were, the last boy and girl on earth, and I couldn’t think of anything to say.

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[Nat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summer Days & Summer Nights includes twelve small stories that come together to be far greater than the sum of their parts.

Rating for each of the stories:
(From here on this review will contain spoilers.)

Head, Scales, Tongue, Tale by Leigh Bardugo- 4/5 stars

“There are monsters everywhere, tsigele,” she said. “It’s always good to know their names.”

It starts with Bardugo’s short story, which I was super excited for. I STILL think about Kaz from Six of Crows, so this tale made me even more giddy for Crooked Kingdom and revisiting Leigh’s worlds.

Magic Realism fills this realist world and it follows the events of Gracie, Eli, and Annalee Saperstein. I loved this tale because magical realism is my all-time favorite genre and combined with Leigh Bardugo’s talent, it instantly became one my favorite stories from the anthology.

Head, Scales, Tongue, Tail includes family, friendships, a hint of a crush, and a mysterious sea monster.

I loved how Leigh captured the start of a crush so damn perfectly:
“The ride home was like a kind of punishment—cool air rushing through the windows, the radio turned down low, this strange, unwanted feeling beating a new rhythm in her chest. The dark road spooled out in front of them. She wished she were home. She wished they would never stop driving.”

I did get a bit confused towards the end, but that beginning was so good— Ruth is still on my mind.

The End of Love by Nina LaCour- 2/5 stars

Flora is having a rough time with her parents divorcing and her indecision about everything. So to get out of the house for the summer, she decides to sign up for a geometry summer class where she meets her friends from freshman year, and even her old-time crush— Mimi Park.
I kind of despise geometry, so sitting through those lessons again inside someone else’s head was… interesting.
Also, I don’t know where the main character lives, but in what imaginary world does summer school feel like this:

“She reminds me of Alice in the tree, before she goes to Wonderland. I climb onto a branch and sit with my legs dangling. We could hurl ourselves into the ocean with just one push of our limbs, but it also feels safer, more peaceful, than any place has felt for a very long time.
It feels the way I thought summer school might feel.”

Summer school is one of the most stressful things that a high school student can go through (at least, in my case), so I don’t know why she thought it was going to be something magical??

Also also, the overall storyline felt a little rushed and the characters weren’t really memorable— I felt like they were trying too hard to be relatable/funny? But they all just sounded a bit too pretentious for me:

“So what compelled you to come camping with the misfits?” Travis asks.
“What makes you misfits?”
“Well, to begin,” Mimi says, “we’re all terrible at math.”
“And we’re all mixed,” Travis says. “Mimi’s half Korean American and half white, I’m half Mexican and half white, and Hope? Well, Hope’s got it rougher than anyone.”
Hope nods in mock solemnity and says, “Half French, half Dutch.”
“Besides all that,” Mimi says, “we’re, like, the only group of friends in the history of high school that has never had a fight, never fallen in love with each other, and never made out with another one’s significant other.”

Unfortunately, this one didn’t work in my favor.

Last Stand at the Cinegore by Libba Bray- 3.5/5 stars

“This is not a night for the tragedies of the past. This is about avoiding the tragedies of the future.”

It’s the last night before the old Cinegore Theater, a horror movie palace, is going to be pulverized into dust. Kevin is working the concession stand for the last time with his friend Dave and “the object of his unrequited affections”, Dani García.

“The Cinegore featured state-of-the-art details like Smell-O-Vision, Tingler shocker seats, skeletons that zoomed above the audience’s heads on an invisible wire, and the only screen outfitted for 3-D in a forty-mile radius. People used to come from as far away as Abilene to see a first run. ”
This sounds truly terrifying just from reading, I can’t even imagine how scary it is when you experience it.

For their last working night, the Cinegore screens “I Walk This Earth”, a seemingly cursed movie that has only a single existing copy, and it’s in the hands of this theater.

“All the people who worked on this movie died in mysterious ways,” I continued. “The lead actress, Natalia Marcova, hung herself in a cheap motel room. Teen heartthrob Jimmy Reynolds was beheaded when he crashed his car into a tree. The mileage on his odometer? Six hundred sixty-six miles.”

“Fighting a grin, I said, louder, “Alistair was found facedown on his bed, a pentagram scrawled on the floor, his heart nailed to the center of it.” I stopped to enjoy the audience’s squirms. “But the creepiest part? When director Rudolph Van Hesse was on his deathbed, he confessed that he’d sold his soul to the devil to make the film, and that it had the power to corrupt anyone who watched it. ‘There is evil woven into this film. A powerful darkness shines out from each frame. It must not be seen by human eyes!’”

This story really surprised me for the better. It definitely had its scary moments— fun fact about me: I cannot handle scary things at all, I mean I could literally feel the hair stand up on the back of my neck whenever the movie was mentioned. Not my brightest idea reading this at night.


But (thankfully) it also featured truly funny moments that made me laugh out loud multiple times:
“You should let me draw you sometime.”
My face went hot at the idea of posing for Dani, maybe on her bed. Shit. I did not want to get sprung now. “Um. Like in Titanic?” I splayed my hand against the wall. “Jack! Ja-a-ack!”
Dani laughed. “Just for that, I’m never giving back your jacket. It’s mine now.”

I honestly don’t know what to take from that ending because it felt a little ridiculous, but overall it was an enjoyable read.

Sick Pleasure by Francesca Lia Block- no rating

I decided to DNF this because I just couldn’t get used to the writing style and the characters were all named “M, J, and I met L”, so I kept getting confused about who we were talking about.

In Ninety Minutes, Turn North by Stephanie Perkins- 4.5/5 stars

This was my most anticipated read of the anthology, I absolutely adored North and Marigold in My True Love Gave to Me. I’m so glad that Stephanie decided to write about them because it was everything I never knew I needed.

The story takes place six months later, we follow nineteen-year-old Marigold Moon Ling and her relationship with North Drummond.
Turns out that North broke up with Marigold in a Bed Bath & Beyond parking lot last spring.
And here I was, fully expecting cutetsy-feels throughout this story, but then I find out that they’re broken up?
I was truly surprised and heart-broken. They were so good together in their first story.



The tale continues when Marigold decides to come visit North, who is now working as funicular operator.
In the first story, North helped to heal Marigold. This time, she helped to heal him.

And when they finally get to talk, it made me tear up one too many times.

“So, was my interpretation correct?” she asked. “Are you officially a vegetarian?”
“Your mom would be proud.”
“She’d ask why you still eat dairy.”
North laughed unexpectedly. Her heart panged in response. He had a great laugh—funny and deep. “How’s she doing, anyway?”
“Good. Pretty good, at least.”
This physically hurts me.

“North looked strangely stung. He stumbled to his feet. “No.”
“No? What do you mean, no?”
“I didn’t dump you.”
“North, I was there. You broke up with me.”
“Because you were leaving and I couldn’t go with you! I didn’t want to.”
Marigold shook her head in confusion. “You didn’t want to leave?”
“I didn’t want to break up with you.”
“But … but you did.”
His shoulders drooped miserably. “I know.”
These two are killing me.

But how did I forget how adorable they were together?
Seriously, North is so funny and caring and I’m swooning:

“His steady gaze never left hers as he engaged with the outdated controls, and the car lurched into its downward trajectory. “We, of the North Carolina State Parks System, do hope you’ve enjoyed your visit to Mount Mitchell today—”
Marigold smiled and nodded her head.
“—but not so much that you feel the urge to visit us again. We’re very busy, and there are other tourists to meet. The world is brimming with tourists. We won’t be thinking about you, so you should stop thinking about us. Just stop it. Right now.”
The other passengers continued to laugh.
Marigold gave North an exaggerated pout.
“I know. It’s hard.” His mischievous gleam intensified. “This is a magnificent mountain. It’s tall and stately and—some might say—incredibly handsome.”
This guy. I missed him.

And I don’t know how Stephanie does it, but her romances never disappoint me. I still have chills.

“Home,” Marigold said. She was filled with happiness and sunlight.
Between the evergreens, the first fireflies of the night materialized. They blinked in the dusk of the setting sun, a reminder that light was a recurring state.
North helped her off the fence. “Let’s go home.”

I am so happy that they are happy.

Also, incredible fan art by Giovana Medeiros:




Souvenirs by Tim Federle- 3/5 stars

This follows Matty and Kieth, both working at a theme park for the last day, which coincidentally also happens to be their breakup day.

I didn’t really like Kieth because as Matty’s mom says, “There’s a fine line between charming and manipulative.”

But his mother was great, and I adored how close Matty was with her.

“She listens to me cry for ten seconds, maybe even twenty, maybe even a minute, and then she goes, “Hon?”
“Yeah? Time to man up?”
“No. I think there’s nothing more manly than showing your emotions. That’s going to really serve you well, in the long ru—”
“You know, the thing is,” I say, basically choking at this point. I turn it into a cackle so I don’t freak her out. “I don’t even think Kieth is the right fit for me. I’m just sort of, like, in general upset.”

It was an overall interesting read with a great ending.

Inertia by Veronica Roth- 4/5 stars

Claire is woken up in the middle of the night because her former best friend Matthew Hernandez had, apparently, requested her presence at the Last Visitation, a rite that had become common practice in cases like these, when hospital analytics suggested a life would end regardless of surgical intervention.

The Last Visitation grants you the ability to revisit memories you both shared, places you both went to, but nowhere else. And that it’ll happen faster than real life.

I was taken by utter surprise with the premise of this story because it’s so unique, and I really liked the impeccable writing.
The premise kind of reminded me of those special scenes with Dumbledore and Harry in the 6th book, if I’m not mistaken, when they visited Dumbledore’s memories. Those parts were one of my favorites from the series.

“I blinked tears from my eyes, despite myself.
“What are you trying to do, Matt?” I said.
He lifted a shoulder. “I just want to relive the good times with my best friend.”

A true gem of a story:
“Lightning struck the water ahead of us, a long bright line from cloud to horizon, and I smiled a little.
Matt’s hand crept across the center console, reaching for me, and I grabbed it. I felt a jolt as his skin met mine, and I wasn’t sure if I had felt it then, in the memory, or if I was just feeling it now. Wouldn’t I have noticed something like that at the time?
His hand trembled as he cried, and I blinked tears from my eyes, too, but I didn’t let go. I held him, firm, even as our hands got sweaty, even as the milk shake melted in his lap.
After a while, it occurred to me that this was where the moment had ended—Matt had let go of me, and I had driven him back home. But in the visitation, Matt was holding us here, hands clutched together, warm and strong. I didn’t pull away.
He set the milk shake down at his feet and wiped his cheeks with his palm.
“This is your favorite memory?” I said, quietly.
“You knew exactly what to do,” he said, just as quietly. “Everyone else wanted something from me—some kind of reassurance that I was okay, even though I wasn’t okay. Or they wanted to make it easier for me, like losing your father is supposed to be easy.” He shook his head. “But you just wanted me to know you were there.”
Damn, I’m tearing up.

I actually forgot for a while that this was Matt’s Last Visitation, so looking back at their favorite memories together made me tear up even more.

“Some people might leave you,” he said, for once ignoring a joke in favor of something real. “But it doesn’t mean you’re worth leaving. It doesn’t mean that at all.”
I didn’t quite believe him. But I almost did.
“Don’t go,” I whispered.”
I didn’t sign up for this pain.

This story left me with the biggest heartache, and I couldn’t stop thinking about everything that went down. Seriously incredible.

Love is the Last Resort by Jon Skovron- no rating

I decided to DNF it because the story wasn’t working for me. I didn’t really like that every time the writer addressed the reader I felt like I was being pulled out of the story. And it also didn’t help that Lena felt emotionless, like an extremely lifelike robot.

Good Luck and Farewell by Brandy Colbert- 2.5/5 stars

Rashida’s cousin and closest friend - Audrey- is moving over two thousand miles away to live with her girlfriend Gillian.

The family throws Audrey a going away party where Rashida meets Gillian’s brother, Pierre. And, of course, Audrey falls magically in love with him.
I’m sorry, but her crushing on him was a bit too creepy for me, it pretty much ruined the story for me (not that Rashida’s behaviour was saving it).

“You’re a good driver,” he says quietly, and then looks out his window for the remainder of the ride.
Which is just as well, because it takes much too long for me to stop furiously blushing at a compliment so decidedly innocuous.
And I want to know what’s changed since we’ve been in the car. Because five minutes ago I could barely stand to look at him, and now my cheeks are on fire. ”
Seriously, why are you blushing???? I want to know what’s changed, too— maybe a bit much insta-love in the air?

And it just kept going down with no ups towards the end.

Brand New Attraction by Cassandra Clare- 2.5/5 stars

This tale follows Lulu Darke, only daughter of Ted Darke, the owner of Ted Darke’s Dark Carnival of Mystery, Magic, and That Which Is Better Left Unseen:

“The hall of mirrors that throws back terrifying, distorted reflections. The tattooed man whose tattoos move and crawl on his skin, the merry-go-round that turns back time, the bearded lady who comes at you with a carving knife, and the fortune-teller who gives you only bad news.
You know, your basic dark carnival”

Her father packed up and disappeared this May, with only a note to Lulu saying he owed money all over the country and he had to run.

“Don’t blame yourself, he’d said. Don’t expect to hear from me. And I hadn’t.”

The concept of the story with a dark carnival really intrigued me. So I was excited to see were Cassandra Clare was going to take it.
“You’ve probably been wondering how much of the dark carnival was real and how much was fake. Marks always do. The answer is some, and some. The answer is that it’s as real as you want, and as fake as you hope. And the answer is that everything at the carnival that couldn’t be explained, everything that sparked of real magic, was because of Mephit. Mephit was like a battery, and he made us light up.”

While working the Tunnel of Terror she encounters her uncle Walter and his stepson, Lucas, the boy who’d thrown up on her ten years ago.

“He chuckled. “Lulu and Lucas. Sounds like you were made for each other!”
My cheeks grew warm. Lucas glared. His hair was still dripping. He reminded me of a cup of coffee: wet, hot, and bitter. I tried to decide if it was immoral to lust after your step-cousin. I figured it wasn’t. We weren’t actually related. No shared blood.”

So, I have to ask, what’s up with Cassandra Clare’s characters and their love interests being almost always related in some way??
I mean, don’t get me wrong, she definitely knows how to write swoon-worthy kisses, but I feel weird rooting for her couples because they either were once related or have generally some forbidden love— I just feel wrong.

I don’t quite know how I feel about this one, though the ending was a bit cheesy and not quite as dark as I was expecting.

A Thousand Ways This Could All Go Wrong by Jennifer E. Smith- 3.5/5 stars

This dynamic tale recounts the growing affection between Annie, a day-camp counselor and a withdrawn, disabled young man.

Jennifer E. Smith always manages to make the pages fly by, and I left this story wanting more.

The Map of Tiny Perfect Things by Lev Grossman- 3/5 stars

“Our goal was to find every single moment of beauty, every tiny perfect thing, that this particular August 4th had to offer. ”

Lev Grossman’s protagonists, Mark and Margaret, are drawn together in a Boston suburb where time stands still.

A surprisingly melancholy and atmospheric ending to the anthology, though the whole “I’m in love with you” did bother me a bit. It felt like Mark had watched one too many rom-coms.

“I’d never known Margaret to go to the hospital. She’d never talked about it. It freaked me out a bit. My insides went cold, and the closer we got, the colder they got. I couldn’t believe what a stupid jealous bastard I’d been. Maybe Margaret was sick—maybe she’d been sick this whole time and just didn’t want to tell me. She didn’t want to burden me with it. Oh my God, maybe she had cancer! I should have stuck with trying to cure it! Maybe that was the whole point of this whole thing—Margaret has some rare disease, but then we work together, and because we have the repeating-days thing we have all the time we need, and finally we come up with a cure for it and save her and she falls in love with me …”

Overall, I really enjoyed these gems!  I hope we'll get to have more anthologies coming up.

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[Lala BooksandLala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Head, Scales, Tongue, Tale by Leigh Bardugo
5 stars
This anthology kicks off perfectly with a nice small town romance revolving around the hunt for a mythical lake creature. Extra points to Leigh Bardugo for referencing my own city's legendary Ogopogo!
"a glimmering little mountain range, there and then gone, followed by the slap of - Gracie's mind refused to accept it, and at the same time clamored - a tale."

The End of Love by Nina Lacour
3.5 stars
As expected, Nina Lacour has penned another beautifully written f/f romance. In so little pages, it's impressive how she's managed to include great family discussion, new friendships, music and a fun trip with the romance staying center stage. It was lovely but honestly, a little dull.
"The lyrics were confusing and contradictory, a lot like standing with your boyfriend's arm around you while sharing earbuds with a girl you wished you were kissing."

Last Night at the Cinegore by Libba Bray
2.5 stars
This story wasn't as compelling as a lot of the others in the anthology. Me and Libba Bray's story telling have never really gotten along, and this Goosebumps vibe "horror movies come alive" narrative had so much potential, but fell flat for me.
"Some things you couldn't plan for; you just had to react in the moment and hope it was enough."

Sick Pleasures: For A and U by Francesca Lia Block
3.5 stars
I really liked the punk love in the 80's setting of this story, but it's clear memoir quality took a bit of the magic away, with the slow pace and gimmicky and confusing choice to use single initials instead of names. I very much appreciated the writing and would check out more from this author.
"As hot winds blew us along the 101 freeway, stars that had died long ago burned holes in the night with their brightness."

In Ninety Minutes, Turn North by Stephanie Perkins
5 stars
I had no idea this was going to be a continuation of her story in the "My True Love Gave to Me" anthology! I loved the first part of this love story, and equally enjoyed this second installment, as we got to see more of the wonderfully developed characters and their second chance at romance.
"This is why you're here, she reminded herself. To stop this sadness and guilt."

Souvenirs by Tim Federle
4.5 stars
This reminded me a lot of Daniel Handler or Jesse Andrew's writing that I love so much, with it's teenage rambly style full of heart. It follows 2 boys who have set a break-up date for their relationship; it was funny, cute and very authentic feeling.
"Love is my family's currency. We spend love like it's money, like we're the richest people in the world."

Inertia by Veronica Roth
5 stars
This was an excellent science fiction story that, in true Veronica Roth fashion, had a strong element of dreams and controlling someone's mind while they are in a state of sleep. For such a short story, I appreciated how she managed to get a slower burning romance going, and I may have shed a little tear.
"I want to tell you a story, that's all. And you'll bear with me, because you know this is all the time I get."

Love Is The Last Resort by Jon Skovron
2 stars
A love story at a summer resort. Scratch that, 3 love stories. I enjoyed the direct-to-reader style narration, but it was hard to get into the over dramatic quality and contrived dialogue. Not to mention, trying to get me invested in three different romances in just 40 pages is damn near impossible.
"Dear reader, I want to assure you that this is not a story about love or romance, regardless of what you may have read on the cover."

Good Luck and Farewell by Brandy Colbert
3.5 stars
This was a wonderful story of a girl dealing with the loss of her mother, and now her cousin moving away, who has been her surrogate mom for years. It wasn't particularly memorable, but the romantic interest was great and the last line - just perfect.
"She loves me, but that's a different kind of love, and it's not enough to make her stay."

Brand New Attraction by Cassandra Clare
3 stars
In a collection of amazing love interests, this fell short in the romance department. I really enjoyed the fantastical dark carnival, our main character and the exciting fast paced quality of this, but the romance was just not necessary and maybe would have been more successful for me if re-written, in a different anthology not romance-centered.
"People come to our shows to feel scared, yeah. But they also come to live. To feel magic."

A Thousand Ways This Could All Go Wrong by Jennifer E. Smith
3.5 stars
There were a thousand ways this could have gone wrong in it's portrayal of autism, as I haven't been the biggest fan of Jennifer E. Smith's writing in the past. So this story was a nice surprise with it's thoughtfulness, however I didn't find myself particularly connected to the characters themselves their or romance.
"And if I can spend so much time saying nice things when I don't really mean them, why shouldn't I be able to say them when I actually do?"

The Map of Tiny Perfect Things by Lev Grossman
4.5 stars
This anthology was perfectly paced, with this story being one of the stand outs for me. The mix of honest narration, humour, romance and introspectiveness of this temporal anomaly narrative was all on point. I wish there were about 20 more pages in the middle however.
"Literally every single day after that was also August 4th. I went to bed on the night of August 4th. I woke up, it was the morning of August 4th."

[Shannelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summer Days & Summer Nights is one beautifully diverse collection, and I just want to bow to Stephanie Perkins and all the other amazing authors who contributed to this anthology. All the stories in here just break all the traditional conventions for YA, along with some really nontraditional stories that wouldn't have made it as a book. It has LGBT couples and and mental health and mental conditions like autism and relationships that don't end with a happily ever after. It's an amazing collection, and there are so many different stories that there should be something for everyone. It is absolutely worthy of a spot of pride on your shelf.

Now, read on if you care to know of my opinions on each story and a vague idea of each, because the stories are worth going into blind to.

Head, Scales, Tongue, Tail by Leigh Bardugo
Leigh Bardugo is one boss-ass writer, and she starts this anthology off with a piece spanning several summers in a small town. I loved the development of the romance, and I loved the little fantasy within it at all. I was a little scared to read it because I didn't

The End of Love by Nina LaCour
The love story in this one was lackluster for me, and I feel that it would have been so much better as a book to allow the story to fully build. There was another conflict that I would also have liked to be explored further, and that was far more interesting to me than the romance.

Last Stand at the Cinegor by Libba Bray
This was really, really fun. It takes place in a cinema called the Cinegor. Stuff happens, and it was one wild ride. It definitely has to be one of my favorites in this whole anthology.

Sick Pleasure of A and U by Francesca Lia Block
I did not understand this one. If somebody could explain it to me, that would be cool.

In Ninety Minutes, Turn North by Stephanie Perkins
This is a continuation of Stephanie's story in her other anthology, My True Love Gave to Me, and while I didn't really love that one, I absolutely melted over this one. North completely stole my heart this time around, and I'm getting all the feels just by thinking about it.

Souvenirs by Tim Federle
This wasn't one of my favorite stories, but at the same time, it's a wonderful depiction of a real relationship. There's also a bunch of other reasons why this story is such a winner, so thank you, Tim Federle.

Inertia by Veronica Roth
It had a sci-fi aspect to it, and that was really interesting. To be honest, I was a little anxious because I was still scarred from Allegiant, but the ending for this one was good enough to have me full of feels. This was also one

Love is the Last Resort by Jon Skovron
It's told in the style where the writer addresses the reader, and the story also has an exaggerated style. I personally enjoyed it, but I do know some people hate that style, so I'm not really sure.

Good Luck and Farewell by Brandy Colbert
This story beautifully explores relationships and what happens to them when you lose a person in some way. It's a conflict that I see very little of in YA, and it was such a treat to read.

Brand New Attraction by Cassandra Clare
Because I know Cassandra Clare by all her Shadowhunter books and only because of those, I just kept reading this thinking that it wasn't Cassandra Clare at all. I just couldn't shut that voice up in my head, and I was a little disappointed by the romance. Yeah, it's a short story, and she really doesn't have the space to build relationships like she has done before, but I still couldn't help comparing and being disappointed. But I did enjoy the plot, which I thought was really creatively done.

A Thousand Ways This Could All Go Wrong by Jennifer E. Smith
Jennifer E. Smith's books has been a hit or miss from, but this one was a hit. It was so cute, and like many stories in this book, I loved it.

The Map of Tiny Perfect Things by Lev Grossman
Lev Grossman's story has a really interesting premise, and while I loved it as a whole, I found the ending a little too rushed and cheesy.

Too long, didn't read? Just get the book. There are so many different things to appreciate for each story, and if you wanted a bunch of diverse reads, well, here you go.

So many thanks to St. Martin's for letting this big Stephanie Perkins fan read this in advance. This has not influenced my thoughts in any way, though.

Pre-review flailing:

Someone: Hey are you excited for Stephanie Perkins's new--
Me: AM I EXCITED GIRL I AM SO EXCITED I COULD JUST EXPLODE BECAUSE A NEW BOOK FROM STEPHANIE PERKINS?



I crave 2016 like I crave every book by Stephanie

[Trina (Between Chapters) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first half of this book had me wanting to DNF it because I did not enjoy so many of the stories. But the second half hit its stride and delivered what I wanted. The range of diversity in the stories was amazing!
My favorites: Inertia, A Thousand Ways This Could All Go Wrong, The Map of Tiny Perfect Things
My least favorite: Sick Pleasure
Overall rating: 4 stars


Head, Scales, Tongue, Tail
by Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Supernatural
Summary: Two teens meet every summer to search for their town's version of the Loch Ness Monster.
My Rating: 2 stars
I felt like this story contained too many details that weren't relevant. The opening few pages had NOTHING to do with the rest of the story. I do think that plot is important even with short stories and I didn't feel this one had much of a point. A couple of the supernatural elements were unexplained too. Definitely didn't stand up to Bardugo's novels.

The End of Love
by Nina LaCour
Genre: Contemporary
Summary: A summer school crush and weekend camping trip.
Diversity: LGBTQIA+
My Rating: 3 stars
This story was cute but it wasn't very memorable after finishing the book. I haven't read anything else by LaCour before, but based on this story I would like to check out her novels!

Last Stand at the Cinegore
by Libba Bray
Genre: Horror
Summary: Kids working at a movie theater think it's a good idea to play a haunted film. WTF demons.
My Rating: 2 stars
I felt like this story was so out of place. Did it miss the deadline for the Halloween anthology? There was very little romance here, but if you like to be creeped out it's one for you. I happen to be extraordinarily creeped out by demons so this was too much for me. Once the climax hit it turned cheesy real quick.

Sick Pleasure
by Francesca Lia Block
Genre: Contemporary
Summary: LA party kids meet at a bar, and don't know the difference between date rape and "losing your virginity."
My Rating: 1 star
I hated this story. It reads like it might be partly autobiographical, so I feel uneasy reviewing it if it's based on someone's real experience, but this was not romantic in any way and blurred lines between sex and date rape. Very out of place in this collection. This is the first time I've read anything by this author and I'm not interested in pursuing her work based on this.

In Ninety Minutes, Turn North
by Stephanie Perkins
Genre: Contemporary
Summary: Sequel to Stephanie's 'It's a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown' from her My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories anthology.
Diversity: POC protagonist.
My Rating: 4 stars
After 3 'meh' stories, I did really enjoy this one! It's a sequel to Stephanie's previous short story so there was added appeal to me. I really enjoyed seeing what happened to this couple.

Souvenirs
by Tim Federle
Genre: Contemporary
Summary: As summer comes to an end, so does the summer romance between two amusement park workers.
Diversity: LGBTQIA+
My Rating: 3 stars
I enjoyed the main character, but I didn't like the love interest at all and there wasn't much appeal to this story as a romance since you know in the beginning they are counting down to a break up.

Inertia
by Veronica Roth
Genre: Science Fiction
Summary: Claire's best friend was in an accident and is close to death, but a new technology allows her to relive memories with him to say goodbye.
Diversity: POC love interest, mental health
My Rating: 5 stars
As someone who hasn't been a fan of Roth's novels, I was surprised that this was one of my favorite stories in the bunch. I loved the brand of sci-fi, and the discussions about grief, mental health, and medication. There was a quote in this story that really impacted me: "Some people might leave you... but it doesn't mean you're worth leaving. It doesn't mean that at all."

Love is the Last Resort
by Jon Skovron
Genre: Contemporary
Summary: Summer resort workers plays matchmaker with resort guests.
Diversity: LGBTQIA+
My Rating: 4 stars
This was more of an ensemble cast story than just one pair. I actually really liked how broad that made the story. The hijinks were kind of cheesy but at the same time it had kind of a Shakespearean comedy quality.

Good Luck and Farewell
by Brandy Colbert
Genre: Contemporary
Summary: Roshida is sad because her cousin is moving away, but it brings someone new into her life unexpectedly.
Diversity: POC portagonists, LGBTQIA+ side characters
My Rating: 4 stars
This story wasn't my favorite romance, but I really enjoyed the characters and family dynamics. I haven't read anything by Colbert before but I definitely want to check her out!

Brand New Attraction
by Cassandra Clare
Genre: Paranormal
Summary: A creepy carnival gets taken over by a demon.
My Rating: 4 stars
I felt this one had the strongest story arc of the bunch, so it was very entertaining to read.

A Thousand Ways This Could All Go Wrong
by Jennifer E. Smith
Genre: Contemporary
Summary: A girl working at a summer camp challenges her crush to an arcade game battle.
Diversity: Main characters with autism.
My Rating: 5 stars
This was my favorite story in the book! A cute romance, and important representation of a character with autism as a love interest. I haven't been a big fan of Jennifer E. Smith's novels before, but I would have loved this story to be a full length book!

The Map of Tiny Perfect Things
by Lev Grossman
Genre: Science Fiction
Summary: The same day keeps repeating over and over for Mark, and then he discovers he's not the only one experiencing it.
My Rating: 5 stars
This one was just fun to read. I was very into figuring out why the day kept repeating. Another one that could have been a full length novel!

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a collection of short stories by various authors about summertime. Some of them I really enjoyed. Lots of carnivals, if that’s your thing! Most had happy endings, although a few were sad. Overall entertaining. I really need to read Leigh Bardugo! Ah the to-read list that just grows and grows!

Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really expected more from this...
Video review coming soon!

[Carmen de la Rosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Había leído en la época navideña My True Love Gave To me, un libro muy tierno con 12 historias muy lindas, que aunque no todas me gustaron, fue un libro muy bueno para leer, ya que conocí a nuevos autores. Así que cuando supe que iba a ver una nueva recopilación de historias, estaba muy entusiasmada de leer este libro sobre el verano.

Honestamente esta recopilación no empieza con la mejor historia, pero conforme vas leyendo cada relato es mejor, a mi especialmente me gustaron los que están en la segunda mitad. Pero este libro a comparación de My True Love Gave To me, se me hizo algo deprimente y repetitivo, demasiadas historias eran acerca de rupturas, muerte, depresión, problemas familiares, y/o vidas que se estaban cayendo a pedazos. No es realmente el verano esponjoso y alegre que estaba esperando. También hubo una extraña cantidad de carnavales + demonios (? Lo cual eso llego a ser raro.

Cabeza, escamas, lengua, cola - LEIGH BARDUGO: 3⭐
Me gustó el ambiente en esta historia corta: es espeluznante y la referencia constante y detallada al agua nos hace sentir casi incómodamente húmedos, con un par de elementos sobrenaturales inexplicables. Es innecesariamente largo, lento y el ligero toque de fantasía increíblemente predecible. Me sentí como esta historia contenía demasiados detalles que no eran relevantes. La apertura de pocas páginas no tenía nada que ver con el resto de la historia. Creo que la trama es importante incluso con historias cortas y no sentía que este tenía mucho de un punto.

El final del amor - NINA LACOUR: 4⭐
Es una historia contemporánea sobre una chica cuyos padres se están divorciando, que asiste a la escuela de verano y espera acercarse a una chica de su clase. En tan pocas páginas, es impresionante cómo se las arregló para incluir una gran discusión familiar, nuevas amistades, música y un viaje divertido con el romance en el centro del escenario. Es dulce, conmovedora y la atmósfera está llena de posibilidades sobre el verano.

Ultima sesión en el cinegore - LIBBA BRAY: 3,5 ⭐
Es menos romántico y atmosférico de lo que pensé que iba a tratar. La historia estaba por todas partes. Algunos adolescentes están viendo una película y luego hay zombies o demonios o ambos y luego están cerca de vender sus almas. Un montón de referencias extravagantes y algunos momentos divertidos, pero la mayoría del humor no era de mi gusto. La trama se sentía un poco dispersa y desordenada también.

Placer malsano - FRANCESCA LIA BLOCK: 2,5 ⭐️
Bueno esta historia es la más deprimente de toda la antología ya que no terminó como esperaba exactamente. De hecho, en verdad es muy deprimente cuando lo pienso. Estoy culpando al narrador. Ella se rehusó a vivir en el momento y en cambio sólo se centró en el futuro. Bueno, fue interesante sin embargo y, ya que es mi primera vez leyendo algo de esta autora..

Dentro de noventa minutos, gire al norte - STEPHANIE PERKINS: 4,5 ⭐️
Las historias de Stephanie Perkins son tan lindas. Es una continuación de su historia de la antología de invierno, ve un retorno a la relación entre Marigold y Norte. En verdad, no estoy segura de que teníamos que volver aquí y parte de mí hubiera querido ver algo completamente nuevo, pero aún así era dulce y adorable. Es bastante obvio cómo se desarrollará la historia, pero fue divertido leer como sucede.

Souvenirs - TIM FEDERLE: 3 ⭐️
Es el"día de ruptura" para Matt y Kieth antes de separarse, ya que su vida tomara distintos caminos, lo cual una ruptura establecida hará mejor las cosas. Los personajes estaban bien dibujados y desarrollados en la pequeña cantidad de tiempo de páginas que el autor tenía. Leer esto me hizo sentir melancólica. Es lo suficientemente dulce y realista, pero también un poco triste.

Inercia - VERONICA ROTH: 4 ⭐️
MI QUERIDA VERONICA ROTH... PORQUE JUEGAS ASÍ CON MIS SENTIMIENTOS? Esta fue una historia de ciencia ficción excelente que, al más puro estilo Veronica Roth, la premisa de un futuro en el que los pacientes con enfermedades terminales pueden elegir un último visitante para entrar en un espacio digital y revivir recuerdos compartidos en media hora es muy interesante, tuvo un fuerte elemento de sueños/recuerdos y el control de la mente de alguien mientras que están en un estado de sueño, también explora otros temas, como la familia y la amistad. En algún momento, fue posible cambiar los nombres de los personajes principales de Tris y Cuatro, PORQUE VERONICA?!! PORQUE SIGUES ABRIENDO LA HERIDA UNA Y OTRA VEZ?!!!.
P.D. después de leer y amar a Fourtris cualquier pareja que crea Veronica Roth la siento carente de química #sorrynotsorry.

El amor es el último refugio -JON SKOVRON: 5 ⭐️
Fue mi historia favorita!! disfruté mucho de cómo esta historia se desarrollo, tal vez el punto negativo fue que había demasiados personajes para una historia corta, pero se compenso con todo el mundo está enamorado de alguien o juntando parejas. Los protagonistas eran un poco cursis pero al mismo tiempo tenía una especie de comedia Shakespeare. Fue agradable y se ajustaba bien con el tema de verano - establecido en un centro vacacional donde un montón de adolescentes juegan en matchmaking. Muy ligero, divertido y alegre comparado con las otras historias.

Adiós y buena suerte - BRANDY COLBERT: 4 ⭐️
Otra historia bastante oscura que empieza en una playa de Chicago, el sol de verano brillando y la arena entre los dedos de los personajes. Sin embargo, pronto se hace evidente que no todo está bien y la querido prima de Rashida se está mudando a San Francisco con su novia. Esta maravillosa niña trata con la pérdida de su madre, y ahora su prima se aleja, que ha sido su mamá de alquiler durante años. Lo que sigue es una historia sobre el dolor, la depresión y la familia, ofreciendo una adición diversa e importante a la antología. Más sobre el amor en todas las formas, que el simple romance.

Una atracción recién entrenada - CASSANDRA CLARE: 3,5 ⭐️
Nunca había leído ABSOLUTAMENTE NADA DE CASSANDRA CLARE (lo se, soy rara) pero estaba muy ansiosa por primera vez leer algo de ella, lamentablemente se que este no fue su mejor trabajo. Supongo que soy una de esas personas que no disfrutan del resplandor espeluznante de los carnavales, los misterios que acechan en el Túnel del Terror y la charla de palomitas de maíz y algodón de azúcar. Pero realmente disfruté el fantástico carnaval oscuro, nuestro personaje principal y la emocionante calidad de ritmo rápido de esta historia, pero el romance no era necesario, fue opacado por todo el mágico mundo de la feria, incluso el romance se sintió fuera de lugar.

Mil formas de estropear lo nuestro - JENNIFER E. SMITH: 4,5 ⭐️
Esta historia creció en fuerza mientras progresó. Inicialmente, pensé que esto era una historia estándar de romance que uno esperaría de la autora, pero las cosas se revelan gradualmente que incluso cambiarán nuestra forma de pensar. Me gustó especialmente la forma en que nuestra percepción del interés del amor masculino cambia a medida que se saca a la luz nueva información. El romance realmente funcionó, todo era lindo, y me encantaron los personajes. Es agradable ver representaciones más realistas del autismo. Esta historia fue la única que realmente deseé haber sido una historia en un libro completo.

Un mapa de pequeñas cosas perfectas - LEV GROSSMAN: 5 ⭐️
Ésta también era una historial impresionante. El día sigue repitiéndose así que los 2 protagonistas van alrededor haciendo un mapa de todas las cosas perfectas que pueden regresar a mirar cada día como una nube fresca, un pájaro coger un pez, etc. Realmente entrañable, único y extrañamente inspirador. La mezcla de la narración honesta, el humor, el romance hizo este relato perfecto, un gran cierre para este libro.

Un libro que es lectura obligatoria este verano.

[emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

once upon a time, i read a collection of (silly, summery, teenage) short stories, and NOT ONLY TOOK NOTES ON THEM, but wrote up a synopsis, a review, and a rating for each one, and combined them all into a blog post.

imagining doing something like that now is akin to imagining myself traveling to the moon, or running a marathon. (which in turn is as absurd as running down the block.)

i didn't even like the book!

part of a series i'm doing in which i review books i read a long time ago

[Bee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Individual Ratings:
Head, Scales, Tongue, Tale by Leigh Bardugo – ★★★★
The End of Love by Nina Lacour – ★★
Last Night at the Cinegore by Libba Bray – ★★★
Sick Pleasures: For A and U by Francesca Lia Block – ★
In Ninety Minutes, Turn North by Stephanie Perkins – ★★★★
Souvenirs by Tim Federle – ★★★
Inertia by Veronica Roth – ★★
Love Is The Last Resort by Jon Skovron – ★★ (ending adds: half a star)
Good Luck and Farewell by Brandy Colbert – ★★.5
Brand New Attraction by Cassandra Clare – ★
A Thousand Ways This Could All Go Wrong by Jennifer E. Smith – ★★★★
The Map of Tiny Perfect Things by Lev Grossman – ★★★★★

Full reviews can be found here: http://heartfullofbooks.com/2016/03/0...

[kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*

This collection included a few gorgeous gems of stories which I utterly loved but on the whole I didn't enjoy this short story collection quite as much as I did the winter edition, 'My True Love Gave To Me'.

As I did with 'My True Love Gave To Me', I haven given each story its own individual rating and mini review!

3/5* 'Head, Scales, Tongue, Tail by Leigh Bardugo'.
This was so bizarre but also kind of lovely. This was a summer romance over numerous years with an element of magical realism which kind of creeps up on you as you read. I've not read anything by Leigh Bardugo before (although I keep meaning to), this wasn't what I expected from her writing for some reason? I'm not sure if her writing style in this is similar to her novels but it has definitely intrigued me!

'She pulled the pot of apple lip balm from her pocket. // Eli snatched it from her palm and hurled it into the darkness, into the lake. "Hey' Gracie protested. "Why would you do that?" He took a deep breath. His shoulders lifted, fell. "Because I've spent nine months thinking of apples."

3.5* 'The End of Love' by Nina LaCour
This was so cute! It had a somewhat melancholy tone to it but also really uplifting and fun and I really enjoyed that there was a focus on friendship as well as romance.

4* 'Last Stand at the Cinegore' by Libba Bray
Not at all what I expected from a 'Summer Romance' story but this was so.much.fun! I loved it. It was odd, slightly creepy, funny, cute and a lot of fun to read.

2* 'Sick Pleasure' by Francesca Lia Block
Couldn't get into this story and unfortunately, didn't find myself enjoying it very much.

5* 'In Ninety Minutes, Turn North' by Stephanie Perkins.
I LOVED THIS SO MUCH. I love this story, I love these characters and all I want is more from them. :') This was utterly adorable, heart wrenching and gorgeous. I loved that Marigold was doing the saving this time, rather than the guy saving the girl. Just, eurgh, I need more please... I would have loved for these characters to have starred in their own full length novel, I adore them.

2.75* 'Souvenirs' by Tim Federle
This was cute and kind of sad but I wasn't a huge fan. Although the I did love this nugget of truth. :') "What is life without the occasional risk of pizza?"

4.75* 'Inertia' by Veronica Roth
I loved this a lot. It was unique, heart breaking, heart warming and tackled issues in such a fantastic way I wouldn't have expected possible in a short story. Fantastic.

3* 'Love is the Last Resort' by Jon Skovron
Not 100% on how I feel about this one, it was a little odd. I felt as though there were just too many characters for a short story, it was hard to keep up. I also found the exaggerated, dramatic style of voice/dialogue strange to connect with. Still, it was light and fun and definitely suited the summer theme.

3* 'Good Luck and Farewell' by Brandy Colbert
A lovely story about love, loss and grief. Although this romance happened too quickly for me, (I guess due to the nature and length of it being a short story). I enjoyed the different forms of love portrayed in this, both family and romance.

2* 'Brand New Attraction' by Cassandra Clare
This didn't do much for me unfortunately. Too much happened in too little time, leaving it to feel extremely rushed and just a bit odd. I also just feel weird about a romance between relations, even if they're only cousins by marriage and not blood relations, I don't know, I just feel strange about it... I did like the description of the carnival itself but overall I wasn't a fan of this story.

3* 'A Thousand Ways This Could Go Wrong' by Jennifer E. Smith
This was so lovely. A cute summery romance with elements to it I haven't read before, which was so refreshing to see. This epitome of a summery read yet it had an added depth, moving it away from being 'fluffy'.

4/5* 'The Map of Tiny Perfect Things' by Lev Grossman
I enjoyed this story a lot. Despite giving the anthology a somewhat melancholy end, it was such a lovely read. It was interesting, heartwarming, heartbreaking and thought provoking. I thought the premise and idea of the story was carried out fantastically well as a short story!

Overall, this was a fun, summery book to read throughout this time of the year! For me, the standout stories were 'In Ninety Minutes, Turn North' by Stephanie Perkins, 'Inertia' by Veronica Roth, 'The Map of Tiny Perfect Things' by Lev Grossman and 'Last Stand at the Cinegore' by Libba Bray!

[Irene Sim · Rating 4 out of 5]

For Readathon-2017: 33/52
In the category "Short stories anthology"
Overall rating 3,5/5 stars.

This anthology couldn’t be more summer-y unless it came as a package deal with this:



I don’t know what I expected when I started this anthology – maybe the same old story of boy-meets-girl multiplied by 12 – but what I got was a very rich sundae, multi-flavored and with various toppings. I loved the diversity of the stories, how some of them left me with a smile on my face and some with a bitter taste. I usually don’t care much about anthologies or short stories but this one definitely turn my head about them.

I will review every story in this anthology seperately as I finish them.

09/04/2017
"Head, Scale, Tongue, Tail", by Leigh Bardugo 3,5/5 stars.

To say that this author wasn't one of the reasons I picked up this anthology so soon after finishing "The Grisha" trilogy, would be a lie.
This story is about two teenagers, Gracie and Eli, and their affair that spans three summers. But if you think that it is only about teenage first love then you are mistaken. This story has Leigh Bardugo's weirdness stamp all over it and is a lot more than a love story.

"From the first, her hours with Eli had been warm sand islands, the refuge that had made the murky swim through the rest of the year bearable.

I couldn't give this story more than 3,5 stars not because I didn't enjoyed it much but because I can't help but compare it to the epicness of the Grishaverse short stories.

10/04/2017
"The End Of Love" by Nina LaCour, 3/5 stars.

This story is about a teenage girl who goes through her parent's divorce and it's not even an ugly divorce. It's just ugly to her. On top of that she is a lesbian who came out of the closet at the same time, making things more awkward between them. I'm not familiar with the author but it was a decent story if not extraordinairy.
"We were not always happy, but we were always us.
Tomorrow I'll walk in and we won't be us anymore, we'll be different people; we won't belong in the way we did before. I don't know what to do with that yet, but I know that it's true."
******************************
23/04/2017

“Last stand at the Cinegore” by Libba Bray 5/5 stars

I usually don’t like horror stories and I definitely don’t watch horror movies. This story had both of them in it and surprisingly I loved it. Maybe it was the feeling of horror – parody it radiated with all the jokes and funny situations that didn’t turn me into a screaming, dead by fear victim.

“I wore my usual expression, something between resignation and disdain – resigdain.”

It was a teen romance between two colleagues, in the most unusual of places, with a narrator that breathed desperation in every thought. It is the summer after high-school graduation when everyone takes it’s own path afterwards. Friendships dilute dew to long distance, new faces, new places for the ones that go away to college.

“But mostly I was afraid of a future so terrifying in its unformed vastness that it pressed in on me with its bullying fists until I was afraid to take a real breath.”

It is the last screening in the “Cinegore” because it will be demolished for rebuilding purposes. And it’s the last chance for Kevin to make a move on Dani. Who would have thought that this night was going to be life-altering in so many ways.

“I was making-up-for-lost-time kissing. You’ve-been-granted-a-second-chance-don’t-waste-it kissing. Kissing with plenty of options.”

“Sick pleasure”, by Fransesca Lia Block, 2/5 stars.

Right before the last pages of this story I was going to give it 4 stars. Even though it was pretty confusing because of the use of only the first capital letter of every person’s name in the story (and they were a lot) I very much enjoyed the narration and the story. I found the Heroine “I” to have a kind heart and a freshness about her that was very compelling.

“Music is so powerful and mysterious because it can bring up emotions you’ve buried inside of you. Dancing is a way to experience those emotions and release them so they don’t get stuck in your throat or stomach or chest. At that time it was the only thing that made me forget everything else. I became just a heartbeat, a part of the music. I was completely free.”

But the ending was very disappointing and very out of the blue. It didn’t make sense and was a major let-down for me.

"Love can be so strange and sad. It can be hard to understand why we run toward certain people and away from others at different times in our lives. Why we search so hard for that thing we are looking for, and then run so fast when we find it."
**************************************
04/30/2017

‘‘In Ninety Minutes Turn North’’ by Stephanie Perkins 4/5 stars.

This was a sweet story about two young people and their second chance in love. Believe it or not, as it seems, this is not the first story written about Marigold and North. Perkins has initially written their story in My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories (just in case someone wants to read it first). Surprisingly though I didn’t feel like I was missing something because this story was pretty strong and explanatory enough as a standalone.
“Summer looks good on you.”
Did I mention it was sweet? It was like in that movies when two people meet again after it’s been a long time and you can see in the way they look each other that they still have feelings for one another. Yeah, I could totally see how they looked at each other.

‘‘Souvenirs’’ by Tim Federle – 1/5 Stars.

I couldn’t care less.
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05/09/2017

"Inertia" by Veronica Roth - 3,5/5 stars.

This story started very derpessing but it turned out surprisingly hopeful. It is set in the near future in which people can visit their shared memories together on demand. It amazes me how much world building an author can achieve through a short story and it's almost what I liked best about this story. "Art, is both vulnerable and brave."

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UPDATE 05/25/2017

‘‘Love is the Last Resort’’ by Jon Skovron, 5/5 stars

What a sweet, summery story. It reminded me a lot of Jane Austen’s “Emma” with all the meddling and matchmaking. It was a breath of fresh air, all the characters very likeable.

“I have penned this tale in the hope that you should join me in this folly by falling in love with someone yourself.”
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‘‘Good Luck and Farewell’’ by Brandy Colbert, 4,5/5 stars

This story is different from the rest I’ve read so far. It is darker and a little depressing, it is about loss and coping with it but is also hopeful in the end – something along the line of: “When life closes a door, it opens a window”.

“I think maybe saying good-bye isn’t all bad. Maybe it means I’m making room for someone new.
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LAST UPDATE 06/02/2017

“Brand new Attraction”, by Cassandra Clare, 1/5 Stars

This story aspires to be many things but fails to all of them miserably. It isn’t a full romance, or fantasy, or horror or mystery. It is mostly a mediocre young adult story, forgettable as soon as the last page is turned.

“His hair was still dripping. He reminded me of a cup of coffee: wet, hot, and bitter.”

“A thousand ways this could all go wrong”, by Jennifer E. Smith, 4/5 Stars

Well, that was different! I enjoyed the story very much, even though at the beginning it wasn’t very obvious were the author was leading the plot. Annie’s love interest is Griffin, a boy she knows from her Spanish class, so when she accidentally bumps into him one day during summer, she decides that it’s an opportunity that mustn’t go to waste.

“This is usually my specialty. Some people are good at math, others are good at sports; I’m good at saying the right thing at the right time.”

“The map of tiny perfect things”, by Lev Grossman 5/5 Stars

I guess I should have expected for the best story to be the last. I’m blasted, left without breath by the perfection this story holds, I’ve underlined more quotes in this than in the rest of the anthology combined. The story is told by Mark, a teen who wakes ups every day to the same day, 4th of August, believing that he is the only one until he meets Margaret and the two of them bond against the universe, trying to decipher the mysterious cycle this day has fallen in. The story borders between magical realism and fantasy, physics and romanticism, unending love and ultimate loss, and I loved every word of it.

“I thought about what time is, how we’re being broken every second, we’re losing moments all the time, leaking them away like a stuffed animal losing its stuffing, until one day they’re all gone and we lose everything. Forever. And then, at the same time, we’re gaining seconds, moment after moment. Every one is a gift, until at the end of our lives we’re sitting on a rich hoard of moments. Rich beyond imagining.”

Unfortunately Lev Grossman is an unknown author to me but from this moment I’m gonna make sure to read his work.

[Selene]

The main reason I picked this book up was because I heard that Stephanie Perkins In Ninety Minutes, Turn North story had the same characters as her It's A Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown from My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories. So of course I read hers first! Because if you recall... "Seriously Stephanie Perkins! You just had to do this to me! I am melting! I am mush! I need more from these characters! Please Stephanie give me more!"

Head, Scales, Tongue, Tail by Leigh Bardugo
2 Stars
Two teens meet every summer to search for a monster they believe haunts their towns lake.

The End of Love by Nina LaCour
2 Stars
A girl in summer school turned camping trip love story. I have a hard time relating to lesbian characters/relationships.

Last Stand at the Cinegore by Libba Bray
3 Stars
A few teenagers work at a Cinegore that is having its last show. I was hoping to see a different (no demon) side of Libba Bray, no such luck. This was not at all what I was expecting from a summer romance short story but what can I say... it's Libba Bray.

Sick Pleasure by Francesca Lia Block
1 Star
Some girls party. What did I just read?! What a twisted way of looking at losing your virginity...

In Ninety Minutes, Turn North by Stephanie Perkins
5 Stars
I will never get enough of these characters! I am so thankful to Stephanie Perkins for the melting and the mush and the giving me more!

Souvenirs by Tim Federle
2 Stars
Two summer amusement park workers who's relationship is a count down to the last day of work. You go into this story knowing they are waiting for a breakup so I didn't get overly involved in the story or the relationship dynamic.

Inertia by Veronica Roth
5 Stars
Claire is requested by Matthew (her former best friend) for a Last Visitation. This is a rite that had become common practice in cases like these, when a life would end regardless of surgical intervention. Claire and Matthew are able to relieve their past memories linked together.

Love is the Last Resort by Jon Skovron
5 Stars
Resort workers play matchmakers to their hotel guests. This could have so easily been a full length novel! I love the characters and the humour and I've been left wanting more! I've never read anything by Jon Skovron but I will be keeping my eye out for him in the future.
"Because if we are all fools, then perhaps there is some wisdom in falling in love."

Good Luck and Farewell by Brandy Colbert
2.5 Stars
Rashida's cousin is moving away. Someone new comes into her life. I'm not such a fan of instalove.

Brand New Attraction by Cassandra Clare
3 Stars
A dark love story set in a Dark Carnival... What more can I say?

A Thousand Ways This Could All Go Wrong by Jennifer E. Smith
5 Stars
A charming story of a high school crush and a girl who gets her date.

The Map of Tiny Perfect Things by Lev Grossman
5 Stars
On August 4th Mark wakes up to find that the same day is constantly repeating itself. One day Mark finds Margaret and learns that not only is the same thing happening to her but she is the key to finding how to stop it.

[Shannon A · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm enjoyed 2-3 stories. Otherwise, very meh. I wanted to like it though! :(

[Odette Brethouwer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ended up really liking this!

This book sounds like a book full of cute summer stories, but because of some reviews I already knew before I started that it was not the case. The only common factor for these stories is that they take place in the summer.

But in the first stories, there was a bit too much I didn't liked at each story. Not just the not-summery-fluffy-plotline, but also writing I didn't really liked. Every story I read, really disappointed me. Every story. And that is quite a bad thing. Even Stepahnie Perkins' story! So, I decided to quit this book after reading that story. With pain in my heart, but this was not giving me a nice reading vibe and I hate that. I haven't rated them not low but I just did not felt it.

But then, my friends Rowie and Evelyn were talking so positive about the other stories in the book, I decided to continue reading. And I'm really glad I did because the stories got better towards the end of the book.

Head, Scales, Tongue, Tail by Leigh Bardugo: 3/5
I called the plottwist XD But I love her writing and I do like the plottwist. This is a Bardugo-worthy story, so if you like this you should defenitly read more of her work! I do think this is not the best story to start the book with, because it is not the summer read you might my expecting..

The End of Love by Nina Lacour: 3/5
This was a nice and cute coming-of-age and love-story, but that's all. More of what I expected from this book than the Bardugo story to be honest.

Last Stand at the Cinegore by Libba Bray: 2/5
This is one little weird story. I knew before starting this book to not expect fluffy stories only so that is not the issue, this love/horror combination is just not my cup of tea. This proves to me that I don't like horror unless it is written by Darren Shan, whoops.

Sick Pleasure by Francesca Lia Block: 3/5
I like the idea of this story and I like motorcycles, but the namething is a bit weird and it feels like it is written really fast. I liked the ending, but it felt a bit ruffled.

In Ninety Minutes, Turn North by Stephanie Perkins: 3/5
It took me a long time to get into this story! That is a) a bad thing for a short story b) a bad thing for something written by Perkins. I had high expectations of this story. I loved that it were the characters from her story in My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories! But frankly, that was the only thing I liked about this story.. It is well-written, but I just don't like the setting and the storyline that much..

Souvenirs by Tim Federle: 4/5
This was really cute! Glad I picked this book back up again. Really like how the coming-of-age happens in a short story!

Inertia by Veronica Roth: 5/5
Sorry, I cannot talk about this outside the spoiler tag.. All I can say is that I love it and I'm really thankfull for continuing this book XD
I was loving the friendship-storyline, so I uttered an deep frustrationscreem when he said he loved her. Usually, this makes me hate a story I've loved before. I have an issue with boy-girl friendships, how they always turn into love or include a gay person. But this story had one hell of a cute ending so all is forgiven and I love this story SO MUCH!

Love is the Last Resort by Jon Skovron: 5/5
This story is so sarcastic, I love it! The tone of voice is just that bit over the top that somehow makes it perfect.

Other books by this author doesn't appeal to me if I look at the blurbs, which disappoints me because the writing is so briljant.

Good Luck and Farewell by Brandy Colbert: 3/5
This was really cute burlt not special or anything.

Brand new Attraction by Cassandra Clare: 2/5
Not bad, but I didn't enjoyed reading it or something.

A Thousand Ways This Could All Go Wrong by Jennifer E. Smith: 5/5
This was so cute and summery fluffy perfect!

The Map of Tiny Perfect Things by Lev Grossman: 5/5
And this as well!

Because I put this book dnf first, I just cannot rate it 5*, but I really enjoyed a big part of it after that, so 4*.

[Sue (Hollywood News Source) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summer Days & Summer Nights is the first anthology I’ve ever read. I didn’t know what to expect, all I know is I’m not a short-story person. Fortunately, it turned out better than what I anticipated it to be. For me, it’s split into three categories. There are four stories that struck me, and gripped me, followed by four stories that are ordinary, but doable, while the remaining four stories doesn’t belong to this collection.

Head, Scales, Tongue, Tale by Leigh Bardugo – 3 stars

This has the same story telling as The Summer of Chasing Mermaids, except I like the former much better. It’s a combination of contemporary mythology in a small country town.

The End of Love by Nina Lacour – 4 stars



This is where the pace of the anthology picks up. It tackles family drama, making friends, and a cute f/f pairing. I felt like I was reading a Hayley Kiyoko book.

Last Night at the Cinegore by Libba Bray – 2 stars

After reading Bardugo’s story, I finally grasp this is not a realistic-contemporary anthology. However, it’s a mixture of the former, and modern paranormal. I read some of Bray’s books, and I like how she crafts her plot, but I find myself sordidly disappointed with this. It’s an odd story trying to pass as Night Film by Marisha Pessl.

Sick Pleasures: For A and U by Francesca Lia Block – 1 star

What derail me from liking this story is how the narrator call herself and her friends in first initial basis. J, M, N, it confuses me. Frankly, it’s annoying. Do people really call themselves like that in real life? Overall, this imparts a great message to its readers. I just felt disconnected to it.

In Ninety Minutes, Turn North by Stephanie Perkins – 4 stars

I love, love, second chance romance. Perkins perfectly captured that vibes. This is such a swoon-filled story, perfect for romance contemporary readers.

Souvenirs by Tim Federle – 4 stars

The concept of this story are so cute, and endearing. I love the “fun” tone of it. I’d say, this is the most entertaining read of the bunch.

Inertia by Veronica Roth – 3 stars

The introduction of this short story was boring, but it got better in the end. I’m not a futuristic person, so I’m not surprised by my verdict.

Love Is The Last Resort by Jon Skovron – 3 stars

This started on a hopeful note. I love the characterization, and the quirky narration. However, the build-up for the characters’ get to together was anticlimactic.

Good Luck and Farewell by Brandy Colbert – 4.5 stars



Brandy Colbert’s story easily becomes one of my favorites. With very limited page count, the story managed to carve a depth for the characters. It tackles hard-hitting topics as well. This stand out from the rest.

Brand New Attraction by Cassandra Clare – 2 stars

This is another odd story of the bunch. I guess, I expected much better than that from Clare. Fighting demons + love potions + family’s betrayal + falling in love. I supposed, that’s a trademark Clare stamp, one that I didn’t liked at all.

A Thousand Ways This Could All Go Wrong by Jennifer E. Smith – 3 stars

I like this story. It’s cute, but I wasn’t invested with it at all.

The Map of Tiny Perfect Things by Lev Grossman– 1 star

This is the most boring story from this anthology. I don’t have any positive things to say about it.

Over all, I really like Summer Days & Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories. It’s noted Perkins and her contributing authors made it as diverse as it could be. There’s LGBT characters & pairings, mental health issue, racial diversity, and more. The only thing, I could complain is out of the twelve stories, five of them have characters color on it, but only one of them are written by an author of color. If publishing industry wants to thrive for inclusivity, especially for racial diversity, my advice: include more, authors of color.

 
This book is highly recommended to fans of anthologies, especially My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories.

As part of Summer Days & Summer Nights blog tour, this review is also posted at Hollywood News Source.

[enqi ༄ؘ ｡˚ ⋆♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summer Days & Summer Nights is a YA anthology of twelve summer romances by twelve different authors including Leigh Bardugo, Stephanie Perkins and Cassandra Clare. To be honest, I picked up this book because I was in a bad reading slump and I was desperate to get myself out of it. I hate being in reading slumps! Anyway, this book wasn’t the perfect remedy or anything, but it did help. Some of the stories were really lovely to read, but some just made me go “WTF?” I’ll be elaborating in my review below, where I review each individual story and articulate my thoughts!



STORY 1: Head, Scales, Tongue, Tail by Leigh Bardugo

Okay, so this was definitely one of the best! It was a story with a lovely magical sea monster twist. I know I gave up on Six of Crows halfway, but damn, Leigh Bardugo really writes good. I’ll probably pick SOC back up soon. Anyway, I loved the ending of the story especially – it was beautiful, but in a sad way. And the romance is pretty good.

“Eli kissed Gracie like she was a song and he was determined to hear every note. He kissed her the way he did everything else – seriously.”

Creativity, quirkiness, romance all rolled into one. 5 stars.



STORY 2: The End of Love by Nina LaCour

First up, this story has f/f rep. Apparently this author writes f/f storylines too, since she’s lesbian herself. I really need to check out her books! I’ve been DYING to read more f/f stories since there’s so little representation. I’m giving this story 4 stars. It was good, but I felt like there was a lack of closure to things – they got together at the end, which was of course the entire point, but I really did want to know what happened with Flora and her family afterward, and her juggling her new house and her new relationships.



STORY 3: Last Stand At The Cinegore by Libba Bray

This was a horror story! Well, not I-couldn’t-finish-because-I-would-have-nightmares horror, but riveting, almost-comical horror. Like, horror comedy? I actually laughed out loud a few times reading this story. And I thought the author’s take on summer romance was really interesting. Right when you’re expecting light, funny plots, she goes and delivers a rather dark one involving an old cinema with a gory name and an owner whom nobody has seen since like the 1960s. I liked the main characters, Kevin, Dave and Dani and their casual banter in the first few pages, but in some later 10 pages or so, she wrote a lot of useless dialogue as filler that wasn’t even funny and didn’t even help the plot. If that hadn’t existed I’d give it 5 stars. So I’m giving this story 4.5 stars, but it very nearly made the cut. It was such a good story, though.



STORY 4: Sick Pleasure by Francesca Lia Block

I felt like this story had the likelihood of being written by a teenager. Seriously. It has that whole emotional vibe, the vibe of destroying yourself and loving the process, or losing your virginity after getting drunk with some guy, or the whole “Maybe someday” or “Maybe in future” thing, or the “I hope he will see this” thing. Literally, the ending ends with it. Okay, so it was quite cool to use letters as names, like maybe-pseudonyms, characters named J and L and M and A and the main character named I, but that’s like where all the good points about this story end. I guess this story focuses on the dark side of summer romance. The main character started dancing with A, liked A, got angsty because A never returned her calls after they each told each other this huge thing about their lives, like him revealing that the place he took her to wasn’t really his house and her telling him that her dad has cancer and she had to leave for college in the fall. Then being angsty, she hooked up with some guy and lost her virginity, and then at the end of this sob story, ended up saying “Maybe A will see this story” and all that crap. I just realised I’m going on a really long rant here, but I just didn’t enjoy this story in general. Even the title is like, what?? Not related to the story at all!! I feel like the author named it for clickbait (in this case, readbait?) or something. I wanted to give it a 2, but in the end I decided on 3 stars. Okay, scratch that. A 2.5 it is because it just doesn’t deserve 3.



STORY 5: In Ninety Minutes, Turn North by Stephanie Perkins

Good for you if you like a fluffy, soft reunion read. I can’t really find any major flaws in this story, but it isn’t, like, jaw-droppingly amazing either. Anyway, this is my first time reading Stephanie Perkins’ writing, and I guess I’m giving it 3.5 stars.



STORY 6: Souvenirs by Tim Federle

This was a m/m story, and I thought this story was gonna be good, but it turns out that it was just really boring. Like, fall-asleep boring. I couldn’t care less about this guy’s breakup, which the entire story focused on. For Christ’s sake, I signed up for romances, not breakups! I don’t know if breakups count as part of romances, probably they do, but at least write an interesting one. The guy spent lots of time thinking about himself and his boyfriend interacting than actually interacting with his boyfriend. And I couldn’t connect to both of them – boring 2D characters. I’m giving this story 1 star.



STORY 7: Inertia by Veronica Roth

I’ve never trusted Roth since she totally blindsided me with Allegiant’s ending and left me scarred. This story incorporated some science fiction in it which was quite interesting. At least she didn’t let the male love interest die this time. 3 stars.



STORY 8: Love Is The Last Resort by Jon Skovron

This story literally takes place at a resort. It was quite funny. I found it rather quirky, especially because of the ending when it’s revealed that the mute (or silent-by-choice) guy has been the narrator all this time. 3.5 stars!



STORY 9: Good Luck and Farewell by Brandy Colbert

The spiel of this story is totally unrealistic. Girl and cousin’s girlfriend’s brother meet at a farewell party, and in like 2 hours, they’re sharing secrets with each other and then kissing. Oh, and there was the little fact that the brother thought the girl was being a bitch to his sister and didn’t like her at first. Hello?? The author seems like she couldn’t think of a better setting or a more well-developed plot at all. I didn’t get the whole story at all and it was not only unrealistic but really plain and really boring and I had to force myself to keep reading. 2 stars.



STORY 10: Brand New Attraction by Cassandra Clare

Okay, I swear I honestly tried to go blind and unbiased into this story. I really did, but maybe some of my Cassie love might’ve still rubbed off on me because I’m giving this 5 stars. I don’t care. This story is AMAZING. It was nice reading a Cassie story without all that forbidden love spiel for once, and I was really amazed and pleased with how well she delivered. The story surprisingly wasn’t that focused on the romance as I expected, and it was fun to see how Cassie wrote in demons, and power, and magic that kept a circus going. If I had any doubts before this, there are now none. Cassie is a really great fantasy writer.



STORY 11: A Thousand Ways This Could All Go Wrong

A cute and quirky story with autism rep. 3.5 stars. I really liked how the author portrayed these autistic kids as normal, ordinary kids with no discrimination against them. The female MC is a badass too. Excellent representation, in my opinion.



STORY 12: The Map of Tiny Perfect Things

This story was an interesting one about time staying still and the same day happening over and over again, and two out-of-the-loop (quite literally) teenagers being the only ones who know that it’s happening when everyone else is unaware. I liked the idea of them documenting each perfect or beautiful moment they saw on a map – and I think after reading I have come to realise that many things are actually miracles, no matter how tiny, and we don’t always have to wait for something big to happen before we appreciate it. This story was so layered and really fun to read. 4 stars!

Overall this anthology would get a rating of 3.6 stars! This book did get me out of my reading slump and I’m glad for it. I definitely recommend it for a summer read.

[Ginger · Rating 3 out of 5]

June book club book is finally finished! Whew!

The best stories in the book in my opinion were "Last Stand at the Cinegore", "Brand New Attraction", "A Thousand Ways This Could All Go Wrong" and "The Map of Tiny Perfect Things". If it was not for these four stories, I would rate this book 2 stars. But because of these stories, I'll give it another star because they saved the book for me.

I just realized out of the four stories that I liked the most, two were fantasy/horror related, one was sci-fi related and the other had autism as a main theme of the book. I guess I'm not that crazy or entertained about general love stories without some 'extra' elements added. It just seems too boring and blah to me to get into. Good to know as I move forward as a reader. hahaha

[Helene Jeppesen · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5 stars.

[♛ may · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yes im wasting more precious time where I could be reading BRAND NEW books that I never experienced before instead of rereading an anthology but oh well :)))))) its summer, you cant stop me

Head Scales Tongue Tail by Leigh Bardugo
- upon my reread, I didn’t ADORE this one like the first time, but still a great story
- it was fun and weird and had so many summery vibes, I enjoyed it
- I appreciated the characters too eli and grace were 👌
- 3.5 stars

The End of Love by Nina Lacour
- this was realllyyy cute and sweet
- I ADORED the whole scene of camping and the outdoorsy feels
- I did however, wish we got to explore more of mimi’s home life, bc that did feel left too open
- the writing makes me wanna read everything nina lacour ever touched tbh
- 4 stars

Last Stand at the Cinegore by Libba Bray
- pardon my French, but what the crap was this story???
- ?????????????????????????????????
- I literally see no point for the story to exist, like the plot was wEiRd and the characters felt so misplaced and ughdjakfdalk idk I really didn’t like it the first time and I for sURE don’t like it now
- 1 star

Sick Pleasure by Francesca Lia Block
- again,,,,what the heck was this
- I’m just trying to understand what the point of this story is and nope, don’t see it
- and why are the names so weird like ??? the author just used letters to refer to the characters and I found it less than fun
- 1 star

In Ninety Minutes, Turn North by Stephanie Perkins
- AAAAAAAAAAAA THIS WAS SO CUTE
- I love Stephanie perkins writing fluff and this most definitely was fluff
- I love north and I love marigold and I love how this was a continuation from the story in My True Love Gave to Me bc it literally made it feel so great
- 4.5 stars

Souvenirs by Tim Federle
- this was,,,,,,alright I guess
- it was very much meh in my opinion and I found our love interest, Kieth to kind of be a really awful person
- I know, I know, hes not all that bad but LIKE some of the ish he did made me uncomfortable (like pulling someone introverted and insecure onto a platform to dance in front of people ALONE when they CLEARLY are against the idea of it)
- it was alright tho
- 2.5 stars

Inertia by Veronica Roth
- the first time I read this I was like ‘its good’ but this time I thought it was FANTASTIC
- it was super sweet and super meaningful and I liked the idea and the futuristic elements
- v niiiice
- 4 stars

Love is the Last Resort by Jon Skovron
- this MIGHT BE MY FAVOURITE STORY FROM THE ANTHOLOGY
- I ADORE the writing style, its so mysterious and fun and summery
- I loved the little games the main characters thought they were playing and idk it was just wonderful imo
- also zeke deserves love
- 5 stars


Good Luck and Farewell by Brandy Colbert
- I thought this was a really sweet story that centered a little around family and that was a nice thought
- I also appreciate the diversity in the cast of characters
- annnddd it was sweet and simple, not much to say beyond that
- ALSO MY THIN CRUST PIZZA LOVERS YES
- 3.5 stars


Brand New Attraction by Cassandra Clare
- this was highkey awful
- idk I wasn’t feeling the whole scary carnival shenanigans
- and the romance was also ?? out of place ??
- really disliked this oops
- 1 star

A Thousand Ways This Could All Go Wrong by Jennifer E. Smith
- THIS WAS SO CUTE
- Griffin is my love omg this boy is preciousss
- also love the fact that he has autism and it was so much more than who he was
- I just really liked how soft and sweet this was
- also im a sucker for anything including little cute adorable humans
- total heart eyes rn
- 4.5 stars

The Map of Tiny Perfect Things by Lev Grossman
- I went into this one with REALLY low expectations and it didn’t totally disappoint me
- the humour was maybe a tad bit on the trying-too-hard area but I liked the characters and the idea
- the ending held something wistful, I think and I like how it explored a narrative more //deeper// than just love or romance
- was a nice ending tbh
- 3.5 stars


So yes, this book was great and cute and entertaining when the weather was like 40 degrees and I felt like my skin was melting but at least I could be like ‘I HAD THE PERFECT SUMMER READ’

It was fun, I just wish the font was larger 🙃

[Kaya Dimitrova · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ще започна с това, че честно казано не си падам много - много по разказите, защото обичам да се привързвам към героите, а при текстове, дълги около 30 – тина страници, това е малко вероятно. За мое щастие, част от разказите оправдаха това и ме караха да се усмихвам широко в малкото минути време, което съм имала да се докосна до тях.....
Цялото ревю тук -> http://justonebooklover.blogspot.bg/2...

[Tsvetelina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Няма да се впускам в обобщение на сюжетни линии на всеки разказ, тъй като тук има достатъчно много добри ревюта, от които може да се запознаете с тях. Вместо това ще напиша какво ми хареса или не ми хареса във всеки разказ. Оценките са според значенията им в GR, т.е. 3 звезди = "хареса ми":

- Глава, люспи, език, опашка от Лий Бардуго - не съм се запознавала досега с творчеството на Бардуго, макар че заглавията на романите й са изключително популярни сред young/new adult аудиторията, особено привържениците на фентъзи жанра. Това е един от любимите ми разкази в "Летни дни и летни нощи". Донесе ми именно заряд - на лято, на нежност и меланхолия, на невинност и онези първи трепети, които можеш да изпиташ само като подрастващ. Със или без фентъзи елемента, разказът ме спечели още на третата страница, а краят само допринесе усмивката ми да остане по-дълго на лицето. 4.5/5 звезди

- Краят на любовта от Нина Лакор - засегна любопитна тема (нямам предвид хомосексуалната ориентация на героинята, а настъпилата ситуация в семейното й положение) и честно казано ме развълнува повече емоцията описана от раздялата на родителите й, осъзнаването на промяната, нейното влияние върху порастването, отколкото хлътването й по момичето, което имаше шанса отново да види в лятното училище. Не ми донесе лятното усещане, което цел номер едно за мен при прочита на цялата селекция от разкази. 2/5 звезди

-Последна съпротива в "Синегор" от Либа Брей - "хорър" частта не ми беше по-вкуса, тъй като не представляваше никакъв хорър, а на моменти напомняше пародия. Но това не беше важно. Това, което наистина ми хареса, беше главният персонаж - почувствах го достоверен, забавен, успя да ме накара да му бъда съпричастна и като цяло се усещаше романтичния полъх между героите от старото кино в малкото затънтено градче. Хареса ми и как аз самата разбрах страха му от промяната, която героят не беше сигурен, че ще настъпи в неговия живот, докато всички останали продължаваха напред. Обстановката беше чудесно пресъздадена из редовете и през цялото време ми беше любопитно да разбера докъде ще доведе нещата авторката. 3.5/5 звезди

-Нездрави удоволствия от Франческа Лия Блок - хареса ми темата, засегната в разказа. Абсолютно реална, достоверна и не вярвам да има читател, който да не се свърже с нея. Допадна ми, че всички герои бяха именувани само с инициали, вместо да се опитвам да запомня имената им. Хареса ми бързото "хлътване" (ако може да се нарече такова) - смятам, че в една така лятна атмосфера на всяко момиче му се е случвало в даден момент от този период на израстване. Не беше така интересен интересен или увлекателен, но разказът те кара да си спомняш неща, за които рядко се сещаш обикновено. 3/5 звезди

- След деветдесет минути завийте на север от Стефъни Пъркинс - хареса ми Норт, бившата половинка на главната героиня. Не знам защо дори - може би защото беше толкова мил и съобразителен дори когато имаше право да се държи както си пожелае ( в това число да бъде дръпнат заядлив и враждебен), или пък защото беше по детски инатлив на моменти... Хареса ми целият му персонаж и заради него (и само заради него) давам 3.5/5 звезди.

- Сувенири от Тим Федерле - допадна ми цялата обстановка, обрисувана в местния увеселителен парк, хареса ми главният персонаж с всички му комплекси, неуверености и страхове и цялата невинност, която кръжеше около несигурната му романтична връзка с Кийт (или Кит, понеже е актьор, който обича да драматизира?). Беше сладко, и горчиво, и мило, и тъжно. Хареса ми цялата идея на разказа - че всеки човек, независимо дали остава или си отива, те променя. Обикновено за добро, ако си достатъчно умен да си дадеш този шанс. 4/5 звезди

- Инерция от Вероника Рот - този разказ ми стана един от любимите. Абстрахирам се от фантастичния елемент на посещение в съзнанието на друг човек, който ми се стори толкова предвидим и типичен за авторката. Това е единственото, което не ми хареса. Всичко останало ме развълнува: от героите, през онези специални моменти, замаскирани като просто приятелство (когато осъзнаваш напълно, че този човек те разбира отвътре навън, чете те и те препрочита и му харесва какво стои между редовете), през борбата на героите да минат цели през трудностите в живота им, до любовта - която в крайна сметка е най-мощният двигател на живителните сили, нужни ти да превъзмогнеш дори разпада на взаимност с другия и разочарованието ти към него. Имаше нещо ужасно интимно в чувствата на двамата герои (романтични или не), което не можа да ме остави безразлична, ни най-малко. 5/5 звезди

- Любовта е последното прибежище от Джон Сковрон - стилът на писане определено е това, което най много ми допадна в разказа. По мое лично мнение Сковрон е опитал (и то успешно) да придаде едно по-официално, дори тържествено звучене на историята и отношенията между многото на брой участници по примера на старите романите за английския двор от преди няколко века. Нали се сещате - когато всичко е заплетено, чертаят се любовни многоъгълници и е въпрос на шанс (или хитрина) кой ще излезе победител в края на схематичното съревнование. За потвърждение на тази усложненост беше представен дори един любопитен лабиринт. Определено този подход създаде точното усещане за историята и предаде необходимата атмосфера. Не ми хареса фактът, че така и не разбрах как, по дяволите, за ден и половина двамата герои се влюбиха?! И на базата на какво - на липсата на вяра в понятието "любов"? Не, по-добре да си бяха останали щастливо отделени и все такива неверници. Тогава и подвигът им да събират влюбените гълъбчета в хотела би бил много по-героичен и безкористен. Но пък в крайна сметка поуката беше, че любовта е заразителна... 3/5 звезди

- Късмет и довиждане от Бранди Колбърт - ако този разказ беше поместен в по-предните страници, щях да му дам по-висока оценка. Но към този момент вече се бях начела на проблеми в семейството, семейни драми, липси на член от семейството и т.н. Поради тази причина не ми достави такова удоволствие да го прочета, макар че сцената с откровения между Рашида и Пиер беше много добре написан и успях да се отнеса за миг и съвсем ясно си представих колко е вълнуващо да изживееш онзи момент преди първото докосване, преди първата целувка. 3/5 звезди

- Чисто нова атракция от Касандра Клеър - някак си очаквах такъв разказ от нея. Не че не ми хареса, но просто беше предвидим, на моменти някои сцени бяха по детински описани. Обстановката беше страхотна, да. Героите и сюжетът - не толкова. 3/5 звезди

- Хиляда начина, по които всичко това може да се обърка от Дженифър Е. Смит - другият любим разказ. Мисля, че всеки, който го е прочел, се е трогнал (но не прекалено, не сълзливо), напротив - от този разказ лъха надежда, оптимизъм, мирише на лято и на нещо толкова мило. Всичко тук беше съвършено. И сериозната тема, която засяга, и атмосферата, и наслагването на представата ни за героите на фона на развитието на сюжета, за да си кажеш накрая "Ето защо!". Да, и най-вече Грифин, който беше съвършен в своята несъвършеност. 5/5 звезди

- Картата на мъничките съвършени неща от Лев Гросман - най-хубавото тук беше, че по-лятно няма как да ти стане. Не и след като изживяваш тоооолкова дълъг 4ти август. Сега сериозно, можех да усетя бавния темп, повтаряемостта на събитията, представях си как ми става все по-топло и по-топло. Как в един момент вълнението от липсата на каквито и да е ограничения и последствия, липсата на отговорности, се превръща бавно, но целеустремено в истинско бреме. Как самотата наистина може да те налегне с всичка сила, да премаже плещите ти и да ти изкара въздуха от дробовете. Това ми хареса наистина много. Хареса ми и отчаяната им нужда да изживеят всеки ценен момент, да не се примиряват с еднаквото, а да търсят сами чудото, съвършеното. Пропускам частта с развръзката накрая - не ме развълнува, но не ми беше и безинтересна. Всичко останало беше прекрасно пресъздадено, кара те да се замислиш как ти би постъпил, какво би почувствал, би ли се влюбил в единствения човек, който е останал, би ли се съпротивлявал, би ли търсил. 4/5 звезди

[Elle (ellexamines) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Average rating: 3.8 stars.
This is one of my favorite collections I've read this year. There were so many fabulous little stories in here, including a few new all-time faves. If you'd like to read the Favs, I'd check out Leigh Bardugo's Head Scales Tongue Tail, Stephanie Perkins' In Ninety Minutes Turn North, Veronica Roth's Inertia, and Lev Grossman's The Map of Tiny Perfect Things.

ALSO CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE COVER. I'm a nerd and I did a full run-through, in case you're interested, so check out down below.

→ Head Scales Tongue Tail by Leigh Bardugo ← ★★★★★
This is the most adorable and pure?? I loved the banter between Gracie and Eli, I loved the atmosphere... yup. Just everything I wanted out of this collection in one story.

→ The End of Love by Nina Lacour ← ★★★★☆
THIS ONE IS SO CUTE. It's a story about love after a change in your life. Mimi and Flora were seriously so pure. It's got that kind of Gay Aesthetic vibe to it, same as all her other stuff. If you like her writing at all, you'll love this.

→ Last Stand At The Cinegore by Libba Bray ← ★★★☆☆
I don't know what this was or what I just read, but... I think I liked it? Dani and Kevin were just fine as a couple.

→ Sick Pleasure by Francesca Lia Block ← ★★☆☆☆
This was way too depressing for this collection, first of all. Second of all, what even. Third of all, why the lack of names? A and I, really?

→ In Ninety Minutes, Turn North by Stephanie Perkins ← ★★★★★
Most of this was just okay fluff, but AAAAAH THAT SECTION ON THE TRAIN!! I loved it so much. I haven't actually read the first collection's story about Marigold and North, but I have to now.

→ Souvenirs by Tim Federle ← ★★★☆☆
A story about moving on is fine, and this one was sweet, I just didn't really need it out of a cute summer collection, you know? I enjoyed it fine, Matty and Kieth were cute enough, the ending was nice, just didn't make much of an impact on me.

→ Inertia by Veronica Roth ← ★★★★★
I love the concept of this so much, and I really liked the themes about medication. Matt and Claire made for a really compelling couple too - friends to lovers for the win!!

Even his mistakes, even his darkness, had been taking him toward her.

→ Love is the Last Resort by Jon Skovron ← ★★★★☆
This one is a ton of different viewpoints at a romantic resort. Lena and Arlo are adorable, but really, I loved every single couple here!! It's a little confusing towards the beginning, but once you get the names, it's awesome. The ending scene made me laugh so hard.

→ Good Luck and Farewell by Brandy Colbert ← ★★★☆☆
This is a sweet story about family, but to be honest, I found it a little boring. Pierre and Rashida were fairly sweet. And okay, I know this is a nitpick, but I really don't think any self-professed Shakespeare nerd would consider that Hamlet quote their favorite quote. It's literally meant to be ironic and to mean something totally different from what everyone thinks it means. Not to call someone a fake fan, but really?

→ Brand New Attraction by Cassandra Clare ← ★★★☆☆
A love story I went in with really low expectations - like, I expected to give this two stars at most - but actually really enjoyed it!! The concept of Lulu and Luca dating honestly kind of grossed me out. I have stepcousins. I don't want to think about lusting after them. But I liked Mephit a lot, the plot was far more interesting than expected, and the carnival lore was super creative.

→ A Thousand Ways This Could All Go Wrong by Jennifer E. Smith ← ★★★★☆
First dates and being a camp counselor. I love how awkwardly cute Griffin and Annie are!! And okay, having a love interest with autism where it wasn't his entire character, just a fact about him that affected his personality, was awesome. This was really just so pure. Read it.

→ The Map of Tiny Perfect Things by Lev Grossman ← ★★★★★
This was just perfect. And caused me an existential crisis.

COVERPORN BULLSHIT

♔ IN THE POOL:
Pierre and Rashida (9) are the two people swimming at the top. Matty and Keith (6) are the two boys, one with pizza and one with a mike, which is so adorable. Obviously Dani and Kevin (3) are the 3D glasses people having a chicken fight. A and I (4) are the two people chickenfighting with them, because mohawk. Claire and Matt (7) I believe are the people backfloating holding hands and Mimi and Flora (2) are the two girls splashing themselves on the right, both of which I only know because this anthology needed way more diversity.

♔ OUT OF THE POOL: Lulu and Lucas (10) are the two people by the tree, because rainbow hair!! Griffin and Annie (11) are the people playing checkers, and I CANNOT BELIEVE THEY GOT GRIFF'S EXACT OUTFIT. Is that not pure. Is that not perfect. Gracie and Eli (1) are the two people with bikes, which is pure. Lena and Arlo (8) are the pool boy and girl. Mark and Margaret (12) I think are the swing set people; they had basically no on page description, but this feels like them to me and it does fit Margaret's outfit minus the hat. Marigold and North (5) I think are the people in the chairs, but this could switch with Mark & Margaret.

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[Flor · Rating 4 out of 5]

☀️Cabeza, escamas, lengua, cola de Leigh Bardugo: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Me ha encantado de principio a fin, el romance entre los protagonistas fue tan bonito y tierno, creeíble también ya que se dio con tiempo y cariño, definitivamente se siente ese amor veraniego. Ame el hecho de que pasaran sus días leyendo y escuchando discos viejos. Y aunque honestamente ya me esperaba lo que iba a pasar en cierto punto, no me esperaba el final y me dejo muy feliz. Feliz. Feliz.
☀️El final del amor de Nina Lacour: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2: Me gusto mucho la historia, sobre todo descubrir a lo que se refiere su título "el final del amor", me rompio el corazón un poquito. El romance también fue lindo y lo de la geometría un tanto extraño, aunque totalmente cierto jaja me senti en la escuela. Llegando a un punto pensé en darle las 5 pero al final, sentí que le falto algo.
☀️Última sesión en el cinegore: Lo siento no pude hacerlo, no es que sea malo ni mucho menos, el problema es que soy una gallina. Y la historia me dio miedo. No quiero obligarme a leer algo que me asuste asi que no lo haré.
☀️Placer Malsano de Francesca Lia Block: ⭐️ Voto para que eliminen esta historia. Que demonios fue eso! Que, denomios, fue, eso! Que alguien me explique porque yo no puedo. No puedo con esa historia, odie a la protagonista, sintiendose menos que sus amigas, cayendo tan enamorada despues de haber hablado una sola vez, llendose de fiesta con personas a quienes nunca habia visto! NO! Y lo que hizo, que verguenza y que coraje! El protagonista no es mucho mejor asi que ni al caso, las amigas estan ahi sin nada de personalidad y que fue eso de llamarlos a todos por letras en lugar de nombres.
☀️Dentro de Noventa Minutos, gire al norte de Stephanie Perkins: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Todas las estrellas, me encanto, cada pequeña partecita fue maravillosa, los protagonistas persiguiendo sus sueños, la presión familiar, el final de un romance y las segundas oportunidades. Es el primer relato con el que me pongo a gritar internamente de la emoción y casi a llorar, Stephanie Perkins sin duda sigue siendo mi favorita en contemporáneos. Y por si acaso no he sido absoluta e inequívocamente clara ame este relato con locura.
☀️Souvenirs de Tim Federle (el relato que accidentalmente me salte):⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Es triste porque no es un relato del inicio de un romance sino de su final, que triste que hayan tenido fecha de ruptura sin nisiquiera haber empezado, aunque me parece que hicieron lo mas sensato y responsable, de los dolores el menor.
☀️Inercia de Veronica Roth:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Dios mio, que cosa tan bonita acabo de leer. Es un relato hermoso y muy triste, me la pase llorando la mayor parte de el pero el final me dio tanta alegría que me sacó lágrimas de felicidad. La última visita me pareció algo tan privado y especial desearía que fuera real y en serio, ese final, la banda sonora de su corazón. Demasiado lindo.
☀️El amor es el último refugio de Jon Skovron: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ El primer relato con más de una pareja, son tres bellas, tiernas y super shippeables parejas. Me encantó el laberinto y todas las escenas que pasaron dentro del mismo. Ame al narrador y las ultimas lineas fueron tan bonitas, facilmente puedo ver al relato como una película de comedia romántica y esas a mi me encantan.
☀️Adios y Buena Suerte de Brandy Colbert: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 Lindo relato pero no logró atraparme ni llenarme de los sentimientos que el autor quería transmitir. Me gusto más la unión que estos chicos encontraron más que el romance en si, sentí que todo transcurrió demasiado rápido, todo en una noche, me hubiera gustado que se tomara las cosas con calma.
☀️Una atracción recien estrenada de Cassandra Clare: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Este relato se centra mas en la historia que en el romance, lo que es una pena porque Cassandra crea parejas super hermosas. Creo que le faltaron páginas, muchas muchas páginas, la idea fue totalmente interesante al igual que los giros pero a mi parecer no daba para ser un relato corto, demasiadas cosas por explicar en tan pocas páginas, quedan como mochas.
☀️Mil formas de estropear lo nuestro de Jennifer E. Smith: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️me gusto, el relato es tierno y los protagonistas me parecieron simpáticos, aplaudo la inclusión de esta historia y la buena manera en que fue manejada.
☀️Un mapa de pequeñas cosas perfectas de Lev Grossman: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Me dejó un poco incompleta, siento que le faltó mayor explicación a todo eso de vivir el mismo día, sin embargo realmente ame el hecho de que buscarán cosas perfectas en un día, me hizo pensar en todo lo que nos perdemos por no mirar en la dirección correcta

[prag ♻ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love was a tiny firefly in the distance, blinking on right when I needed it to.

Don't get me wrong, it sounds fucking delightful. And some of the stories are delightful (evidence: Head, Scales, Tongue, Tail by the queen herself. And Inertia by Veronica Roth. Beautiful.)

But then there's crap like Last Stand at the Cinegore: a horror romance that had me barfing. My head hurt reading it, it was terrible.

This is my problem with anthologies: there are stories that are perfect, and then there are those... that aren't.

It's as real as you want, as fake as you hope.

Here's a list of stories you should skip. Because if these weren't there, it's a solid 5 stars for me.

#3 Last Stand at the Cinegore by Libba Bray
#4 Sick Pleasure by Francesca Lia Block
#10 Brand New Attraction by Cassandra Clare (I know, I know. But it's honestly terrible. Just trust me on this one.)
#12 The Map of Tiny Perfect Things by Lev Grossman

(except for #12, which I'll admit I just skimmed tthrough, these were one star bad. bang head against the wall bad.)

Anyway.

It's hard to review an anthology because so many different stories, but can I just say these were everything I asked for. And then some more.

Cuteness overload.
Pools of fluff.
Heartbreak.
Giddy anticipation.
Butterflies in your stomach.

This has it all.

My heart was like a speeding train. That thing inside me- that pulsing organ that said I was alive, I was all right, I was carving a better shape out of my own life- was the sound track of our first kiss, and it was much better than any music, no matter how good the band might be.

[Maddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviews of each short story can be found here

Head, Scales, Tongue, Tale by Leigh Bardugo - ★★★★
The End of Love by Nina Lacour - ★★
Last Night at the Cinegore by Libba Bray - ★★★
Sick Pleasures: For A and U by Francesca Lia Block - ★
In Ninety Minutes, Turn North by Stephanie Perkins - ★★★★
Souvenirs by Tim Federle - ★★★
Inertia by Veronica Roth - ★★
Love Is The Last Resort by Jon Skovron - ★★ (ending adds: half a star)
Good Luck and Farewell by Brandy Colbert - ★★.5
Brand New Attraction by Cassandra Clare - ★
A Thousand Ways This Could All Go Wrong by Jennifer E. Smith - ★★★★
The Map of Tiny Perfect Things by Lev Grossman - ★★★★★

This was a really fun anthology, but if you're already familiar with the author, their plot devices can be a little predictable! It was fun to see the authors make the romance genre their own and I'd definitely like to see a few of these stories at full novel length!

[Adiee · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*
Книгата съдържа неописуемо красиви разкази - едни повече или по-малко от други, но несъмнено всеки представя уникална лятна история. Радвам се, че имах възможността да прочета тези дванайсет малки щастия. ревю на всеки разказ поотделно: http://ma-vie-en-mots.blogspot.bg/201...

[Teodora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bulgarian, detailed review: https://bookishipster.wordpress.com/2...

Individual ratings for the stories:

"Head, Scales, Tongue, Tail" by Leigh Bardugo – 5/5
"The End of Love" by Nina Lacour – 3.5/5
"Last Stand At the Cinegore" by Libba Bray - 4/5
"Sick Pleasure" by Francesca Lia Block – 2.5/5
‘‘In Ninety Minutes Turn North’’ by Stephanie Perkins - 5/5
‘‘Souvenirs’’ by Tim Federle – 3.5/5
‘‘Inertia’’ by Veronica Roth – 3.5/5
‘‘Love is the Last Resort’’ by Jon Skovron – 4.5/5
‘‘Good Luck and Farewell’’ by Brandy Colbert - 4/5
‘‘Brand New Attraction’’ by Cassandra Clare – 3.5/5
‘‘A Thousand Ways this Could All Go Wrong’’ by Jennifer E. Smith – 5/5
‘‘The Map of Tiny Perfect Things’’ by Lev Grossman – 3.5/5

Overall rating: 4 stars.
I really enjoyed this anthology, maybe even a little bit more than “My True Love Gave To Me”. My favourite stories are the ones by Leigh Bardugo, Stephanie Perkins, Jennifer E. Smith and Jon Skovron! I’m sure I will be rereading some of these when I need something to cheer me up.

[Drew · Rating 2 out of 5]

After I thoroughly enjoyed the holiday-themed romance anthology, My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories, I was eagerly anticipating a summer-themed collection. Warm summer nights, ice cream, lazy bike rides, and swims in the lake… what could be more romantic?

Sadly, though, if not for the first and last stories I would have been completely disappointed by this anthology. In a sea of popular authors - including Veronica Roth, Libba Bray, and Cassandra Clare - I expected top notch shorts, but they were all either cheesy or boring. Even Stephanie Perkins, who I thought could do no wrong when it came to romance, wrote a bland and disappointing piece.

After a while the mediocre plots and characters started to blend together. Nothing stood out - save for two outstanding, 5-star gems.

"Head, Scales, Tongue, Tail" by Leigh Bardugo was phenomenal, an atmospheric and timeless tale. Gracie and Eli go looking for a sea monster in the lake, but they know their time together is limited - before long Eli will have to leave the small town and go back to wherever it is he came from. The ending was gorgeous, majestic, and breathtaking.

"The Map of Tiny Perfect Things" by Lev Grossman was another favorite and ended the anthology with a bang. This one shocked me by being so heartbreaking. In the style of Groundhog Day, Mark and Margaret are caught in an endless loop of the same day - August 4th.

I was surprised by how much development Grossman packed in so few pages. His characters were rich, I loved their quest to find the "perfect moments" of August 4th, and the plot unfolded perfectly.

Are two good stories out of twelve really worth it, though? My answer would be no. I'm not sure I can recommend this book, because it feels like a time waster unless you're comfortable skipping. In my opinion, the bad stories far outweighed the good ones.

[Flor ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Segunda antología que leo de la autora!!

Y a pesar de que no tiene muy buenas críticas, estoy muy contenta con este libro, porque me hizo conocer muchos autores de los cuales no había leído nada.

Algunas historias me gustaron más que otras como era de esperar, pero en general estuvo muy bien!!!

La segunda mitad del libro fue mi preferida, así que si lo empiezan y no les está gustando mucho, tengan paciencia que después mejora!!

Mi puntaje para cada historia es:

1. “CABEZA, ESCAMAS, LENGUA, COLA” de LEIGH BARDUGO 4⭐️. Una historia de fantasía muy original donde simpaticé con los personajes aunque me costó un poco empezarlo.

2. “EL FINAL DEL AMOR” de NINA LACOUR 3⭐️. Me gusta que se incluyan historias lgbt y fue fácil de leer pero no me encariñé con la protagonista y lo sentí todo muy plano.

3. “ÚLTIMA SESIÓN EN EL CINEGORE” de LIBBA BRAY 3,5⭐️. En esta historia pensé que estaba viendo un programa de dibujos animados donde nada tiene sentido y todo puede ocurrir. Se me hizo bastante difícil de terminar pero el final me gustó.

4. “PLACER MALSANO” de FRANCESCA LIA BLOCK 4⭐️. Lo leí muy rápido y me entretuvo bastante. Me gustó la frase: “Por qué perseguimos con tanto ardor eso que estamos buscando y luego escapamos a toda prisa cuando lo encontramos.”

5. “DENTRO DE NOVENTA MINUTOS, GIRE AL NORTE” de STEPHANIE PERKINS 4,5⭐️. La protagonista le bajó ese 0,5 a la historia.

6. “RECUERDOS” de TIM FEDERLE 4⭐️. No tiene mucho sentido pero fue entretenido.

7. “INERCIA” de VERONICA ROTH 5⭐️. Me pareció muy original y además muy tierno!!

8. “EL AMOR ES EL ÚLTIMO REFUGIO” de JON SKOVRON 5⭐️. No es la típica historia de amor, fue muy divertido de leer!!

9. “ADIÓS Y BUENA SUERTE” de BRANDY COLBERT 4⭐️. No está mal.

10. “UNA ATRACCIÓN RECIÉN ESTRENADA” de CASSANDRA CLARE 4⭐️. Predecible pero me gustó bastante.

11. “LAS MIL CIRCUNSTANCIAS QUE PODRÍAN ESTROPEAR LO NUESTRO” de JENNIFER E. SMITH 5⭐️. Super tierna!!!

12. “EL MAPA DE LAS PEQUEÑAS COSAS PERFECTAS” de LEV GROSSMAN 5⭐️. Mi preferida de las doce !!! Me encantó!!