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

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 133547045X ISBN 13: 9781335470454

Publisher: Harlequin Teen, 2018

Take a journey through time and genres to discover stories where queer teens live, love and shape the world around them.
Seventeen young adult authors across the queer spectrum have come together to create a collection of beautifully written diverse historical fiction for teens.
From a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood set in war-torn 1870s Mexico featuring a transgender soldier, to two girls falling in love while mourning the death of Kurt Cobain, forbidden love in a sixteenth-century Spanish convent or an asexual girl discovering her identity amid the 1970s roller-disco scene, All Out tells a diverse range of stories across cultures, time periods and identities, shedding light on an area of history often ignored or forgotten.
“Readers searching for positive, nuanced, and authentic queer representation—or just a darn good selection of stories—need look no further than this superb collection.”
—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Featuring original stories from:Malinda Lo

Mackenzi Lee
Robin Talley
Kody Keplinger
Elliot Wake
Anna-Marie McLemore
Shaun David Hutchinson
Dahlia Adler
Tess Sharpe
Kate Scelsa
Natalie C. Parker
Sara Farizan
Nilah Magruder
Tessa Gratton
Tehlor Kay Mejia
Alex Sanchez
Scott Tracey

About the Author:

Saundra Mitchell has been a phone psychic, a car salesperson, a denture-deliverer and a layout waxer. She’s dodged trains, endured basic training, and hitchhiked from Montana to California. She teaches herself languages, raises children, and makes paper for fun. She is the author of Shadowed Summer, The Vespertine series, and the editor of Defy the Dark and All Out. She always picks truth; dare is too easy. Visit her online at www.saundramitchell.com.

From School Library Journal:

Gr 9 Up—From witch trials to Y2K, this short story anthology tells fictional tales of LGBTQ teens throughout history. Though most entries are realistic, there are a few magical tales based on legends scattered throughout. The diversity is refreshing: it's not just white history being told and there is a deaf character fighting alongside Robin Hood. However, the queerness trends toward lesbian and gay teens. There are a few asexual characters, showing a variety of people on the ace spectrum, and a few trans boys, but no trans girls or nonbinary characters. The short stories are well written, as can be expected from the well-known contributors such as Anne-Marie McLemore and Shaun David Hutchinson. One standout piece is "And They Don't Kiss at the End" by Nilah Magruder, which tells Dee's story as a black, roller disco—loving teen coming to terms with her asexuality. Malinda Lo's "New Year" really captures the slow discovery by young Lily on Lunar New Year of an underground of queer folk like her. Fans who are loyal to these authors will be pleased by the entries. Some teen voices feel more authentic than others, and at times, the more modern settings felt a bit heavy-handed. VERDICT Give to those teens who don't read full novels but still long for LGBTQ representation. A strong choice for most collections.—Kathryn Kania, Pelham Public Library, NH