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

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.