Written by Sasha Zatz
Out Now: Queer We Go Again! was a fierce, colourful and joyful anthology that I am so glad exists.
It’s hard to review an anthology as the writing, characters, plot, and themes range so widely between each story, so I’ll just ramble about the two things this book most predominantly is: it’s important and it’s fun.
Out Now: Queer We Go Again! is an anthology that is so fiercely important. It shows us that queer kids of all gender, sexuality, and race can be the star of their own story, and any story…be it romance, coming-of-age, fantasy, or sci-fi, LGBTQ+ teenagers belong in all stories, and they deserve to centre in them. That is the most central message of this book: We’re here, we’re queer, and we’re not going anywhere.
These stories ranged from tearjerking tales of finding oneself to joyful and fluffy stories of love and friendship, and to exciting and thrilling narratives of action and adventure. This anthology tells the world that queer teenagers belong in every genre, not just the tough ones about coming out and homophobia, even those are important, but so are the ones where LGBTQ+ kids are allowed to just be, without having to dissect or explain their identities. Like how allocishet teens don’t have to explain themselves, neither should LGBTQ+ kids.
And secondly, Out Now: Queer We Go Again! is fun. It is full of colour, life, and spirit, which makes it so enjoyable. It’s about aliens and vampires, road trips and first kisses, and teacups and everything in between. It’s fun. It’s meant to be enjoyed, to be giggled over, maybe shed a tear. To relate to, yes. To send a message, yes. But this is also a collection of stories that are a joy to read and they are stories queer kids can read and enjoy just like any other story, whilst also being sure they are safe here. It’s a gorgeous, explosive shout of triumph and exhilaration. I felt varying degrees of affection for each of these stories and enjoyed most of them so much, and I knew I could have fun with these cliche, cute and adventurous tales and not constantly think “where am I in this story? Am I safe in this world?” And I just think that’s so beautiful, to be able to enjoy so many different stories without any hindrance or worry.
Basically, every library and school needs to have this. There is a story in here for fans of every genre, something for everyone to enjoy. If you’re dipping in and out of this one, my favourite stories are Lumber Me Mine, A Road of One’s Own, and Star Crossed in DC. It’s no surprise my favourites are the sapphic ones, but I seriously need full books of each of these stories. And these stories are all #ownvoices from queer authors, so it’s the perfect opportunity to find new authors to read, I know I’ll be checking out the full books from the authors I loved most. I really encourage everyone to pick this book up!
Out Now: Queer We Go Again! is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore!
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Synopsis | Goodreads
QUEER WE GO AGAIN! A follow-up to the critically acclaimed All Out anthology, Out Now features seventeen new short stories from amazing queer YA authors. Vampires crash prom, aliens run from the government, a president’s daughter comes into her own, a true romantic tries to soften the heart of a cynical social media influencer, a selkie and the sea call out to a lost soul. Teapots and barbershops, skateboards and VW vans, Street Fighter and Ares’s sword: Out Now has a story for every reader and surprises with each turn of the page!
