Summer Days and Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories by Stephanie Perkins // Some Good, Some Bad

Summer Days and Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories, by Stephanie Perkins, Leigh Bardugo, Francesca Lia Block, Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, Brandy Colbert, Tim Federle, Lev Grossman, Nina LaCour, Veronica Roth, Jon Skovron and Jennifer E. Smith
Publication: May 17, 2016, by St. Martin's Griffin
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Anthology
Pages: 400
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
Rating: ½

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.

My Thoughts:

Hello, my fellow Stephanie Perkins fans. I am a HUGE Stephanie Perkins fan (I could not contain myself over her books), and I adored her first holiday anthology, My True Love Gave to Me. This time around, for my favourite season of the year, summer, we have twelve new stories about love, carnivals and the beautiful season. (Not that every story contains a carnival.) Some stories were certainly better than others, and I must say that I hated a bunch of them, especially those from the beginning of the anthology. I tried to give new authors whose books I have never touched upon a chance, and some of them definitely were amazing, while others continued to disappoint. Instead of speaking about this as a whole, it probably makes sense to speak about each of the twelve stories on their own, that way, I could label the good and the bad. Let's get this party started!

Head, Scales, Tongue, Tail by Leigh Bardugo: 2/5 stars

I wanted this anthology to just be about contemporary-romances featured in the summertime, you know? Leigh Bardugo, as usual, disappointed me. I wanted to (someday) adore her writing, but this one didn't cut it for me. Yeah, it's taken place in the best place in the world, New York City, but that was just one of the things that I enjoyed about this short story. I kind of felt that I couldn't WAIT for it to end. Bardugo is such a raved author, but I feel that she's overhyped. I disliked this completely.

The End of Love by Nina LaCour: 3.5/5 stars

Nina LaCour fails to disappoint. This is probably the third story I have read by her, and I liked this one. I didn't adore it, but I really enjoyed reading another lesbian romance story by her. I was awed by the dedicated protagonist who was doing whatever it took to chase her dreams, and in this case, her dream was to be with the girl she loves. My heart feels all giggly and sweet.

Last Stand at the Cinegore by Libba Bray: 1/5 stars

I began reading this with high hopes, as it would be my first Libba Bray story (I still have The Diviners in my shelf), but once I began reading, I had no connection to this. I DNFed it and just moved on. Again—I didn't want fantasy. I couldn't care less about what actually happened in this story. Hopefully I'll like Bray's full-length stories.

Sick Pleasure by Francesca Lia Block: 4/5 stars

I loved the way Francesca Lia Block formatted this story! None of the characters were named except for (probably) the first letter of their name. It gave us readers a better look at their characters instead of labelling them. I also enjoyed the Los Angeles setting. *wiggle eyebrows* It was great and moving and just made my heart squirm.

In Ninety Minutes Turn North by Stephanie Perkins: 3.5/5 stars

Sadly, the editor's story isn't the best story... again. This, I'm pretty sure, is a continuation of the story that Stephanie wrote in her Christmas anthology, and I really liked this, but the wow-factor wasn't there, compared to her Anna/Lola/Isla trilogy. I just want to go to North Carolina after reading this.

Souvenirs by Tim Federle: 4/5 stars

This is another LGBT story, this time, featuring two gay characters—Matt and Kieth, who are about to breakup in the amusement park that they work in. I live next to an amusement park, and after reading about their fun adventures, I feel like applying for a job there. *giggles* This one was fast-paced and compelling—I needed to know what would happen!

Inertia by Veronica Roth: 4/5 stars

I certainly do miss Veronica's writing! This one, I must say, was my most anticipated story, alongside Cassandra Clare's, because Veronica is one of my all-time favourite authors and I NEED MORE FROM HER. I cannot wait until January until her next novel is released. This had a sci-fi aspect implanted, but that did not take anything out from the romance or summer. Everything mixed in together beautifully.

Love is the Last Resort by Jon Skovron: 3/5 stars

I adored the setting and the characters, but sometimes this was just too drama filled for my liking. I wouldn't want to read this as a full-length novel which proves that the three star rating I gave it seems fine. I shipped the romance, but then that didn't seem very believable to me, and... yep. 

Good Luck and Farewell by Brandy Colbert: 4/5 stars

AWWWWW. This story featured a protagonist who was getting depressed over the fact that her cousin would be jetting off away with her girlfriend. She then forms a relationship with her cousin's girlfriend's brother, if that makes any sense. This story just kept me going and being interested for the whole duration. I'm looking into Brandy's writing right away!

Brand New Attraction by Cassandra Clare: 4.5/5 stars

CASSANDRA CLARE HAS DONE IT AGAIN WITH MY SECOND-FAVOURITE STORY OUT OF THIS ANTHOLOGY. I loved this one, even though it had fantasy aspects! This featured family drama, romance, and this super eerie traveling carnival that I adored and want to work at. Oh, and did I mention that our protagonist is goth with rainbow-coloured streaks? You cannot get better than that.

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

THIS IS MY FAVOURITE STORY. I never have given Jennifer E. Smith a 5 star rating before, but this absolutely deserves it. I WANT THIS TO BE A FULL-LENGTH NOVEL. This is about Annie and Griffin, the boy she has had a crush on forever. They finally start hanging out, and then THERE'S A PLOT TWIST AND AGH. I cannot get this out of my head. Can I meet a cute guy at the grocery store? ;)

The Map of Tiny Perfect Things by Lev Grossman: 1.5/5 stars

NOPE. This story was senseless, honestly. I currently don't remember anything about it and I only read this book two days ago, hah. 

So. My favourite story? A Thousand Ways This Could All Go Wrong, then Brand New Attraction, then the four star ones. I love this collection, but I can only wish that some stories were better, more fluffy and satisfying. I NEED MORE PERKINS ANTHOLOGIES.

From all of the authors who wrote a story here, who is your ultimate favourite?

I See Reality: Twelve Short Stories About Real Life // Deep, Lyrical, and I Honestly Loved Them All

I See Reality: Twelve Short Stories About Real Life, by Various Authors
Publication: January 26, 2016, by Farrar, Straus and Giroux BFYR
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, LGBTQ, Anthology
Pages: 304
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Rating: 

Twelve original stories by top MCPG authors explore real issues for real teens.
Through prose and comics alike, these heart-pounding short stories ask hard questions about a range of topics from sexuality and addiction to violence and immigration. Here is the perfect tool for starting tough discussions or simply as an introduction to realistic literary fiction. In turns funny, thought-provoking, and heartbreaking, I See Reality will resonate with today's teens long after the last page has been turned.
Contributing authors include Jay Clark, Kristin Clark, Heather Demetrios, Stephen Emond, Patrick Flores-Scott, Faith Hicks, Trisha Leaver, Kekla Magoon, Marcella Pixley, James Preller, Jason Schmidt, and Jordan Sonnenblick.

My Thoughts:

Anthologies are one of the best styles of writing that could really describe a theme, or a bunch of themes. I See Reality, which is written by many authors who I have heard of (or whose books I have read), and some who are even Canadian (supporting my nation here, people) is absolutely pleasing and nourishing for the mind. Readers could pick and choose to read which stories they would like one by one, or read them all at once in a sitting, like I did. The authors feature different themes that affect our modern society today—and some could be issues in society, like discrimination—that I cannot keep out of mind. Brace yourselves for a stunning complete set of tales that are each formatted differently, that each have specks of romance and moments to blush at. But before I set off from here, LET US JUST EMBRACE THIS COVER, FOR GOODNESS' SAKE. 

It is especially important to me when a cover sincerely matches what the story/novel/anthology is written about. The polaroid prints that each have an author's name on it shows that every story has its main idea, its main figure that hooks readers. I found myself constantly flipping back and forth to the cover and back to see how the photo related to the author's story. I See Reality really is about, in fact, seeing reality and the events that make it up. Every event could honestly occur in anyone's life, but the choice is there to let it happen. Now, I feel like I am getting too philosophical for a review. Watch me present lectures to audiences one day. *jokes*

I could not, and do not have the time to go over each story individually, but I must note that there are a few that caught my eye. The authors each have their own meaning and point to their story. These are, obviously, short stories, which means that they last for about twenty pages or so and capture the audience from the first page. The one that I remember catching me the most was Heather Demetrios' story, Three Imaginary Conversations With You. Whimsical and imaginative, the main character tells her perspective on three conversations that go through her mind when she decides that she wants to break up with her boyfriend. This was not cliché in any sense, and I would absolutely beg for a full-length novel relating to something like this. It was my absolute favourite.

Another favourite was The Night of the Living Creeper by Stephen Emond. I just need to say one word about the narrator and I bet that you all will be hooked: cat. THE NARRATOR IS A CUTE, FUZZY, STROLLING-ON-THE-FENCE CAT. I am pretty sure that your insides are glimmering and your brain is sending rapid impulses around your body (science has gotten to me) to get your fingers moving to head onto a website, grab your credit card, and purchase this book. Anyways. 

A final mentionable one? Untitled by Faith Erin Hicks. IT IS A GRAPHIC SHORT STORY, PEOPLE. Untitled featured a theme of sexuality (LGBT themes, hooray for diversity) and a mix of other hilarious phrases and mimics that kept me going. 

This is an anthology written with simplicity. You must trust me, it is not meant to be a bland novel at all. The simplicity is what makes the stories stronger, that make readers feel like there is a point to everything and how society could be super supportive and everything. It is a refreshing read that makes absolute sense for how our world is evolving and in a constant flux. I would read a hundred of these stories if they were handed to me. Authors, please, please, please take after this collection. We need more of them in our lives.

I See Reality could brighten up the picture of reality for many. From romance, addiction, immigration to insecurity, sexuality and coming of age, every author focuses on a different aspect that affects us all. Although some stories were weaker than others, my life has changed after the outcome of this precious, precious story that all could place something in everyone's hearts.

*A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review! Thank you so much!*

What is your favourite anthology? What is your view on multiple themes combined in one novel?