This book pulls you in from the first story. When I got to the end of the first one, I had to flip back a few pages because I was like "Wait, what?" And then I just wanted to keep going. This story collection will do that, it will just keep surprising you.

Up All Night is a collection of YA short stories that all take place from dusk to dawn. And these stories run the gamut, there's a sleepover, a scavenger hunt, a snow storm, a bonfire, camping out and ghost stories (two of them). There's also stories with unrequited love, found family, emotional/physical abuse, tested friendships, grief and more.

Also the representation in these stories is phenomenal, three stories feature non-binary characters, many others have LGBT+ rep, one has disabled representation and most stories are also diverse.

This was a really great story collection and I enjoyed every single twist and turn these stories provided. My absolute favorites were the last two of the collection - "Under Our Masks" by Julian Winters and "The Ghost of Goon Creek" by Francesca Zappia.

Number one. The sheer variety of stories within it. There’s contemporary, there’s fantasy. There’s some with romance and there’s some without. Basically, whatever floats your boat, you’ll probably find something to enjoy here. And each and every one of those stories is good. This is a very solid anthology in that there wasn’t a single story in here that we didn’t like. So, if this sounds up your alley, then we can wholeheartedly say that you’ll have a good time reading it.

Number two. All of the stories manage to fully invoke the nights they’re spanning. It’s like, they’re quiet in a way, like the nights they’re representing. When you read it, all there is is you and the story, much like if you were alone at night. It doesn’t matter which author you’re reading, they all give off that immaculate vibe. Which, really, is what you want when you’re reading a themed anthology. (Plus, it will be made even more so if you listen to our mix while you read…just saying!)

Number three. Often the focus of the stories is not the romance and simply folks existing. For LGBT folks, that feels somewhat revolutionary. There are still so many instances of seeing people say “this book is hardly gay” because there just happens to be no romance, it just happens to feature a gay character merely existing. This anthology is a welcome antidote to that feeling.

Number four. It’s full of realistic and well-rounded characters. Each story is, perhaps unsurprisingly, very character focused, and each story is replete with characters that feel so real, it’s almost as if you were there with them. They’re the kind of characters that you remember long after you’ve finished the book, the sort that you wish there were longer stories about (although, another point, each story in this was a very well-judged short story: just enough to make you wish for more, but also enough that it doesn’t feel like a bit of a longer story that you know nothing about). Pretty much a perfect style, really.

Number five. There’s a truly great line-up of authors behind this anthology. If the cover and the concept don’t grab you at first (and, really, why wouldn’t they?), then take a look at the authors in this list and tell us you don’t now desperately want to read this book.

Up All Night is an anthology of different YA stories that take place from dusk to dawn. I like anthologies to seek out new authors but I usually find the stories are too short to really pull me in. Overall my favorites were by: Karen M McManus, Maureen Goo, Kayla Whaley and Tiffany D Jackson. Although I only had four stands outs out of thirteen I think there is enough diversity in plots (thrillers, romance, ghosts, family issues, superhero and friendships) and in characters (LBGQT, non-binary, POC and a wheel chair user) for every reader to have a few favorite stories from the collection.

“Never Have I Ever” by Karen M McManus- a truth or dare type game at a party turns into a daring trip to a haunted mansion with the local cute bad boy. Fun little story with a surprise. Four stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Like Before” by Maureen Goo- a trio of girls who have grown apart try to have an epic adventure before they go their separate ways after high school. This short story did a nice job showing the complicated dynamics between young women growing up and moving on.
Four stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Old Rifts and Snowdrifts” by Kayla Whaley- a pair of former best friends are stuck together in a snow storm and are forced to dissect their relationship. This one has a lot of romance plus the representation that readers might be looking for (LBGQT, POC, main character in a wheel chair)
Four stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Con Nights, Parallel Hearts” by Marieke Nijkamp- two teenage roommates wait outside a Comic Con type event and discuss their past, relationship and closely held secrets. Readers may enjoy seeing a non-gender conforming character on the page but I found the endless quotes and discussions around a fictional Sci Fi tv show too niche.
Two stars ⭐️⭐️

“Kiss The Boy” by Amanda Joy- light, fluffy story about a girl who made a goal to kiss a certain boy by the time they graduated. Too many descriptions everyone’s physical appearances and clothes which took me out of the story
Two stars ⭐️⭐️

“Creature Capture” by Laura Silverman- this is fictional video game type story (a similar game to Pokémon Go” about a girl feeling out of step with her contemporaries while she goes on the hunt for digital creatures. I find it really hard to connect to these super niche type plots about nerdy stuff and get bored quickly.
Two stars ⭐️⭐️

“Shark Bait” by Tiffany D Jackson- a girl is forced to decide between her new home on Martha’s Vineyard with her boyfriend vs her old private school in the city. Beautiful descriptions of the island and a thought examination of teen relationships and racism.
Four stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“A Place to Start” by Nina LaCour- story about two new step siblings that use a long night after their mom’s wedding to make their new home their own
Three stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

“When You Bring a Dog to Prom” by Anna Mariano- a group of teens have an epic prom night
Three stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Missing” by Kathleen Glasgow- a group of girls explore an abandoned asylum. Very creepy and scary.
Three stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

“What about your friends” by Brandy Colbert- two young women that were once best friends reunite at a college dance-a-thin after. Very character driven and not a lot happens
Three stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Under Our Masks” by Julian Winters- superhero comes out to a new friend (and love interest) as both being gay and a vigilante. Not really my kind of story, a lot of chat chat chat and not much happening
Two stars ⭐️⭐️

“The Ghost of Goon Creek” by Francesca Zappia- group of high school kids go on the hunt for an urban legend and a girl realizes that it’s time to make some friends. Lots of introspection and talking but not a lot of action
Three stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

When you’re young, there’s this special time at night when everyone else has gone to bed where you can get in all kinds of mischief and the night feels magical. “Up All Night” is a collection of short stories that all take place during this time of night. Each story features characters who are doing everything from celebrating prom to exploring an abandoned, ghost-filled hospital. The common themes of exploration, fitting in, and coming into your own are all expressed throughout each story.

The thing I was most impressed with was the diversity represented in each story. There were perspectives from LGBTQIA+ and disabled main characters, as well a variety of races and cultures. Because this was a YA book, I was happy to see so much inclusion and celebration of all kinds of people. There’s someone for everyone to relate to.

There were some real standout stories in my mind – particularly the first story with a great twist ending, as well as a queer romance between a teen superhero and his crush. The best part of this collection is that so many different genres are represented as well (from horror to romance). As with any anthology, there were a few stories that didn’t quite hit the mark for me. But, overall, the high-quality writing from well-known authors like Karen McManus, Maurene Goo, Marieke Nijkamp, Tiffany D. Jackson, and Kathleen Glasgow sets this collection apart as a must-read for any YA short-story lovers.

Review: This was a good YA short story collection! It had a wide variety of stories, and I think there is definitely something for everyone in the book, I'm sure everyone will be able to find at least one story to love! If I had to pick a favorite, I would say Never Have I Ever by Karen M. McManus was the one I enjoyed the most. (I always love when a story is able to surprise me with a twist, and this story was able to throw in one I did not expect!) Overall, definitely a YA short story collection I would recommend trying!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

What a delightful short story collection! The first story, "Never Have I Ever," was a great choice to kick off the collection, giving us a truly shocking twist that had me sucked in and desperate to read the rest of the collection. I love the way YA as a genre tackles heavy subjects and this collection is no exception. Through an incredibly diverse cast of characters and points of view, we are welcomed into teens' worlds of grief, abuse, death, sexuality, friendship struggles, and of course joy and love as well. We also get a wide variety of genre, including some horror! I would have appreciated a warning before the ghost story, to be honest. But I will certainly recommend this collection of short stories to everyone - YA is not just for young adults!

I really did enjoy this anthology because I thought the "concept" stories set between sunset and sunrise was super fun. I also really enjoy how the stories had all types of diversity. I also loved how we got so many different typed of genres. It was enjoying read. I def loved a majority of these stories. I also found them to be quick reads. I would def add some of these authors to my tbr! I really loved the brandy colbert story. I found it to be a great anthology!! Would def rec it!

I absolutely love short story anthologies. In fact, there are many full-length books that I think would have worked better as short stories or novellas.

So, I was thrilled to preview this new collection of stories from notable contemporary YA fiction authors! Each selection takes place over the course of an evening, which adds an air of magic and mystery to the stories. Together, these stories have the most diverse representation of teenage characters that I've ever seen in YA.

Here are my favorites from the collection!

⭐ "Never Have I Ever" by Karen M. McManus: A party game of Never Have I Ever leads to a grisly discovery.

⭐ "Like Before" by Maurene Goo: A teenager plans an extravagant scavenger hunt to rekindle her relationship with her childhood best friends.

⭐ A Place to Start by Nina LaCour: New stepsiblings return home after their mothers' wedding and get to know each other while redecorating their new house.

This is a great collection of stories, there is a story in here for almost everyone with many stories having diverse characters and LGBTQIA+ rep. Only about half of the stories featured romance, and at least one story had disabled rep. I loved many of the stories immensely, and the ones I didn’t absolutely love I still enjoyed well enough.

Average rating: 3.6 stars

Favourite stories: Con Nights, Parallel Hearts by Marieke Nijkamp
Under Our Masks by Julian Winters

Overall, I enjoyed this anthology. It had some stories from authors that I have read from before and some that I read from for the first time. This is the first anthology where I didn't give 1 star to a story, so that is a major bonus. Ratings and reviews for each individual story below.

Never Have I Ever by Karen M. McManus - 4 stars
- I did not see the twist ending coming! I really enjoyed reading this story and it's made me want to check out more by this author.

Like Before by Maurene Goo - 2 stars
- I found this to be overly sentimental, and not my type of story at all. I didn't like any of the characters, but I did like the scavenger hunt aspect.

Old Rifts & Snowdrifts by Kayla Whaley - 3 stars
- This was cute, and the disability representation is amazing. I found it to be a bit on the long side though, it was over an hour in the audiobook.

Con Nights, Parallel Hearts by Marieke Nijkamp - 5 stars
- This story is about abuse so it's a bit hard to read but I loved the way it was handled. I took a bit to catch on to the stories intent but once I did, wow! Amazingly done!

Kiss the Boy by Amanda Joy - 3.5 stars
- This was a cute, first love story! I liked the challenge aspect to it, the author managed to pull it off without making it a whole kissing without consent fiasco.

Creature Capture by Laura Silverman - 4 stars
- This story had major Pokemon Go vibes! It was nerdy, slightly queer, and super fun to read!

Shark Bait by Tiffany D. Jackson - 2 stars
- This story had such a strong message about black culture, and what it means to be black. That part of the story was amazing, I just really hate cliffhanger endings in short stories! I need answers!!!

A Place to Start by Nina LaCour - 4 stars
- I think I kind of love this type of story about step-siblings coming together while redecorating their house while there mom's are on their honeymoon. Super cute!

When You Bring a Dog to Prom by Anna Meriano - 3.5 stars
- This was cute, and queer. I love the anxiety representation and the fact that it had an adorable service dog was a bonus. This story was so long though, I definitely could have done without some of the middle parts and fast forwarded to the happily ever after ending.

Missing by Kathleen Glasgow - 3 stars
- This book had all the makings to be super scary but for me it missed the mark. It was creepy as hell but not scary. I missed the scare factor while reading it.

What About Your Friends by Brandy Colbert - 4 stars
- I really enjoyed this snippet of Eleanor & Michaela life. The reflection on their friendship and rebuilding of their relationship was so relatable.

Under Our Masks by Julian Winters - 5 stars
- I am always a sucker for a superhero story, but a queer superhero story!?!?!? I would like a full book about Arshdeep and Tristan now please!

The Ghost of Goon Creek by Francesca Zappia - 3.5 stars
- I love a good ghost story as much as the next person but this was more of a friendship story than a ghost story. Which wasn't what I anticipated when going into it. I still really enjoyed it and I love this authors writing style, I just wanted a creepy ghost element as well.

**Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me an advanced copy of this book to read and review.

I absolutely love anthologies! You get a feel for an author and I always get introduced to new authors. This is no exception! I love the after dark theme of these stories. And the range of sweet to horror was unexpected and sooooo good! Here are my individual ratings:

Never Have I Ever by Karen McManus 5 stars
Like Before by Maureen Goo 4 stars
Old Rifts and Snowdrifts by Kayla Whaley 4 stars
Con Nights, Parallel Hearts by Marieke Nijkamp 3 stars
Kiss The Boy by Amanda Joy 3 stars
Creature Capture by Laura Silverman 3 stars
Shark Bait by Tiffany D Jackson 5 stars
Place to Start by Nina LaCour 5 stars
When You Bring a Dog to Prom by Anna Meriano 3 stars
Missing by Kathleen Glasgow 4 stars
What About Your Friends by Brandy Colbert 4 stars
Under Our Masks by Julian Winters 5 stars
The Ghost of Goon Creek by Francesca Zappia 3 stars

Thank you NetGalley for this review copy!!

As someone that has never been a big fan of short stories, I actually really enjoyed this. I think this was because each story had a completely different set of characters and did not relate to each other so the flow was never disrupted.

The first story was definitely the strongest for me. The ending left me in complete and legitimate shock and I did not see the twist coming. The fact that most of the stories did not have an ending that you would have expected or could have predicted I found myself trying to guess what the twist at the end would be. Although not every single one had a shocking end, a lot of them still find their resolution in a way you would not have expected.

It was really easy to get lost in these stories. My biggest issue with short stories is that they are over just as I start becoming interested in what is going on. However, that was not the case here. Almost instantly you become invested in the characters, their backstories and the situation they currently find themselves in.

The cover was what first drew me into Up All Night. The colour combination is super eye-catching and beautiful. This perfectly encapsulates the mood and feelings of every story and its characters and showcases the time setting of the book in the most stunning way. The soft colours almost disguise the darker undertone that is ever-present during this book.

There was one story in particular that I struggled to connect with as it felt very hard to follow. There was a lot of repetition of certain sentences, which at first I thought was a print error. The structure of this story was not very obvious to me at first, however, looking back it now makes perfect sense to what it was about and the type of character that it was focused on.

Overall, Up All Night is a very strong collection of short stories. If you are the type of person that is not a huge fan of short stories then you should definitely still check this out. Every story has its resolution so for those of you that dislike the often non-endings of short stories, you won’t get that feeling here. Although do be prepared for endings you don’t expect or may not even like.

I’ll admit it: I’m a night owl. More often than not, I’m awake—and likely reading—in the secret hours after midnight, those moments when it feels as if I’m the only person awake in the entire city. And while that is usually true of my household, it’s definitely not true in a city of half a million people.

Still, there’s something special about being awake when most people are sleeping…and that is exactly the premise of editor Laura Silverman’s new anthology: Up All Night: 13 Stories Between Sunset and Sunrise.

Set in the hours between dusk and dawn, each story in this anthology is wonderfully unique. From a game of Never Have I Ever gone wrong to step-siblings rearranging their new house to a dance marathon raising money for a children’s hospital, every single story brings amazing representation, fun plots, and beautiful messages to the table. While I enjoyed all of the stories, six in particular stood out to me: “The Ghost of Goon Creek” by Francesca Zappia, “Creature Capture” by Laura Silverman, “Under Our Masks” by Julian Winters, “Kiss the Boy” by Amanda Joy, “When You Bring a Dog to Prom” by Anna Meriano, and “Old Rifts and Snowdrifts” by Kayla Whaley.

Let’s explore them together, shall we?

Two of my favorite stories, “The Ghost of Goon Creek” by Francesca Zappia and “Creature Capture” by Laura Silverman, became my favorites because they tackle the idea of a character not “fitting in,” something I’ve experienced in my own life. In Zappia’s self-proclaimed ghost story, Sydney Endrizzi thinks that everyone at school considers her weird because she loves ghost stories and is usually by herself, now that her brother has left for college. When the school newspaper feature editor, Grace Chang, asks Sydney to be her guide to a supposedly haunted cemetery and three other popular students end up tagging along, Sydney discovers things about herself—and her newfound friends—that she never realized before.

“The Ghost of Goon Creek” emits such campfire story vibes that I wanted to break out the graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows. I loved the transformative journey Sydney goes on throughout the story as she learns there’s more to everyone than how they may seem at school. Zappia’s story ended the anthology, and it left me with such warm feelings of hope. Sydney may not be like everyone else, but as she discovers at the cemetery, there is no one “right” way to be.

Meanwhile, Silverman’s story “Creature Capture” takes readers back to the hey-days of Pokémon Go with a super cool game called Creature Capture where players capture mythological creatures. As a huge fan of mythology, I wish I could play this game! The story centers around Abby Kleinman who’s been playing Creature Capture for years, even though it’s no longer that popular anymore. She’s self-conscious about how much she plays it instead of “chilling” like everyone else her age, but she just needs one more creature to complete her index. Unfortunately for her, Loch Ness Monsters are hard to catch, so she teams up with her best friend Curtis, a new friend Emily, and Emily’s little sister. As the night wears on with no sign of a Loch Ness Monster, Abby has to decide what’s more important: trying to fit in but losing part of herself or being who she is unapologetically.

I needed this story. Silverman expertly combines the fun of Creature Capture with Abby learning to accept herself, and it’s just perfect. We can all get in our heads, wondering how people see us and what they think of us, but as Emily tells Abby: “‘We’re all too focused being worried about what people think of us to spend time judging others, you know? So, like screw it. Be who you are.’” And as Abby responds, “‘That’s weirdly comforting.’’ Silverman’s story is perfect for those nostalgic for Pokémon Go or for those—like myself—who need just a little boost of self-esteem mixed with adventure.

One of the best elements of Up All Night is the mix of genres. While most reside solidly on the contemporary side of YA, some—like “Under Our Masks” by Julian Winters—stretch the boundaries of YA by adding a little bit of magic. In “Under Our Masks,” protagonist Tristan Jackson to everyone at school has a secret second identity: Raven, a superhero with powers “only slightly above human standards.” No one except his family knows his true identity, which is how Tristan ends up on an all-night stake-out for Raven with the boy he has a crush on. As the night goes on, Arash and Tristan bond over food and homework, but with morning approaching, Tristan must decide how much he wants to reveal to keep Arash in his life.

With a cute romance, an endearing protagonist, and superhero shenanigans, “Under Our Masks” is the story I didn’t know I needed. But don’t let the cuteness fool you. Winters also includes some discussions on deeper topics that many teens face. “People expect us to take off our masks and reveal our secret identities so they can decide if we’re heroes or villains,” Tristan says as he’s deciding whether or not to come out to Arash. Yes, Tristan has to deal with superhero problems most teens don’t, but the heart of this story is in Tristan realizing that there is more to him than a boy with a few supernatural abilities.

And speaking of abilities, hats off to Amanda Joy for her phenomenal story “Kiss the Boy!” Classes have just ended for the seniors at Hoffman High, and class president Ayana Parker has a plan for Senior Game Night. Her two best friends are holding her to completing a promise they made as freshmen to pick out a boy and kiss him by the end of their senior year, and now Ayana is the only one left who has yet to do so. But we all know what happens with the best laid plans, and soon it’s up to Ayana alone to face her fears or leave high school behind without trying.

“Kiss the Boy” is swoony, fun, and somehow made me nostalgic for those final days of high school. Senior Game Night sounds like an absolute blast, and I wish I could pop into the pages to play a few games myself. But it’s Ayana’s character that really takes the prize in this one. Classic overachiever but also nervous introvert, Ayana has to conquer her fears in order to have a chance with her crush, Khalil. As an overachiever and introvert myself, I really connected to her and appreciated how Joy chose to write her character. Overall, this story is cute, enjoyable, and perfect for those just graduating high school or those nostalgic for it.

We can’t complete a discussion of this fantastic anthology without talking about the wonderful representation within. Almost every single story includes representation of BIPOC characters, queer characters, disabled characters, and more. I especially appreciated the disability and queer representation in the stories “When You Bring a Dog to Prom” by Anna Meriano and “Old Rifts and Snowdrifts” by Kayla Whaley.

“When You Bring a Dog to Prom” is about…well, prom. Right off the bat, protagonist Noemi lets us know that she’s aware school dances are full of “compulsory heterosexuality,” but her best friend Jayla is super excited about prom. Noemi is sort of looking forward to it too, until she learns that her date has ditched her to go to the queer anti-prom with his boyfriend and that her other best friend—aka Jayla’s twin brother and Noemi’s unrequited crush Jayden—has decided to bring someone as well: Dodge Jenkins who has an emotional support golden retriever. Prom hijinks ensue, and Noemi has to decide how far into the spotlight she’s willing to go with her heart on the line.

This story has it all: disability, queer, and BIPOC representation. Meriano handles it all beautifully, and I just have to say for the record that I really want to meet Suka the golden retriever. I love how the friend group in this story is so understanding of each other, and Noemi’s very real worries about how they will all change when they graduate high school hit me hard. But once again, this story is full of amazing messages. “I didn’t ruin everything,” Noemi says. “I messed up, but my mistakes aren’t permanent… Maybe I should trust myself a little more.” And I think we can all learn a lesson from that.

I saved one of the best for last. If you’re looking for a feel-good, break-out-the-hot-cocoa, best-friends-to-enemies-to-lovers type of story, “Old Rifts and Snowdrifts” by Kayla Whaley is for you. It features Eleanor who uses a wheelchair and works in her best friend’s mom’s flower shop. What should be just a normal winter day in Atlanta suddenly turns into the snowstorm of the decade, and Eleanor ends up alone in the flower shop with only her ex-best friend and crush Owen for company. As the snow keeps falling and the power goes out, Eleanor learns that there’s more to the story when it comes to Owen and their past.

Reading this story made me feel like I too was in the middle of a record-breaking snowstorm, even though it’s sweltering here in sunny Arizona. Whaley’s writing is so immersive, and I absolutely loved the super-cute romance. As I mentioned before, the representation is also freaking amazing. “Old Rifts and Snowdrifts” includes both disability and queer representation in the protagonist, as well as BIPOC representation with a side character. Like I said, freaking amazing.

Just as night turns to day, so too must this blog come to an end. Moral of the story: read Up All Night, and when you do, expect the unexpected. Everything about the secret hours between dusk and dawn is unexpected, from a scavenger hunt between friends to exploring an old asylum to whispered secrets in line the night before a convention. All that and more lies between the pages of this book, so do yourself a favor and find a copy right away.

And don’t forget: to get the best reading experience possible, you have to stay up all night.


Content Warnings for Up All Night: Parental abuse, strong language, murder, ableism, blood, divorce, infidelity, anxiety, car accident, depression, underage drinking, death of a loved one, racism, homophobia, sexism, dismemberment

(Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing us with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)

This was a nice, fun anthology with different YA authors. I loved the stories and the diversity in them. I loved all of the stories, my favorites being Never Have I Ever (Karen M. McManus), The Ghost of Goon Creek (Francesca Zappia) and Con Nights, Parellel Hearts (Marieke Nijkamp). Some other great ones were Under Our Masks (Julian Winters), Creature Capture (Laura Silverman), and Like Before (Maurene Goo). This anthology is perfect for readers ages 10-13.

When I heard that there would be a YA short story anthology featuring several of my favorite authors, I was so excited! And then I got signed up for the blog tour, and I was SUPER EXCITED!!! Up All Night: 13 Stories between Sunset and Sunrise is a YA short story collection edited by the talented Laura Silverman that features SO many amazing YA authors. The stories are all set at the late hours of the night and the earliest times of the day and tell stories that vary in subject matter, but all have that common theme that connects them. Anything can happen once the sun sets, and this anthology is printed proof.

Getting into the actual review, I really enjoyed this book, and I ended up giving it a 4 out of 5 stars. I think that while an anthology is meant to be a very diverse collection with lots of variety, Up All Night had a LOT going on. And while every single story blew my mind with how great it was, I think that having cute fluffy romance stories right after a murder mystery thriller was a little all over the place. But nonetheless, this was an enjoyable collection that gave some immensely talented authors the chance to explore the theme in many different interpretations.

Another aspect of this anthology that I really appreciated was that I discovered so many new authors through these stories. While I know and love authors like Karen M. McManus and Francesca Zappia, I got to read intriguing introductions to Tiffany D. Jackson and Kayla Whaley. I also think that this anthology had a wide range of authors who provided a wonderful mix of representation and diversity. There were some very diverse main protagonists whose stories I was thrilled I got to read because they typically are not showcased as main characters in YA. I think that this collection is paving the way for more diverse stories to be told in YA.

As for my personal favorite stories, I really loved Shark Bait by Tiffany D. Jackson, this story revolves around a girl and her divorced mother who live in Martha's Vineyard but are moving away. This upsets the main character's boyfriend and introduces the main conflict of the story. The story talks about racism and especially racism among teenagers very interesting (not to mention the ending left me absolutely dumbfounded). Jackson is an amazingly talented writer and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future. I also really enjoyed Missing by Kathleen Glasgow which is about a group of friends who are exploring an abandoned Mental Institution that was known for treating women accused of being mentally ill. This story was INSANE, it gave me creepy, The Yellow Wallpaper vibes, and the ending omg. Some of the other stories that stood out to me were Never Have I Ever by Karen M. McManus, Old Rifts and Snow Drifts by Kayla Whaley.

I gave this book 4/5 stars because there were just some stories that did not engage me, and some that I just did not ~vibe~ with, but they were all very well written and I'm sure they worked well for other readers more than they did for me. Overall this anthology was super fun to read, such a great book for summertime as it is very light and easy to pick up whenever you feel like reading a unique short story. I will say before signing off to research your triggers because there are some darker stories that may be harmful to some readers.

Thanks for reading and thank you SO MUCH to Algonquin Young Readers for providing me with the E-ARC to read and review!

Up All Night: 13 Stories Between Sunset and Sunrise by Laura Silverman, 352 pages. SHORT STORIES. Algonquin Young Readers, 2021. $18. LGBTQIA CENTERING ME
Language: R (111 swears, 12 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
These authors offer a variety of realistic and supernatural stories that happen through the night -- that mysterious time when anything can happen as the rest of the world dreams. Some stories are fun and bright, and others are tragic and heavy -- either way, you’re in for an adventure.
All of these authors bring their best to these pages. While working within the confines of a short story, each author made me care about their characters and hope for the best. I celebrated the coming togethers and mourned the falling outs, riding each story with no desire to stop. Please don’t make me choose a favorite because each story had unique elements that had me wishing for the next chapter. The mature content rating is for underage drinking, innuendo, and mentions of drugs and masturbation.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Up All Night is a YA anthology that is centered around what happens during the night time hours. I am a huge night owl so I was super excited to dive into this book. I’m very happy to say that I really enjoyed it. This anthology is full of fun, unique and diverse stories that you are sure to love.

Never Have I Ever by Karen M. McManus
5 ⭐️
A game of Never Have I Ever goes terribly wrong.
This was probably my favorite story! For how short it was, it still managed to surprise me. Definitely going to have to read more from this author!

Like Before by Maurene Goo
3 ⭐️
To try and save a crumbling friendship, a girl plans a sleepover scavenger hunt.
I really appreciated this story because it was so relatable. Friendship break ups happen all the time and it’s something that rarely gets talked about in books.

Old Rifts and Snowdrifts by Kayla Whaley
5 ⭐️
A snowstorm leads two ex best friends stuck in a flower shop together.
This was so cute! It had two of my favorite tropes so of course I had a blast reading. I loved seeing some disability rep as well!

Kiss the Boy by Amanda Joy
4 ⭐️
A group of friends make a promise to pick a boy to kiss by the time they graduate high school and with only one day left, Ayana is running out of time.
This was sweet and simple! Very enjoyable.

Con Nights, Parallel Hearts by Marieke Nijkamp
3 ⭐️
Three friends camp out out to get tickets to meet a cast member from their favorite show.
This story was super dark. Trigger warning for parental abuse. I wasn’t a huge fan of the writing style. It took me a second to understand what the author was doing.

Creature Capture by Laura Silverman
3 ⭐️
Abby and her friend spend the night hunting down the last creature she needs for her Creature Capture game.
I loved the message of this story…just be yourself! The game aspect was really cool too.

Shark Bait by Tiffany D. Jackson
5 ⭐️
After her father’s cheating scandal, Candice and her mom spend the summer at Martha’s Vineyard. While she’s there, Candice has decisions to make about her future.
I was not expecting this one to hit me in the feels. Wow!

A Place to Start by Nina LaCour
3 ⭐️
Jamie and Claude spend the night getting to know each other and adjusting to life as step siblings.
This one was just okay. I liked that it was about new families!

When You Bring a Dog to Prom by Anna Meriano
2 ⭐️
Noemi and her friends are hoping for the perfect prom, but things take an unexpected turn.
I had a really hard time getting into this story. The writing wasn’t for me.

Missing by Kathleen Glasgow
4 ⭐️
A group of friends decide to go ghost hunting at an abandoned asylum.
This was creepy! Got to love a good ole ghost story!

What About Your Friends by Brandy Colbert
4 ⭐️
This one follows two ex best friends who reconnect during an all night charity dance marathon.
I really enjoyed this one! Friendship stories are a favorite of mine. I definitely want to read more from this author!

Under Our Masks by Julian Winters
5 ⭐️
Tristan and his crush spend the night staking out the meta human vigilante Raven, but his crush has no idea that Tristan is actually the one they’re looking for.
This was so cute and I loved the romance! Superhero stories are so much fun. I kind of wish this one was a full book!

The Ghost of Goon Creek by Francesca Zappia
4 ⭐️
Sydney is asked to go ghost hunting as part of an interview for the newspaper. She doesn’t expect what will happen next.
This was really enjoyable and it caught me by surprise. It had a great message about not making assumptions about people.

I have always wondered what happens when everyone is asleep. Up All Night has 13 stories by new-to-me authors and the subjects are varied. Romance to ghost stories and more. Whatever your taste in stories, there's bound to be something for you here.

A really great idea for an anthology. I love anthologies as they are excellent for getting an idea of each author's writing style.

Thanks to Laura Silverman and Algonquin Books for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

4 stars

Let me start by saying I am not usually someone who likes short stories, but this collection has changed my mind. The variety of stories and genres had me hooked. Each author was masterful at creating characters you could be invested in along with a storyline that was not lacking because of the shortness of the text.

This is an anthology that has a common theme, but several genres throughout. I enjoyed all of the short stories - even the horror (I'm a giant wuss!).

There was different representations weaved into the stories - disability, LGBTQIA+, and POC. I loved they all were in this anthology, as no anthology is complete without these stories/voices. The stories were also truly eclectic!

In this one, my standouts were Old Rifts and Snowdrifts, and Under Our Masks. Both just really drew me in!

Overall, this anthology receives a 4/5 from me!

(Review active 17/7 at 5PM AEST)