When some of my favorite authors combine forces to write a connected collection of short stories, the results are stupendous! I have read The Belles, Allegedly, Jackpot, The Hate U Give, Everything, Everything and many more novels by these talents authors. I just wanted to add a few titles so you can check them out too if you read this anthology and decide you want more of these stories!

1. The lights go out in New York City just as two of our characters are about to get settled into the internship they have been dreaming of. Of course, there was a mix up and ONLY one of them can actually do the internship. To make it even more twisted, they used to date... and now they are stuck navigating the blackout blocks of New York City.
2. Everything isn't roses when someone is claustrophobic on the subway and the power goes out. Luckily, a cute guy is there to talk him out of a full on panic attack. With some incredible subway knowledge, they get out of the tin can and make their way to collapse on the platform. A heartwarming conversation ensues and some secrets are revealed in the sweetest masked up retelling ever.

3. Meanwhile, locked inside the local library, two other teens are trying to solve a bet on who can pick out the best novel ever written and one of them is working up the courage to come clean about the crush that's been brewing for ages.

4. In another section, in a retirement home, a grandfather pulls off the romantic meet cute he's been scheming up for while when he gets his granddaughter to meet one of the volunteers and has them searching for his "lost" photograph during the blackout.

5. Stuck on a tour bus in a black out with a current boyfriend and a potential crush is pretty much agony until our heroine realizes she doesn't need to be in a relationship and decides to make her own happiness happen.

6. In the end, another teenager makes it to the block party of the year, no thanks to her "driver" who ran out of gas, but gallantly offers to walk her across the city in order to avoid a low star rating. I was cheering for the driver the whole time!

If you need some super sweet meet cutes and and some heart warming, tender teenage happily ever for nows - this is the collection for you! Enjoy (for a bonus reading experience, read in the dark with a flashlight. It sets the scene the best!)

This book was such a fun read. I had listened to interviews from the authors, so I knew there was a common thread between all the stories, but they could all stand on their own. I loved reading it and finding all the connections. I loved that they included stories of LGBTQ+ love stories in the novel. I think students will really enjoy this book.

I love the diversity that is shown even among the diaspora. But I really ended up loving the stories and the interactions. It also showed me that that though I am accepting of alternative lifestyles and people, I need to be more sensitive because those stories were a little uncomfortable for me. So not only were the stories good, they taught me some lessons. With that said, I loved the diverse points of view and the love that each story showed. I loved the lessons. I loved the visuals. Just lovely. Kudos to all of the authors

Perfect read for my half day without AC. I loved that this wasn’t just short stories, but pieces of one story. It works so well and gave each author a chance to shine.

Blackout follows several characters as they make their way through New York City during a citywide blackout. This sextuplet of authors masterfully weaves their individual stories into one beautiful book filled with engaging characters.

I would love to wax eloquent, but instead will simply say that everyone should read this book!

Overall, I found this an interesting project and a project that was completed successfully. It is certainly not the greatest novel ever written and I wouldn't consider the individual stories the best short stories I have read, but the connections between the tales and the obvious love for New York and the authors' relationships amongst themselves were clear and a joy to experience.

I received this as an early review copy from NetGalley and Quill Tree Books. All opinions are my own.

Blackout is a quick, entertaining read about several characters whose lives intersect in unanticipated ways. The blackout propels everything in motion, but the chapters (stories) are character-driven and full of heart.

I love the way these short stories all actually intertwined; it really made me feel as though these authors liked each other and cared to blend the story together. I also loved the use of Tiffany D. Jackson's story as a bridge (no pun intended) to unite them all. I also enjoyed the blending of queer characters and themes into the texts, as it felt intentional without feeling forced. I love anthologies like this - it makes reading feel digestable, since it's almost in little chunks.

I love just about everything these authors put out on paper and of course Blackout was no exception. I love how all the stories and characters are interconnected, and I learned a little about past NYC blackouts too. Plus, as they write in their acknowledgments - Black girls find love too. This collection definitely is worth a reread!! Thanks to #netgalley for the opportunity to preview #Blackout. I loved it!

There is so much I loved about this book, it’s difficult to know where to start. Written as a collection of connected stories by such amazing authors as Nic Stone, Nicola Yoon, and Angie Thomas, Blackout follows multiple teenagers throughout the day of a major blackout in New York City. The way the stories weave together between chapters and authors was flawless and would be a perfect mentor text to teach this style of writing to students. While each character or set of characters as going through their unique experience, they were all linked by love, both required and unrequited. The stories are about finding yourself and discovering who and what matters the most to you.

Im sure others like anthologies a lot and tbh booksandlala got me to try them but this just isnt for me.

What a pleasure to read! Intertwining stories about all of the love and life happening during a blackout. I adored the premise and the execution.

This book was an absolute delight from start to finish. Each story seamlessly wove together with the rest to make one cohesive story. I loved finding ways that each author's story connected to the others in this anthology. I adored the format; each story could have stood on their own if necessary. I could see it being the ideal late night summer read, where your environment reflects the story. I do wish it were longer, though. Some of the stories wrapped up a little too quickly for me.

With this group of authors, this book could be nothing but exceptional. A really fun read! Definitely recommended, particularly if you've ever liked anything else by any one of these exceptional ladies.

Blackout is one of my recent favorites, because I love collections where the stories all converge/connect in some way! Blackout is a celebration of Black love that follows 6 different couples on the night of a New York City blackout. The author line-up is incredible: Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon. ⁣
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From a first meeting to exes with lingering feelings to best friends, each story is totally different; Blackout also includes two queer stories (one m/m, one w/w). At around 250ish pages, Blackout is a short & sweet collection of interlocked stories celebrating the magic of a dark, starry sky & Black love that can shine through the darkest nights. ⁣

I'll definitely be hyping this one up at my library! I'll be recommending it to fans of Meet Cute and Black Enough.

Reading Between the Wines book review #92/115 for 2021:
Rating: 3 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book 🎧: Blackout
Author: Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, Nicola Yoon
Genre: OwnVoices | Romance | Teens & YA
RELEASED on June 22, 2021!!!

Sipping thoughts: This was my first time reading a book that had different stories and different authors. It was quite enjoyable being able to experience different storylines. I am not a big romance lover but I do enjoy a love story and this whole book was full of them. I liked how each author incorporated the Blackout in one city and how all the different characters reacted and responded to it. I hope these lovely and talented authors collaborate more in the future.

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley, @HarperCollinsChildrensBooks and @QuillTreeBooks for an advanced copy of @Blackout

#Blackout #HarperCollinsChildrensBooks #QuillTreeBooks #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #OwnVoices #Romance #TeensAndYA

I enjoyed most stories in this and of course there were some that I didn't, but overall I really liked this anthology.

With a star-studded list of YA authors coming together to create this novel, I was greatly looking forward to reading it. While it didn't always flow as it jumped back and forth between stories, I enjoyed all of the characters and the different representations of love.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc. Tiffany D. Jackson is an autobuy author for me so when she was included in this collection I knew I had to read it and I wasn't disappointed!

A heartwarming and lovely book of 6 teenage couples during a New York blackout. I loved how each couple had their own story but then, their stories were weaved together into a bigger general story.