https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/202774960/reviews?reviewFilters={%22workId%22:%22kca://work/amzn1.gr.work.v3._06aLoyh9QNl2rZU%22,%22after%22:%22MjU2LDE3MjM1NzEzNjI0MTI%22}#:~:text=The%20two%20main%20characters%20were%20very%20relatable%20and%20it%20pained%20me%20to%20see%20them%20struggle%20and%20it%20warmed%20my%20heart%20to%20see%20them%20thrive.%20I%20was%20so%20invested%20in%20their%20stories%20and%20I%20liked%20how%20they%20were%20connected%2C%20but%20yet%20each%20of%20their%20stories%20was%20independent%20and%20they%20both%20felt%20fully%20fleshed%20out%20and%20developed.

(3.5⭐️)

i will probably rate this a bit higher later on. this is such an important novel for queer folks and the lgbtq. trying to figure out who you are while also adjusting to real world expectations whether in your personal or professional life. it touched on different feelings of wanting to speak up for what you are and what you like but also being silenced by internal struggles and familial judgements. i loved that aspect.

i did think i wanted more from the story. i wanted a lot more about mallory and who she was before the woods. i wanted a lot more from the romantic aspects in fern & jaq’s lives as well. i felt as though everything was really sparse and i wasn’t completely immersed like i should have been. i didn’t connect well with the characters either as there is some disconnect there. i wanted more fleshing of their characters in order to connect more.

overall, the theme and message are so important.

thank you for the arc!!! ♡

This was a story about three friends, and how the one link that brings them together is exactly the thing that completely overturns their lives. The three of them go into the woods one night, but only two come out. And for 5 years after, they live with memories paved over with the silence of forgetting. Except that the third member is still in the woods, calling to them, along with the dark entity they made a deal with all those years ago.

This was a powerful YA tale of identity, sacrifice, and the real meaning of community. Set in the Pacific Northwest (only an hour from me!), it had elements of horror stemming in local folklore that gave I Know What You Did Last Summer vibes, as well as major coming of age LGBTQIA rep. It was a bit on the slower end for me - my character-based friends will really dig this one.

come out, come out included a lot of things i like in horror novels -- namely the haunted house and found family tropes. while there were multiple supernatural horror elements, i really liked that this book also focused on the every day horrors that members of the lgbtq+ community face every day; the fear that fern and jaq faced every day simply for who they are felt so realistic and honest, it was really heartbreaking, but it was beautiful to read about the two of them reclaiming their power and owning who they are.

if you enjoy ya horror, i'd definitely recommend checking this one out.

Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌖
Genre: YA Horror
Violence: 🔪
Spice: 🔥
TW: Homophobia, transphobia, gender dysphoria

Synopsis: 3 friends struggling with their emerging identities find refuge at an abandoned house, where a benevolent spirit is said to grant wishes. Until the night only 2 emerge, their memories of what happened & their deepest secrets erased. All is seemingly well in their straight, cis-gender lives, until a freak event restores their memories & upends everything.

Thoughts: Horror is the perfect lens through which to frame this story: horror hinges on external threats to one's safety, just as being made to feel wrong in one's body endangers emotional, psychological, & physical safety. Beyond its relevance, Come Out, Come Out is just a good read. The story structure & mechanics of the curse fall down in a few places, but strong narrative flow & outstanding characterization offset these challenges. The 3-dimensional portraits of Jaq & Fern bonds them by their shared experience of prejudice yet creates distinct individuals battling their own unique identity obstacles. I also enjoyed how this atmospheric novel establishes as character the woods that envelop the town of Port Promise, contributing to the ever-present dread. The increase in books like Come Out, Come Out delights me for 2 reasons: 1) readers—especially adolescents—deserve to see themselves represented in the books they read; & 2) reading is a transformative experience that should expose us to new ways of thinking & ideally grow our empathy. Parker’s book hits both objectives.

Thank you to Penguin Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the gifted copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

4.5 stars / This review will be posted on BookwormishMe.com and goodreads.com today.


This is a brilliantly written novel, focused on several teens’ journeys of acceptance of themselves. Being LGBTQ+ as a young adult, let alone a young teen, must be a scary, unsettling journey. And the main characters of this book do not take it all in stride. But the lessons that this book offers are amazing.

Fern is the youngest of four girls, being raised by a single mom. She is definitely what one might call a girly-girl. Fern is also a star. With a high school career in theater and sisters all pursuing the craft, Fern is just like she’s expected to be.

Kaitlyn came out a long time ago. Her parents fully supportive of her choices. When she is sharing one day, Fern and two other friends, Mallory and Jaq are all a bit jealous of Kaitlyn’s ability to just be. The three become best friends, keeping their gender identities under wraps, until suddenly Mallory disappears. It’s as if the three were never friends at all.

Jaq, like Mallory, is being raised in a strict Baptist household. While Jaq fits her parental expectations, Mallory rebels against them. Jaq has a long time boyfriend, attends church events, and would never dream of rebelling against her parents’ wishes.

Until suddenly, one night at a bonfire party, Jaq and Fern start having memories of Mallory. Who they once were. And life is about to get pretty freaky when they remember what happened five years ago.

I was so impressed with how this novel tackled these difficult years and topics. You can’t help but root for all these girls to embrace their true identities and be themselves. Because who you love doesn’t change who you are. Would highly recommend!!!

The horror of being a queer teen mixed with the horror of ghost both figurative and literal. This is both a coming of age story where friends remember and accept who they are while dealing with a friend who never got to have that chance. I’m always always up for a good queer horror story and I will sign up and read all of them. This was both heartbreaking and beautiful when everything was said and done. Defining important for those afraid to find their voices and learn who they are!

Focused on two former friends -Jaq and Fern- Come Out, Come Out is a quiet horror about the tumultuous, personal battle one goes through when they’ve been striped of their queer identity. It provides varied perspectives on sexuality. Even through the minor characters, it shows that there is no singular queer experience.

If you're someone who enjoys a slower paced, introspective sort of horror/suspense then I would recommend this novel.

The story really kicks into gear about 50 pages in. From there, the majority of the book is focused on the internal, emotional plots of the characters. It’s more about them learning to reconcile who they were, who they became and who they want to be now that they have remembered their queerness, and less about solving the mystery of what happened to them. It is heavier on the suspense than the horror but Parker does deliver in the final act.

I initially gave this a rating of 4.45 because of it’s pacing. Due to the story being essentially a character study, the suspenseful moments of the plot didn’t feel sufficient enough to carry me through the story. But once I was able to orient myself with the slower pace and connect with the characters, the pages flew by. I loved the characters, especially Fern’s journey and Mal's point of view chapters.

In the end I rounded up to 5 stars because it managed to make me cry. More than once. The moments that hit are sleeper cells. They sneak up on you and you don’t know it until you’re already crying.

Thank you to Netgalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I WANTED to love this. Queer horror is a favorite subgenre of mine, but this one seemed to lack a general direction.

2.5 Stars. I was not a huge fan of this book. I felt like it lacked the overall plot and the horror elements promoted by this book. I feel like this book would work better if it were a coming-of-age story, however, I did not think this story was scary or had a lot of horror elements to make this a horror book. I would still recommend this book since it does talk about topics that I think are important to read about and discuss but this book took me a bit to get into and I was waiting for more.

I have been so lucky here lately on here because this is my second 5 star book this week. This book is so good and I am so grateful to have received this ARC.

I got thin in hope of a great horror story... This is basically a coming of age and coming out of the closet story with a tiny dash of a creepy ghost. Thus this book was not for me. Thanks to Net Galley for giving me the chance to check this out.

Thank you to PRH for an arc!

So this is a queer "horror" book, and while it did have horror elements it was more of a social commentary on queer teens coming out, and social problems.

I think this book is going to resonate with a lot of young readers who are in similar situations as the main characters in this one.

I feel as if it was couched in horror on some ways because what happens is horrible, but I was hoping that it was queer teens IN a horror story, but that wasn't the case here.

Being queer and coming out and all the issues that come with it are the center of the book, not the horror element. So it wasn't exactly what I thought the book would be, but it was good nonetheless.

This book disappointed me, especially because it was so highly anticipated for me! The best part was the beginning and then it gave this slow story without much conclusion. The moral was very good though.

Come Out, Come Out by Natalie C. Parker presents an intriguing premise with a mix of suspense and drama. While the story offers some engaging moments, its impact may vary depending on individual preferences for pacing and character development.

A beautiful horror story that is perfect for fans of The Haunting of Bly Manor. Parker has a particular talent with tying other tragedy and hope. I loved this book.

Come Out, Come Out of an excellently written YA horror about two teens growing up on conservative households & trying to accept their own identities.
Fern and Jaq used to be friends, but they don't remember each other until one night at a house party when they stumble into the woods. Since that night, their memories have been returning, and they both feel as if they're being haunted.
I really enjoyed this book, it was well written with for developed characters and an interesting plot. I will look forward to reading more fun this author.

This was a wonderfully horror story, with epic queer representation with a great addition of a very haunting rhyme. This had me on the edge of my seat. I had to keep reading because I didn’t want the characters in any sort of limbo.

Thank you to the author & to NetGalley for offering me an ARC to fall in love with!

I rolled my eyes a lot at factual inaccuracies (from the get-go: you cannot just change the gender of the actor playing a character in Grease; it's in your contract) and weird tonal shifts, especially toward the end, but I really did enjoy Fern and Jaq as characters. (I wish we got more from Mal,)

I am so happy to say this book was soo good. it brought me outta a slump from a hard read, it was definitely ya but that does not mean it was bad to be honest i think it made it more enjoyable i did not have to fear i could sense the plot. 4/5 stars i will definitely tune in for the release of this book and future endeavors by this author thanks you for the arc, netgalley and the publisher.