Reviews

Blackout by Angie Thomas, Dhonielle Clayton, Ashley Woodfolk, Nic Stone, Nicola Yoon, Tiffany D. Jackson

midnightmarauder's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Blackout is a collection of short stories written by a multitude of black female authors, including Nicola Yoon, Angie Thomas, Dhonielle Clayton, Ashley Woodfolk, Nic Stone, and Tiffany D. Jackson. The book follows a group of different characters in New York City as they navigate being stuck in a blackout.  

There are six stories that make up the novel, each with characters who are trying to get to a block party in Brooklyn. The following stories are: 

• A Long Walk by Tiffany D. Jackson, which follows two exes who find themselves battling for the same job position. This story is the central story of the novel.
• Mask Off by Nic Stone, which follows a bi teenage boy trying to explore his sexuality through an underground masquerade party.
• Made to Fit by Ashley Woodfolk, that follows a girl who longs for a relationship, and unexpectedly meets the perfect girl who fits her dreams.
• All the Great Love Stories... and Dust by Dhonielle Clayton, that follows two best friends stuck in a library during the blackout. One of them has a crush on the other and struggles to tell them.
• No Sleep Till Brooklyn by Angie Thomas that follows a group of southern high school students who find themselves stuck in the blackout while on their way to New York for a school trip. One of the characters is caught in a love triangle between her boyfriend and his friend, and spends the story trying to decide what she wants.
• Seymour and Grace by Nicola Yoon, which follows a Grace, a passenger in a Ryde (a fictionalized version of Lyft), and Seymour, her driver, who walk to the block party together after his car runs out of gas.

I enjoyed this novel so much! My personal favorite stories had to be Made to Fit and Mask Off. I love anything that includes lesbian/gay characters, and I felt that both Nic and Ashley handled the portrayal of being a gay/bi teenager very well. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief

Minor: Dementia, Death, Emotional abuse, and Chronic illness

jennnafziger's review against another edition

4.0

This is a sweet love story, weaving together the stories of several different couples over the course of one night. It feels a bit like the movies from the early 2000’s (Love Actually, Valentine’s Day, etc.) It’s an enjoyable quick read, featuring short stories from notable YA authors.

majorharris162's review against another edition

4.0

I really enjoyed this book! I love how every story is interwoven throughout the book for example a character may mention another one that doesn’t show up until three chapters later. My favorite stories where Nicola Yoon’s (obviously) and Dhonielle Clayton’s by far. Overall really fun and good book.

rootyjoh's review against another edition

lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

mementomorivv's review

4.0

4.5?
Idk, just really cute and I loved a lot of the stories and would love to see a short film made of this, it would be beautiful

mj38012's review

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

remmslupin's review

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

jennrocca's review against another edition

3.0

Honestly, I could have given it 2 stars. It was fine but I didn’t care for the end and I feel like the story needs a culminating scene to pull the plot lines together a bit better. In the end I opted for 3 stars because this book is really for teenagers and I’m no teenager so they will probably like it more than I did.

ejclever's review

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

egmamaril's review against another edition

fast-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5