❄️ WHITEOUT 🐋

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Putting this review out a day early because I will be too busy tomorrow for a lot of reasons! This book was the perfect fluffy winter love story to read on an 80° day 🥴 and I actually liked it better than Blackout because the characters were way more connected and the story had a tighter narrative. Also, who doesn’t love cute aquarium dates?

Synopsis (from publisher): “Atlanta is blanketed with snow just before Christmas, but the warmth of young love just might melt the ice in this novel of Black joy, and cozy, sparkling romance—by the same unbeatable team of authors who wrote the New York Times bestseller Blackout!

As the city grinds to a halt, twelve teens band together to help a friend pull off the most epic apology of her life. But will they be able to make it happen, in spite of the storm? 

No one is prepared for this whiteout. But then, we can’t always prepare for the magical moments that change everything.
From the bestselling, award-winning, all-star authors who brought us Blackout—Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon—comes another novel of Black teen love, each relationship within as unique and sparkling as Southern snowflakes. “

Book is out tomorrow (11/8) so go check it out as a reward for VOTING and also as a companion piece for whatever other books are coming out tomorrow. You know 😊

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for letting me read this ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

“Sometimes people just belong to each other, so it doesn’t matter how bad they mess up.”

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review an early copy of this new release.

I really enjoyed Blackout and read it in one day, so I was super eager for Whiteout to come out. When I got approved for it on Netgalley I was so, so excited. But that excitement is now gone and I didn’t enjoy this as much as I wanted to or thought I would.

This book felt…different than Blackout and didn’t catch my attention the way Blackout did. The story was cute and creative but I just wasn’t really invested in any of the characters. I actually found Stevie to be quite annoying at times. It was all one story instead of stories connected together to form one. Which isn’t a bad thing, but I wasn’t expecting it to be like that.

The representation in this book is fantastic, covering minorities, LGBTQA, and mental health. One of the characters has panic attacks frequently and I related to her well and thought it was done so well.

Overall, not a great read but not a bad one. I may not have been in the right mood for this one, I’m not sure. It felt like I was never going to be done with it though…

“Overthinking is like breathing for me, and what-ifs are oxygen.”

Synopsis Atlanta is blanketed with snow just before Christmas, but the warmth of young love just might melt the ice in this novel of Black joy, and cozy, sparkling romance—by the same unbeatable team of authors who wrote the New York Times bestseller Blackout!
As the city grinds to a halt, twelve teens band together to help a friend pull off the most epic apology of her life. But will they be able to make it happen, in spite of the storm? 
No one is prepared for this whiteout. But then, we can’t always prepare for the magical moments that change everything.


With the winter Whiteout I love how everything plays out in this book. The book is very LGBTQ+ inclusive and everything has a charming quality to it. I feel like it is a great book for our YA who feels like they can’t speak out about who they truly are because of what they think will happen if everyone lives in their truth to me the world would be much better. One of the quotes that I loved in the book was “it’s important to feel your feelings. They are there for a reason.” My favorite character was Kaz. I love love love Kaz and his vulnerability.. Took him a minute but he got it together. E.R. Is in some sort of entanglement that has me a bit nervous for her but thankfully I stuck it out and saw she was ok. This was a good read and I definitely recommend. Thanks to HarperCollins Children books for my ARC.

Rating 4.5

I can't help but compare this to Blackout, and I think it falls flat just a little bit! Because this book was more interconnected (more of a full novel) than Blackout was, I felt like I wasn't getting enough of any of the characters. The multiple mentions of the COVID pandemic totally took me out of the book—I think I'm not ready yet for books to talk about COVID at all, especially since this book seems to be set now but nobody is taking any pandemic precautions so is it set in an alternate *now* where everything is all better?? That was unclear. Overall, really enjoyed it.

I also can't go without commenting on Nic Stone's behavior on Instagram as of late, which also had me hesitant to read this book. Her flippancy towards Israeli/Palestinian relations (and comparing criticism of that to book banning???) was extremely disappointing.

Stevie knows she messed up big time. She also knows that she can't live without Sola. So when Sola gives her an ultimatum of a grand apology by midnight, Stevie leaps into action. She had already had something planned for Christmas, with the help of her friends, but she calls that off in favor of something immediate. Her friends all jump in to assist, even as the entire city of Atlanta is shutting down due to several inches of snow. The unexpected close quarters as they rush to help their friends bring several other romances back to life as well. If there is any lesson to be learned from this book, it is that we need to stop assuming and start talking to each other. A fun, sweet romance by an amazing team of authors. Recommended for grades 8 & up.

Whiteout is a special treat of a book. There is beauty and hope in the way the points of view and the different aspects of the stories and characters navigating the snowy, snowy evening in a shared romantic goal weave together. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment spent reading this book.

During a snowstorm, a group of friends work together to reunite a feuding couple, each character finding their own love along the way.

Individually, these stories were cute. The frame story between Stevie and Sola didn't work for me. The big grand gesture to resolve a minor tiff just seemed too over-the-top. Plus, I got the feeling most of the authors had never experienced a snowstorm in the South. That part of the story didn't ring true. As a result, I was never able to settle and enjoy the book. I'm not the target audience, though, and I think teens might enjoy the book more than I did.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. This book was just lovely. I expected nothing less from this dream team of authors. Each character had such a unique voice and I loved how all of the stories were intertwined and came together at the end. Someone better make this into a movie or limited series!

A fun read for winter break or a snowy weekend. The superstar team of Black women authors that brought us "Blackout" returns. This time it's December during a snow storm in Atlanta. Like "Blackout" all of the stories interconnect. There's religious and sexuality diversity amongst the stories. I wasn't 100% clear on how everyone was connected because there are a lot of characters. It also wasn't as obvious this time as to which author wrote each story. (That could have been my fault for not paying as close of attention as I should have.) If you are looking to buy a book for a teenage girl who likes realistic fiction this holiday season, this one should be a hit.

(4.5/5.0) Whiteout is the perfect YA collection of interwoven short stories that centers joy and young love. The lineup of authors is perfect for fans of YA fiction and it’s the same all-star crew that wrote Blackout in 2021.

The concept is cute in each book, with all the individual love stories colliding on the evening of a major event in NYC. First was the summer blackout and then the winter whiteout. It makes for the perfect setting that urges characters to spill their feelings and lean into love.

The book is very LGBTQ+ inclusive and everything has a charming quality to it. If you’re looking for a feel-good book with that youthful crush energy, this is an excellent choice. It feels very YA so keep that expectation in mind when you read it. I think the collection of both books would be such a nice gift for a teenager!

Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley for the gifted and advanced copy - I was thrilled to receive it!!

I was enjoying this multiple POV-style Christmas story written by multiple authors involving the main character's unfortunate near-break-up situation and her close friends who help along the way. I felt like the main arc was really interesting and I loved how queer it was, and to have a quirky, fun lead who struggles with her emotions due to her high intelligence and mental health leading her to self-sabotaging. I also enjoyed several of the side characters and their blossoming relationships throughout the story, but not only did I have to stop reading for a personal reason, I found that some of the side stories were uninteresting. They were either too short, and or they didn't fit the vibe of the main character's story. The POV of the main character and her girlfriend were the best.
Unfortunately, I don't think I will be picking it back up.

I absolutely LOVED this story. While it's not a sequel to Blackout, it has all of the same authors and a very similar *vibe*. I found that the short stories wove together much better here, as we try to pull off the grand gesture of the century amidst a legendary snowstorm. I can't even pick a favorite story, as they all kind of melded together nicely. I also loved how we don't *officially* know who wrote which one! It's a great holiday romance filled with warm and fuzzy vibes and I just loved it.

*Thank you to Libro FM for an ALC and Quill Tree Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

Thank you HarperCollins Childrens, Quilt Tree Books for my copy! All thoughts are my own.

One of my favorite things about the holidays are anthologies. I think it comes down to my inner fangirl, but I still get giddy when I see some of my favorite authors teaming up and creating these bite sized stories that interconnect.

Now, this group of authors are created stories centered on two major weather patterns I am obsessed with: blackouts and snowstorms. This group of stories is cozy, fun, and extremely unique.

Synopsis:

“Atlanta is blanketed with snow just before Christmas, but the warmth of young love just might melt the ice in this novel of Black joy, and cozy, sparkling romance—by the same unbeatable team of authors who wrote the New York Times bestseller Blackout!

As the city grinds to a halt, twelve teens band together to help a friend pull off the most epic apology of her life. But will they be able to make it happen, in spite of the storm? 

No one is prepared for this whiteout. But then, we can’t always prepare for the magical moments that change everything.

From the bestselling, award-winning, all-star authors who brought us Blackout—Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon—comes another novel of Black teen love, each relationship within as unique and sparkling as Southern snowflakes.  ?

What I Liked:

The Concept—As I said above, I love this concept. I was a fan of Let It Snow by John Green and company when I was a teen, as well as My True Love Gave to Me but I love that this represents more than just white holidays.

The Setting—I recently visited one of my best friends in Atlanta, GA and was reminded of how cool of a city it is. It’s steeped in history and is so vibrant. Plus, it’s fun to imagine what type of snowstorm would shut down a city in the south.

The Last Story—The final story in the book was my favorite. I really loved the characters and the message, but I loved how everything connected.

What Didn’t Work:

Nothing! This would make a great gift for any teens in your life or would be a great donation to a middle or high school’s library this holiday season.

Character Authenticity: 4/5

Spice Rating: N/A (YA)

Overall Rating: 4/5

You know a book is going to be fire when this many heavy-hitting authors are involved.

This story, written by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon, is the perfect ya romance to read on a snowy winter day.

It’s set in Atlanta during a rare snowstorm and features multiple love stories set on the same night and interconnected when a group of friends is trying to help their besties get back together.

I was swept by each of the love stories and I loved the warm and fuzzy feelings this book gave me. Save this to read in front of the fire when it snows and you won’t regret it!

This sadly was not as good as Blackout was. Probably because the main couple we follow in this one didn't read as romantic to me at all. They (Sola and Stevie) read as very immature and honestly I got really tired of Stevie mighty quick. I didn't find that whole dinner party thing realistic at all because Stevie is supposed to be really smart, but takes something that she doesn't realize would have her entirely out of it? Come on. And after that I felt eh about the rest of the stories too. I didn't have the rush to get to the end like I did with Blackout. I just found most of the stories not very realistic and thought some of the characters should have been aged up. Maybe that would have worked more? Because anyone saying yes Stevie and Sola are couple goals and who they go to for advice had me wondering if I was reading an entirely other book. Also too many of the storylines felt unfinished.

Breaking down chapters/people again. I can't tell you which author wrote which chapters because this is an ARC and it doesn't say. So going to just breakdown the stories.

"Stevie"-We don't know what happened (yet) but know that Stevie wants to make things up with their (fingers crossed) not ex-girlfriend Sola. They have something really big planned but needs their friends to help them out. Too bad Atlanta is getting hit with snow that is shutting down everything. We find out through some word choices that Stevie I think is non-binary. Don't know when this was announced, but appears their father is still getting used to it. Stevie is grounded because of events that are still unknown. Chapter three, seven, nine, and eleven follows Stevie.

"Kaz"-I got real tired of Kaz's best friend Porsha. The two of them are hitting the Lenox (mall in Atlanta) to obtain something for Stevie's plan. We find out real quick that Kaz has feelings for Porsha and has plans to reveal himself after advice from Sola. This slowed down things considerably. I wish that this book had done what Blackout had which is to give us the other person's point of view when possible. I really didn't buy Kaz or Porsha's feelings. I also thought Porsha's reasonings why she never celebrated Kaz's holidays (Ramadan/Eid) to be really really dumb.

"E.R."-Absolutely not. This whole storyline was a mess and I hated it.

"Sola"-I felt sorry for Sola and honestly wondered what she saw in Stevie. Because even with the additional chapters we get following Stevie, I got why they were into Sola. It seems like Sola was constantly begging for signs to see how much Stevie loved them. I don't know. Once you find out what happened and why Sola was done I would have been too. Also there's still some plot holes left open regarding this incident and Stevie's whole grounding thing. Why I said at the beginning this whole book read as unfinished.

"Jordyn"-This was the only story that got me honestly. And I felt a bit annoyed we don't get to see how Jordyn's complicated feelings for her "egg donor" are resolved.

"Jimi'-Jordyn's younger sister. I thought this whole storyline was not realistic. Sorry.

"Ava & Mason"-I still don't even know what was going on here. This felt like a stuck on story that didn't build up on other sections at all. I honestly was like was Ava or Mason ever mentioned in any of the other stories? I do a search and Ava was, but honestly I don't even recall it.

This was a cute YA novel. I did like Blackout better because this one felt more like a novel rather than a collection of short stories that all intertwined.
Some stories were a little more boring and felt like they were dragging but my favorite chapters were Jimi's chapter and Ava & Mason's chapter.
I felt like this book could've been stronger, especially with how interesting and amazing Blackout was.
Not a terrible followup but the stories didn't feel complete. It felt like everyone wrote something, changed it to make one long novel and none of the stories were strong on their own.

This was cute and romantic and had such a cozy feel overall. It was a little predictable but that happens. I loved the characters, especially Ava and Mason. The only thing that bothered me were the lengthy flashbacks. Those took me out of the story a bit.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a fun and simple read. A bit too young for my taste but interesting.

Whiteout is such a fun collection of short stories about couples caught in a major snowstorm in Atlanta. The characters are connected in a brilliant way. The stories are sweet, diverse, and very well-written. With stories from some of the best names in YA today. Highly recommended to readers who enjoyed Blackout or if you love YA romance short stories. This is the book for you! Be sure to check Whiteout out today.

Set in the evening hours during a snowstorm that halts the city of Atlanta, Stevie tries to pull off the biggest grand gesture of her life after a huge argument and breakup with her girlfriend Sola. With help from her friends, who each also are experiencing new love or rekindling love for themselves, she tries to pull off the impossible - get Sola to forgive her by midnight.

Overall this book was enjoyable. I read Blackout by this group of authors last year, and one thing they do well is connect all of the characters together in a way that makes sense. This book had many more characters who were essentially strangers to Stevie, including someone who was a famous up and coming rapper that is a childhood friends-to-lovers love interest to Sola's best friend. I think there were maybe a few too many characters in this book to try and keep track of all the relationships. By the end I got there, but it took some time. I also thought some of the storylines were similar too each other and a bit cliche, but it was still a book I think a lot of teens will enjoy. I would say if you like these authors, diverse books, Christmas/holiday settings, and a quick read, then you'd enjoy this book.

*I received an eARC from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.