First thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this book for free.

I don’t even know where to start! This book was so so very good! I read it in a day! From the very beginning I was hooked! I’m an ally of the LGBTQIA+ community, and haven’t come across many books that include it as much as this one did! This book was written so well! I was feeling everything the characters were feeling! The pain, fear, sadness, and confusion. The love, joy, safety, and relief. This book helped me understand gender fluidity a bit more, but also how scared they feel not knowing how to voice their feelings and identity to someone who may or may not understand. I 100%, 10/10 recommend this book!
The main characters Fern (genderfluid), Jaq (lesbian), and Mallory (lesbian) are feeling lost with nowhere to go that feels safe. Then, one day on their way home from school, they discover a new path that leads them to the Patron’s house. Here they feel safe, protected, and like they can be themselves. They make the house their safe place to hide away.
One night they have a sleepover at Mal’s house. Her parents come home and find her and Jaq kissing in her closet. Mal’s father took Fern and Jaq back home. The next night the three of them sneak out and go to their hideout. They make a wish to the Patron and it ends up costing Mal her life and the other 2 their memories of their friendship and their identities.
Five years later at a party, Fern and Jaq fall into the woods and regain their memories of everything except that night in the woods when Mal died. Feeling confused and disoriented, they try to find a way to live with these memories coming back to them. Fern remembering they’re neither a girl or boy, feels uncomfortable in their body and clothes. They’re also cast as the lead in the senior musical Grease and can’t find a connection to their character, Sandy, until they switch roles with their costar. Their costar being Katelyn Birch, who came out as lesbian their 7th grade year (which is what catapulted Mal, Fern, and Jaq to become friends). After they switch roles, Fern realizes they’re more connected to the role of Danny. Fern finds themselves more and starts to feel closer to Katelyn than before.
Meanwhile, Jaq tries to push everything away. Including her feelings toward new girl Devyn. She has the “perfect boyfriend, perfect family, and perfect life”. She pushes her true self away, until she realizes she can’t anymore. After trying to come to terms with who she truly is, she finds out their safe place five years ago, may not have been that safe. Something or someone is calling her and Fern back to the woods. Back to where Mal lost her life. Back to where they lost their memories. Back to where this all begin. Back to the Promise house…
“Come out, Come out, wherever you are; The Patron’s in the trees. Find his house, make a wish. He’ll do just as you please…”

While there is a paranormal element to this story, it's mostly a story about two people figuring out who they are and the horrors and attrocities of wraponnized religion.

Fern and Jaq have no memory of the event five years ago - including of their friend Mallory who disappeared that night. They are both living lives as ordained by their conservative parents and not being true to themselves as LGBTQIA+ teens. Until one night their memories of Mal return and they can’t hold back the truths about themselves any longer.

I thought this one was really great overall. I’m not used to YA pacing, and this one was way more YA than horror. The horror aspect was great but only started 20% from the end. It was more slice of life before that and while I’m glad to see the representation, I’m finding it harder and harder to relate to high schoolers in my old age.

Two friends stumble into the woods one evening and uncover lost memories about a friend that went missing and about who they are at their very core. As they fight to come to terms with their identities, a dark force tries to keep them away.

This was, hands down, the best LGBTQ+ book for teens I have read in a long time and maybe ever. I am straight and that probably affects the way I view these stories, but for me, this was excellent. It explored identity and coming out in a way that made it very relatable for me. The characters felt like real teenagers and you could understand their motivations as they explored their new memories and identities. I also thought the story itself was very engrossing and fast-paced. Great story.

This was a dnf for me unfortunately about a quarter of the way through. I came into this book blind & didn’t realize it was a YA. I tried to give it a chance, but it just did not keep my interest. I believe this is more suitable for someone interested in this genre/writing style.

Interesting story and characters. Not sure what I expected here and not sure how to review this. I wouldn't read it again but I would read other books by the author. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Natalie C. Parker has written a beautiful, wrenching horror book about becoming who you truly are at any cost. Three girls, Fern, Mal, and Jaq, learn this the hard way when they make a deal with the Patron, a spirit who grants wishes if you find his house in the woods. But the wish isn't all it's cracked up to be. Fern and Jaq find themselves dealing with memories from years prior flooding back after they step into the woods one night. Mallory might not just be missing and they might have something to do with it.

A compelling mystery, horror, and coming-of-age story, this book kept me on the edge of my seat. I was just as excited to find out what was going on with the Patron and the woods as I was to see the gender-blind production of Grease at the high school. The tender scenes, romantic and platonic, balanced out the horror elements perfectly. Sweet and scary, this book had the right amount of everything.

The town of Port Promise is a small town where everyone knows everyone and differences aren't celebrated. Parker did a wonderful job showing the environment the girls were facing while trying to come to terms with their identities and sexualities and how difficult it is to try on new labels while having to pretend like nothing has changed. I feel like readers working through these issues will see themselves in this story and, hopefully, see that there's always the power to own your story and your self.

I really enjoyed this book and am very thankful to NetGalley and Penguin for giving me an eARC in exchange for an honest review. I honestly can't wait for this to hit the shelves and be devoured by everyone the way I devoured it!

Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I liked the LGBTQIA+ rep in here and I think the author did a really good job with talking about some hard topics. The poor kids really go through it in this book, but seeing them grow and learn to love and except themselves was so heartwarming.
I really wish it would have leaned a bit more into the horror however. It didn't really start getting "scary" until the last 20%. I love when horror is set in reality so this was still a fun read.

Thank you to Penguin Teen for the e-ARC of Come Out, Come Out!

Come Out, Come Out starts off with action & then forces you to travel a path of absolute heartbreak alongside Jaq & Fern. There are elements of horror — but I think the main horror in this book is more the journey of these LGBTQ+ teens & the anti-gay community surrounding them. Come Out, Come Out is a thought provoking read that held my attention from beginning to end.

Also, mentions of broadway & all that jazz made me halo because I’m a musical girly for life.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. I was so excited to be selected! This YA horror novel was lots of fun, had scary parts and was very touching. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

Jac, Fern, and Mal entered the woods 5 years ago but only Jac and Fern came out. The only thing the girls remember about that night is suddenly finding themselves together and not knowing why. They each ran home, confused as to how they got there.

Now seniors in high school, Jac and Fern aren’t friends, or even friendly. They find themselves at the same party and end up falling into the woods together after the bonfire collapses. There, their memories are restored and they remember the close friendship they shared and they remember Mallory.

Suddenly, life isn’t so easy and happy. Fern finds herself wondering if she’s even a girl. She’s no longer sure, but she knows the dresses, makeup, and styled hair no longer feel like her. Jac isn’t so sure she belongs with her boyfriend. She remembers her romance with Mal and that she doesn’t like boys.

While each girl is grappling with big life questions, they are also trying to solve the mystery of what happened to their friend Mallory. Weird things begin to happen. Fern feels like she’s being strangled by unseen hands and Jac is pulled under water. As they each explore who they are and how their lives must change, they unravel the mystery of that night in the woods.

"Come Out Come Out" by Natalie C. Parker is a gripping and eerie novel that pulled me in right from the beginning. Set in a small town full of dark secrets, it blends mystery, thriller, and supernatural elements in a way that kept me hooked.

Overall this book was a thought provoking read. I definitely found myself puzzled by a few plot points that should not have been so confusing. There is a gender point that you are confused about but it is brought back full circle later but some of these other points were left as gapping holes. Another part that was difficult for me was that many descriptions, such as for characters, were given in chunks and didn’t really have any purpose so it felt clunky and unnecessary. I also did note many grammatical errors which sometimes left me unable to understand a sentence or two, although most I was able to parse through.

Overall the idea of this book is good, the characters are well thought out, and there are some really interesting turns that left me gasping aloud

Okay everybody, get ready to sharpen those pitchforks because I have a controversial opinion: I liked this more than Camp Damascus? Like no disrespect to Chuck Tingle, I’m a fan and sit at home slobbering and waiting to tackle my local mail person for Bury Your Gays the second it’s out for delivery. But Come Out, Come Out is everything I wanted and envisioned Camp Damascus to be. The conversion therapy home/camp was really scary even though you don’t learn like, that much about it. The Patron? Terrifying. The song? Turned my hair white from fear. The parents??? I’m literally still shaking. As someone with, ah, intolerant parents, all the stuff involving the parents hit me really hard because I was sort of picturing my own. All the emotional, funny, scary, tense parts hit exactly right and special shout out to John for not being a huge piece of shit despite being a straight, white man! You did it baby boy, the bare minimum! I’m jk, John was really nice and I’m honestly glad he was cool.

10/10 cried at the end like the cry baby bitch that I am. #JusticeForMal

Thanks to NetGalley, PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, and G. P. Putnum’s Sons Books for Young Readers for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this, but I felt as though this book was leaning more towards contemporary than horror, to be honest.

That's not a slight against the book, whatsoever. I was engaged thoroughly throughout the entire thing. I hadn't planned on reading it in one day, but I ended up staying up a bit late finishing it just because I felt the need to read through the end. The mystery behind the murder and the forgotten memories was not only compelling but the metaphors, though on the nose sometimes, was so well done.

I really felt for Jaq and Fern. I cannot imagine how difficult it was for them while rediscovering their queerness after five years of being forced to forget/suppress their memories. Their families and social standings made it all the harder, too. Jaq's family is uber fundamentalist Christian while Fern's mom is a rigid gender norms feminist; the pressure put upon the duo was so high it understandable why they chose to do what led to Mal's death.

The horror elements were good in parts, but it was really easy to forget about them until the last third of the book or so. I think it wasn't as present as much in the beginning and middle because Jaq and Fern were still trying to remain in the closet during that time, with Jaq going further in while Fern trying to come more out. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the horror felt more contemporary than fantastical, and it only became more clearly fantastical in that last third. It kind of rushed the pacing and the logic got to a point I wasn't really getting with, anymore, but I don't think it really took away from the overall theme and message of the story.

The romance was a half-and-half for me. I liked Fern's developing relationship with Kaitlyn, a rivals-to-lovers that ends sort of bittersweet but with the promise of it getting better. It was Jaq's romance that I couldn't get behind, for it was very rushed and I felt like Devyn wasn't really as fleshed out as she should have.

Overall, I still think this was a good read. Although its presentation of horror isn't what I expected, I still found it thoughtful, and I'm glad it exists for the teens who might read and relate to it.

I wish I liked this book, so badly I wish I liked it. But unfortunately it was not for me at all!

It's really disappointing, because I like the concept of this book -- three queer teenagers find a haunted semi-unreal shack in the PNW woods and then one night, two of them forget that they're queer at all and the third ends up dead. Five years later, the teens are haunted by the ghost of their dead friend, and by the identities they may or may not want to remember.

All that sounds really interesting, really fertile ground for compelling character studies and a very exciting premise for a horror story. But it was not executed that way. In reality, the horror element of the book fell to the wayside in favor of the three separate romance plots that are stuffed into the plot. Additionally, the writing quality during the brief spurts of horror were too juvenile to make much of an impact.

I think there was good discussion and depiction of internalized homophobia, and how hard it is for queer kids to perceive a lack of support and love from the people they care about. I also liked how religious trauma was included, though it wasn't as prominent as I was hoping. While this book is labelled YA and the characters are 17/18 years old, I think the best audience for this story & writing skews much younger, and tweens would probably benefit greatly from these ideas and experiences being portrayed in such an upfront and specific way. Credit where credit is due, it's always a good thing to give kids a lifeline like that.

I am still disappointed by the volume of romance plots in this, though. I would have loved for the reclaiming of the characters' queer identities to be fueled by platonic love and friendship rather than a picture perfect, whirlwind, requited romance. And it felt like the story was built for the former rather than the latter, since the romantic scenes were honestly a bit disjointed. And I think if the friendship and community forged between Mal, Fern, and Jaq was the catalyst for Fern and Jaq becoming who they are meant to be, it would have made the ending much more cohesive and believable.

Overall, I was let down by this one, but I think it does have an audience out there who will bond with the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Five years ago, Jaq, Fern, and Mallory walked into the woods searching for a place that would keep them safe as queer kids. Only Jaq and Fern walked out of those woods alive, but neither of them remember what happened. Weirdly enough, when Jaq and Fern leave the woods, they don’t even remember being friends with each other.

Now, Fern and Jaq are experiencing their senior year of high school as straight, cisgender teens. Everything is normal, and the two are happy – until the ghost of Mallory appears to haunt them and they get some of their memories back. Now Jaq and Fern realize that the lives they’ve been living the last five years have been a lie. But the question is, why? How? And what happened the night in the woods that Mallory died?

I had a fun time reading this book! I found that the plot dragged in some places and I didn’t always feel compelled to pick it up, but when I was actively reading it I did have a good time. I enjoyed Jaq and Fern as main characters, but I wish they were both a little bit more fleshed out.

There was a senior play plotline in this novel that I didn’t particularly love, but I think theater kids could really enjoy it! Fern auditions to play Sandy in Grease, and the auditions, practices, and lead up to the play are all very well described.

I found the ending to be a little too fast paced for my liking and I wish the resolution of the story lasted about 20 more pages or so. I just wanted to see a little bit more interaction between all of the characters after the events of the climax. However, I was overall satisfied by the conclusion and like I said earlier, I did have a fun time reading this story! I didn’t absolutely love it, but I will be recommending it to other people! It’s a novel that I believe will really resonate with teens who are currently exploring their identities.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in an exchange for an honest review.

I posted this review to Goodreads on 6/28/2024. I will include this novel in my June reading wrap up on my Instagram @lattereads, and I will also post a review of this on Instagram on its release day.

"And in the darkness, Mallory burned."

The author's words at the beginning of the book explain more than my words ever could. The story is dark, and terrifying, and I definitely couldn't read it after dark. But it's also about the terror of coming out, and it's incredibly well written.

The author shares, "In this book are some things that truly scare me because they can hurt me: homophobia, transphobia, gender dysphoria, religious extremism, conversion therapy. They are terrifying because they are very real, they have sharp edges, and I can't control when I encounter them."

As hard as it was to watch these characters endure homophobia, I will let you all know there is a happy ending so you can safely voyage into this book and know that your faves will be okay (heart hands emoji)

The Haunting of Hill House meets Riverdale with a completely queer twist, this story manages to be horrific and sad, yet heart-warming and optimistic, all at once. Though it was tough to read at times due to the blatant homophobia and transphobia, the happy ending made it all worthwhile for both the reader and the wonderful characters. The plot is brilliantly conceived, weaving horror into themes of self-discovery and acceptance. It never once lost my attention and was exceptionally well-written.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for the ARC!

"Come Out, Come Out" by Natalie C. Parker is a powerful and timely anthology that celebrates queer joy, resilience, and identity. Featuring a collection of stories across various genres and styles, Parker brings together diverse voices that explore the LGBTQ+ experience with honesty and depth.

Parker's curation is thoughtful and inclusive, showcasing a range of perspectives and narratives that highlight the beauty and complexity of queer lives. Each story is imbued with emotion and authenticity, offering glimpses into moments of love, discovery, and self-acceptance.

The anthology celebrates the diversity within the LGBTQ+ community, while also addressing important themes such as acceptance, empowerment, and the ongoing struggle for equality. Parker's writing is both poignant and uplifting, making "Come Out, Come Out" a poignant tribute to queer identity and resilience.

Overall, "Come Out, Come Out" is a must-read for readers seeking stories that celebrate queer voices and experiences. Natalie C. Parker's anthology is a heartfelt and empowering collection that resonates long after the last page is turned, making it an essential addition to LGBTQ+ literature.