This was quite the book. I won’t lie, the beginning pages of it turned me off to a point where I almost DNF’ed it. Once I got past the first 20-25%, though, it became so much better. And it was refreshing to see this particular take on the possible pitfalls of revealing who you really are to people who are not going to support you.

Parents who are only concerned about what they’ll look like to others are not the type of parents that an LGBTQIA+ person should keep in their life. Remember: you can choose a new family for yourself. One that’s made up of support and love. And isn’t that much better than trying to stick with birth parents who refuse to accept you for who you are?

I’m gay and came out at the age of 14 (in 1992). My mother wasn’t a mom to me. I no longer talk to her, and my life is so much better as a result. Meanwhile, I know other LGBTQIA+ individuals who are still trying to keep their relationships alive with their parents, despite being treated like shit because of the way they were born. They’re constantly hurt by the actions of their parents. I feel badly for them, and I wish they could learn to prioritize their truth over their parents’ feelings. Because I’ve gotta tell you—you are the only person that will always be there. So, you really have to take care of yourself first.

This book brought me to tears by the end, but they were good tears.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

This book was PHENOMENAL! I love that the difficulties of coming out was woven into a horror story. A lot of times, it can definitely feel like that! It just made sense to me as a bi woman who still can’t come out to her own family. There’s a lot of trauma involved in being under the rainbow umbrella, and this book perfectly captures that with allegory. It was a wonderful read and I loved the characters like I knew them personally! An amazing and heartfelt piece of art, kudos to the author for such a masterful story.

Oh, I loved this. The visceral description of choking on words or being trapped in outfits that suffocate was so very real- made my heart pound. I thought this was a lovely, chilling, taut, and meaningful book.

This story follows three characters. We get the perspective of two of them at the present and the third characters pov is three years prior to current events. I liked Fern and Jaq, I could see where a lot of their anxieties come from especially as members of the LGBTQ+ community. Mallory’s character felt underdeveloped and I felt she had the most potential in this story. While the book claims to be a spooky time only 5% of the book takes place in the haunted woods or gets tones of horror. A lot of of the story is navigating Fern and Jaq’s sexuality and the horrors of their conversation Christian families reactions. I did like how safe spaces are navigated in this book and how they can be just a mask and sometimes even more toxic than those places we seem as unforgiving. This will be publish on Fabel, Lemon8 and GoodReads 06/30/24 at 8:30 pm.

"Come Out, Come Out" dives into a world where societal pressures force three friends, Fern, Jaq, and Mallory, to hide their true selves. The abandoned house in the woods becomes their sanctuary, but a night of terror leaves Mallory gone and Fern and Jaq with a chilling amnesia.

Five years fast forward, these friends navigate seemingly normal lives until Mallory's vengeful spirit appears, forcing them to confront the past and the secrets they buried. As the haunting unfolds, memories resurface, revealing their true identities and desires.

This novel transcends the typical ghost story. The "delightfully dark" atmosphere underscores the harsh realities of a world that ostracizes LGBTQ+ individuals. The author challenges these systems, advocating for self-acceptance and the strength found in chosen families.

What the book does well:

Compelling characters: The characters' struggles for self-discovery resonate with readers. The haunting serves as a catalyst for their journeys towards authenticity.

Social commentary: The story cleverly weaves in a critique of societal norms that suppress LGBTQ+ identities.

Themes of friendship and found family: The power of chosen bonds provides emotional support and courage as the characters face their demons.

Potential areas of interest for readers:

Readers who enjoy coming-of-age stories with a supernatural twist.

Those who appreciate strong themes of friendship and self-discovery.

Fans of young adult fiction that tackles social issues.

Overall, "Come Out, Come Out" is a captivating and thought-provoking novel. It offers a hauntingly beautiful exploration of identity, wrapped in a suspenseful narrative.

I feel like this was more of a lgbtq+ coming of age story rather than a horror one. I think this book did a great job of navigating important topics, showing love, friendships, and found family. However, It felt a little rushed especially towards the end where the last 10-15% is just action packed. There was very little horror throughout and felt VERY YA to me.


I received an advanced review copy from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a book from which so many people will benefit! As a straight-passing adult, I wish I had had this book in my conservative religious youth. Parker does an excellent job showing us her protagonists’ queer journeys, and the Patron was a delightful way to add a bit of a scary hook. I definitely want to look up the author’s other work now.

Ohhh very much up my alley this book!! Horror novel that the hype was real. Very interesting tale!!

10/10 recommend

I should start by saying this book is not yet fully released at this time.

I love a good thriller/ mystery and this one is an amazing cross between a mystery/romance/ young adult. The relationships and feelings I felt for these characters were very strong; you wanted to root for them and you felt for them. That is probably my favorite part of the book.

I loved the concept idea of this, although the beginning was slightly confusing after the first chapter and tracking things. Regardless, I recommend highly checking this one out.

This was a remarkable story and I am so glad I had the opportunity to read it. I haven’t read any queer horror before and I thought this was very well done. It handled the coming out journey and how the world handles teens and their queerness beautifully. I would highly recommend this book if you enjoy a mystery along with a journey of self discovery.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, surpassing my expectations in every way. The storytelling was engaging, and the representation of queerness was exceptionally well done. The flashbacks and character development were highlights, blurring the lines between reality and horror. The main characters' journey of self-discovery, amidst religious bigotry and homophobia, was depicted with raw authenticity. Despite tackling difficult themes like conversion therapy, the narrative skillfully concludes with a satisfying theme of self-acceptance and growth. Overall, a tense and angsty yet ultimately hopeful read that beautifully showcases the protagonists' evolution towards living authentically.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC!

(4.5 stars)

this was such an interesting story! it was scary in the “there’s really people like this in world” way. i cannot express how well written this book was when. how clever the title, the lore of the Patron and the main characters storylines were. down to the minute details of switching pronouns for MCs as their sense of self changed. i loved the incorporation of your typical highschool antics — school plays, crushes, peer ”rivalry”. each character was on a different path & in a different place of their self discovery journey but their storylines matched up so well that everything was cohesive. as a bisexual woman myself, i am lucky enough to have parents accepting of my identity and the author was able to draw out those sympathetic feelings for the characters who weren’t in an accepting household. it definitely had some spooky parts too!! this books is a perfect example of why i love YA thriller!!

Overall: 4.2/5
Characters: 3 / 5; I only dislike the parents because they are not as open to hearing them out. Especially Jaq’s mother because she is delusional throughout like it’s not other people in the world.
Plot Development: 4/5

So to start there are three girls in which they have come to this home in the woods. If you wish for it, it will come true. The missing/dead girl is the one that becomes succumbed to the house and leaves the friends to forget the night that it happened and their true queer selves. It didn’t really start making sense to them until the musical that one of the characters is instructed into as the male character and about to kiss a female, things from the past are coming back to them.

Fern is the tomboy type and Jaqueline is the lesbian both are living in a lie but, when they tried to live out their truth it’s like the Patron was stopping them because the little house in the woods was really a conversion house. Whatever the Patron had the girls doing prior to the burning of the house to convert is what they are experiencing to the end like for example saying or doing things they are not trying to but, it’s like they are forced to do so, if the Patron theory is correct.

The ending was sweet and I am glad that they were brave enough to come to terms with their true selves. This writing style was really simple for me to follow through and I would definitely read something from the author again because the plot was good and I loved the ending with the acceptance.

i received an advanced review copy from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. this did not affect my rating.
i’m conflicted on how to rate this book, as i have mixed feelings towards it. i think it’s an important book for the lgbtqia+ community since it covers some important topics, like internalized homophobia, dysphoria and some religious themes, but i didn’t enjoy reading it as much as i expected to. the rep and how the characters’ evolution to fully being themselves were wonderfully crafted, but i found the horror bits to be lacking.

i truly loved how the book dealt with the heavier subjects it features. the commentary on feminism and what it represents to each of us, the way it brought light to how subtle homophobia can be and the way we follow these characters come to terms with the reality of who they truly are were so well-written. it’s very obvious that the author took their time to hone their craft and research the portrayal of what being queer can look like. i think the characters were very complex and, as a reader, you get to be in their head and see what they go through, which made for an interesting read.

however, since we spent so much time following the characters’ coming-of-age story, it felt like the horror bits were just thrown in there, without adding much to the novel. everything felt rushed, especially towards the end, and we’re left with a bunch of questions about the main “villain” of the book, since his lore isn’t explained much. the way the conflict was resolved wasn’t the best, in my opinion, as i didn’t see the characters do much research on what they were doing or what will work – they just went with the flow and hoped for the best, which was a bit disappointing. the horror parts we did get were well-written and i truly did enjoy reading them, but they felt more like an after-thought, rather than a main plot.

the relationships between the characters also felt a little rushed, especially jaq and her romantic interest, but i think some of that can be explained by the big reveal, so it didn’t bother me that much. i did like fern and jaq as characters, i think they worked wonderfully as main characters. i wish we would’ve gotten more information about the side characters, as they only played minor parts in the book. the friendship between mal, jaq and fern was interesting to follow and i appreciate how the author took her time to develop it during the flashbacks we got.

overall, i think this is a book worth-reading, even though i think the horror was too lacklustre for my taste. i can see “come out, come out” being a loved book because of its characters and the representation it offers.

While this a horror story, it’s an absolutely beautiful one. There’s just enough creep factor to make it interesting yet unfathomable, yet the terror that these kids lived with during their every day life is so real. This is a heartbreaking and heartwarming story of kids trying to come to terms with who they are, and handle societies views on who it think they should it.
Out of all the characters, Frank is my favorite. I wish j had a Franks All Night Diner tshirt.
I also loved the play on words in the title. So clever!

Thank you Penguin Random house and NetGalley. I will be recommending this book to everyone!

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

Please. This is the spooky book of my DREAMS. Spirits? Secrets? THE WOODS? Also, the commentary in this is just fabulous with the way that it mirrors the real world and how this country is trying to erase everyone's identity. It was tense, profound, and mysterious, all while delivering a coming-of-age story about finally being who you are that rivals the greats. If you love the supernatural and queer horror, it's the perfect read for spooky season!

Atmospheric and haunting, but always with a focus on the real story at the heart of this book: Jaq and Fern and their individual explorations of who they are, what it means for them to be queer in families/worlds that -- to varying degrees -- don't accept them, and how they rediscover that and reclaim it for themselves.

I freaking love queer horror, man. This was such an honest, raw look at the pervasive nature of homophobia and transphobia and the many ways it can manifest. It is not just one thing, but rather a many dangers that manifest. Such a brilliant, haunting book.

Though, I will say that I wished for just a tad more out of the ending. It felt like it was trying to Make A Point, which I totally respect, but I just personally wanted the full scope of love and happy endings that felt like they could be possible. Of course, that's just a personal quirk of mine!

This book and the journey the characters take brought very real tears to my eyes.

This is a queer ya supernatural thriller that I think was so well done. It’s both in your face and nuanced at the same time, with levels that you peel back as you read.

YA thrillers have been my catnip lately, and if it has a supernatural twist, I am going to be even more inclined to read it. And this one had it all.

The characters are really well thought out, going through real issues, coming to terms with themselves and finding who they are. Overall, this book is an homage to growing up queer and learning who you are in that space and outside of it. But, we also get this mysterious paranormal subplot!

Three friends who bond over their shared queerness find solace in an old abandoned house that seems to be there just to protect them. Running from life at home, the three venture to the house one night but only two make it back… gone along with Mallory are Fern’s and Jaq’s memories of that night. Five years later, Fern and Jaq are in the cusp of adulthood, living completely separate lives with no memory of their friendship or their queer identities, just a vague feeling they both get randomly.

Slowly, something starts happening… and they start to remember little by little. They must figure out what happened to their friend and come to terms with their queerness, coming out, and what exactly happened in that house all those years ago.

This was just superb and a fabulous read!