This queer horror YA novel by Natalie C. Parker is already a hit with my students! Taking life as a queer teen in an oppressive, conservative small town and using the horror genre to show just how difficult that life is works extremely well. In addition, the characters are complex and well-developed; the writing is vivid and beautiful; and the heart (surprisingly) strong. Highly recommend!

This is the exact kind of book secretly queer 16 year old me absolutely needed - I loved every single second of it and will definitely be recommending it

Oh the plot complexity, relatable characters. When it is so difficult for you but so easy for others.
I loved the concept of erased memories of Mallory - eerie and definitely built the sinister aspect.
Jaq and Fern have avoided each other for years - with a weird tingle. After the woods grants their memories, they struggle to maintain their hetero lives. And what happened to Mal?
A very complex plot, cruel reality and great tension between love interests.

"Come Out, Come Out" is a haunting and beautifully crafted YA horror that intertwines the themes of queer identity and friendship with spine-tingling supernatural elements. Written with both sensitivity and a sharp edge, this novel follows Fern and Jaq, two teens who have spent years hiding their true selves and their painful past in the wake of a tragic event that left their friend Mallory missing.

The narrative skillfully oscillates between past and present, revealing how the trauma of their childhood—marked by both friendship and fear—shapes their lives as seniors on the brink of adulthood. The emotional depth of Fern and Jaq’s experiences is palpable, capturing the fear and isolation that often accompany queer identities, especially in unaccepting environments. The abandoned house in the woods serves as a powerful symbol of both refuge and dread, a place where secrets fester and the past refuses to stay buried.

As the story unfolds, the chilling appearance of Mallory’s spirit serves as a catalyst for the protagonists to confront their past and the dark truths they've buried. The gradual unraveling of memories not only heightens the tension but also fosters a poignant exploration of self-acceptance and the complexities of love. The way the haunting forces Fern and Jaq to rediscover their identities and desires is both thrilling and deeply moving.

The author does a remarkable job of addressing the systemic erasure of LGBTQIA+ identities while wrapping it in a captivating horror narrative. The friendships in the novel are beautifully rendered, showcasing the strength and resilience found in found family, and emphasizing that the true monsters often lie within societal structures rather than the supernatural realm.

The prose is evocative, creating a rich atmosphere that immerses readers in both the beauty and the terror of the woods, while the horror elements are deftly woven into the fabric of the characters' lives. This is modern horror at its best—where the emotional stakes are as high as the supernatural threats.

In summary, "Come Out, Come Out" is a powerful exploration of queer identity wrapped in a spine-tingling tale of terror. It resonates with anyone who has ever felt the need to hide who they are and reminds us of the strength found in truth, love, and friendship. This novel is a must-read for fans of LGBTQIA+ literature and horror alike, delivering a poignant message that will linger long after the final page. Highly recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publishers for letting me read an advanced copy!

I will always appreciate and respect a book with content warnings. Especially one that covers such heavy topics within the horror genre.

Something I liked throughout my read was the balance of horror in the supernatural sense as well as the characters personal lives, and how that carried out towards the end in terms of support given to each other. Fern and Jaq went through some messed up things and the way they handled remembering Mal and such key points in their lives only to have to pretend to still be the same person was such a rough thing to read.

The pacing took a while to get into, which wasn't helped by my kindle formatting. the balance was well done for the most part but towards the end, things felt rushed when they decided to try and learn more about what happened to Mal. I get that they were both trying to figure out how to survive knowing two versions of themselves in such an evil town, yet the consistent avoidance of that pushed things in an odd pace. Though I did like the contrast of the character endings, where they both get to be more themselves with different results that doesn't surround itself around a spooky house.

"A rose is a rose is a rose. ... But even a common rose has thorns."

Thank you Penguin Teen for an eARC to review.

This book was a wild and creepy ride. It also was very current with what is currently going on with the political climate, which makes me so sad that people are not allowed to be themselves.

This book follows Jaq, Fern, and Mallory as they process through being queer in a town where that "isn't allowed". The three friends are exploring their identities as they enter high school, but when Mallory's parents see her kissing a girl and they plan to send her away their world is about to change.

I really enjoyed how the author traversed Fern exploring their identity throughout the book as they regained their memories about what happened in the woods that fateful day. The author switched back and forth between pronouns as Fern switched back and forth between remembering themselves- and honestly it was really cool. It helped me feel like I was in the characters head a little bit as they processed.

The concept of this book was heartbreaking and unfortunately a realistic truth for some kids as they want to come out to their friends and family. I loved that as the characters regained their memories they started trying to live and speak their truth, but the Patron wouldn't let them (such a scary concept). The side characters were also a really big component of the characters learning to be themselves. Frank's diner made me so happy.

If you like horror books I would definitely check this one out.

I absolutely love haunted house stories. Adding that this is a queer young adult book just makes it better. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and will be looking out for more work from this author. We need more YA horror!

I really wanted to like this one but I unfortunately did not. To be completely honest, it’s just so boring.

In a split moment everything changes for two teens, when a night at a party ends up in the woods. Two people who barely know each other have their minds ripped open and realize that nothing is as it seems and they have lost five years of identity, self-ness, and their own friendship…never mind the third person of their triad. Where is Mal?

I have so much I want to say and I’m going to try and do it without giving anything away. Come Out, Come Out in many ways is a realistic horror book. What does this mean for the reader? Be prepared for face-to-face collisions with homophobia, transphobia, conversion therapy, famial abuse, and bullying. Natalie C. Parker not only throws the light on, but invites the very boogie man of every rainbow’s nightmare out into Fern, Jaq, Mal, and others’ lives and does not let up.

Then we have the fantasy horror aspect of the book and the ghosting intersectionality of homophobia through the years and how it infects, never lets up, and grows insiduously. Yeah, don’t go into the woods kids…just don’t. Also, “Hello!!! Listen to every word of every nursery rhyme before singing or speaking it!!!!!” (smh)

I will say that even though this story is a thriller, it is also about the power of friendship. The bonds that are formed and don’t let go. For me, I think everyone needs a Mal in their life. She is just pure fire. I love her. Her humor is contagious and I was laughing out loud. She’s a fighter even when everything is stacked against her. As I’m typing this I’m crying because she is just that amazing. She is someone I want as a friend right now in this world going crazy and you don’t know whether to go back in the closet or not. Mal, for me, has come along at just the right time.

Yes, there are other main characters (chuckle). Each of them are on their own path and it is not easy. My heart hurt so bad at times and I also cheered so hard with each success. There are some romances going on too. So freaking sweet and thoughtful are the romantic partners that you can’t help but root for everyone. I will say that Devyn makes my heart thump too and that Jaq definitely has a type (chuckle).

I simply love this book because of the friendships. It hurts to read the horror aspect, but it’s written so well you can’t stop reading. This was a read in one-go for me. Come Out, Come Out is perfect for the spooky season because it’s a nightmare come to life.

I really liked this book for what it was but I think I just went in expecting it to be more scary? It was quite slow in the beginning but once I got to know the characters, I was pretty invested! I think this was a great look at the difficulty of coming out as a teen while also being surrounded by people that are unsupportive. It was also a great story of found family and learning to love and accept yourself and the people around you! I think the twist of the mystery was really impactful and I very much didn’t expect it but it was perfect for the story! So definitely one I recommend but don’t go into it expecting scary horror!

This book truly surprised me in how invested I was as I kept turning the pages. it is beautiful, tragic, reflective, and hopeful in terms of finding your true family.

COME OUT, COME OUT tackles very sensitive topics for those who are queer and trapped in unsafe environments. Its realism in religious extremism shows how even though there has been a lot of progress in the more recent decades, there are still plenty of bigots who weaponize religion and refuse to accept the identities of their loved ones.

I loved how Natalie C. Parker personifies this hatred through the past events which left the two surviving characters forgetful of what occurred five years prior to the beginning of the story. Parker also does a great job of making it easy for readers to comprehend the horror scenes since that is something many people, myself included, tend to struggle with.

This is a true five-star read for me!

Come Out, Come Out is a queer YA horror novel addressing conversion therapy and coming of age as a young queer person in a family and community that is not supportive. It's about finding your voice, being true to yourself, and discovering found family when your own family isn't an option. It also wraps religion into the mix and is sort of a less intense younger cousin to Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle.

It follows two characters - Jaq is a lesbian and Fern is non-binary but they are expected to fit inside traditional gender norms as girls. When they were young teens, something strange happened to them in the woods and a friend of theirs disappeared, but they have little memory of what actually happened. It's disturbing at times, particularly for the ways they are pushed to conform and held back from saying and doing what they actually want to do. I did feel it was a bit on the nose at times and the ending was less satisfying than I wanted it to be, but I also think something written for teens can get away with being more direct. I liked it, just be aware there is a lot of depiction of homophobia, transphobia and more. The audio narration is okay but the narrator doesn't do distinct voices for the different perspective characters which made it hard to follow at the beginning. I received a review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

✨Thank you to Penguin Random House Audio, Netgalley, and Penguin Young Readers Group for the gifted audio and digital copies of this book!✨

🚨SEMI spoilers ahead🚨

This was great YA queer horror. I loved the spooky supernatural elements. There was a good story here with an interesting origin without too much fluff or smoke and mirrors.

This was a very powerful queer coming of age story as well. The teens in this book all had different pressures and struggles with coming to grips with who they were vs who everyone wanted them to be. It was not lost on me that when the kids asked for “safety”, instead of their family and friends just being accepting and open, the only “solution” was for them to conform to the heteronormative values of those around them. This is the devastating reality for many queer people in the real world.

I really enjoyed the characters and their individual stories. I wish we had gotten a bit more closure with Fern’s story in particular. I felt that Jaq’s present and future seemed tied up well but Fern’s was a little more elusive and it left me feeling incomplete.

Overall, I wish that most things got more elaboration and more time. I wanted more of Fern’s sisters. I wanted more of the history of the Patron. I wanted more of Mallory’s story. I know the author really wanted to hit the overarching theme of this book and it was well done, but I think the stories of the individual characters got sacrificed a bit.

The narrator did a great job and she set the tone really well.

Overall, this was an entertaining and powerful queer story and I really enjoyed it! It is very much YA and it is important to know that going in for the expectations of the reader.

Spooky queer horror named Come Out, Come Out? I was very on board! This book starts off with a bang. The classic horror movie scene is happening in the opening chapter, and it grabbed me from page one. A lot of this book was more nuanced than classic horror, but that terror of homophobia is almost more frightening than a monster in the woods.

I found the characters to be well-written with full storylines. Multiple POVs worked well for this one, but I did sometimes have to remind myself who was talking. Overall, a great read and one that made me think. I would say that homophobia and transphobia take center stage on this one, so take care if those are sensitive topics before you read.

Thanks to NetGalley, Natalie Parker, and Penguin for the chance to read and review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Come Out, Come Out is a unique blend of speculative and paranormal horror that touches on deeper themes of self-acceptance, identity, and the fear of being different. It follows three queer friends living in a homophobic community, where the real terror isn't supernatural, but the struggle to be yourself when others refuse to accept you. The book is emotional, heartfelt, and thought-provoking, with a strong message about courage and love. The horror elements enhance the story without overshadowing its deeper meaning, making it a great read for horror fans who enjoy stories with substance.

Fern, Jaq, and Mallory never felt safe coming out. There was one place they did feel safe. A hidden abandoned house in the woods where the urban legend of the Patron of Port Promise resides. You make a wish and he keeps you safe. Only the friends find out there is a horrible cost. A cost that is rewoken years later when they start remembering the 'truth' of who they are and they're part of the disappearance of Mallory.

What worked: Perfect twisty thriller with a paranormal presence that erases an individual's truth. It's now senior year and Fern and Jaq are no longer close. But an encounter in the woods has memories resurfacing. Memories that are painful but also have both of them question their true identities.

Think urban legend so-called Patron of Good Deeds meets paranormal conversation therapy. Both girl's parents have a certain vision for their futures. Jaq's parents are conservative Christians. Jaq even has the perfect boyfriend. Fern is on track to follow her older sisters in theater. Only Fern can't push aside the thought she's not a girl, but something else.

Once the girls remember their times with Mal, the pieces of the puzzle come back together. How they found safety with each other in a town that refused to accept who they were. It's then that Jaq and Fern reconnect and try to help not only Mal but themselves.


What I really enjoyed about this thriller had to be Fern and Jaq struggling with emotions resurfacing on who they were. Fern finds that the animosity she had toward Kaitlyn might in fact be something more. Jaq no longer feels that her long-time boyfriend John is the one. Even though she feels an attraction to Devyn, she tries to fight it off.

Together the friends reunite and go back to the place where it all started.

Modern queer horror tale that is timeless with its story of survival but also has a message of hope.

3.5 stars rounded up. This book started out strong, then lost me a bit in the middle before arriving at a bittersweet ending.

I liked the characters in this one. Their relationship/identity issues were timely and interesting to read about. All in all, I'd say this book wasn't the most exciting one I've read, but it was the right level of creepy and atmospheric for me.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Come Out, Come Out is an intriguing blend of queer identity and horror that follows Jaq and Fern as they confront their past and rediscover themselves. The story masterfully weaves together themes of friendship, self-acceptance, and the challenges of coming out in a small town.

The eerie atmosphere and supernatural elements kept me hooked, while the emotional journey of the characters added depth to the narrative. It’s a powerful reflection on embracing your true self and the strength of found family, making this a compelling read for fans of both contemporary and horror.

Ever just… forget you’re queer? No? Me neither.
But that’s exactly what happens to Jaq and Fern in this eerie YA horror novel.
After running into the woods during a high school party, they’re suddenly overwhelmed by memories of a forgotten friendship—one that ended abruptly with the disappearance of their close friend, Mallory, five years ago. Now, Mallory’s back—sort of. The two teens are haunted by visions of decay and blood, and by screams from a night they can’t remember.
This was a quick read for me. I enjoyed it, though there were a few frustrating aspects. I read the digital ARC, and the formatting was a mess, but I assume that’s been fixed in the final release. Aside from that—and the slightly rushed ending—it was a solid queer read with genuine scares! Jaq and Fern are compelling characters, and you can’t help but sympathize with them as they grapple with their forgotten identities and the challenges of being queer in a hostile community.
I would absolutely recommend this for spooky season! And let’s face it - queer plant horror is the best horror.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book. This book has my whole heart. I absolutely adored this! From the incredible characters, to the plot, to falling in love with everything so quickly- I couldn’t put this down. I highly recommend this!