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!

This is a massively important book, and I’m so glad it’s considered Young Adult to be seen by those who are growing up in homes where they may feel alone or trapped. The resources listed in the back pages I can only imagine will be life changing for many in finding their own safe spaces to grow.
I felt so seen by the imagery surrounding the Patron, and I gasped and cried with the weight of betrayal I know Mal, Jaq and Fern felt after placing so much hope in this previously safe haven. I was also overwhelmed by thankfulness for the long history of LGBTQ+ people who have fought for the rights and freedom of the rest of us, and given us a place to work from to continue to create a world where we don’t have to be afraid of who we are. Mal was such a symbol of light and courage and a change-maker in this way, and she was so honored by her friends in every part of life.
I love the community that just grows and grows throughout the story, reminding the characters and the readers that they are never alone in their experiences or questions. And I love the representation of varying identities and responses to coming out and the reality of loss while also relishing in freedom. There is so much fear and pain and clawing to get out that leads to autonomy and queer joy and relief. I’m proud to be a part of this community.
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this story. It is one that needed to be written.

I love Natalie C. Parker’s Seafire series so when I saw she came out with a YA horror queer book, I had to get it! I loved the writing, but the book went from horror to highschoolers falling in love and a coming-of-age story. I love those kinds of stories but that’s not what I thought I was getting when reading this book. I really wanted a good YA horror book.

In the same niche as Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle, the conversion-therapy-as-horror genre. Similarities abound, even down to the senior class quarry jumps, which doesn’t indicate any co-opting of plot points but simply how ubiquitous this experience is, the same script across rural America, where any deviation from the script means there will be Consequences. A key plot point involves a gender-swapped/gender-neutral production of Grease, which is both fun and thematically relevant. Chuck Tingle nails the horror bits more effectively, but Parker nails the family/friends emotional dynamics very well. I’m glad that both exist.

This follows Jaq and Fern five years after their friend Mal “ran away” one night. Jaq has a loving boyfriend, and Fern is part of a theatre dynasty. One night at a party in the woods they remember everything that happened between them and Mal. They’re torn between who they are and what everyone expects of them.

This book is classified as horror but it’s not scary in the way horror movies are scary, it’s scary in the way that there are real people out there who are bigoted and hate anything about the lgbtqia+ spectrum.

Ah, catch me crying on an airplane over the end of this book. A queer awakening with a horror twist that will suck you in with its mix of dread and tenderness.

It made me miss high school friendships and appreciate that true love can also be platonic.

Come Out, Come Out by Natalie C Parker, in the book we meet Jack and fern they go to the same high school but live absolutely different lives and on the surface wouldn’t look like they have much in common but boy oh boy do they have something in common. Fern is part of a dynasty at her high school because all of her sisters have had the lead in their high school musicals and when she’s not doing that she’s hanging out with her two best friends. Jack hangs out with the daughter of preach keech and her boyfriend John but when they both attend a party at a fellow high school students home they experience something that causes them to remember things they forgot. Is this also the reason Fern keeps seeing Mallory and who is the new girl trying to get close to Jack, that looks just like Mallory? Both girls are living with a secret possibly even more than one this book is a strange coming-of-age story about two teenagers who were so accustomed to living the way others expect it takes paranormal intervention to scare them into being who they really are. At least in a way! I finish this book a couple of weeks ago and didn’t know exactly how to do a good review because this book is so good I was shocked the rating was in higher than it is but having said that if you love great horror with mindbending dreams/reality a gender fluid Casting call and an unfortunate impending marriage then you definitely will enjoy this book it is definitely hard drama spine tingling breaches in reality and so much more. #NetGalley, #PenguinGroupPutnamForYoungReaders, #NatalieCParker, #ComeOutComeOut,

Okay, this was a really good read.
First time with this author but I was definitely pulled in.
I don't normally care about pacing but this one dipped a bit and I put it down for a while.

But I'm glad I picked it back up, good solid ending in my opinion and kept me curious.

I dont know ehat it is but ive been loving horror novels with gay or lesbian characters this had me on the edge of my seat because i was trying to figure out what happen to the character that disappeared who they say that ran away. Mosg of this novel was basically a thriller u til the last 80 precent and thats why i gave it 4 stars

Wow. This was such an emotional ride. This was my first book by this author, but it won't be my last!

Teens Jaq, Mallory, and Fern all go into the woods to find "The Patron" - a soul who is said to grant you the deepest wish you have - but only 2 of them come out. 5 years later, Jaq and Fern suddenly receive memories surrounding the events that led them to going to the woods that night, but can't remember the actual night. Both feel trapped in their heterosexual lives under the strict scrutiny of their religious parents. Both are determined to have "The Patron" help them understand the events of the night long ago.


The book starts off with such a bang! There were a couple of lulls in the middle, but overall, I think this is a book that has so much potential! It approaches the topic of homosexuality and issues such as extreme religiousness and homophobia with such tenderness that it definitely makes you stop and think about teenagers today.
The buildup to the ending and the ending were just so emotional and so good! I thoroughly enjoyed myself the whole time reading it!

The biggest thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group/Penguin Young Readers Group for an eARC of this novel! All opinions are my own!

I was hoping that this book would be something along the lines of Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle, and while it was similar in some aspects it also didn't quite live up to it. That's not to say that it was bad, because it wasn't, it was an enjoyable read, and I enjoyed all three POVs. I will admit I apparently didn't read the synopsis quite as closely as I thought I did because I thought the timeline was slightly shorter...I guess. Basically I didn't realize that the initial incident happened when the main characters were in middle school. I think this is an important book, and I'm sure it will resonate with a lot of queer teens, I am not queer, nor am I a teen, so obviously I'm not the intended audience for it, but I also don't regret reading it. I will say that I think I was expecting something a little scarier. I also have a few questions about some of the life-threatening ghost activity. I'm not going to bother to get into that though. I think the other thing that stopped this from being a really stand-out read was the ending. Sure, things are tied up for the most part, but one of the main characters makes an insanely odd decision that culminates in the climax occurring, and while I was reading it I just kept scratching my head because it made no sense. Maybe it's because this was an ARC, so things changed between this draft and what went into print, but the foreshadowing was INSANE for the outcome, and thus made the character doing what they did almost stupid? I don't want to spoil anything, but if it hasn't been changed when you get to that point you'll know. My other issue was that I wanted more of a resolution with one of our main characters. The lesbian main character who had a boyfriend because of The Patron did technically end up cheating on him, and then the inevitable confrontation after the climax that should have happened with him was just glossed over. I wanted to see more of that because I think it really should have been bigger, seeing as it was such an important thing. Those were just kind of the issues I had with it. Like I said overall it wasn't a bad book, I just think I was expecting a little more out of it. If a teen is looking for a queer horror story I will certainly point this book out to them, because I think it has some important messages in it, but I'm not sure I would suggest it to adults unless they're really looking for a book to kind of shine a light on the dangers of surprising queer teens (and let's be honest, I'm not sure many would be).

This is a wonderful coming of age novel. I love this author so I was expecting a good book. This is not as scary as I expected but I am old and jaded so it just didn't hit me the same way it probably hits younger people.
I loved it. It is a quick read.

Come Out, Come Out is a spooky tale of self (re)discovery that ropes you in to solve a mystery while the characters are also learning about themselves. It's dark at times and twisty as a thriller should be, but it's presented with all of the real fears of coming out as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community which is what initially caught my eye. We follow Fern and Jaq through their separate but related journeys of remembering who they truly are and how they lost their best friend through the uncovering of memories that had been stolen from them.

I fell so in love with the characters in this book, so much more than I was expecting but it makes sense actually! A little bit about me, I'm in my 20s and came out just a few years ago after discovering this part of myself, but I've noticed all of these signs since then that make me say "how the heck did I not see it sooner?" and this book just sat so nicely with all of those personal feelings. I absolutely loved it and have been recommending it since I started!

**Initial Reaction**: 10

**Characters:** 10

**Setting:** 9

**Plot:** 10

**Pace:** 8

**Style:** 7

**Ending:** 9

**Enjoyment:** 10

73 / 16 = 4.5625

Rounded Rating = 4.5

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Young Reader's for the eARC.

The concept of this book had me hooked and the actual content kept me hooked. What a unique, wild horror story. I found myself so invested in these characters and their journey to self acceptance in a world that is desperate to stop that. So good.

4.5 stars

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What an incredible YA queer, horror novel! I really enjoyed this one. It was so good, I read it in a single day. Could hardly put it down. Fern, Jaq, and Mal were all such great characters. I love how the reader finds out information in regard to their past friendship and why Fern and Jaq can’t seem to remember certain parts of their past. They are so well fleshed out, and my heart was being pulled in so many different directions finding out bit by bit of information.

I loved the premise and I think it was perfectly paced as well. This was such a great coming-of-age novel—finding the courage to be your most authentic self, even when it’s absolutely terrifying.

I can’t wait to read more of Parker’s work!

CW: homophobia, lesbophobia, transphobia, religious bigotry, gender dysphoria, discussions about conversion therapy, body horror, self-harm, violence

The story feels like a sprint! There is fast action, right from the start and it's atmospheric nature is alluring. It is hard being a teenager, but it is even harder being a teenager who is running for their life in the woods. This is a fast paced story and a great start to a horror/thriller run.

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 4.5⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: YA Horror📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
The true horror in this book is the girls’ journeys to self acceptance in a homophobic town

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
Themes of acceptance and friendship
Multiple POV
Coming of age
Gave Riverdale vibes
Dark yet heartwarming
Great characters
Local folklore
Heavy topics

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
All the queer rep
The title

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
Started off a little slow
Not super horror-y

A dark exploration of queer identity and discovery for three young girls. A trio of friends find solace in each other’s otherness until tragedy strikes and their wills are circumvented in terrible ways. I lived the horror allegory for the pain and trauma of coming out in the face of bigotry, the beautiful depiction of found family, and the ultimate freedom of living in the truth of yourself.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy. These opinions are my own.

In Come Out, Come Out by Natalie C. Parker has created a poignant and terrifying narrative that calls out systems of queer and trans identity erasure that show how to unleash your true identity with the help of friendship and found family against the true monsters of the world.
There are so many details that will call out to those facing struggles like the ones the protagonists in this novel face. From the very first, it begins with an intensity and emotion that will haunt the reader. The narrative brings you face to face with safe spaces and how often it is difficult to be true to yourself when you do not feel safe to do so. And as the supernatural elements creep in and thread throughout the story, it only highlights the way real families and adults force queer teens into hiding or burying who they truly are.
I love how Fern and Jaq slowly find their reality as they are supported by friends who become family for them, how much they are family for each other along with Mallory. In the end, found family and friendship are truly what save the day for these teens and their monsters are not just faced down in the forest but the powerful story will demonstrate how important it is to listen to children and teens as they discover themselves and how important it is to create safe spaces. The authenticity and real emotions in this novel will connect with anyone who has felt similar to these three teens.
If you like powerful and intense stories about queer identity or supernatural horror that originates from the very real terror of being different, then this novel is for you. Come Out, Come Out is poignant and terrifying, touching on themes of queer and trans erasure, homophobia and parents who don’t want to allow their children to be queer. It is very real while containing a sinister supernatural element. This one is as spooky as it gets.