Come Out, Come Out by Natalie C. Parker follows three friends Fern, Jaq, and Mallory. One night all three enter this house but only two friends come out alive. Fast forward a few years Fern and Jaq are nothing more than passing acquaintances Fern is dedicated to acting and the schools drama club. Jaq is dating her good friend Josh and is doing her best to be the daughter her parents want her to be. Both Fern and Jaq have secrets that slowly come to light. This book was very interesting Fern and Jaq are living in a town that has very specific and defined roles that young girls need to follow and as Fern and Jaq accept that who they are doesn’t align with that they have to decide who they are going to be. I think the conversations surrounding safety when you are young and part of the lgbtqia community are very important and I think the book was honest and real about the experiences many people face. I think this is a book that approaches these themes in an interesting way. I enjoyed the book for the most part and if this sounds like something you’d enjoy then definitely pick it up. 3.75⭐️

This one is kinda hard for me to review and ultimately why I knocked three stars off of my rating. It still gets three stars for me because I feel like the lgbtq element is important in society and giving that kinda of story a horror element was such a cool idea. The double meaning of the title and the thought behind the story was perfection. I ended up knocking two stars off because I was promised to get that kind of story in a horror and spine tingling way… which i intentionally decided to read now since we’re heading into spooky season. However, this was more of a coming of age story and the characters were more worried about who they like and who they are then of the supposedly creepy ghost haunting them. Again, not a bad story at all.. I just wanted it to actually be the horror I was told it would be.

I received an ARC from Netgally and the publisher of Come Out Come Out for my honest review.

I was expecting more horror but for more heart. This book centers on the struggles of being a youth and finding one’s self, dealing with family and friends. I appreciated that part but was expecting more horror as that was what this book promised.

With thanks to Net Galley, Penguin Group and Author, Natalie C Parker for the opportunity to read and review this eARC.

As an adult reader, I often take on YA novels as a way to see if there is more interesting, relatable and enjoyable content out there for my students to read, seeing themselves and their friends represented with in the pages. I was drawn to the premise of this book, involving characters who identify outside of what some would call societies ‘norms’, attempting to find and live as their true selves.

Come Out, Come out is a modern gothic horror if you will, a LGBTQIAP+ story that is based around a trio of friends, Mallory, Fern and Jaq. The plot is shaped by the voices of the three characters, learning more and more about their different personalities and connections to each other.
An evocative story of queerness, friendship, allies and those who reject them. A tale of learning to love oneself, and the importance of community, Come out Come out was an engaging read, accessible in its writing that I can see many of the teens I know not only enjoying this story but also taking something for themselves from it.

I did expect it to have a bit more horror involved in its story line but without spoiling it, the subtle threads of darkness throughout the story make sense as the characters unravel the mystery of what happened the night Mallory disappeared, not only to Mallory, but what happened to all three of them - made for an enjoyable read.

Come Out, Come Out is an eerie and evocative exploration of queer identity, friendship, and the darkness that lingers both within and without. The novel's emotional depth, authentic characters, and powerful message of hope make it a compelling read, even with its minor imperfections. This is a story that will resonate with queer youth and allies alike, reminding us all of the importance of embracing our true selves and striving for a world where everyone can live authentically.

This is a potent and timely narrative that speaks to the challenges and triumphs of queer youth. It is a testament to the strength of community, the importance of self-acceptance, and the enduring power of love in all its forms. While not flawless, the novel’s emotional depth, genuine characters, and unwavering commitment to social justice make it an invaluable addition to the young adult literary landscape.

A full review can be found at tashadriver.com/blog

Actual rating: 3.5

I’ve been getting more into horror over the last few years, particularly queer horror, because I love the different ways it explores monstrosity and expectations. Come Out, Come Out is excellent at the creepy elements, and I really like the execution of revealing what happened to Mal as well as Jaq and Fern remembering their true selves. This was rough in some ways, but not in a way that felt gratuitous or like it minimizes different experiences. I look forward to seeing what stories Natalie C Parker will have to tell in the future.

I appreciated the struggles of the protagonists in this book but honestly the repetition just go so old after a while that I just couldn't get past the writing. I think the premise of the Patron is promising and the beginning of the story was excellent. After about two thirds of the way through the story bogged down and I just couldn't get past it. It was a challenge to finish

This book sucked me in and wouldn't let me go. I loved theses characters, and while I feel like parts of this story are quite predictable, it's because those things happen so often in real life, unfortunately. And man, that hook.

I will say, this book is a lot quieter than I anticipated. Right up until the end, I was expecting more horror, and I did feel like the author pulled punches on some of the more fantastical elements. There are also places where the "magic" interference is a bit inconsistent. Don't go into this book expecting it to be like "Camp Damascus," which I sort of did... it's much more realistic, with the "horror" parts being more metaphorical. I think the author could have pushed certain concepts further, but I also understand that playing up the horror elements more might have undermined the much more real-world terrors of unsupportive parents and conversion therapy.

Overall, I did enjoy and would happily recommend this book. I got the sense that the author had a lot of love for the characters, which translated into me being invested in them, even when they're not at their best. *coughcough I'm looking at you, Fern cough* I will pick up the author's next book in a heartbeat.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC. My thoughts and ramblings are my own and left voluntarily.

Coming out as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual or anything other than straight can be difficult for a teenager or at any age. Fern, Jaq and Mallory escape to an abandoned, hidden house in the woods. They feel that they can be themselves there. Unfortunately a bad entity dwells in this place as well. The Patron, according to urban legend, will grant wishes and keep you safe in exchange for a special gift. The three friends enter the woods but only two come back. Their memory and self identities are erased. Five years pass by and each live separate lives. A party near the woods bring them together again and the pieces of the past start coming back. It’s a tough read with real world experiences such as emotional and physical abuse from parents upon kids who experiment with their friends via same sex kissing. There’s a bright spot in Frank’s, a diner where it’s a safe space to be whoever you are. The horror of the book is fear - of coming out and the repercussions such as hostility, harassment, discrimination, violence or worse. It’s an important story told in an interesting way. Props to Natalie C. Parker. ARC was provided by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers via NetGalley. I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book is so much more than a YA horror novel. It is about finding your true self and accepting it and dealing with all of the societal and familial pushback.

I did enjoy this novel more than I expected. I really liked the mystery/ horror aspect of the book. I felt so much for the characters as they were on a mission to find out what happened to their friend.

The growth of every character in this book was just so beautiful to experience. Not only the growth in finding themselves and accepting who they are, but the growth in their friendships.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this story.
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

I hope the finished copy of this book has a trigger warnings page because this book sorely needs it. I appreciate that there were all those helpful phone numbers and websites to go to for people in the LGBTQIA+ community and for suicide prevention but there was a lot in this story that I didn't expect mainly the homophobia from the parents (and the MC themselves at times), and a lot of the language and situations in the books that were caused by homophobia. It was honestly very stressful to read about without having those trigger warnings in place. I also thought the story would be more horror based than it actually was, I liked that it focused on Fern and Jaq as they struggled with reconciling their old and new identities/memories of things but I wanted more of a horror vibe I guess. This book didn't give me the chills like I wanted (or if it did give me the chills it did because of the homophobia). Overall I did enjoy the book though and what I did get of the ghostly Patron was pretty scary.

When I saw that this was a YA queer horror novel, I instantly requested the ARC on netgalley and I was so excited to see that I was approved for it.

This topics of this book are heavy and it took me a bit longer to read than others. The friendship, the hope in this story was heartwarming and there were many moments where I was close to tears because of the experiences the characters were going through. It does a wonderful job at showing how important friendship is and at showing how hard it can be to come out to yourself, much less to your family and people you believed to be friends.

The horror elements weren’t so much gruesome or terrifying but were more emotional, but I enjoyed that more than if it were a slasher or a thriller. The actual horror elements were seldom as it focused on Fern and Jaq coming to terms with who they are, who they love and the life they want to live. I actually really enjoyed the balance. But in my opinion the emotional horror stood out more to me than your typical horror novel.

I think the author did a great job transitioning from the characters having a very narrow point of few, having been contained in almost a bubble like life, from their family, friend groups, and the church, to starting to understand more about themselves and the world around them.

Overall, it was a good book. And i recommend it! It’s very sad but inspiring and hopeful at the same time, just be sure to take note of the content warnings before you get into it.

Also! The play on words in the title! Very fun.

DNFed at 11%

Thank you to netgalley and penguin random house for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

When I saw this book was a queer, young adult horror novel I had to get my hands on it but after starting it, i realized pretty early on it wasn’t for me. I felt as if it was written for a much younger audience and while I usually do well with young adult novels the age range of this intended audience can still highly differ from book to book. To me, it felt like this book would be perfect for someone in high school.

The reason I felt the need to dnf was mainly centered around the fact that this did feel written for a younger audience and other issues I had with the writing in general. Some sentences felt choppy, unrealistic, and just lacking detail which took away from the flow of the story and imagery that followed, making it hard for me to get into the flow of the book itself and to picture the events that took place.

I also found it lacking in the overall horror aspect. While it was creepy, the stakes just weren’t big enough for me and I felt the story had a lot going on and too many plot points to tackle at once and in doing so really put the horror plot on the back burner, but it did do well in tackling “the horrors of everyday lives”; the horrors of living as a queer person everyday are very real and very worth talking about and i do appreciate that this book attempted to do that.

While this book wasn’t for me, i do believe it could serve as a very important read for the right person at the right time in their life and I believe other readers could really get a lot out of a book such as this one.

In Come Out, Come Out, Natalie C. Parker weaves a haunting tale of friendship, identity, and the secrets that bind them. The story follows Fern, Jaq, and Mallory—three friends whose emerging queer identities force them to find solace in an abandoned house deep in the woods, away from their unaccepting families. However, one fateful night, Mallory never returns from their secret hideout, leaving Fern and Jaq with no memory of what happened. Five years later, as Fern and Jaq approach graduation, they seem to lead typical straight, cisgender lives. But when a vengeful spirit resembling Mallory begins haunting them, they are forced to confront their past. As the spirit's presence grows stronger, Fern and Jaq remember their true selves, the love they had to hide, and the dark secrets lurking in the woods.

Come Out, Come Out is a delightfully dark novel that tackles the erasure of queer and trans identities with a powerful narrative about the resilience of friendship and the courage to embrace one’s true self. Parker masterfully creates an atmosphere filled with suspense and tension, making the reader feel the weight of the secrets and fears the characters carry. The book is more than just a ghost story; it is a poignant exploration of identity, acceptance, and the power of found family. The portrayal of Fern and Jaq's journey from denial to acceptance is both heart-wrenching and inspiring, and the supernatural elements add a chilling layer to the narrative. This novel is a must-read for anyone looking for a story that beautifully captures the complexities of queerness while highlighting the importance of standing up against the real monsters in our world.

Interesting horror story tied into queerness and coming out of the closet. Quick read with interesting characters..

Come Out, Come Out is a horror book that will feel all too familiar to anyone who has struggled with their own self-identity.

This book is an emotional gut punch in identifying and living in your true self while the horrors of the world continue to unfold and haunt your daily life. The book explores what horrors exist with in your own family and community and then builds on that in order to great an atmospheric, haunting read. Part paranormal horror- party YA coming-of-age, there's something here for everyone.

The book does have a slow burn feel, so getting into the thick of the story can feel slow, but the pay off is worth it. The world that is built for the reader will feel familiar and haunting all at once.

I love a good young adult horror book. This did not disappoint. A paranormal story that will have you excited to read it.

If this had been a queer contemporary, it would have been stellar - with the “genderless” school musical and breaking free of rigid expectations and budding romances - but the horror elements were a square peg in the round hole of that very solid contemporary base. It was like every now and then (and I really do mean on rare occasion) Parker would remember that this was marketed as a horror novel and would throw in a little vaguely creepy moment.

Because of the addition of the horror elements, though, a lot of the side characters (particularly in Jaq’s half of the story) didn’t get a chance to bloom. Devyn existed to be objectively hot and give advice. John existed to be the nice boyfriend that we’re supposed to feel vaguely bad for.

There’s also a distinct lack of answers for what the rest of the world looked like during the Mallory/Fern/Jaq friendship (circling back to John the boyfriend in particular) and how Fern and Jaq were perceived afterwards. I dunno, the whole 7th grade section just felt so detached from the “present day” that I couldn’t puzzle out how we got there, regardless of the amnesia (did everyone else ALSO have amnesia??)

Major disappointment after the hype I had for this one.

There's nothing like great queer horror, and Come Out, Come Out is great queer horror. I initially requested this arc because the cover was stunning, and I'm so glad I was able to give it a read!

Full honesty - if you're looking for an absolutely terrifying horror, this isn't it. This is a story of two queer people finding and accepting themselves with a thriller/horror backdrop. It's emotional and moving, and I'm so glad this book exists!

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for the ARC!

"Come Out, Come Out" is a thought-provoking novel that delves into the complexities of self-discovery and queer identity. The narrative, imbued with a nostalgic undertone, offers a poignant exploration of the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in a society that often seeks to suppress their true selves.

While classified as horror, the novel's primary focus lies on the emotional journey of its protagonists. The horror elements serve as a powerful metaphor for the societal pressures and internalized homophobia that can haunt queer individuals.

The story centers on two main characters, both grappling with their sexuality and gender identity. Their journeys of self-acceptance and coming out are portrayed with both empathy and authenticity. The novel's title is particularly poignant, reflecting the courage and fear associated with revealing one's true self to the world.

"Come Out, Come Out" is a highly recommended read for those seeking a nuanced and emotionally resonant exploration of queer identity and the power of self-love. The novel's themes of acceptance, community, and resilience are particularly relevant in today's world.