The premise of the book and the cover intrigued me and I was really excited to read it. I did enjoy the first few chapters but unfortunately I had to stop reading it because it wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. I thought the book would have a more paranormal spin on things and I was disappointed that wasn’t the case.

4.5/5

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this eARC!

Come out, come out, wherever you are and read this book!
If you love queer stories and love horror, read this! This YA queer horror is exactly my kind of book, and I love that books like this exist. Come Out, Come Out had my attention from the start. I believe books like this would have healed something in me if I had them when I was growing up. I really enjoy when YA books explain that being queer is normal and there are people out there who can understand you and support you. This book is mostly a queer coming of age story with a little horror. I would have liked there to be more horror in the story. The horror parts were really good!
The horror is both supernatural and very much real at the same time. The characters were so well written and the character development was wonderful. I really do recommend this book highly to anyone! I loved it so much I preordered a physical copy for when it is released August 27, 2024!

4 stars
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Come Out, Come Out (what a great pun of a title) is an exploration of gender and sexuality, backdropped by the things that go bump in the night.

I hate to call this a fun book, based on the content, but I really enjoyed it. I read it in a single sitting. The plot was really unique and I like how it handled delicate matters regarding the LGBTQIA+ community in context of this conservative small town. The horror element of the book was interesting to read and I liked the shift in perspectives between Jaq and Fern, and the shift from present to past through Mal. Despite there being so many POVs with this element, the book really comes together nicely. I loved the twist at the end, I never saw it coming but it made so much sense overall. The pacing was good, throwing the reader right into the plot and using the shift in time periods to carry it along, so you really get the entire story. My only critique is that I actually could have used more horror. I feel like it incorporated the homophobia and transphobia into the horror and I wanted more straight up horror, as the -phobias got a little triggering.

I related so much with Fern and Jaq, having had my own identity crisis in the past. The book handles this topic really well and I like the journey the characters take to become their true selves. Their stories are unique, and I love their found family dynamic. The side characters further the story along nicely, and it was nice to see some evolution on their ends, too.

I will definitely be keeping my eye out for more by this author.

Come Out, Come Out by Natalie C. Parker spellbinding LGBTQIA+ YA horror about queer teens who accidentally invoke a twisted spirit who promises help but delivers something sinister.
The author did a great job with the the characters, as well as keeping the pace going.
I really enjoyed this book. The setting was fantastic and oh so creepy. There are lots of twists and turns in this book and I like how everything kept being revealed

I don't even know how to start, this is a novel from two different perspectives, you have your traditional haunted forest what’s happening in the woods type of horror and the horror of ignorance and bigotry from people you love the most. It was an interesting book, but more of a coming of age and navigating LGBTQ+ struggle with some thriller vibes than an actual horror book. Although I enjoyed most of the book and the idea of where the story was heading it felt like Mallory part was missing a lot of plot as well as the ending felt sortha rushed. I might have enjoyed it more if it wasn't portrayed as horror but more of a coming of age thriller. I thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

TW: Homophobia and religious trauma.

This was a wonderful YA queer thriller that beautifully tackles the importance of community and friendship when you are a teenager figuring out who you truly are but more so when you are discovering how you identify as a person. Especially when you do not have a supportive community at home.

This story was heartbreaking but hopeful, real and raw. The horror elements were good at trying to show the true horror of having to hide yourself and the damage that can do.

Pacing missed the mark at times; but I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

The quick cut: Two girls who barely interact come together to solve the mystery of why they are both being haunted by the ghost of a classmate who disappeared years ago.

A real review:
Thank you to Penguin Group for providing the arc for an honest review.

Figuring out who you are is hard enough, but when you don't necessarily identify with your born gender or expected sexuality - that process gets harder. For Jaq and Fern, that's something they will learn together when they discover they are both being haunted by a classmate who disappeared years ago.

Five years ago, three girls went into the woods and one named Mal never came out. Since that night, Jaq and Fern haven't remembered their lives before that point. Now in their senior year, they are practically unrecognizable. Jaq is a cisgender girl who is thoroughly in love with her boyfriend John. Fern is the queen of her school's theatre department. From the outside, their lives are fantastic. However, that idyllic image is shattered when they start seeing the ghost of Mal. Are they the reason she disappeared? What happened that night in the woods?

I would just like to say that I actually did get to the end of this book and enjoyed the overall story. While I can't relate to the gender or sexuality struggles of these characters, I can relate to their struggles with identity. Unfortunately, the way the story was written made it hard to stay fully engaged and made the pacing quite strange.

Jaq and Fern are living what many would consider the perfect life. It's not for them though because it's not the life that's true to who they are. Ferns struggle to accept what's happening to her made her more relatable to me of the two. Jaq's struggle is oriented more towards her parents desire to have her marry her boyfriend. I never experienced that type of parental pressure.

Seeing these two slowly rediscover their true identities and how that created new issues for them was a realistic feeling process. It's messy, difficult, and not always accepted. The family's reactions of acceptance, confusion, or rejection are handled well. Each one feels realistic and like something that could really happen to someone.

A fun horror story with pacing issues.

My rating: 3.5 out of 5

Three friends, all dealing with their own coming outs, and a house in the woods that took one of them.... and now the remaining two girls don't remember what happened to their friend and what happened to them... only that they are being drawn back in by the spirit of their dead friend. Fern, Jaq, and Mallory are three different people who know it's not safe to come out to their families... yet their friendship grows as they emerge into their identities, yet after an incident makes one of the girls come out to her mother and all three girls run into the woods to hide in an old abandoned house..... things go different as Mallory never makes it back home. Fern and Jaq lose their memories and are desperate to keep their own secrets, but after five years and on the verge of their graduation where they have seemingly happy straight cisgender lives....Mallory's spirit begins to haunt them. Fern and Jaq can't tell if Mallory is seeking revenge or if its something else... all they know is that they have to work together to get their memories back and find out what really happened to Mallory as well as come out themselves. This was part ghost mystery part coming out/coming of age story. It explores the queer identity, friendship, and growing pains. It's definitely a good read to add to your halloween tbr if you are looking for a queer read with a touch of spooky! While it started off great it fell off a bit for me and got a bit muddled in the end, but overall I would say it was a book worth reading at least once.

Release Date: August 27,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I did not expect to be tearing up by the end of this book, but here we are! Come Out, Come Out was pretty slow to start off but I was pretty hooked by 40%. I did struggle a little bit with the overall pacing and it got a little hard to follow at times, but I still really enjoyed this book. This was a book about self-discovery and acceptance. It was hopeful, terrifying, and sad all at the same time. The horror aspect was not just paranormal, and really ramped up in the societal commentary of the book. There is a lot on religious trauma in this book, so keep that in mind. I also want to give a big trigger warning for homophobia - all three main characters experience it throughout the book, whether it be external or internalized. It was hard to read at times knowing that there are parents out there who do treat their children the way these characters were treated. I really am glad the book ended the way it did. I truly appreciated all of the different hotlines and resources that were included at the end: National Suicide Prevention Hotline, Crisis Text Line, The Trevor Project, National Sexual Assault Hotline, Trans Lifeline, National Center for Transgender Equality, Love Is Respect, and Planned Parenthood. I have a lot more thoughts but it’s close to midnight and my eyes are tired from finishing this in a day.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for the chance to review this book, all opinions are my own.

I have read several queer YA horror books this month and so I think my expectations going into this one might have been for something else. That is to say, there are definitely moments of horror but the true horror of the book is being forced to live a life as someone you are not or having the choice of who you want to be taken from you.

This book is about Fern and Jaq, two seniors in high school who are living two perfectly “normal” cishet lives. Then something happens at a party and they remember that 5 years ago they used to actually be friends, and they did something in the woods, and their other friend (who they forgot about) was killed! Oh and they are both super queer. The rest of the book is them coming to terms with this and how this fits into the lives they thought they were living. I think it follows the experience of a closeted teen (or adult) very well.

Because I was expecting more horror, Mallory’s (the murdered girl) chapters were actually my favorite and I really wanted to know more about the house in the woods and her experience there. Would have loved for the Gray Whales to have a bigger part too.

There were a lot of parts of this book that I did love. Especially all of the moments of found family and camaraderie between all of the queer people in the town just trying to find a safe space. I found the ending to be realistic (some families have unconditional love for their children and others do not) and I felt like it had some really hopeful moments.

Again, I really wanted more horror but that is totally a me preference and not a failing of the book!

4.25 stars

The beginning started out strong for me, however somewhere in the middle it felt like the plot became somewhat muddled. The elements of horror towards the end felt like a very sudden change from where the plot had been veering and because of that the horror element of this story fell flat for me. I do think the overall message behind this is important which did somewhat save the book for me. I think that this just fell a little bit short of what I was expecting.

Thank you Netaglley for the arc of this upcoming read!

This book is such a SOLID read. It instantly puts its reader into the plot, there is no massive story before the story. Which is one of my biggest gripes with reading. Give me the story I came for, dont fluff me up especially if not necessary. This book promises to be spine tingling, eerie, and although it delivers on both of those fronts. It also has a deeper meaning. There is the horror and then there is the social horror. The way the story is so rooted in reality and the struggles of identity. This is one I wont soon forget!

A wholly original and completely terrifying tale about friendship, secrets and finding out who you really are. There have been several books lately centering around LGBTQ characters and the issues they face including conversion camps, prejudice and hate crimes but this one really delves into the characters themselves and how they feel. It is exceptionally well written and captures several themes in an engaging way.

The thriller I never knew I needed. We follow two closeted teens as they navigate their renewed lost memories and their identities. I read via audiobook and the narrator was amazing.

Wow! Not too many books have left me at a loss of words quite like this one. Normally, I'd feel the need to put off a review to fully process my thoughts but out of fear of losing my grasp on my emotions, I need to put something together now.

This truly was one of those rare books you come across where you feel seen and although you have your differences from those characters you can sympathize with them in ways that others can't. I read the Author's Note before diving into this story and it's something I highly recommend doing (especially for this book). Come Out, Come Out is labeled as a horror, but it's not the typical horror where you fear what might be lurking in the shadows, this is the type of horror that comes from finding the courage to show your true self to REAL people instead of facing figments of your imagination. The fear of facing backlash that could come from your community, family, friends, etc. if they knew these secrets about you that you've kept locked in, not knowing if when you have the courage to finally speak those truths what the outcome could be.

I really loved this book but also recommend checking trigger warnings such as homophobia and religious trauma and seeing where you are at mentally before reading this book. Definitely a 5 star read for me that I will be thinking of frequently.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this eARC.

I enjoyed this take on a queer-centric horror story. I loved watching Fern and Jaq rediscover themselves and their memories and watching both worlds morph together so they could ultimately become their true selves. It was difficult to read and experience the religious persecution and homophobia along with them, but that's also the point. Too many LGBTQIA+ individuals experience this on a daily basis and I thought it was handled well within this story.

I will say that I found some aspects to be lackluster. Some side characters and their plots felt flat. And while I enjoy paranormal and ghostly aspects as part of the mystery, some of it felt too farfetched or rushed through.

Overall, definitely recommend. Though it's imperative that you check content & trigger warnings before reading!

**CW: Homophobia, transphobia, gender dysphoria, religious extremism, conversion therapy, graphic violence, body horror, and self-harm.

Come Out, Come Out is the latest queer horror novel I’ve gotten into, and it certainly won’t be the last. Jaq, Fern, and Mallory run away to an abandoned house in the woods, where they’re free to be themselves. But, I mean, it’s a house in the woods, so of course, some scary shit’s gonna go down. Mallory is killed, and as Jaq and Fern escape, their memories and true selves are erased. The girls return to supposedly happy straight lives, until Mallory’s spirit starts haunting them and reminding them of what happened.

Mallory’s ghosty antics are creepy and unsettling, but it’s Jaq and Fern’s fear of their secrets coming out that is really visceral. The suppression of their feelings is literally life or death. It’s terrifying, but at the same time, you’re rooting for them to accept their feelings and love who they want to love. Both girls have cute lovelines, Fern’s being my favorite, all while keeping their bond and friendship with each other strong. At a certain point, though, the romance and coming-of-age themes completely took over, leaving the horror behind.

Once the supernatural twist was revealed, it felt like there was too much missing. The house and its history and lore were super interesting, and they just weren’t given much time to explore before rushing to the climax. I probably won’t remember much of the scares, but the characters? They’ve already got a place in my heart.

DNF at 21%
It really bums me out that I wasn't as attached to this book as I hoped, especially because, from what I read, I really don't think it’s a bad book! It just wasn't for me, which is perfectly okay!
The title, cover, and premise are all so gripping to me, and are huge reasons why I was so interested in the book. As a queer person, I wholly understand and appreciate the narrative of learning about and recognizing these specific identities that make us, especially in an environment that may be…less than accepting. I sincerely wish this book spoke to me as much as I expected it to, but I know for a fact this will be a perfect book for many, many people.
My reason for DNF has nothing to do with the quality of the book, I just recognized that the writing format wasn't for me, and that's perfectly okay.
I do want to thank Netgalley, Penguin Young Readers Group, and of course Natalie C. Parker for this early copy of Come Out, Come Out!

I must admit I kinda DNF this book, not because it was bad! Just because at the time of me requesting it, I had so many other arcs and books that I was reading that unfortunately I didn't have the time to finish this book! I did manage to read a few pages and from just those few pages, absolutely adored it and I do look forward to reading it in the future when my life isn't as hectic!

I love when a book I’m reading for the first time makes me nostalgic for another era of my life, and <i>Come Out, Come Out</i> catapulted me back to being 16, discreetly buying queer books in order to better understand a part of myself that wasn’t necessarily accepted. I just know that this book would’ve meant so much to that version of Liv.

While this is classified as horror, I found it less scary (as a bit of a wimp) because of how tied to societal issues the horror is. This is a really heartfelt book about accepting yourself when others around you won’t accept you, the power of queer community (especially in less accepting places), and what it really means to love someone, yourself included. It is aptly named as it focuses on the coming out of our two main characters, who are both queer people--one <spoiler>nonbinary and bi</spoiler>, the other <spoiler>a lesbian</spoiler>, both need to come out to themselves and the world. The coming out and acceptance of oneself is the meat of this book and I found it to be quite emotional. The horror aspects were done in a way that enhanced the story too. I think going into it pretty blind is the best way to approach this book because the characters themselves are starting out pretty blind, but I really loved this one and found it to be incredibly heartfelt. I’d recommend this to anyone, but especially recommend if you’re queer and have been/are still in a place that is keeping you in the closet.

<i>Thank you NetGalley for the arc
book is out on August 27, 2024 <3 </i>