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A review by marywahlmeierbracciano
Come Out, Come Out by Natalie C. Parker
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Amidst a restrictive church community, three friends were drawn together by their covert queerness. In a moment of danger, they made a wish to the forest Patron, and now one of them is gone, and the others have forgotten everything. Five years later, Fern’s vying to be cast as the female lead in her senior musical (Grease) like her three older sisters. Jaq is on track to attend college alongside her sweet boyfriend, whom she’ll someday marry. A chance encounter leads them to the forest again, and they slowly start to remember. Told in dual timelines—before the wish, and after—this heart-pounding story exemplifies the pain of suppression, the necessity of safe spaces, and the boundlessness of queer identity.
Graphic: Homophobia, Transphobia, Lesbophobia, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Child death, Death, Infidelity, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Outing, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Body horror, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol