Blackout
- Downloads：9685
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-06-23 07:18:57
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Dhonielle Clayton
- ISBN：0063088096
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Rose
，
Blackout is a fun， fast read， filled to the brim with Black joy。 Although I did wish for more individuality in the writing styles of the various contributing authors， as well as the stories themselves， the quality of writing overall is high， allowing the reader to sink into the story。 The interconnected nature of the stories is fun， but ultimately slightly gimmicky — it doesn’t do anything with this interesting structure， leading each piece of interconnectedness to feel like nothing more than a Blackout is a fun， fast read， filled to the brim with Black joy。 Although I did wish for more individuality in the writing styles of the various contributing authors， as well as the stories themselves， the quality of writing overall is high， allowing the reader to sink into the story。 The interconnected nature of the stories is fun， but ultimately slightly gimmicky — it doesn’t do anything with this interesting structure， leading each piece of interconnectedness to feel like nothing more than a little Easter egg。 Despite being a bit dull at times， these stories are sure to resonate with many teen readers。 Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for the ARC！ 。。。more
Sam
，
I have mixed feelings about short story collections。 Too often， the stories are hit or miss， mostly because the collections are assembled out of already-existing material rather than a carefully curated collection。 Anthologies are curated; however， I prefer story collections written by one author rather than those collected around a single theme or idea。 The idea of picking and choosing stories doesn't sit well with me; with collections， it's all or nothing。 Far more rare， though， is the collect I have mixed feelings about short story collections。 Too often， the stories are hit or miss， mostly because the collections are assembled out of already-existing material rather than a carefully curated collection。 Anthologies are curated; however， I prefer story collections written by one author rather than those collected around a single theme or idea。 The idea of picking and choosing stories doesn't sit well with me; with collections， it's all or nothing。 Far more rare， though， is the collection of interconnected short stories—think David Mitchell's 'Ghostwritten' or 'Cloud Atlas。' While the stories can stand on their own， together they create a larger narrative。 In short， this kind of collection is one where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts。'Blackout' is a collection of interconnected short stories with a twist—it's also an anthology！ And it's a novel！ Dhonielle Clayton， Tiffany D。 Jackson， Nic Stone， Angie Thomas， Ashley Woodfolk， and Nicola Yoon take turns telling stories about one day in New York。 Each story centers on a different pair of adolescents navigating their way through the pitfalls of love and relationships while navigating their way through the city during a blackout。 When you put these writers together with this premise， the result should be nothing short of a） the next great YA novel and b） a license to print money。And it is！ Buy this book。 Read it now。 That's all there is to it。There are "no skips" in this collection。 Jackson's story， "The Long Walk，" begins the day's narrative; rather than provide the entirety of her story at once， Jackson hands off to Stone。 After Stone's story concludes， Jackson's picks back up， and that is how the narrative continues through to its conclusion。 Characters from each story occasionally appear in other stories， which helps to maintain the interconnectedness of the experience。 Community， of course， is one of themes of this narrative; this is a work that exists because of the pandemic。 Rather than some of the films created during the pandemic that take advantage of the separation those of us who spent the last year in video conference digital boxes felt， these authors created a sense of connection in 'Blackout。' I found that that sense of connection weaves its way not just into the stories but also through the overarching narrative。 After spending the entire pandemic feeling disconnected from others， 'Blackout' was welcome relief。If you're still wondering what 'Blackout' is "about" （in case you need one more reason to go read it）， what isn't it about？ LGBT relationships。。。check。 Love triangles。。。check。 Unrequited love。。。check。 Breakups。。。check。 Meet cutes。。。check。Is 'Blackout' a novel？ Well， it is if enough people say that it is。 As I mentioned above， there is an overarching narrative that， while loose， does more than enough to make each of the stories feel cohesive。 If I had any complaint about 'Blackout，' it would be that any of these stories could have easily lived as part of a larger novel written solely by its creator。 I want to know what happens to Stone's characters on the train， Thomas' characters on the bus， Yoon's rideshare characters， and。。。well， all the other characters。 Maybe we'll get 'After Blackout' soon。 Until the superteam gets together again， though， we'll still have one of the best YA novels of 2021。 。。。more
Steve Dunk
，
It should come as no surprise that when you assemble this roster of talent， led by the brilliant Dhonielle Clayton， good things will happen， and in the case of Blackout， the end result is a romance infused anthology that is both vital and compelling。 And despite its lofty premise， Clayton has assembled （along with herself） these five story-telling machines that can prose-battle with the best of them， so yeah， I’m sure confidence was very high going into this sucker。 It’s like a rap battle only t It should come as no surprise that when you assemble this roster of talent， led by the brilliant Dhonielle Clayton， good things will happen， and in the case of Blackout， the end result is a romance infused anthology that is both vital and compelling。 And despite its lofty premise， Clayton has assembled （along with herself） these five story-telling machines that can prose-battle with the best of them， so yeah， I’m sure confidence was very high going into this sucker。 It’s like a rap battle only there are no losers， well， maybe white people who don’t normally get romance this good。It’s true that Blackout isn’t as simple an idea as it seems， certainly not when it comes to execution， and under Clayton， this thing just keeps on working， story after story。 The anthology/short story format is a different muscle， and these authors seem to revel in being given the greenlight to remove almost everything not relevant to a story， while maintaining wit and cleverness。 Not once is the artistry diminished through fluff and their thoughts are precise and crisp making Blackout a VERY easy read。 Most will get through this in one day either as a summer read outside with a cool drink， or under the covers late a night with a flashlight。What makes Blackout unique is Jackson’s The Long Walk， which is told over five parts and spread throughout the book。 These five parts off-set the other shorts， providing the connective tissue as the story’s mains， exes Tammi and Kareem， are forced to make the long （and sweaty） walk from Harlem to Brooklyn after a chance encounter at the Apollo Theatre， where they are both hoping to land an internship。 Short on money， battery life， and with the blackout is full effect， they slowly make their way through the city， forced to deal with all sorts of realities， including the details of their breakup。 The destination is Twig’s block party in their neighborhood where Kareem is DJ’ing， and where all six stories ultimately converge。 What the state of their relationship will be by the time they arrive and what affect that will have on their future（s） is Jackson’s focus， besides presenting the book’s perspective。For the full review， click the link below！https://www。cinelinx。com/off-beat/bla。。。 。。。more
Madi
，
Such a phenomenal read！ So many great stories from so many wonderful and amazing authors！ I highly recommend EVERYONE pick this book up！
dearlittledeer
，
Loved the connections between all the stories。 Fun summer read。
Slaa！！！
，
Yes。（RTC？！）
Reeka （BoundbyWords）
，
Goodreads needs to add another row of stars so I can choose ALL of those too。 This book deserves ALL。 OF。 THE。 STARS。 One of my absolute favourites of the year omg， my heart， my HEART！ Full review to come。。。。
Kathryn Speckels （Metaphors and Miscellanea）
，
Y'all， this was such a perfect summer read。 These six interconnected love stories by six all-star authors， celebrating Black teens in love， come along with what almost feels like a seventh "bonus" love story underscoring everything else: an implicit love letter to the city of New York。 If you want a book by and about Black people that doesn't center Black pain， this is your book。 If you want a series of light romances that depict love in all of its forms， this is for you （seriously， this book ha Y'all， this was such a perfect summer read。 These six interconnected love stories by six all-star authors， celebrating Black teens in love， come along with what almost feels like a seventh "bonus" love story underscoring everything else: an implicit love letter to the city of New York。 If you want a book by and about Black people that doesn't center Black pain， this is your book。 If you want a series of light romances that depict love in all of its forms， this is for you （seriously， this book has it all--gay and straight， old friends and love at first sight， exes grappling with unresolved feelings， and of course， self-love）。 If you want that fun experience of short stories that are also part of a bigger narrative， go ahead and grab this one ASAP。 It's not some highbrow， fancy work of high literature， but it is a great feel-good collection that will （I hope） be a highlight of the summer for readers everywhere。I'll try and update this review in a more articulate sense， with more details on individual stories， when I have a bit more time！Huge thank you to Epic Reads for providing me with an ARC of this book！ All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Amanda Greco
，
Thank you， as always， to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC！What happens when you have 6 powerhouse authors write a book together？ You get something filled with sheer joy。 Blackout covers the span of just one night。 One night and six beautifully intertwined stories that occur when the power goes out all across New York City。 With Tiffany Jackson's The Long Walk the main story guiding the novel， each of the authors finds a way to tie their story in with Jackson's， all while including bits o Thank you， as always， to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC！What happens when you have 6 powerhouse authors write a book together？ You get something filled with sheer joy。 Blackout covers the span of just one night。 One night and six beautifully intertwined stories that occur when the power goes out all across New York City。 With Tiffany Jackson's The Long Walk the main story guiding the novel， each of the authors finds a way to tie their story in with Jackson's， all while including bits of their culture and personal lives into the story。 My personal favorite was Dhonielle Clayton's for being dramatic， adventurous， but also poignant， as it tells the story of two teens stuck in the library after hours where one is trying to get something off her chest but having a hell of a time doing it。 It's a fast read， but an important one， unapologetically real and has the diverse characters YA needs。 It's definitely an important addition to any classroom bookshelf for what it offers and how it offers it。 And what better way to introduce readers to so many absolutely amazing authors than to give them a book just like this。 I'm hesitant to even attempt to write a longer review， because surely it'd be filled with spoilers。 Just know that the way Clayton， as editor of this novel， connected all the pieces in a way that makes sense and flows so well shows how absolutely genius she is。 In fact， all of the acknowledgements acknowledged just that。 Normally an editor's job is just to compile works， but not only did she write her own， she played the wizard behind the screen getting all the moving parts into place and it's clear just how much thought had to go into that。 I'm forever impressed by her hard work。 。。。more
Ashley
，
I received a free ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley。 The only reason the book took me a week to read was that I had to take breaks after each short story to clear my mind a little。 Otherwise， this book is stunning。 The author’s personalities and writing styles still came out as they interwove their tales together。 I had never read Ashley Woodfolk， and am grateful for this introduction to her。 This is the story of Black joy that everyone has been looking for and I already preordered a copy fro I received a free ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley。 The only reason the book took me a week to read was that I had to take breaks after each short story to clear my mind a little。 Otherwise， this book is stunning。 The author’s personalities and writing styles still came out as they interwove their tales together。 I had never read Ashley Woodfolk， and am grateful for this introduction to her。 This is the story of Black joy that everyone has been looking for and I already preordered a copy from our local Black owned book store。 。。。more
Julezreads
，
4，5⭐️！ Die Art und Weise， wie die einzelnen Kurzgeschichten in „Blackout“ zu einem großen Ganzen verwoben sind， hat mich gefesselt。 Die Charaktere sind alle nahbar， ihre Gedanken haben teilweise starkes Identifikationspotenzial und in vielen Momenten war ich von der Geschichten berührt。 Ab und an hätte ich mir vielleicht ein wenig mehr Unvorhersehbarkeit/ kleinere Twists gewünscht， hauptsächlich bin ich jedoch begeistert - besonders von der Diversität！
Sarah Leigh
，
I loved this collection。 The premise of the anthology is a set of interconnected and interlocking stories set during a blackout one hot summer night in New York City。 This means that you have characters from one story making appearances in another story in the series， and many of the characters are trying to get to the same event I especially enjoyed how Tiffany D。 Jackson's story is structured in multiple acts that break up the other stories， so that you keep coming back to a single narrative t I loved this collection。 The premise of the anthology is a set of interconnected and interlocking stories set during a blackout one hot summer night in New York City。 This means that you have characters from one story making appearances in another story in the series， and many of the characters are trying to get to the same event I especially enjoyed how Tiffany D。 Jackson's story is structured in multiple acts that break up the other stories， so that you keep coming back to a single narrative that helps connect the night together。 In these stories， you'll find first-time meetings， long-time friends， rivals， exes （but maybe not？）， and above all， incredible writing and wonderful storytelling。 I cannot recommend this collection more strongly！ 。。。more
Deja
，
4 stars ⭐️。 Thanks to EpicReads for my early copy！ Blackout is an anthology of interconnected Black Love stories set during an NYC blackout。 It’s heartwarming and contemplative， and the perfect summer read！I appreciated the way that each of the stories were subtly connected， but still felt extremely distinctive。 Each author brings such a unique voice to the book， so it totally accomplishes its goal of providing variety for the reader。 There were definitely some stories that I preferred to others 4 stars ⭐️。 Thanks to EpicReads for my early copy！ Blackout is an anthology of interconnected Black Love stories set during an NYC blackout。 It’s heartwarming and contemplative， and the perfect summer read！I appreciated the way that each of the stories were subtly connected， but still felt extremely distinctive。 Each author brings such a unique voice to the book， so it totally accomplishes its goal of providing variety for the reader。 There were definitely some stories that I preferred to others （Dhonielle Clayton’s was my personal fave）， and some parts where I had to suspend disbelief—it takes place during a single evening， after all—but I was clutching my chest with a smile on my face when I was done。 🖤You can read my full thoughts over at CityofDeja。com 。。。more
Desi Wolff-Myren
，
Blackout is a collection of short stories that intersect at the end。 The main story line follows an （ex） couple， Tammi and Kareem， who find themselves together in the middle of a blackout in New York City。 The other couples， Lana and Tristán， Nella and Joss， Treshawn and Kayla， Tremaine and JJ， and Seymour and Grace are at a different points in their relationships。 Some are just meeting， some are already broken up， some are heading in a new direction。 I really enjoyed having a collection of diff Blackout is a collection of short stories that intersect at the end。 The main story line follows an （ex） couple， Tammi and Kareem， who find themselves together in the middle of a blackout in New York City。 The other couples， Lana and Tristán， Nella and Joss， Treshawn and Kayla， Tremaine and JJ， and Seymour and Grace are at a different points in their relationships。 Some are just meeting， some are already broken up， some are heading in a new direction。 I really enjoyed having a collection of different female authors of color coming together to write this。 The themes of identity， self-reflection， and love resonate with young adult readers and also with older readers。 A great read overall。Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free advance copy of this book to review。 。。。more
Genesis Sheli （Whispering Chapters）
，
As soon as I found out about this book， I knew I needed to have it。 I mean， you have six stories written by six BPOC authors。 All of these stories connect in some way and end at the same place: a block party in Brooklyn。 What make these stories so wonderful is that you're reading about Black teens in NYC falling in love or discovering themselves， and you also have LGBTQIA+ representation。 Coming from these authors， you know you can expect only the absolute best！ The setting， the connection， the As soon as I found out about this book， I knew I needed to have it。 I mean， you have six stories written by six BPOC authors。 All of these stories connect in some way and end at the same place: a block party in Brooklyn。 What make these stories so wonderful is that you're reading about Black teens in NYC falling in love or discovering themselves， and you also have LGBTQIA+ representation。 Coming from these authors， you know you can expect only the absolute best！ The setting， the connection， the characters， it all makes it for a perfect adaptation！ It was as if I were watching a movie as I was reading。 It all flowed and interconnected so smoothly！"Maybe something good will come out of all of this。 That kind of magic only happens in the dark。"Trying to choose just one favorite story is impossible。 One of my favorites was Jackson's story， which features two ex-lovers waiting for an internship interview when the blackout happens。 They have to take a long walk across the city。 During this walk， these characters discover a lot of themselves and of what led to their breakup。"People grow apart， people change。 And you can't fight change。 Fighting someone who's changing is a fight with yourself。 You can only accept them and choose to love them anyway。 And if you can't do that， you have to let them go， for your own well-being。"Another favorite by Angie Thomas came later in the story which had to do with a girl trying to decide between staying with her boyfriend or being with someone else。 What I loved so much of this story was how it talked about not needing to be with anyone， how it's okay to be by yourself so you can learn and grow and be your own person。 I think this is a message that should be said more to the teenagers since a lot of them think that they need to have a partner in order to feel validated。 "You could choose yourself。 [。。。] Your heart will never lead you wrong， but it can be hard to hear it。 You have to give it space to speak。 That's a form of love， too。"These characters were so wholesome and wonderful！ I wanted more from them and their stories！ I would not mind if the authors decide to get together and write a second part。 Don't get me wrong， each story felt like it was complete， but the amount spent with each one was so short， that I'd love to know more about them。FOLLOW ME:Blog ❃ Instagram ❃ Twitter ❃ Bloglovin ❃ Goodreads ❃ Pinterest ❃ Etsy Shop 。。。more
Pasha
，
*4。5* super cute。 These authors blend together so effortlessly that I forgot the book is written by 6 different people 👏🏾
Ana Navalón
，
Great and tender ♥️
Gina
，
Review to come
Jamie
，
I just finished this book and I already want to re-read it。
Lizzie Jones
，
SUPER CUTE！ “Love actually” style story， but take out all its problematic characters and replace them with lovable， Black teens falling in love。 Celebration of Black joy and Black love， all types of love， queer love， family love， self love。 So cute and so important since lots of stories that feature Black characters focus on Black trauma and not Black joy ❤️❤️❤️
Marianne
，
Thanks to NetGalley for an early copy。 Absolutely loved this set of intertwined short stories。 Each one had its own path with a main pair of characters， but each mentioned characters in other stories and had an ultimate destination for everyone。 I loved how the stories were unique yet all took place in the same city on the same day/night。 It really felt like you are getting to know multiple people in a world all existing at the same time。 Highly recommend this book。
Leah Elise
，
Cool concept。 Loved how the stories connected; however it was missing the depth I needed。
Sarah
，
This book is such a beautiful collaboration。 Each of the six authors spins a tale about love， more specifically Black love。 In the acknowledgements， Clayton writes that her niece asked "why Black girls didn't get big love stories，" so she led the effort to create Blackout。Each of these love stories is unique。 Some highlight life-long love， others show budding new romances， one shows the importance of self-love。 All of these stories celebrate Black love and joy。 This gorgeous book releases this T This book is such a beautiful collaboration。 Each of the six authors spins a tale about love， more specifically Black love。 In the acknowledgements， Clayton writes that her niece asked "why Black girls didn't get big love stories，" so she led the effort to create Blackout。Each of these love stories is unique。 Some highlight life-long love， others show budding new romances， one shows the importance of self-love。 All of these stories celebrate Black love and joy。 This gorgeous book releases this Tuesday （6/21）。 Even if you have to walk miles in the dark to get there， be sure to get your copy！Favorite Quotes:- "If I can't love and accept myself just as I am， why the h*ll would I expect anybody else to？"- "But all at once I decide that you can't be brave unless you're at least a little scared。"- "When she does， it'll fill one more spot on the Karen Bingo we got in the class group chat for ever time Mrs。 Tucker does something Karenish。"- "Because loving that person is a choice you have to make every day， even when that day isn't what you expect。" 。。。more
Amparo Ortiz
，
I find it so fitting that I read most of BLACKOUT during an actual blackout in my country！！ My experience might not have included a meet cute or realizing I'm head over heels with a coworker， but these six incredible authors gave me such a serotonin boost with stories that made me smile from ear to ear and root for each couple's successful pairing！ This was also my first time reading Ashley Woodfolk's writing， and WOW。 I'm a fan for life。 Highly recommend diving into BLACKOUT if you're looking f I find it so fitting that I read most of BLACKOUT during an actual blackout in my country！！ My experience might not have included a meet cute or realizing I'm head over heels with a coworker， but these six incredible authors gave me such a serotonin boost with stories that made me smile from ear to ear and root for each couple's successful pairing！ This was also my first time reading Ashley Woodfolk's writing， and WOW。 I'm a fan for life。 Highly recommend diving into BLACKOUT if you're looking for feel-good romance that also explores identity， social expectations， self-love， philosophical musings， and history through the eyes of six Black teens in New York。 One of my absolute favorite reads of 2021！ 。。。more
Anita
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Just so delightful and really well crafted。
TheNextGenLibrarian
，
Six authors。 Multiple couples。 One blackout。🔦A summer heatwave has shuttered NYC into darkness when the power goes out， leaving lots of drama behind。 Couples will break up， get back together， meet and fall in love， have a chance encounter， a meet cute and more。 When the lights go out， truths emerge。🔦What can you say about a collaboration like this？ Six strong， talented， beautiful Black women writing love stories about Black couples was everything I wanted。 I love exactly how it was laid out as w Six authors。 Multiple couples。 One blackout。🔦A summer heatwave has shuttered NYC into darkness when the power goes out， leaving lots of drama behind。 Couples will break up， get back together， meet and fall in love， have a chance encounter， a meet cute and more。 When the lights go out， truths emerge。🔦What can you say about a collaboration like this？ Six strong， talented， beautiful Black women writing love stories about Black couples was everything I wanted。 I love exactly how it was laid out as well with one story told in acts， while others rotated around it with each story connected to another。 This is the perfect summer romance read！ Thank you Netgalley for this ARC。 Blackout releases TUESDAY！ Can’t wait for my copy to arrive！ 。。。more
alli
，
loved！！！ the lineup of authors is great in this book， and i thought the way that all the stories were connected was really cool。 the vibrancy and life in these stories really drew me in and made me want to know more about every character。 i also love a good love story， and this book really came through。 definitely check it out！！ fav quote - “that’s the thing about finding the right person to love。 when someone loves you， all their hang-ups don’t really mean much。 because loving that person is a loved！！！ the lineup of authors is great in this book， and i thought the way that all the stories were connected was really cool。 the vibrancy and life in these stories really drew me in and made me want to know more about every character。 i also love a good love story， and this book really came through。 definitely check it out！！ fav quote - “that’s the thing about finding the right person to love。 when someone loves you， all their hang-ups don’t really mean much。 because loving that person is a choice you have to make every day even when that day isn’t what you expect。” 。。。more
Bethany
，
Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC of Blackout！！I have been looking forward to this one for a while and it did not disappoint。 This book is exactly what I want from every short story anthology collection and I never end up getting。 Each story stands on its own， but also adds information to the others。 I absolutely loved how it reminds the reader that， no matter how big the city， how big the world， we’re all intertwined。 Beyond how the entire book is able to present itself as one cohesive piece， the Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC of Blackout！！I have been looking forward to this one for a while and it did not disappoint。 This book is exactly what I want from every short story anthology collection and I never end up getting。 Each story stands on its own， but also adds information to the others。 I absolutely loved how it reminds the reader that， no matter how big the city， how big the world， we’re all intertwined。 Beyond how the entire book is able to present itself as one cohesive piece， the stories within the story are also excellent， which is unsurprising given their authors， but wow I enjoyed each and every one。 I will be recommending this book to everyone and anyone who will listen to me。 It was so good！ 。。。more
Leah
，
A very cute set of NYC-based relationship stories from some super talented writers！ Although it was sometimes hard to keep straight which characters were related to which others， I loved how the stories intersected and overlapped， with references to the ways in which they formed a larger universe together。 Short stories can sometimes be tough， but each author did a great job balancing the encapsulation required by the form with providing backstory， building characters， and giving a neat little s A very cute set of NYC-based relationship stories from some super talented writers！ Although it was sometimes hard to keep straight which characters were related to which others， I loved how the stories intersected and overlapped， with references to the ways in which they formed a larger universe together。 Short stories can sometimes be tough， but each author did a great job balancing the encapsulation required by the form with providing backstory， building characters， and giving a neat little story arc。 If you’re looking for a quick summer read with some romance， this will fit the bill - each story is a little delight。Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC。 。。。more
Brittney
，