We mostly come out at night : 15 queer tales of monsters, angels & other creatures

Title:

Author:

Summary:

"A YA anthology of short stories ranging in genres from horror to romance; featuring classic and original monsters and creatures; and highlighting authors from the LGBTQIA+ community, including Claire Kann, Kalynn Bayron, Jonathan Lenore Kastin, and H.E. Edgmon."-- Publisher

Audience:

Grades 7-9. RP Teens.

Ages 13 and up RP Teens.

Edition:

First edition.

Contents:

Bastian and the beast / Other fish / How to summon me / Be not afraid / The freedom of feathers and fur / The fatal song of attraction / The color of sky on Earth / Boys who run with the boars / The house of needs and wants / A serpent and a wish / The girl with thirteen shadows / Bonne nuit / Sons of god and daughters of humans / World-weariness / How we founded Club Feathers at the discard deport

Physical Description:

xvi, 364 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm.

Genre:

Subject Term:

Animals, Mythical -- Fiction

Gender-nonconforming people -- Fiction.

Monsters -- Fiction.

Sexual minorities -- Fiction.

Publisher:

RP Teens,

Publication Date:

2024

ISBN:

9780762483198

Publication Information:

Philadelphia : RP Teens, 2024.

Call Number:

YA COSTELLO

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003758045	New Young Adult	COSTELLO Rob	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

An empowering cross-genre YA anthology that explores what it means to be a monster, exclusively highlighting trans and queer authors who offer new tales and perspectives on classic monster stories and tropes.

A Cybils Awards Finalist in YA Speculative Fiction

Be not afraid! These monsters, creatures, and beasties are not what they appear. We Mostly Come Out at Night is a YA anthology that reclaims the monstrous for the LGBTQA+ community while exploring how there is freedom and power in embracing the things that make you stand out. Each story centers on both original and familiar monsters and creatures--including Mothman, Carabosse, a girl with thirteen shadows, a living house, werebeasts, gorgons, sirens, angels, and many others--and their stories of love, self-acceptance, resilience, and empowerment. This collection is a bold, transformative celebration of queerness and the creatures that (mostly) go bump in the night.

Contributors include editor Rob Costello, Kalynn Bayron, David Bowles, Shae Carys, Rob Costello, H.E. Edgmon, Michael Thomas Ford, Val Howlett, Brittany Johnson, Naomi Kanakia, Claire Kann, Jonathan Lenore Kastin, Sarah Maxfield, Sam J. Miller, Alexandra Villasante, and Merc Fenn Wolfmoor.

Author Notes

Rob Costello (he/him) writes contemporary and speculative fiction with a queer bent for and about young people. He's the author of the forthcoming short story collection The Dancing Bears: Queer Fables for the End Times (Lethe Press, 2024). His stories have appeared in The Dark , The NoSleep Podcast , The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction , Hunger Mountain , Stone Canoe , Narrative , and Rural Voices: 15 Authors Challenge Assumptions About Small-Town America (Candlewick, 2020). An alumnus of the Millay Colony of the Arts, Rob holds an MFA in writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts and has served on the faculty of the Highlights Foundation since 2014. He lives in upstate New York with his husband and their four-legged overlords.

Reviews (1)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 10 Up--An ambitious anthology centering queer monstrosity in all its forms. Each entry opens with a stunning black-and-white chapter illustration, whetting readers' appetites for the tale to follow. Stories range from ethereal fairy-tale retellings to dystopian quests of teens seeking love and acceptance in dust-soaked, drowned-out Earths. A young girl in Uruguay summons a sea witch to erase her queer feelings; the mirror-bound subject of a fearsome childhood rhyme lures readers to switch lives. This 15-story collection is unique in its diverse portrayals of monsters and of LGBTQIA+ teens, though it is uneven in tone and quality. Some stories feel rich and developed, while others drop readers into a plot that seems to never fully start. The motif of embracing difference and finding connection in the margins, even if it's just with oneself, creates the hopeful throughline tying these pieces together. An editor's note includes content warnings for addiction, poverty, grief, homelessness, and abortion alongside transphobia and homophobia. While this may not be a text to devour in one sitting, readers will likely savor a few stories at a time and revisit their favorites. It could also be utilized in creative writing spaces to prompt teens to explore their own monstrous narratives. VERDICT A solid collection of speculative queer YA, fitting for monster lovers. Recommended for fans of the various notable contributors to this collection.--Ashleigh Williams