Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Odd One Out by Nic Stone

Odd One Out

"Phenomenal dialog, great character develoment. Good, strong pacing. The only element that cost this book a bit of credability is the slight contrivance of the plot toward end of book, which is clumsy and risks the charge of being biphobic by accident, which it isn’t. Coop and Jupe got right up to the moral choice, the edge of the envelope, and the only one who met the challenge was the one character who was actually true to herself, Rae. Still, the overall book is entertaining and introduces issues that are being dealt with on a daily basis by younger LGBTQI folks. The author has abundant talent and a golden ear for dialog."

From the New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin comes an honest and touching depiction of friendship, first love, and everything in between. Perfect for fans of Love, Simon and What If It's Us.

Courtney Cooper and Jupiter Sanchez (Coop & Jupe!) have been next-door neighbors and best friends since they were seven-years-old. She's his partner-in-crime and other half. But lately, Cooper can't ignore he might want something more than friendship from Jupiter.

When Rae Chin moves to town she can't believe how lucky she is to find Coop and Jupe. Being the new kid is usually synonymous with pariah, but around these two, she finally feels like she belongs. She's so grateful she wants to kiss him...and her.

Jupiter has always liked girls. But when Rae starts dating Cooper, Jupe realizes that the only girl she ever really imagined by his side was her.

One story. Three sides. No easy answers.

Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Wilder Girls by Rory Power

Wilder Girls

"A most beautiful horror story! The writing is sublime and complex and purposefully precise. The characters—none like them! Comparisons were made to a female Lord of the Flies, but the closer comparison is a Wilkie Collins gothic horror story with overtures of romance, but of the f/f variety. Layered and yet cryptic in places, the book is a wonderful, ugly ride until the end. The abruptness of the ending, while not a true cliffhanger, might merit a couple points penalty in some minds, but the overall opus deserves the highest score. Expect more and fabulous from this debut author!"

A feminist Lord of the Flies about three best friends living in quarantine at their island boarding school, and the lengths they go to uncover the truth of their confinement when one disappears. This fresh, new debut is a mind-bending novel unlike anything you've read before.

It's been eighteen months since the Raxter School for Girls was put under quarantine. Since the Tox hit and pulled Hetty's life out from under her.

It started slow. First the teachers died one by one. Then it began to infect the students, turning their bodies strange and foreign. Now, cut off from the rest of the world and left to fend for themselves on their island home, the girls don't dare wander outside the school's fence, where the Tox has made the woods wild and dangerous. They wait for the cure they were promised as the Tox seeps into everything.

But when Byatt goes missing, Hetty will do anything to find her, even if it means breaking quarantine and braving the horrors that lie beyond the fence. And when she does, Hetty learns that there's more to their story, to their life at Raxter, than she could have ever thought true.

Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: For A Glance by Dan Ackerman

For A Glance (The Serpent's Throne Trilogy Book 1)

"Fresh and original treatment of Satan as a kind of good guy who is thoughtful, discerning and far too philosophically aware of his own fall from grace to be overly arrogant. As Lucifer, he (Satan) is in charge of Hell and, apparently, Purgatory, we see and feel the heat as temptation, cruelty, carnal lust, even a kind of romance, flourish in this busy traffic hub of falls from grace. Lucifer is nothing if not Quality Control Manager of the Underworld, despite his royal status as head devil. Although most arrive because of “getting their just desserts,” a few people arrive accidently—some vague algorithmic error or mathematical discrepancy—and are being punished harshly, through no fault of their own, don’tcha know! Meanwhile, the Angels above couldn’t care less—It’s all so beneath them and they are terribly busy, you see! Still, Lucifer has to sort this out. He has, after all, a sense of fairness and justice, however ironic that may seem. In this m/m retelling of the devil-as-(once-) human mythology, the author creates a Fantasy world of oddities and yet familiarities, paradoxes and conundrums. There are parts of the Nine Circles Of Hell that almost conjure up Paradise…lost or otherwise. The novel is spooky that way, and hugely entertaining. Lucifer wants nothing so much as a boyfriend. Complete with hugs, kisses and…hotness. Amusing, thought provoking and well written. Plus cats and kittens."

This new m/m saga by Dan Ackerman expresses Ackerman's familiar languid sensitivity, sensuality, and charm, featuring Lucifer, who first appeared in What Everyone Deserves (2017 Rainbow Award honorable mention), now in his own novel.

As the king of Hell, Lucifer's role is mainly bureaucratic--sorting souls, managing unruly demons, and dealing with the politics of Heaven. A demon sneaks a human lover into Hell, leaving Lucifer conflicted, and with an opportunity for revenge against his enemies back on Earth.

Meanwhile, at a brothel, Lucifer meets Ira, a lovely gray demon. Starting a romance is difficult with his life in constant turmoil and when there are souls to save that don't want saving. Mundanity and horror mix in a sprawling, alluring hellscape.

Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Shinigami by Xia Xia Lake

Shinigami: Takamagahara Monogatari Book 2

"Reading the author’s introduction, I found the premise of this story intriguing. I’m not familiar with Noh theatre or the storylines this story was based on. At the same time, the prose was so clear and sparkling that I was drawn in, in no time. It’s a beautifully structured story — the slowest of slow burns, but gorgeous through and through. Truly a delight."

"I have never felt the attraction for this type of story but I must admit, the author's writing style is one that engulfed all my senses and left me wanting more. It was a sweet story packed with a lot of feels. I wouldn't mind reading the next book for this one was a HFN."

"I enjoyed this book very much because it was so different up until the end.  I ultimately finished the last paragraph disappointed and asking "what just happened?" Love how the author built a fictional world using Japanese folklore combined with historical facts."

A coming-of-age love story between an orphan and the heir of the richest family in the Land of Yamato. The human world meets the yōkai in a power struggle for the fate of Fujiwara no Hirotsugu. While he battles to find his own path, Hirotsugu finds solace in a boy who will become his secret friend, then his salvation, and then as they become adults together, the love of his life.