With thanks to netgalley, the authors and the publishers for allowing to review Proud

Proud is a collection of stories, comics and poetry all dealing with the theme of Pride and being LGBTQ+ so sad some not.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

A gorgeous anthology brimming with pride. I loved each and every story in this collection - all of them made me proud to be who I am today. A book I will absolutely share with others.

I will always pick up an anthology collection especially if it is gay, hence why I was excited for Proud. The anthology was a mix of poetry, short stories and artwork to match every story. It was a great mix of different sexualities and some really memorable stories and I had a really good time reading it! I just wish there was more ace stories involved.

I will not be giving feedback on this book as I couldn’t really get into it but I think others may enjoy it.

One of my all-time favourite anthologies! This collection had be laughing, crying (with happiness), sobbing into my blanket, and brought back so many memories from my own coming out story.

I enjoyed this collection of short stories and especially the artwork. This anthology which has various YA authors celebrating their queer identities.

A wonderful collection of stories and poetry with beautiful illustrations. There was such variety in the pieces included and it was all heart-warming and full of emotions. I really enjoyed this anthology.

I loved this collection of stories and the artwork. Penguins was such a cute story. All the other stories brought about different perspectives. Perfect for using in a classroom

An excellent anthology, one I hope will inspire and empower LGBT+ teens for years to come. I enjoyed each and every individual story in here which is extremely rare for me, and I only wish my younger self had had access to something like this.

This anthology is one of the best I've ever read, featuring some of my favourite artists and writers. All of the stories had amazing lgbtqia+ representation, amazing

A fantastic anthology celebrating all things LGBT, there is a little something for everyone within the pages of this book and I loved it!

We just need more books like this. Give me more LGBTQ+ stories please! Love discovering new authors in collections like this.

This anthology is filled with stories from all the bright young LGBTQ+ voices. The stories are sweet, cute and full of heart and friendship. I think this would be perfect for teenagers who are living this reality and making them realise they are not alone. But it's also perfect for any aged ally like myself. Love is love and it just happens that in this book boys love boys and girls love girls. Every story left me feeling good and happy with a warm fuzzy feeling inside.
I loved every story but special mentions to Penguins written by Simon James Green, On The Run by Kay Staples and The Instructor by Jess Vallance.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

This was phenomenal. So happy something like this exists. I feel like there is such a focus on US centred queer stories. This was refreshing and I loved the addition of the illustrations.

I really enjoyed all of the stories in this book. I actually ended up devouring this book very quickly. I moved from one story to the next in quick succession and honestly, my only complaint is that there were not more stories inside.

To be honest, I am basically dying to get my hands on a Proud 2 anthology.

‘Proud’ is a short anthology featuring the works of LGBT creators with the theme of self-acceptance and pride within the LGBT community. Featuring the likes of Simon James Green, Alice Oseman and Alex Bertie, ‘Proud’ unites the best creators around into one beautiful, hopeful book.

After attending YALC (Young Adult Literature Convention) in 2018 and witnessing the reveal of this collection on the Stripes stand, I knew I had to grab it the moment it became available. Needless to say, this book did not disappoint.

‘Proud’ contains twelve short stories, each with a gorgeous illustration to accompany it, all of which the writers and artists are within the LGBT community. With a foreword by Juno Dawson, the author who compiled the anthology, she discusses the importance of self-love and the work that has taken place to tie this collection together. The book contains a wide selection of stories, from fantasy to contemporary to poetry, that explore individual areas of the community, giving every reader something to take from and feel validated by. Each piece of work is concise and effective, making it an incredibly addictive read, whilst providing a necessary platform for LGBT creators to put their work out there and be heard. It’s a beautiful idea for an anthology, and is presented extremely well.

My personal favourite was the adorably heartfelt Penguins, by Simon James Green. Illustrated by Alice Oseman, Penguins tells the heart-tugging tale of two boys who fall for another whilst visiting the penguin enclosure at their local zoo. Already being a huge fan of both creators, it’s no surprise that this particular story gripped me the most, yet a few of the others simply fell short in comparison.

Overall, I’m in love with the concept of this anthology. It’s deeply important and a must read for every fan of YA Fiction, even if some works are a little more gripping than others.

I'm so glad that Proud exists. It has something for everyone, be it Pride and Prejudice retellings, or penguins in love, you're bound to find a story you love. Juno Dawson did an excellent job curating the selection, and I hope this encourages everyone to go and pick up books by the established authors, and eagerly anticipate the debuts of the new writers!

A wonderful short story collection from a diverse range of YA voices looking at what seems to be pretty much the full breadth of the LGTBQIA+ experience. I loved the pride and prejudice retelling but there's a lot of lovely stuff in here.

Proud is the best anthology I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Every story in this collection captures a different aspect of the queer experience in a way that is genuine and validating. Some stories are sad, some are hilarious, but absolutely all of them are gorgeous. Even the pieces that weren't totally for me (I have never been big on poetry) had lines that felt incredibly powerful. What felt especially important is that many of these stories address the difficult parts of the queer experience in a variety of ways, from the pressure to explain or justify your identity to not having the finances to transition to fighting for marriage equality when love sometimes feels impermanent. A few of my personal favourites were 'Penguins', 'The Phoenix's Fault' and 'Love Poems to the City' (I'd list more if I could!) but even the ones that didn't speak to me felt incredibly real and so very filled with hope. This book needs to be in the hands of every queer teen.

Diversity note: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Non-Binary, and Questioning protagonists

Warnings: death, loss, homophobia, transphobia