have been so excited to read Proud ever since it was first announced so when I got my hands on a copy at the Stripes Blogger YA Equali-Tea event I was almost bursting with excitement.

Proud is an inspirational, moving, heart warming anthology of short stories and poetry by LGBTQ+ writers and each story/poem is accompanied by an illustration by an artist who also identifies as LGBTQ+. The anthology was compiled by Juno Dawson, who as you all know is a big advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. Juno's work such as This Book is Gay, The Gender Games and Mind Your Head have stood out for many reasons and I couldn't think of a better person to compile and work on Proud.

I haven't read many anthologies before Proud and this is mainly due to the fact that I can't seem to engage with all of the stories within them. However, this wasn't the case with Proud. Each and every single bit of work amazed me. All the stories/poems are incredible and each one hit me hard. Once I had finished I found it really hard to choose a favourite and a week on I still am!

As this is a review of an anthology I'm just going to share a few thoughts on each piece of work featured.

Dive Bar by Caroline Bird

- As the first piece of work in the anthology this piece of poetry had the big task with helping readers wether to read on or not. Luckily this kept me engaged and had me wanting to read the rest of the anthology. I will admit though, that I did have to read this poem a few times to fully understand what it was trying to say. It was beautifully written, however.

Penguins by Simon James Green

- I adored this one! I just found it to be so incredibly cute and heartwarming. This story all about one boy's struggles with coming out to his family is combined with an adorable story about two gay penguins. It just had that fluffy, romantic feel that I love. I found myself smiling for ages after finishing this one.

On The Run by Kay Staples

- On The Run was about two teens who have just won the lottery and ran away from home all at the same time - to a Travelodge of all places! The underlying themes of being non-binary and also escaping an abusive home were handled extremely well.

The Phoenix Fault by Cynthia So

- This fantasy based f/f story was a joy to read! I love fantasy so I was so involved with this one. The use of Phoenixes was so original and the ending was just adorable.

As the Philadelphia Queer Youth Choir Sings Katy Perry’s ‘Firework’ by David Levithan

- I LOVE David Levithan's work so was very excited to read this! The format is very different to the other pieces of work in the anthology but this just made it stand out more. At first, mind you, it was a bit confusing to work out what character was saying what but I soon got the gist of it. The fact that it was about an LGBT choir made it all the better!

Almost Certain by Tanya Byrne

- Almost Certain was not only a story about two females finding one another, it also touched on topics such an anxiety and grief. I love Tanya's writing and how she made everything feel so raw and vivid. Also, it's always good to include music in writing.

The Other Team by Michael Lee Richardson

- This story was all about discrimination and mis-gendering a trans boy faces when trying to place for a football team. What I loved about this story is that it took what is usually known as a 'manly' sport and turned it into something positive. The support that the team showed this boy was lovely to read.

I Hate Darcy Pemberley by Karen Lawler

- This retelling of Pride and Prejudice definitely had me getting 'mean girls' vibes. The enemies to lover trope was something I haven't read much of before so I really enjoyed reading this one. The ending had you wanting to know more.

The Courage of Dragons by Fox Benwell

- This was an inspiring read all about a group of students going on a journey to make their school gender neutral. The main character is non-binary and the support they get from their friends throughout the story is admirable. The only thing I didn't understand was the references to Dungeons and Dragons but this didn't take away my enjoyment.

The Instructor by Jess Vallance

- This is a funny, cute read all about a girl trying to learn to drive with the most craziest of instructors whilst realising that she is in love with a fellow female. This is probably the story that I found myself laughing at the most. Jess Vallance really knows how to right humour!

Love Poems to the City by Moire Fowley Doyle

- Love Poems to the City is all about a bisexual girl living in Ireland who is campaigning for marriage equality. As this is very relevant to what is happening today it really did resonate with me. The writing was so beautiful in this story and everything just flowed exceptionally well.

How To Come Out As Gay by Dean Atta

- This was a short but very powerful and moving poem and a perfect one to end the anthology on. It was all about coming out and I feel that many teens who are struggling to come out could find solace in this beautiful piece of poetry.

Overall, Proud was an INCREDIBLE anthology and one that I feel could help a lot of teens who are struggling to figure out who they really are. It celebrates being part of the LGBTQ+ community and even though I am just a straight ally I feel like I have taken a lot away from reading it. The stories were all beautifully written and each piece of artwork was just gorgeous!

Thank you to Stripes for blessing us with such an informative, amazing, heart warming book!

12 LGBT stories in this anthology
The stories are revolutionary, weather it's personal , quite or just shouting it out loud and proud.
Starting with Juno's foreword to the last poem about coming out, every word in this book is precious and valuable especially to LBGTQ+ teens or even adults who are coming into awareness of themselves.
I also loved that artists were included in this . When it comes to representation i would say it was well covered however i think more could be added.
So therefore i cross my fingers and pray that there's a volume 2.
Highly recommended.

Since Proud was announced last February, it’s been my most anticipated release of 2019, so I’m so excited to be able to tell you that this collection of LGBTQ+ stories was just as delightful as I’d expected it to be.

I’m going to share my thoughts on each of the individual stories, as that’s how I’ve worked out my overall rating for the collection, so if you’d rather pick up your copy of Proud without knowing too much about the stories included I’d suggest looking away now!

DIVE BAR BY CAROLINE BIRD:
Dive Bar – the first inclusion in the collection – is a poem that I just really didn’t understand? I’ve never been a huge fan of poetry though, so I’m probably missing some aspect of it that would make it make more sense to me… But as it stands currently I don’t have strong feelings about it either way. 3/5

PENGUINS BY SIMON JAMES GREEN:
Absolutely glorious. Accompanied by art by Alice Oseman, Penguins is one of my favourite stories in the collection. I haven’t read any of Simon James Green’s other novels yet, but I found myself laughing out loud at multiple points as Cameron’s attempts to come out were constantly thwarted by the gay penguins at the zoo. 5/5

ON THE RUN BY KAY STAPLES:
Kay Staples spoke at the Stripes event, so I’d already heard her read the first page or so of On The Run, but it still made me chuckle when Nicky shared the story of how they ended up running away from home… to a Travelodge. Glamorous! 4/5

THE PHOENIX’S FAULT BY CYNTHIA SO:
Another story I was already slightly familiar with was The Phoenix’s Fault, the concept of which grabbed me when Cynthia So introduced her story at the Stripes event. This is a world in which the phoenix and the dragon are the marriage symbol, and Jingzhi is expected to audition to marry the prince – searching for a wife based off of whether their phoenix responds to his dragon. I had an idea in my head of how this story was going to go, so I was pleasantly surprised when it went a completely different direction! I’m hoping that So will revisit the world she creates in this short story, because there is so much more potential here. 5/5

AS THE PHILADELPHIA QUEER YOUTH CHOIR SINGS KATY PERRY’S ‘FIREWORK’… BY DAVID LEVITHAN:
Not a fan of this one. I can see what David Levithan was trying to do – each characters innermost thoughts are justified slightly different on the page, so you can read the piece as a whole or read each character individually – but it just seems a bit too artsy, taking away from the impact of the message that he’s conveying. 1/5

ALMOST CERTAIN BY TANYA BYRNE:
Another brilliant story. Orla is painfully cool – obsessed with music, constantly hanging out at her local record store and getting personal recommendations from the owner – but she’s also plagued with anxiety. When Mal introduces her to the music of Reeba Shah, she knows she has to get past her apprehensions and go to the gig, but although she gets to meet Reeba she still doesn’t get to see her perform. Almost Certain is a great reminder that having an LGBTQ+ identity is just one facet of a character and doesn’t have to be their whole story. 5/5

THE OTHER TEAM BY MICHAEL LEE RICHARDSON:
When a team are told that they can’t play in a league match because of their transgender teammate, they decide to play anyway – even if it they won’t get any points and it won’t exactly ‘count’, it’s the principle. A funny cast of characters from a new voice who’s certain to have a bright future ahead of him. 4/5

I HATE DARCY PEMBERLEY BY KAREN LAWLER:
A lesbian Pride & Prejudice retelling? Yes please! I really enjoyed the over-dramatic high school scenes and how brilliantly they mirrored the high society drama of Jane Austen’s novels. I’m glad that Karen Lawler decided to take the prompt of what pride meant to her so literally. However, if a reader hasn’t read Pride & Prejudice yet it might go right over their heads, as the supporting cast of characters aren’t thoroughly introduced.4/5

THE COURAGE OF DRAGONS BY FOX BENWELL:
I’m sad to say that The Courage of Dragons was my second least favourite story in the collection. I absolutely loved The Last Leaves Falling and have been looking forward to reading more of Fox Benwell’s writing, but this story just didn’t appeal to me. I loved the concept – a non-binary kid and their group of friends overthrowing the school’s gender-conforming bathrooms and legislation – but the Dungeons and Dragons aspect of it just didn’t translate well (and I love D&D, so I can’t believe I’m saying that!). However, it was accompanied by the most beautiful piece of art in the entire book, so that was a redeeming feature. 2/5

THE INSTRUCTOR BY JESS VALLANCE:
The Instructor is a predictable story, but it’s so very cute. A girl’s father is a plumber, and he gives one of his clients a reduced fee in exchange for his daughter getting free driving lessons from the instructor. 4/5

LOVE POEMS TO THE CITY BY MOIRA FOWLEY-DOYLE:
My favourite story in the collection, and I would give this 10/5 if I could. Moira Fowley-Doyle’s language is beautiful and poetic, and the story that she tells – of two girls who aren’t necessarily in love, both with separated parents, campaigning for the right to marry – is passionately told. I cannot recommend this one enough. 5/5

HOW TO COME OUT AS GAY BY DEAN ATTA:
Another poem to round out the collection. How to Come Out as Gay is far more straightforward than Dive Bar and I enjoyed it a lot more. 4/5

So there you have it! Overall, Proud gets a rating of 3.8 (but I round my ratings up, so that makes it a four star read!).

This is a great value, expertly curated collection of art, poetry and story. Not everything here is perfect but it’s so necessary to show the beauty and joy of pride as well as it’s necessity. Dean Atta’s stand out poem at the end of the book is stunning, and is literally the thing that 16 year old me needed. Wonderful.

Every single story blew me away and left me with a smile on my face. Some seriously talented authors and illustrators in this, loved every word

This was such a strong collection of short stories with only one that I skipped. This covers trans to gay, contemporary to historical: no two stories are the same. This is what makes the collection so strong that no two stories are the same and you don't feel like you're reading the same story 13 times. My favourite one was 'The Phoenix’s Fault’ which was beautiful and such an interesting way to reposition a f/f romance. Also the Pride and Prejudice retelling was really good and this is from someone who detests Jane Austen.

I have never read a better LGBT+ anthology, twelve short stories with an illustration going along for each one of them, every author and artist being part of the LGBT+ community. Every single one of them was incredible, so full of pride everywhere. I may have cried at some points, but who wouldn't? There were so many emotions, writing and drawing their hearts out. My favourites are Penguins written by Simon James Green with art by Alice Oseman, and How To Come Out As Gay written by Dean Atta with art by Leo Greenfield (shoutout also to I Hate Darcy Pemberley for being a Pride and Prejudice f/f retelling which was everything I didn't know I needed). I think this is a book I will recommend to absolutely everyone I know. (This is also a great way to find new authors to read, it's a win-win).

One of the most hyped up teen books is finally here and I'm so excited and not just because it's put together alongside Juno Dawson!



Written by various authors the stories gathered in the book focus of different aspects of LGBTQ+ issues that they may face.



Simon James Green focuses on a gay penguin couple and two guys realising their feelings at prom.



Kay Staples features a Travelodge near Leicester, my hometown of all places! Where two guys find themselves hiding out at to discover their romance after a big lottery win as one of them tries to figure out if they're really a girl or just a boy who's into dresses and make up etc



David Levithan focuses on a choir singing Katy Perry as two boys feelings are growing for each other and look for acceptance from their families.



While Tanya Byrne focuses on Orla a teen coming to understand her sexual preference and how she falls for a girl, Reeba and also touches on death and grief.



Michael Lee Richardson focuses on a football team and their inclusivity of LGBTQ community members. As the main character is transgender and gay too. With a crush on a fellow team mate. The issue of using a binder is also talked about briefly which is refreshing to read as it's hardly ever mentioned.



Karen Lawlor focuses on a group of frenemies after Darcy is overheard being mean about our main character, Lizzie's best friend. However the two girls face conflict and discovery about their true feelings towards each other...



Jess Vallance focuses on the life of seventeen year old learner driver Lucy as she comes to realise her true feelings towards her friend, Fizzy.



The anthology does include also poems and fantasy themes based stories too of which just weren't my natural preference from this collective book.



Over all this is a powerful collaboration and celebration for the talented LGBTQ+ community involved in or set to read this beauty of a book purely based on the inclusivity and understanding of issues faced by the members of their community. It was heart warming, emotion tugging, fun, realistic and eye opening and everyone can take something away from this book of not just to be proud of ourselves.



Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

This has been one of those books that as soon as I heard of it, I knew I was going to read it. It might not be straight away as my To Be Read pile is getting out of control. But I need I wanted to have my hands on a copy.

And I thought I did when I was approved for an eProof copy via NetGalley. Alas, the file didn’t like my Kindle. So I held fire. Then this came through my front door with rainbow shoelaces (awesome!). But I held fire on reading it as I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to read this. I was in a murdery mood, reading wise. But after going to the Stripes Blogger Event, I sat down and started to slowly work my way through the collection.

PROUD is an anthology of stories, poetry and illustrations from the top LGBTQIA+ authors, illustartors and fresh talent, each giving their own reaction to the theme of Pride.

There isn’t much else I can say. So, thoughts on this are thus…

I loved this collection. I knew I would, but it surprised me how much I loved and enjoyed the collection. Even the stories I didn’t particularly enjoy compared to others made me go “This is great!”. Plus, an anthology like this isn’t going to be please everyone with every story so I knew that as I was going in, but it was a surprise the level of talent was so high!

I would love to talk about each story and poem individually but I think I just want to give a few stories a shout out as I loved them and want you guys to know about them: “Penguins” by Simon James Green (because I love his writing), “Almost Certain” by Tanya Byrne (I love how this story tackled anxiety and demetria) and the four stories from the fresh talent whose stories were from an open call out : “On the Run” by Kay Staples, “The Phoenix’s Fault” by Cynthia So, “I Hate Darcy Pemberley” by Kameron White and “The Other Team” by Michael Lee Richardson. Each of these could be turned into novels and would be great reading (I especially think The Other Team would work great as a novel as the characters were messy and complex social/private lives and I would read this messiness up!)

I do feel like I need to point one niggle out, which isn’t a negative but as someone who doesn’t read contemporary fiction often, I noticed this. But, out of this collection, all bar one story were contemporary and while this isn’t a problem, it would have been nice to have more variety in genres - fantasy, sci-fi, historical, spy thriller, crime.

But, barring that, I loved this collection and can’t wait to force this into people’s hands.

I loved this - really uplifting and gorgeous stories starring all shades of queer teenagers from some of the best LGBTQ+ authors. I especially liked Tanya Byrne's and Fox Benwell's stories

This book is incredible!! The whole world needs to read this book. There are so many incredible stories being told in this book that everyone needs to read. Regardless of your gender and sexuality this book just needs to be read. Its heartwarming, funny, sad and heartbreaking all at the same time and its just magical. I'm not LGBT but I still related to how some of the people were feeling. Although the main theme of it is LGBT, its about so much more. Its about identity and love and equality. It's just necessary that people read this book. I honestly couldn't recommend it enough.

Two years ago I read a brilliant anthology called A Change is Gonna Come, published by Stripes Publishing and I adored it – it shone a spotlight on some much-needed voices and stories in UKYA. Proud does the same thing as it is full of stories from LGBTQIAP+ authors that fill a void in UKYA (don’t get me wrong, there is some great queer UKYA, but we need so much more!) This anthology is full of so many exquisite stories (and some great illustrations), some fun and loud, but some are tender and quiet. Stories filled with happiness, sadness, grief, romance, triumph, love, and loss. Stories filled with self-acceptance and self-love but also filled to the brim with stories of queer teens surrounded by love. It isn’t a perfect anthology, for example, there were no aro-ace stories BUT it hopefully paves the way for more queer stories in mainstream UKYA.

‘We, as LGBTQ+ authors, know how important it is to see ourselves in stories. If we live inUntitled stories, it means we live in the real world too. We are claiming our space, claiming our oxygen. Since the dawn of time, we have been told in a litany of ways that we are ‘less-than’, ‘out of the ordinary’, ‘abnormal’, ‘subnormal’, or plain ‘different’. We are none of those things. We are gloriously ourselves, and we show the world our glory during Pride. That is why Pride is both party and protest. It’s noisy, it’s colourful, it’s glittery and it’s very, very visible. It’s a statement to the whole wide world that we are here; we celebrate our varied and diverse culture; our history; our struggles.’ - Juno Dawson

Proud has 12 different stories from 12 different authors. Stories featuring transgender characters, gay characters, bi characters, lesbian characters, non-binary characters, and it is just so very queer. The problem I have with anthologies sometimes is that some stories are great, and some are just meh. But Proud consistently wowed me with each story (apart from maybe one or two), and it has so many great new voices that I will definitely be keeping an eye on. I’m now going to write a little bit about each story:

Dive Bar by Caroline Bird – I’m not going to rate this one because I just didn’t get it. Sometimes I love poetry, and sometimes, I really struggle with it. A definite, ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ type of thing.

Penguins by Simon James Green – 4/5 – I really enjoyed Penguins. It was such a cute, funny, and heartwarming story about the struggles of coming out – of finding the right time. At times, this story was downright hilarious and at other times, it was super cute and heartwarming. Also features an m/m romance.

On the Run by Kay Staples – 5/5 – I really enjoyed this one. A quiet, warm, and tender story about two teens who have won the lottery and have run away from home, one escaping an abusive family and one following the guy they love. It has working-class characters, a non-binary teen, and a lovely nb/m romance.

The Phoenix Fault by Cynthia So – 4/5 – a lovely little fantasy story about two girls realising they love each other.

As the Philadelphia Queer Youth Choir Sings Katy Perry’s ‘Firework’… by David Levithan – Also, not my cup of tea, I just wasn’t really a fan of the narrative style!

Almost Certain by Tanya Bryne – 5/5- I really resonated with this one, it is a sad and tender story about anxiety and grief and art. A lovely little f/f romance and I really loved how anxiety was described in this.

The Other Team by Michael Lee Richardson – 4/5 – a really good story about a trans boy and the discrimination and misgendering he faces, but also about the support and love he receives from his football team.

I Hate Darcy Pemberley by Karen Lawler – 5/5 – literally, give me all the enemies-to-lovers f/f romances. It’s an f/f Pride and Prejudice retelling, it was funny, entertaining, and heartwarming. I also really loved the little illustration at the end by Kameron White.

The Courage of Dragons by Fox Benwell – 5/5 – I loved this geeky story about a non-binary teen and their friends (also their d&d group!) going on a quest to make their school gender neutral.

The Instructor by Jess Vallance – 5/5 – This was a lovely, vibrant, funny, and heartwarming story about a girl who learns to drive in order to impress her crush.

Love Poems to the City by Moïra Fowley-Doyle – 5/5 – I adored this one. A beautiful story about a bisexual girl in Ireland fighting for marriage equality. Also has an f/f romance!

How to Come Out as Gay by Dean Atta – 5/5 – just a simply supportive and beautiful poem about coming out.

Overall, Proud is an emotional, empowering, powerful, and important anthology full of vibrant voices that need to be on everyone’s bookshelves.

A great mixture of stories about LGBT+ teenagers. Largely focused on teenagers in the UK, the stories felt close to home. While some of the stories worked better than others, there were none that I did not enjoy. The best ones described feelings that I'd had in the past and couldn't put into words. I felt a strong emotional connection to several stories and will be rereading them in the future. I would recommend to anyone.

It's hard to put into words JUST HOW EXCITED I was when I received a copy of this book. The anthologies that Stripes have been bringing out have been 100% on my radar and this latest one, curated by trans icon Juno Dawson, excited me so much! I originally planned to read it later in the month, but I simply couldn't wait to have more LGBT+ goodness in my life!

So let's start with the contributions - I really enjoyed all of them! There were so many different talents combined here - poets, artists and authors combined together to create such a diverse cast of characters with so many stories to tell. Favourite stories included 'Penguins' by Simon James Green (the art by Alice Oseman was EVERYTHING, and I'm always up for a story containing gay penguins), 'On The Run' by Kay Staples (I just loved the total acceptance and lack of judgement between the two main characters), 'The Phoenix's Fault' by Cynthia So (yes to all and every LGBT+ relationships in a fantasy setting) and 'I Hate Darcy Pemberley' by Karen Lawler (I am HERE for an LGBT+ retelling of 'Pride & Prejudice). All varied, fun stories that kept me hooked.

There were of course some elements I didn't connect with as well, the poetry being one of them because I don't read much of it, but I totally adored the representation here and particularly that there was so much trans rep. We need more stories with that. I hope to see more collections like this in the future, as well as a ton more full length stories to read!

This is a fantastic YA anthology filled with LGBTQ+ authors and illustrators telling stories about LGBTQ+ characters. There is a brilliant range of stories featuring such a range of experiences and prompting so many emotions. Like previous anthologies from Stripes this book includes 4 brand new voices alongside established YA big hitters - I loved their stories and am looking forward to seeing more from them. I loved this anthology so so much and hope there will be more to follow!

This was a fantastic anthology. The fact that I loved almost every single one of the pieces (I just wasn't that fond of the first poem) is something that I've never experienced in an anthology before. Some of my particular favourites were: Penguins by Simon James Green (and the adorable artwork to go with it by Alice Oseman), The Phoenix's Fault by Cynthia So (a new author found for this collection and a beautiful story from a Asian-inspired fantasy world), I Hate Darcy Pemberley (another new author with a lesbian retelling of Pride and Prejudice) and the Courage of Dragons by Fox Benwell (a lovely story of D & D players sneaking around the school to make everything in it gender neutral).

Along with each story is a piece of artwork to go with it. The art made a really great addition to each story or poem, though art can be a lot more subjective than stories, so I did find some of them were just not art styles that I liked. I really liked their inclusion though, it made the book so much more than most anthologies.

With all the contributors, writers and artists alike being LGBTQ+, this is an amazing book based on many different perspectives and experience.

Whether you're LGBTQ+, questioning or an ally, this book is definitely a MUST READ,

I usually find anthologies can be hit & miss, I love some stories, like others and hate the rest. However, this collection is a masterpiece of poems, stories & illustrations about the LGBT+ community. Out of the twelve stories, Penguins & I Hate Darcy Pemberly were my two favourites. It was the perfect book to celebrate LGBT+ History Month and I cannot recommend it enough.

I knew, going into this anthology, that I was going to walk away from it having been put through my paces. As someone who identifies on the LGBTQ+ spectrum, I knew this book was going to reach into my chest, tug on my heart and leave it, still beating, in the palm of my hand. Reading this book was going to scare me, was going to frustrate me, was going to leave me feeling hopeful and breathless and annoyed at the state of our world.

I was both right and wrong. As a YA targeted collection of short stories, all of them had a relatively happy ending, which is more than I was expecting or am used to (the bury your gays trope is real). A refreshing change, and one I would be glad to see reflected more in LGBTQ+ work - although, not particularly a surprise when written by LGBTQ+ authors instead of straight-allying ones. I wasn’t wrong about being put through the emotional ringer however, as this book managed to do that and then some. I think I cried at every single piece of work, whether I was sad or happy or frustrated.

This anthology is a very real, heartfelt collection of stories and poems by authors who have experienced the highs and lows of identifying as LGBTQ+ in our society. Some of these stories were a little hard to swallow; not because they were negative or bad, but because they perfectly summed up how I spent most of my young adult years feeling. That anxiety, that lump in your throat- that never really goes away, no matter how comfortable you get within yourself. The anthology tackles issues like anxiety, abuse, homophobia and transphobia in a way that places them in a modern context - you don’t end every one of these stories feeling sorry for the characters within, for they are surrounded by love, be it of birth families or found families or friends - but they do frustrate the reader by accepting that this is just the way the world is. People are always going to be rude, and mean, and want to make you change to fit their idea of normal, and the most heartbreaking thing about these stories is the way that is accepted in most of them. Like a shrug and a comment on how this is the way the world works. We have to do better, for future generations of LGBTQ+ youth. Juno Dawson says it in the foreward: “Welcome to being LGBTQ+. Your life is inherently political.”

Whilst most of the works in the anthology are funny, there are some that make you feel that stone in the pit of your stomach (The Other Team, Almost Certain). These stories had elements of humour - The Other Team, for example, had your stereotypical flamboyant character - but subtly tackled the very real and distressing anxieties that LGBTQ+ youth face on a daily basis. The misgendering of a young trans teen in The Other Team had me clenching my fists. It is not hard to respect another human being, yet children and adults all over the world are still fighting for the most basic of human decencies to be extended to them.

I labelled many of these stories my favourites as I went through, but I think the one that struck me the most was the last poem of the book, How to Come Out as Gay by Dean Atta. At only 4 pages long, it was the shortest in the anthology but packed the most emotional punch. As Atta says, “Accept you will be coming out for your whole life." Coming out is a process - it is something you will be doing to every single person you interact with, consciously or unconsciously. It is exhausting. It is hard, to know when is the right moment and who the right people are. But you should not be afraid to be proud of who you are and how you identify, and you should not let society dictate how you act and feel and think in regards to how you feel inside, where it is most important. Atta’s poem finishes, “Remember you have the right to be proud. Remember you have the right to be you.” I think that is so crucial for someone who is struggling to hear, and such a fitting end to the light of this book.

We have such a talented community of LGBTQ+ authors who all deserve to get their voices heard, and this is absolutely a start to making that happen. Juno Dawson has curated a touching, feel-good anthology of LGBTQ+ stories that hit the right tone without being too fantastical, and you will walk away from this book feeling inspired and exactly how it was meant to make you feel: proud.

I love a collection of themed short stories. I find it completely captivating when several authors can hook a reader with their take on a contentious topic and completely engage the reader. Proud did this for me.

I came across writers that I have previously read works by and also some brand new authors; now I have the desire to read more of their work. Each unique story showed the struggles and the triumphs of the LGBTQIA+ community. Proud really is a collection that should be shared and spread far and wide.

Proud by Juno Dawson is available now.

For more information regarding Juno Dawson (@junodawson) please visit www.junodawson.com.

For more information regarding Stripes Publishing (@StripesBooks) please visit www.littletiger.co.uk.

Since I read Clean, last year, I want to read everything Juno Dawson. So add this to the fact that I love anthologies, Proud was definitely a book I wanted to read.

And boy am I happy I did. First of all, I'm very pleased to say that almost all the stories in Proud are awesome. There's a level of quality here that I don't see in a lot of anthologies and I'm so here for it. Even Juno Dawson's foreword brought tears to my eyes because I haven't lived through this dark period for LGBTQ+ people and I know very little about it. Proud opens and closes with poems about coming out (I'm not quite sure for the first one, my brain is terrible at processing poetry no matter how hard I try) and features mainly contemporary stories, with one exception being fantasy. Granted I would have liked a little more diversity (pardon the bad pun) when it comes to the genres featured but that's a really small pet peeve and when you have stories that good, it doesn't really matter. What does matter is that Proud features a lot of different identities, sexual orientations and experiences, reminding everyone of all the nuances that fall under the LBGTQ+ umbrella.

I do have a favourite and that's On The Run. I was shocked to learn that the author had never published anything before because it's perfect. I loved the story, I loved the characters, seriously this story is gonna stick with me for a long, long time. From Nicky figuring themselves out to Dean who's more than what people think of him, their sweet relationship... I held my breath, hoping for a happy ending, I got punched in the guts because of how beautiful it is and I'm looking forward to reading more of Kay's work.

Among my other favourites:
- The Other Team ranks high because I'm a sucker for a sports team friendship. The MC is adorable, I love me some bros supporting their bros and Alistair is just fabulous. Go MOSAIC!
- Penguins, adorable and funny in a Love, Simon kind of way. The poor dude just wants to come out with no fuss about it but nothing ever goes as planned and there are cute penguins!
- Almost Certain, dealing mostly with mental health in a very sensitive way. I loved the way Orla described her anxiety and her realtionship with Reeba felt sweet.
- Love Poems to the city for the amazing writing,
- ... I should stop right there because I'm gonna go on and on about basically every story in this book.
On, though, fell a bit short for me, The Instructor. I felt it lacked conflict and the characters weren't that memorable.

I'm sadly quite ignorant when it comes to art, but I loved most of it and fell in love with Leo Greenfield's piece. Absolutely gorgeous. I also think Karen Lawler and Kameron White would make a kick-ass graphic novel out of I Hate Darcy Pemberley (and yes, it's a Pride and Prejudice retelling).

So basically, I loved it. It's a book with great stories, great art, not to mention it's important because it gives a voice to LGBTQ+ people and a space to tell their own stories. 5 well-earned stars.