Kia and Gio, by Daniel José Older

Tor.com, January 6, 2015; 5,498 words
Rating: 3, Good, ordinary, story

In present-day New York, Kia is a 17-year-old black girl still haunted by the disappearance of her cousin Giovanni seven years ago.

Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)

Pro: This is Giovanni's story as much as it is Kia's, and the author does an excellent job of showing us Giovanni's hopeless obsession with his friend Jeremy. Without Jeremy, Giovanni simply faded away, but Kia manages to say goodbye to Giovanni and move on with her life.

Con: We have no idea what's with the cockroaches or why they wanted Jeremy. Nor do we learn anything about Eliades. The loose ends give the story an unfinished feel.

Ginga, by Daniel José Older

Tor.com, May 20, 2015; 8,144 words
Rating: 2, Not recommended

In modern New York City, Carlos hunts the evil undead--even though he's half-dead himself.

This appears to be an except from a novel.

Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)

Pro: The world Carlos hunts in is very well described. Kia's African-American dialogue comes across as authentic. Karina's contingent of little kids are absolutely hilarious.

Con: The story just stops. There is no proper ending nor even a pretense of one. Even though it's not labeled as such, this is just an except from a larger work.