lisa /

Title: The Upside of Unrequited

Author: Becky Albertalli

Pages: 336 Pages

Publisher: Penguin Random House UK Children’s

The Blurb

I don’t entirely understand how anyone gets a boyfriend. Or a girlfriend. It just seems like the most impossible odds. A perfect alignment of feelings and circumstances . . . 

Molly Peskin-Suso knows all about unrequited love. No matter how many times her twin sister, Cassie, tells her to woman up, Molly is always careful. Better to be careful than be hurt. 

But when Cassie gets a new girlfriend who comes with a cute hipster-boy sidekick, everything changes. Will is funny, flirtatious and basically the perfect first boyfriend. 

There’s only one problem: Molly’s coworker, Reid, the awkward Tolkien superfan she could never fall for . . . right?

A heartwarming and hilarious story about growing up and learning to be comfortable in your own skin.

The Review

No one does awkward teenage moments as good as Becky Albertalli. She makes me want to live in her novels and be one of her characters. The Upside to Unrequited is one of her earlier novels that I have left far too long on my bookshelf. It is a gorgeous story about finding your place and knowing that growing up isn’t a race.

Our protagonist, Molly, struggles with the burgeoning changes going on around her – mainly the relationship that her twin sister Cassie has found herself in. Molly feels like she can’t keep up and with the added pressure of Cassie trying to set her up with a boy just for the sake of it Molly is rightly feeling discombobulated. However, when she meets Reid she may have just found the ying to her yang. But will her socially awkward self be able to follow this through?

Albertalli deals with so many conscientious issues such as LGBTQIA+ rights, mental health, relationships in such a beautiful way. She curates the stories which both seamlessly weave these issues into the plot and makes them seem completely unremarkable which highlights how remarkable and important they are. I, for one, am here for that kind of story telling.

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli is available now.

For more information regarding Becky Albertalli (@beckyalbertalli) please visit www.beckyalbertalli.com

For more information regarding Penguin Random House UK Children’s (@penguinrandom) please visit www.penguinrandomhouse.com.

lisa /

Title: Imogen, Obviously

Author: Becky Albertalli

Pages: 432 Pages

Publisher: Harper Collins

The Blurb

The sensational new novel from Becky Albertalli, best-selling author of Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda.

Imogen may be hopelessly heterosexual, but she’s got the World’s Greatest Ally title locked down. And when she visits her best friend, Lili, at college who is newly-out, newly-graduated, and newly thriving, with a cool new squad of queer college friends, no one knows that Imogen’s a raging hetero – not even Lili’s best friend, Tessa.

Of course, the more time Imogen spends with chaotic, freckle-faced Tessa, the more she starts to wonder if her truth was ever all that straight to begin with…

With an irresistible cast of characters, hugely funny and empathetic writing, and all of Becky Albertalli’s trademark warmth and wit, Imogen, Obviously beautifully explores the nuances of sexuality, identity, and friendship – perfect for fans of Alice Oseman and Adam Silvera.

The Review

Becky Albertalli is my “go-to” author when it comes to YA LGBTQ+ books because I never feel sad after reading them. She has a heartwarming quality of showing the difficulties of being part of the community but equally celebrating everything about it.

The same can be said for Imogen, Obviously. It is a story about figuring things out but doing it in your own time and space whilst knowing others will have opinions and throw contentious arguments your way.

Our protagonist, Imogen, is an ally. A strong one. She champions her LGBTQ+ friends and goes out of her way to be au fait with the ever expanding rainbow. However, when she starts to question her own sexuality she finds that others don’t extend her the same courtesy that she has done.

Ultimately, it is a book about finding yourself and learning that you can not please everybody.

A great read, especially for those currently questioning their sexuality.

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli is available now.

For more information regarding Becky Albertalli (@beckyalbertalli) please visit www.beckyalbertalli.com.

For more information regarding Harper Collins (@HarperCollinsUK) please visit their Twitter page.

lisa /

Title: Here’s To Us

Author: Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

Pages: 472 Pages

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

The Blurb

Ben has spent his first year of college working on his fantasy manuscript with his writing partner Mario, who is a great Spanish tutor, and an even better kisser. So why can’t he stop thinking about the fact that Arthur’s back in town two years after they called it quits?

Arthur is in New York for a dream internship on Broadway, with a boyfriend back at home that he couldn’t be happier with. But when he comes upon Ben cuddled up with a mystery boy, he starts to wonder if his feelings for Ben ever truly went away. 

Even as the boys try to focus on their futures, they can’t seem to help running into each other in the present. Is the universe forcing them to question if they’re actually meant to be?

Possibly not. After all, things didn’t work the first time around.

Possibly yes. After all, the sparks are still flying.

Sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith and raise a glass.

Here’s to celebrating old friends!

Here’s to embracing new beginnings!

Here’s to believing in second chances!

The Review

It has been a long while since I have rooted so fervently for a couple of characters. I felt myself getting to the point where I would either a) throw the book in frustration because Ben and Arthur are meant to be together or b) shouting out loud “Kiss him, you fool!”

Okay, so it is always tricky with a sequel. Will it live up to the predecessor? Will it ruin the story? I can genuinely say that Here’s To Us is on par with What If It’s Us or possibly even better.

Ben and Arthur have grown up and so have their problems and I feel they make it a bit more relatable. Ben and Arthur needed a challenge to their almost perfect love story start and boy do Albertalli and Silvera provide it. But oh, how they pull at those heartstrings.

Here’s To Us is phenomenal as is the whole series. My heart was stolen by this book and I don’t want it back.

Here’s To Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera is available now.

For more information regarding Becky Albertalli (@beckyalbertalli) please visit www.beckyalbertalli.com

For more information regarding Adam Silvera (@AdamSilvera) please visit his Instagram page.

For more information regarding Simon & Schuster (@SimonBooks) please visit www.simonandschuster.com.

lisa /

Title: Kate in Waiting

Author: Becky Albertalli

Pages: 387 Pages

Publisher: Penguin Random House

The Blurb

From bestselling YA rom-com queen Becky Albertalli (author of Love, Simon) comes a new novel about daring to step out of the shadows and into the spotlight in love, life and theatre.

[PRINCIPAL CAST LIST] 

Kate Garfield 

Anderson Walker

Best friends, and contrary to popular belief, not co-dependent. Examples:

Carpooling to and from theatre rehearsals? Environmentally sound and efficient. 

Consulting each other on every single life decision? Basic good judgment. 

Pining for the same guys from afar? Shared crushes are more fun anyway.

But when Kate and Andy’s latest long-distance crush shows up at their school, everything goes off-script.

Enter Stage Left: Matt Olsson

He is talented and sweet, and Kate likes him. She really likes him. The only problem? So does Anderson.

Turns out, communal crushes aren’t so fun when real feelings are involved. This one might even bring the curtains down on Kate and Anderson’s friendship… 

The Review

I’m just going to put this out there. I love Becky Albertalli. I just love her. Her writing is amazing and her insight into the teenage brain is brilliant. She is one of the leading voices in writing YA fiction and her latest offering Kate in Waiting shows just how good a writer she is.

Best friends Kate and Anderson are notorious for falling for the same person and their latest crush Matt is no different. As Kate and Anderson traverse the tricky halls of high school and hormones they also have to figure out a way of not letting their feelings for Matt ruin their friendship.

Kate in Waiting is the charming will-they-won’t-they story of the year but the will-they-won’t-they in question is Kate and Anderson.

Kate in Waiting is perfect for the theatre geek inside.

Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli is available now.

For more information regarding Becky Albertalli (@beckyalbertalli) please visit www.beckyalbertalli.com.

For more information regarding Penguin Random House (@PenguinUKBooks) please visit www.penguin.co.uk.

lisa /

Simon vs the Homo Sapiens AgendaTitle: Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda

Author: Becky Albertalli

Pages: 303 Pages

Publisher: Penguin Random House UK Children’s

The Blurb

Straight people should have to come out too. And the more awkward it is, the better. Simon Spier is sixteen and trying to work out who he is – and what he’s looking for. But when one of his emails to the very distracting Blue falls into the wrong hands, things get all kinds of complicated. Because, for Simon, falling for Blue is a big deal . . . It’s a holy freaking huge awesome deal.

The Review

Ok, ok. I know I am a bit late to the party but OH.MY. DAYS. How awesome is Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda?

It was so lovely. I got completely invested in the characters lives. I searched through every character trying to figure out who the mysterious Blue was. I felt every single teen anguish that Simon went through. It was just so very very good.

What was so lovely about Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda is that it dealt with the everyday lives of teenagers but added a whole element of being gay. It raised the question of why should it be so difficult in society to be gay. Having to “come out” and deal with the fall out. Heterosexuals don’t have to deal with that. It was just such a beautiful story of young love. It made me want to be a teenager again….and I wasn’t the most comfortable of teenagers so for me that is the biggest compliment that I can give Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli.

I cannot wait to see the movie.

Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli is available now.

For more information regarding Becky Albertalli (@beckyalbertalli) please visit www.beckyalbertalli.com.

For more information regarding Penguin Random House UK Children’s (@PenguinRHUK) please visit www.penguinrandomhouse.co.uk.

5 Stars