Sophie Reads YA: Becky Albertalli

2023 New Release challenge

ARC Review: Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

10:00

Imogen, Obviously
Series: None
Author: Becky Albertalli
Published May 2nd 2023 by Balzer + Bray/May 11th 2023 by HarperCollinsChildren’sBooks

Goodreads Synopsis
With humor and insight, #1 New York Times bestseller Becky Albertalli explores the nuances of sexuality, identity, and friendship.

Imogen Scott may be hopelessly heterosexual, but she’s got the World’s Greatest Ally title locked down.

She's never missed a Pride Alliance meeting. She knows more about queer media discourse than her very queer little sister. She even has two queer best friends. There's Gretchen, a fellow high school senior, who helps keep Imogen's biases in check. And then there's Lili—newly out and newly thriving with a cool new squad of queer college friends.

Imogen's thrilled for Lili. Any ally would be. And now that she's finally visiting Lili on campus, she's bringing her ally A game. Any support Lili needs, Imogen's all in.

Even if that means bending the truth, just a little.

Like when Lili drops a tiny queer bombshell: she's told all her college friends that Imogen and Lili used to date. And none of them know that Imogen is 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. . .
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

After her best friend heads off to college, Imogen Scott has been in limbo until her own graduation, and she can join Lili on campus. Finally accepting an invitation to spend the weekend with Lili and her new friends, Imogen is nervous to meet those she has followed online. And when Lili drops the bombshell that her new friends think that Imogen and Lili used to be a thing, but are now best friends, Imogen doesn't know how she can pretend to be queer, when she the straightest girl going. Though the longer she spends with Tessa, the more Imogen starts to question everything she's ever thought about herself.

I simply loved this book! It was everything I was expecting from Becky, and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire way though. Imogen was the sweetest, and there were so many times I wanted to give her a hug, particularly as she started to reminisce and question her own sexuality. She had two best friends, Lili and Gretchen, and Lili was a doll, and Gretchen was awful. We all hate her, right? She completely steamrolled Imogen, and invalidated her thoughts and feelings all of the time. I still feel like she deserved worse than she got, but the ending of the book was good enough for me - at least Imogen was happy. Imogen and Tessa were so sweet together, and I loved their message threads so much. It all felt so real, and the way they went from new friends, to tentative flirting, and then the culmination of it all, was perfect! Such a great book, which I will definitely be recommending to my students!

Dates Read:
August 1-3, 2023

Rating
4 Stars

2018 Contemporary Romance Challenge

ARC Review: What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera

10:00

What If It's Us
Series: None
Author: Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera
Published October 18th 2018 by Simon & Schuster Children's UK

Goodreads Synopsis
Arthur is only in New York for the summer, but if Broadway has taught him anything, it’s that the universe can deliver a showstopping romance when you least expect it.

Ben thinks the universe needs to mind its business. If the universe had his back, he wouldn’t be on his way to the post office carrying a box of his ex-boyfriend’s things.

But when Arthur and Ben meet-cute at the post office, what exactly does the universe have in store for them?

Maybe nothing. After all, they get separated.

Maybe everything. After all, they get reunited.

But what if they can’t quite nail a first date . . . or a second first date . . . or a third?

What if Arthur tries too hard to make it work . . . and Ben doesn’t try hard enough?

What if life really isn’t like a Broadway play?

But what if it is?
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

This book has been everywhere, and unless you've been living under a rock, you'll have heard of it. I was intrigued when I heard the synopsis, so when I was offered the chance to review it, I jumped at it. Now, I've never read a book by either Adam or Becky - yeah, I know I'm probably one of the only ones who hadn't, but I knew how many people loved their work, so I was definitely excited to see how working together would turn out.

In What If It's Us, Arthur is in New York for the summer with his parents, and is working on an internship. One day, while at the post office, he see's a cute boy carrying a box, and they strike up a conversation in the queue. However, he never really get's any details about the cute boy, so puts out flyers trying to find him again, and, luckily, they reconnect. Arthur and Ben try and make the summer work for them, and have numerous first dates, but it always seems that life is getting in their way. Ben has had a bit of a hard time at school last year, not least with breaking up with his ex-boyfriend, and he has to go back to summer school unless he'll flunk out of the year. Because of the break up, he's a bit more wary about trying a new relationship, but the chemistry is there between him and Arthur, so he's willing to give it a go, even if it is only for the summer.

I flew through the book, and really enjoyed it. It's told in dual PoV, and while I did enjoy that, especially how we saw into Ben and Arthur's home lives, without each other, I thought the PoVs were very similar, and not that distinct. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy both characters, but sometimes it was slightly confusing when I had thought it was Ben's PoV, but it's Arthur's parent's he's talking to. On the topic of their parents, I loved how both families were so involved in their lives, and weren't absent like many you see in YA contemporaries. Obviously their families weren't perfect - no one's is - but they supported their sons, and wanted them to be happy, no matter what.

The romance in the book was very cute, but also a bit cliched. It went through cycles of so, so fluffy, to a lot of angst, to resolution, and back to fluffy, again, and again. Some outside factors played into the angst - in particular Ben's ex-boyfriend - but it was mainly their insecurities (especially Arthur's) that messed up their chances. I get that this was to make the book more realistic, and have heard that both authors like to play with the reader's emotions and feelings, but, for me, I was just starting to get annoyed, rather than more invested in it.

The ending, for me, was perfect with how the story was going. I know some people were disappointed or frustrated with it, but anything else wouldn't have done the book justice. There are loads of pop culture references in the book, particularly for Broadway shows, so it's definitely a book for 2018. I don't know if this book has made me want to read one of the author's solo books, but I'm happy I read this one.

Dates Read:

July 27-29, 2018

Rating
4 Stars