Series: None
Author: Racquel Marie
Published September 29th 2022 by Pan Macmillan
Goodreads Synopsis
A teen girl navigates friendship drama, the end of high school, and discovering her queerness in Ophelia After All, the hilarious and heartfelt contemporary YA debut by Racquel Marie.
Ophelia Rojas knows what she likes: her best friends, Cuban food, rose-gardening, and boys – way too many boys. Her friends and parents make fun of her endless stream of crushes, but Ophelia is a romantic at heart. She couldn’t change, even if she wanted to.
So when she finds herself thinking more about cute, quiet Talia Sanchez than the loss of a perfect prom with her ex-boyfriend, seeds of doubt take root in Ophelia’s firm image of herself. Add to that the impending end of high school and the fracturing of her once-solid friend group, and things are spiraling a little out of control. But the course of love - and sexuality - never did run smooth. As her secrets begin to unravel, Ophelia must make a choice between clinging to the fantasy version of herself she’s always imagined or upending everyone’s expectations to rediscover who she really is, after all.
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
As the daughter of a professor of Shakespearean literature, Ophelia Rojas was always bound to be named after one of the Bard's heroines, and Ophelia suits her quite well. Boy crazy, and with a green thumb, Ophelia loves spending time with her friends or in her rose garden. So when she starts developing feelings for the cute and quiet Talia Sanchez, all her plans for prom and the future go out the window. And as her friendship group starts to implode and unravel, Ophelia will discover that the path to true love never did run smooth, and her last few months at high school will be a ride.
As soon as I heard about this book, I knew I needed to read it. And from the very first page, I was hooked. Ophelia was one of the most relatable characters I've ever read. She's not perfect, and life got messy at times for her, but she was just right for this book, and the plot. She discovers that being a teenager isn't easy, especially when big decisions are on the horizon, and that sexuality is not something that is black and white. Her heritage, and her goals were sometimes in conflict with each other, and her history as 'boy crazy' is a hard one to shake off. I loved the dynamics in the friendship group, as it was clear that Ophelia had different relationships with the different people, and they weren't always the 'best' of friends. Being a teenager is hard, and the author showed that so perfectly in this book. I'm going to recommend that my students read this book, because honestly, I wish I'd had it when I was a teen. A truly great debut!
Dates Read:
January 5-8, 2022
Rating
4 Stars
