Release Date - April 11, 2017
Publisher Social Media - Twitter/Facebook/SavvyReader/Frenzy
Pages - 352 pages
My Rating - 5/5
**received for an honest review from publisher**
Here is the Goodreads synopsis
Seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso knows all about unrequited love. No matter how many times her twin sister, Cassie, tells her to woman up, Molly can’t stomach the idea of rejection. So she’s careful. Fat girls always have to be careful.
Then a cute new girl enters Cassie’s orbit, and for the first time ever, Molly’s cynical twin is a lovesick mess. Meanwhile, Molly's totally not dying of loneliness—except for the part where she is. Luckily, Cassie's new girlfriend comes with a cute hipster-boy sidekick. If Molly can win him over, she'll get her first kiss and she'll get her twin back.
There's only one problem: Molly's coworker, Reid. He's a chubby Tolkien superfan with a season pass to the Ren Faire, and there's absolutely no way Molly could fall for him.
Right?
It may be hard to imagine that Becky Albertalli could capture the magic that was Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda a second time. If you're like me, you've been both excited and nervous about picking up her second novel. I mean, how could it possibly live up to the complete adorableness that is her first Oreo filled offering? I am here to assure you that she, once again, provides all of the swoons and happy sighs in this novel about coming into your own, taking some risks, and not standing in your own way.
Prepare to love Molly Peskin-Suso. You will love her in a completely different way than you love Simon, but you will love her just as much. She's the type of character who instantly connects with the reader because her voice is so vivid and bright. Part of this connection is that Molly is instantly recognizable. She is the reader, or someone the reader knows. She is the type of character that I have wanted to exist in young adult novels for so long, and I am so glad that she has finally arrived.
The cast of secondary characters characters will also win you over. They are all charming and add layers to the story that make it feel all the more real. Molly's parents are incredibly involved in the story which is always welcome. What really adds to the story though is how diverse the cast of characters is. It blends varying kinds of representation within these pages, including some representation that is intersectional, in a way that feels natural. The novel also makes mention of other sexualities than those represented within these pages (specifically by making mention of asexuality). It felt, to me, like the author was showing the reader that even if there wasn't direct representation via one of the characters, people like them (or those they know) exist within this world that the author has created. It made it feel more grounded in reality, as it reflects the communities many of us know and belong to.
The romance in this is filled with some great moments. This novel will make you remember all of the feelings that come with having a crush. The highs and lows are perfectly captured, as is that nervous but excited feeling that happens whenever your crush is near. It is almost a love letter to all those firsts you experience in romance. Your first crush. Your first kiss. Your first rejection. This novel celebrates all of it, even the not so great parts, as part of the process. Molly's journey isn't just one of finding a boyfriend, it is one of opening yourself up even if it means rejection. It is about the risk sometimes being worth it, but mostly it is about growing up and changing.
The relationship between Molly and Cassie is one of the stand outs of this novel. It is used to show the excitement and uncertainty teens feel as they grow up. Molly senses the relationship between her and Cassie changing as her sister starts to experience new things and reacts strongly to the changes. It reminded me of growing away from friends as you grow older because you're changing so much during this time, and often not at the same pace. It means your relationships change and that can be unsettling. It offers reassurance that it is something we all go through and that message, I believe, will be comforting for those going through similar 'growing pains' in their relationships.
Fans of Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda will devour this novel in one sitting and I predict it'll charm those not yet acquainted with Becky's first novel as well. The Upside Of Unrequited will have you craving Mini Eggs the way you craved Oreos while reading Simon and leave you with the biggest smile on your face. Becky Albertalli is quickly becoming the go to author for fuzzy warming feeling reads for me. She, once again, hits it out of the park with this giddy, feel good, offering.
Prepare to love Molly Peskin-Suso. You will love her in a completely different way than you love Simon, but you will love her just as much. She's the type of character who instantly connects with the reader because her voice is so vivid and bright. Part of this connection is that Molly is instantly recognizable. She is the reader, or someone the reader knows. She is the type of character that I have wanted to exist in young adult novels for so long, and I am so glad that she has finally arrived.
The cast of secondary characters characters will also win you over. They are all charming and add layers to the story that make it feel all the more real. Molly's parents are incredibly involved in the story which is always welcome. What really adds to the story though is how diverse the cast of characters is. It blends varying kinds of representation within these pages, including some representation that is intersectional, in a way that feels natural. The novel also makes mention of other sexualities than those represented within these pages (specifically by making mention of asexuality). It felt, to me, like the author was showing the reader that even if there wasn't direct representation via one of the characters, people like them (or those they know) exist within this world that the author has created. It made it feel more grounded in reality, as it reflects the communities many of us know and belong to.
The romance in this is filled with some great moments. This novel will make you remember all of the feelings that come with having a crush. The highs and lows are perfectly captured, as is that nervous but excited feeling that happens whenever your crush is near. It is almost a love letter to all those firsts you experience in romance. Your first crush. Your first kiss. Your first rejection. This novel celebrates all of it, even the not so great parts, as part of the process. Molly's journey isn't just one of finding a boyfriend, it is one of opening yourself up even if it means rejection. It is about the risk sometimes being worth it, but mostly it is about growing up and changing.
The relationship between Molly and Cassie is one of the stand outs of this novel. It is used to show the excitement and uncertainty teens feel as they grow up. Molly senses the relationship between her and Cassie changing as her sister starts to experience new things and reacts strongly to the changes. It reminded me of growing away from friends as you grow older because you're changing so much during this time, and often not at the same pace. It means your relationships change and that can be unsettling. It offers reassurance that it is something we all go through and that message, I believe, will be comforting for those going through similar 'growing pains' in their relationships.
Fans of Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda will devour this novel in one sitting and I predict it'll charm those not yet acquainted with Becky's first novel as well. The Upside Of Unrequited will have you craving Mini Eggs the way you craved Oreos while reading Simon and leave you with the biggest smile on your face. Becky Albertalli is quickly becoming the go to author for fuzzy warming feeling reads for me. She, once again, hits it out of the park with this giddy, feel good, offering.
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