Reviews

Leah on the Offbeat, by Becky Albertalli

compassionatebibliophile's review against another edition

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4.0

MORE MORE MORE GIVE ME MORE GIVE ME ALL OF THEM IN COLLEGE PLEASE. I didn't like it as much as I LOVE Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda, but I still really loved reading it. Mostly because it gave me more Simon and Bram

aashna's review against another edition

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3.0

i distinctly remember adding this to my gr where did it go. i also dont remember when i read it oops

dkidd's review against another edition

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1.0

I feel like this book was written like a bad fan fiction where the characters lost what made them interesting in Simon Vs. and I just got sick of how there was some kind of pop culture reference every 2 pages like Albertalli wanted us to think she was cool and hip? but it doesn’t suck enough to give this one star

Edit: 7/23/2021
The more I think about it the more I absolutely hate this book I hate how different the characters were. I really did not like the pairing like the main pairing that was in this book and like the pop culture references were not every two pages they were every other paragraph and it just got annoying like it’s going to age poorly about 10 years from now and if your book can’t survive after even five years then it’s not worth it.That’s why I’m going down to one star if I could I’d give it zero

deepower's review against another edition

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2.0

So, I'm never a fan of sequels that require the author to literally rewrite the first book and ruin all the characters to make it work. But honestly, the bigger problem with this is that there's no plot, and I really didn't believe in the love story. I think maybe Simon was a lightning strike, and it won't be happening again.

timburgelape's review against another edition

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4.0

I loved her development of Leah and getting to see all he characters from a different point of view. Leah is such a ternager, angsty and selfish and selfless and all over the place and it's totally relatable. I would be best friends with Leah irl. I wish there would have been more development at the end. It was too abrupt an ending for me.

whatsjennareading's review against another edition

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5.0

"It’s like it doesn’t even matter if I like my body, because there’s always someone there to remind me I shouldn’t."

Leah Burke is my spirit animal. Becky Albertalli has created a character that I admire the hell out of, aspire to be like, wouldn’t mind dating, and would like to be BFFs with all at the same time. She is confident, completely comfortable in her own skin, and has enough sarcasm in her inner dialogue to rival Chandler Bing. Leah on the Offbeat is the second installment in the Creekwood series, with a focus on Leah this time, but still including all of the characters we fell in love with in Simon. Thrown in with a whole bunch of Harry Potter references are, a big school play, parties, band practice, college tours, road trips, friend fights, breakups, prom, a hefty helping of angsty love, and just so much witty banter. Albertalli tackles the uncertainty that comes with moving on after high school, staying true to yourself even if it means sacrificing relationships, and being brave enough to choose a path that is entirely new.

I sat down to read a few pages of this the other night and ended up reading the entire thing in one sitting. It was hilarious and uplifting and took me right back to all of the best and most uncertain parts of my high school experience. The group is nearing the end of their senior year and everyone is preparing for prom and life after college. This is not your typical high school story, however, as we have an unapologetically fat, bisexual girl as the main character. Oh how I wish this book had been around when I was a teenager. I had really high expectations for this one because I was so enamored by Simon and really wanted more of these characters. As soon as I got my hands on a copy, I put down all of the other books I was reading to start it (sorry not sorry).

With all of the hype surrounding it and my extreme love of the first one, I was worried I’d be underwhelmed, but that wasn’t the case at all. I’m still partial to Simon and Bram, and I did miss the interactions between Simon and his family, but in Leah, we get an entirely new love story (that I was not at all expecting) to crush on and a new family dynamic. I really loved how Albertalli wrote the relationship between Leah and her mom and her mom’s boyfriend, who she is just entirely unimpressed with. Her inner dialogue anytime she is around him or is being forced to talk about him is savage and just so hilarious.

There isn’t a single thing I didn’t love about this book. It has all of the charm and wit of Simon, so if you’re looking for more of that you should definitely consider adding Leah to your list. I plan on reading all of Albertalli’s books and I just got an ARC of What if it’s Us, which she co wrote with Adam Silvera. I cannot wait to start it!

jenna_cross's review against another edition

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4.0

Leah’s negativity knocked off 1 star from the rating but I feel by the end she was going to be looking on the brighter side of things for sure. Very enjoyable groundbreaking read.

sophieeverdeen's review against another edition

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5.0

4.5 stars
Rtc
(Edit)
I laugh at myself thinking this was 4.5 stars. I’ve already reread it and this is absolutely amazing. 5. Freaking. Stars.

vickielou's review against another edition

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5.0

4.5 Stars
I really liked this book, I squealed. I laughed. I cried. It was a beautiful book. Utterly fantastic.

sonni89's review against another edition

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5.0

IT WAS PERFECT!!!!

(Real review to follow.)