Scan barcode
sofias_reading_obsession's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Biphobia, Homophobia, Vomit, and Outing
luna_frog's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Bi people like Gretchen need a reality check that no two queer people have the same experience and you are not the pinnacle of queerness
-from a follow bisexual who is non binary
-from a follow bisexual who is non binary
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia and Homophobia
Moderate: Outing
jeanettesreadingcorner's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
- So heartfelt, sincere, and genuine!
- Instead of having the characters talk about texting each other, we actually get to see the texts between Imogen and Tessa and it’s so fun. It feels like Imogen is a friend and is showing me the texts personally. The texts were so funny and sometimes unintentionally flirty which was cute.
- Every time Imogen would question her sexuality was so relatable. I definitely understand why this book is important to the author and now it’s really meaningful for me as well!
- The short chapters are perfect! I moved through this book way faster than expected. It seems long but the pace is fast.
- Imogen being around Lili’s queer friends at college felt similar to my experiences going to big Pride events for the first time.
- I didn’t like Gretchen and her insistence on analyzing coming out announcements and policing people who are possibly closeted or still questioning. She passively agrees with people but then reiterates her own opinion, then doesn’t acknowledge the emotions of others. She dismisses Imogen’s experiences and emotions constantly. I do understand that this could’ve been inspired by Becky Albertalli’s experience with social media discourse.
- I actually liked that the book is set in New York State because it’s very familiar to me being that I’m from there. It made the book feel more realistic in my mind.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Lesbophobia, Outing, and Toxic friendship
sea_sea's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Oh my goodness, I loved this book so so much 💗.
The anxiety rep was so good and also the characters were just amazing!!!
The anxiety rep was so good and also the characters were just amazing!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Lesbophobia, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
booksoversecondbreakfast's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
As a bi woman who also overlooked her queerness until adulthood, this book was so relatable, and it quite frankly got me pretty emotional at times. I really enjoyed the book, and it was a cute story.
I really enjoyed the romance that blossomed throughout the book and the positive self-discovery. I definitely feel like I aged out of the intended audience for this book though.
The book offered a lot of food for thought, but I sometimes had a kind of hard time getting around the fact that the author wrote this book with the intent of capturing her own experience in Imogen's. The book was clearly intended to be fiction, but it had a lot of extra commentary added in that felt more like essay-writing unnaturally written into the characters' dialog. I still agreed with the author's stance though so it didn't bother me too much.
Something else that bothered me was how okay Imogen ended up being with being proactively outed by her friend. I can't imagine being okay with it, and it felt like an underdeveloped plot point. Also, the book sometimes bordered on feeling too tense for my tastes, especially with how painful Gretchen could come off, but also I know that was kind of the point.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, even though I had some problems with it. I can definitely imagine myself reading this again because it's so relatable.
I really enjoyed the romance that blossomed throughout the book and the positive self-discovery. I definitely feel like I aged out of the intended audience for this book though.
The book offered a lot of food for thought, but I sometimes had a kind of hard time getting around the fact that the author wrote this book with the intent of capturing her own experience in Imogen's. The book was clearly intended to be fiction, but it had a lot of extra commentary added in that felt more like essay-writing unnaturally written into the characters' dialog. I still agreed with the author's stance though so it didn't bother me too much.
Something else that bothered me was how okay Imogen ended up being with being proactively outed by her friend. I can't imagine being okay with it, and it felt like an underdeveloped plot point. Also, the book sometimes bordered on feeling too tense for my tastes, especially with how painful Gretchen could come off, but also I know that was kind of the point.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, even though I had some problems with it. I can definitely imagine myself reading this again because it's so relatable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Outing, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Homophobia
pidgepodge's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved this book. It was one of my favorites, and really makes you feel for the main character trying to find her identity through the book. I definitely got frustrated at some of the characters as they were rude to the main character, but of course you need some of that in a book to be interesting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Outing
Moderate: Toxic relationship
handove's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Outing and Gaslighting
Minor: Lesbophobia
sleptforayear's review against another edition
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
The vibes are noticeably off in this book and I didn’t understand why until I read about the author more. There’s an entire section of the book where she’s scolding her critics. I picked up this book to have a fun time and I honestly felt so attacked, and I don’t even have an opinion on this author’s sexual identity.
Imogen and Gretchen are so overblown that it’s hard to see them as anything other than props for the author’s argument.Gretchen is a truly comically evil gatekeeping bisexual with an edgy thumb ring picking on a doe-eyed “who me?” questioning/bisexual girl in a dress. There’s zero grace to the storyline. We’re told people “love” Gretchen multiple times but…literally, no. People really openly hate Gretchen and think she’s awful, and she does nothing to redeem herself, so I’m not sure why the author attempted it. Maybe she thought it would be too obvious? Anyway, it was.
Lili and Edith were fantastic characters, and I’d read more about them, 100%. The world around Imogen and Gretchen was so rich and interesting, I kind of resented the focus on Imogen and Gretchen.
Imogen and Gretchen are so overblown that it’s hard to see them as anything other than props for the author’s argument.
Lili and Edith were fantastic characters, and I’d read more about them, 100%. The world around Imogen and Gretchen was so rich and interesting, I kind of resented the focus on Imogen and Gretchen.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Bullying, Homophobia, Outing, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
sage_alexandra's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Sent me back in time to Obergefell v. Hodges, aged 15, finding out the ruling on Twitter and SOBBING thinking that I was such a great ally.
It took me a year and a half later to realize I was pansexual, and two of my friends organized a "gay-nitiation" movie night, where we watched, drum-roll please.... But I'm A Cheerleader (and also Jennifer's Body).
Becky Albertalli always makes me feel so SEEN in her books. "The Upside of Unrequited" was the first piece of media I consumed with pansexual representation.
Imogen's queer journey and self-discovery is just as valid as anyone else's!!!!! 👏👏👏👏
It took me a year and a half later to realize I was pansexual, and two of my friends organized a "gay-nitiation" movie night, where we watched, drum-roll please.... But I'm A Cheerleader (and also Jennifer's Body).
Becky Albertalli always makes me feel so SEEN in her books. "The Upside of Unrequited" was the first piece of media I consumed with pansexual representation.
Imogen's queer journey and self-discovery is just as valid as anyone else's!!!!! 👏👏👏👏
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Emotional abuse
Minor: Bullying and Outing
Fuck Gretchen!mollyb13's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Wow wow wow - while there were definitely some cringey moments, this story covers so many facets of growing up and growing into oneself. After reading the book I found out that the author, Becky Albertalli, came out as bisexual after much criticism by readers and others because she was writing about lgbtq+ characters when she was assumed/presumed to be heterosexual. Looking back knowing this, the book feels like it was written using many of the feelings she must have had during this time. Highly recommend to anyone and everyone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Homophobia, Outing, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship