A review by figlesbian
Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

emotional funny hopeful informative 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

4.75

this was a really interesting read!!! on one hand it’s a cute ya novel with a (mostly) lovable cast of characters and a happy ending! on the other it depicts an issue/ discourse thats become more prominent in the last couple of years (perhaps covid/lockdown related and due to people having too much time on their hands)

i get the whole “wanting people in your community to represent you on screen” thing but dont people (even actors) deserve respect and privacy and time to figure things out? and do they have to share whatever they end up deciding? or not deciding? will it really hurt you if a straight person plays a gay character? (isnt the quality of the performance more relevant) who are you to decide what they are or aren’t? (when i say that i do NOT mean cis people playing trans people thats another thing); the amount of people that were forced out of the closet in the last 2-3 years alone because of discourse on the internet(!!!) is ridiculous, it’s also interesting how these discussions always talk about portrayal on screen but then they don’t care about the quality of whatever it is that’s being portrayed (like hiring writers that perhaps identify with or can speak to the characters experiences - but even thats not a MUST; we’re all people!! and the idea that a straight person couldnt write an emotional and sincere depiction of queer love is more than absurd) i lost my train of thought but i think thats all i have to say

(also have to admit that i VERY much related to imogen overthinking -explaining and -apologizing which was fun to read instead of experience for once lmao)
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