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A review by ceceewing_
The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli
4.0
Ok, I'm ready to write a full review of this now. Maybe. So many good things to say, so little time.
Before I get into the quality of the book, let me just give you a breakdown of the diversity represented here because it was honestly incredible and this is the exact world that I want to see in YA contemporaries from now on.
-Pansexual (on page) side character who is also Korean-American
-Multiple lesbian side characters
-Bisexual side character
-Minor gay characters
-Jewish main character, side characters, and love interest
-Main character has two moms
-Multiple black side characters
-Although there were no on-page asexual characters, asexuality was still included as a thing that exists
-Fat main character
-Main character also has a history of anxiety which she is on medication for and this is brought up A LOT along with how going to parties works differently for her because of the dangers of mixing her medication with alcohol
There are so many more but LOOK AT THIS LIST. None of these characters were shoe-horned in. It was the most natural collection of people who made up this growing community for the main character and it honestly made me want to cry a couple of times because this is the world I live in and I was seeing it so naturally represented in what is going to be a highly sold YA contemporary. But now let me talk about everything else great going on here.
Reading this book felt like eating one of Molly's mason jars of egg-free cookie dough and ice cream. I couldn't be mad while I was reading it. It was the most pleasurable reading experience and I spent most of my time grinning from ear to ear. Molly is a fabulous main character who struggles in such an authentic way to deal with low self esteem and feeling like everyone around her is growing up faster than she is. It was something I really identified with, remembering myself at 17. Her concerns, and the round-about way that she rationalizes how she feels left behind was excellently done and supremely authentic, in my own experience. Also, her constant struggles with self-image were really well done and she felt like a character I hadn't seen before, but one I have wanted to exist for so long now.
The sister relationship. Sorry, let me rephrase that. THE SISTER RELATIONSHIP!!!!! I spend a lot of time being sad about books that don't feature siblings or close family relationships and boy was this a balm to all of that. The ups and downs with Molly and Cassie were so similar to a lot of the ways I interact with my own sister. They know exactly what words to use to hurt each other if they need to, but they will also kill absolutely anyone who so much as looks at their sister the wrong way. They can have a conversation in a glance but they can also have days where they don't know how to communicate at all. And they also have a really great relationship with their moms, who are an active part of the story. That's right, not only do they have two moms but they are participating in their daughters' lives and in the story itself! They don't vanish into whatever wasteland YA parents sometimes go while they teenage children are having life struggles! Plus, they are well-developed, live their own lives, and are honestly hilarious.
My only qualms with this book come in the form of communication stuff. First of all, it seems like some of the issues in the plot could have been so easily remedied if Molly had just spoken up. I know this is often linked to the anxiety she feels and the worry that whatever she says will be shut down, but by the time I got closer to the end of the book it felt more and more like she just needed to say ANYTHING to her sister or best friend and all would be well. Also, this had an odd habit where characters would be having a really essential or meaningful conversation and it would just... stop. Molly would have some thoughts about what was being said and then we would never hear how the conversation ended. This happened a few times throughout and it did frustrate me because I thought those were really important conversations happening and I wanted to know how they ended.
This was one of the most joyful books I have read in a long time. The characters talked like teenagers and constantly texted or brought up social media. They were funny and self-conscious and loud and confused. I'm sure you all already have this on your anticipated releases list, but if you somehow don't already: put it on there. Don't worry, Albertalli's second book doesn't disappoint. In fact, it is more than worth the wait.
Now, here's hoping that the Simon movie does incredibly well so we can get a movie of this one too.
*Thanks to Harper for sharing an eARC of this book with me to review*
Before I get into the quality of the book, let me just give you a breakdown of the diversity represented here because it was honestly incredible and this is the exact world that I want to see in YA contemporaries from now on.
-Pansexual (on page) side character who is also Korean-American
-Multiple lesbian side characters
-Bisexual side character
-Minor gay characters
-Jewish main character, side characters, and love interest
-Main character has two moms
-Multiple black side characters
-Although there were no on-page asexual characters, asexuality was still included as a thing that exists
-Fat main character
-Main character also has a history of anxiety which she is on medication for and this is brought up A LOT along with how going to parties works differently for her because of the dangers of mixing her medication with alcohol
There are so many more but LOOK AT THIS LIST. None of these characters were shoe-horned in. It was the most natural collection of people who made up this growing community for the main character and it honestly made me want to cry a couple of times because this is the world I live in and I was seeing it so naturally represented in what is going to be a highly sold YA contemporary. But now let me talk about everything else great going on here.
Reading this book felt like eating one of Molly's mason jars of egg-free cookie dough and ice cream. I couldn't be mad while I was reading it. It was the most pleasurable reading experience and I spent most of my time grinning from ear to ear. Molly is a fabulous main character who struggles in such an authentic way to deal with low self esteem and feeling like everyone around her is growing up faster than she is. It was something I really identified with, remembering myself at 17. Her concerns, and the round-about way that she rationalizes how she feels left behind was excellently done and supremely authentic, in my own experience. Also, her constant struggles with self-image were really well done and she felt like a character I hadn't seen before, but one I have wanted to exist for so long now.
The sister relationship. Sorry, let me rephrase that. THE SISTER RELATIONSHIP!!!!! I spend a lot of time being sad about books that don't feature siblings or close family relationships and boy was this a balm to all of that. The ups and downs with Molly and Cassie were so similar to a lot of the ways I interact with my own sister. They know exactly what words to use to hurt each other if they need to, but they will also kill absolutely anyone who so much as looks at their sister the wrong way. They can have a conversation in a glance but they can also have days where they don't know how to communicate at all. And they also have a really great relationship with their moms, who are an active part of the story. That's right, not only do they have two moms but they are participating in their daughters' lives and in the story itself! They don't vanish into whatever wasteland YA parents sometimes go while they teenage children are having life struggles! Plus, they are well-developed, live their own lives, and are honestly hilarious.
My only qualms with this book come in the form of communication stuff. First of all, it seems like some of the issues in the plot could have been so easily remedied if Molly had just spoken up. I know this is often linked to the anxiety she feels and the worry that whatever she says will be shut down, but by the time I got closer to the end of the book it felt more and more like she just needed to say ANYTHING to her sister or best friend and all would be well. Also, this had an odd habit where characters would be having a really essential or meaningful conversation and it would just... stop. Molly would have some thoughts about what was being said and then we would never hear how the conversation ended. This happened a few times throughout and it did frustrate me because I thought those were really important conversations happening and I wanted to know how they ended.
This was one of the most joyful books I have read in a long time. The characters talked like teenagers and constantly texted or brought up social media. They were funny and self-conscious and loud and confused. I'm sure you all already have this on your anticipated releases list, but if you somehow don't already: put it on there. Don't worry, Albertalli's second book doesn't disappoint. In fact, it is more than worth the wait.
Now, here's hoping that the Simon movie does incredibly well so we can get a movie of this one too.
*Thanks to Harper for sharing an eARC of this book with me to review*