Every time I think I've aged out of being able to enjoy YA contemporary Becky Albertalli comes to prove me wrong. This is the queer coming age (and coming out) story of your dreams, lads. Becky Albertalli hasn't written one book that doesn't have such a strong narrative voice that you feel like you know and love her protagonists, that you believe they are a real person down to an atomic level, it is a true skill and a delight.
I loved Imogen and all her quirks - she is fashionable! she tries hard! she is a people pleaser [non-derogatory]! she worries so much about never stepping on anyone's toes that she doesn't realise the box (or, alas, closet) she finds herself in simply because she is scared of occupying spaces that she doesn't feel worthy of. Her finding herself and coming out was handled with so much heart and care, so tenderly and carefully that I couldn't help but feel for her.
I also loved the group of chaos gays™ she finds herself surrounded by. Anyone that loves the queer found family aspects of any Casey McQuinston novel, HEARTSTOPPER or OPHELIA AFTER ALL will love this ecclectic group of friends.
Albertalli also has a gift in using the right amount of pop culture references to help you understand perfectly who her characters are and where they stand in the world (whether these references are bound to age the book quickly or not, they manage to perfectly capture who her characters are in the here and now). This was also SO funny! And so quick!! I thought I was finding myself in a slump, and also with little time to read on my hands, but I always managed to fly through an unexpected chunk of this book because it did such a good job in drawing me in and sweeping me up.
Also MIXED MEDIA ALERT for those who, like me, LOVE this in books - we have plenty of text conversations between our protagonist and her friends, and the voices once again shine through so well!! (emoji use says so much about a person!!)
Overall a treat and a delight

Thanks to Netgalley & HarperCollins Children’s Books for the ARC of this!

Imogen was absolutely adorable in all her overthinking, maybe-a-bisexual disaster. Gretchen was the worst friend and she had me so upset. Im glad there were so many positive characters to balance her out! Overall very cute and sweet without too much drama or upset.

StoryGraph review in link. Thank you for the book!

I really enjoyed this book and I felt that Imogen was a relatable character that you could connect with. This is definitely my favorite Becky Albertalli book.

This book was so precious and it makes me so happy it exists for anybody who might find themselves in a position similar to Imogen. It’s sweet, well-written, and all the characters feel so real! Overall, such a joy to read.

Everyone knows that I loveee a good found family trope and I am so happy that I was able to receive this book! This was heart-warming, cute, and very beautifully written. Thank you NetGalley!

Thank you to NetGalley and Balzer + Bray for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

CW: biphobia, coming out, queer phobia, discussions of a person being internet bullied into coming out, toxic friendship

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-f/f YA romance
-epistolary
-found family
-bi rep

This book was a masterpiece I couldn't put down. The pacing, the light frothiness of Imogen. The flirting and just first crush vibes. Imogen was an amazing main character and I adored her. Visiting her best friend at college. This book is an ode to coming out at any age, of acceptance, of family (blood and found) and of just loving yourself.

Imogen believed she was straight her entire life, despite how comfortable she felt in queer spaces, but once Tessa enters the picture she begins to question everything. Despite how heavy some of these topics can be this book addressed them head on and in a beautiful and light way as Imogen navigated understanding herself and just accepting herself.

The romance with Tessa was like the icing on the best tasting cupcake. I adored their flirting, how they became friends and just the really sweet way they were with each other. just the gentle way they fell into their crush and how adorable they were as they bumbled through it. Could not recommend this one more.

Steam: 1

You know those formative authors that you love so hard that you worry the next book that they have you may not love? Well, apparently I do not need to have that stress with Becky Albertalli. I adored Imogen in all the ways that I hoped I would.

I enjoyed following Imogen on her journey of self discovery. Because of a "friend", she had so much doubt that she could identify as anything but heterosexual and kept worrying that she was invalidating others and that she couldn't change how she felt. I really disliked Gretchen and thank goodness for Lili, she said all the things I was thinking.

I think there are people who have felt the way Imogen did, worrying about changing your identity and if others will accept it or not. Feeling pressured to come out or else be accused of invading a certain space. Maybe this will help them feel seen and know that it's okay to just be you and no one should try to take that away.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Balzer + Bray and NetGalley for the copy.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to Netgalley HaperCollins Children's Books and Becky Albertalli for the honor of reading this book!

I just wrapped up this amazing book called Imogen, Obviously by @beckyalbertalli and I'm in love with it! The author does such a good job at making the reader be able to relate to the characters in the story. The book was written in such great details and descriptions it really made me feel like I was back at a college campus. While reading, I had very related moments that our main character Imogen was going through or thoughts that I wondered to myself. I found myself laughing through out the book on just how fun and cute this book was. It was a book I couldnt put it down until I finished it. I rated this book 4 stars on goodread.

Thank you again for the honor of allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

L0ved 90 percent of this one from Albertalli! Most of the text message scenes could be skipped entirely, imo, except for the important ones at the end. I liked the nuance in this book and it felt like a very personal account from Albertalli.

I can't even begin to describe how much I loved this one!❣️✨ It'd be a disservice to label this as just a simple coming of age story. I wanted to reach into this book and give Imogen a hug and I hope I can give the author a hug too *virtually* 🥺 It felt deeply personal in ways that I can't describe and perhaps I'm not ready to yet but it was also beautiful, fluffy and fun at the same time!

We have Imogen Scott, a high school senior and the sweetest ally who is surrounded by queer people - her sister, best friends and many others, and she's convinced she's straight. If she were queer she would know it, just like her sister did - atleast that's what she thinks! And then she's invited to spend the weekend at her best friend Lili's college(the one she's also planning on attending) where she'll finally get to meet Lili's new squad of queer friends. She also learns that Lili has told her friends that they'd dated for a short while(as she felt insecure about her late coming out). So, her friends think that Imogen is bisexual and Imogen decides to go along with it to help Lili. It's just a tiny lie about the past, shouldn't matter much right?🤔 But, as she starts spending more time with Lili's friends - especially Tessa, she starts questioning a lot of things and even wonders whether she has a crush on Tessa. Can one weekend and one girl change one's complete outlook on things?

Imogen is adorable and lovely - she's a people pleaser, overthinker(her thoughts sometimes made me more anxious than her😂) and the best friend anyone could have. Like she's so understanding and helpful(some of her friends like Gretchen did not deserve her but anyway we won't talk about that). She has a lot of things to discover about herself and it's a wonderful journey that explores a lot of topics about how fluid sexuality is, and does one actually need to declare things before one has time to process it. Is one allowed to change their mind and how all the online discourse makes one scared and confused at the same time. There's so much more to say and I could keep talking about it but there's a lot of relatable stuff that I loved seeing. In the end, it's about learning to love and accept yourself while giving yourself and others space for exploration. Noone can/should deny you that space or force you to make a choice or put you in a box for their satisfaction.

And coming to the romance with Tess - it was so cute and perfect! I'm not ashamed to admit that I squealed at times when I was reading their interactions and text exchanges!☺️ It felt so natural and soo cute at the same time. I loved their banter and how they made each other happier. Also, loved the lack of drama when it came to their relationship! I was very happy about that! 😆 Imogen's friends were equally fun and amazing - especially Lili! And her family was lovely! I'd love to see her sister Edith's story too!

Anyway, I should probably stop gushing about this one now but I can honestly tell you that this is one book that will stay with me for a long time and I'm pretty sure it'll change many lives and I hope it reaches the ones who need it, because many do!

I've always wanted to read a book by this talented author since enjoying the movie Love, Simon a few years back. With Imogen, Obviously, I was able to fully immerse myself in Becky Albertalli's words and her flair for writing about young adults and their daily struggles. This coming-of-age book opened my older person's eyes to more of the queer community and the intricacies each of these characters deals with as they embrace their sexuality and pride in their decisions. For Imogen, she's at a true crossroads as she is almost finished with high school and is on her way to a new life at college, facing a new world that will undoubtedly have more changes in it than she might be ready for.

The use of a college visit to her hometown bestie starts a series of events for Immy that change her outlook and her very being forever. I felt all the insecurities right along with her as her long-awaited trip to Blackwell College to finally see Lili is full of trepidation and doubt. Definitely feeling like a fish out of water, it was heartwarming to see Lili's core group of friends embrace Immy almost from the get-go and help her begin her own journey of self-discovery. In fact, Tessa, who becomes a key component of Immy's metamorphosis of sorts, is the true highlight for our girl and gives her a surprising jolt of want that truly knocks Immy for a loop.

Their text messages once Immy back home make her blush way too often and gives her pause in what she might be feeling for a girl, which is something she never thought could happen to her.

You have to understand that Immy is surrounded by many who are a part of the queer community and it was very interesting to watch as long-time friends together with her sister and the newfound friends in Lili's world truly transform Immy in more ways than one. It was eye-opening to witness how so many simply want to put a person in their designated box, so to speak, when that person is almost desperate to break down those walls and simply be the person they were destined to be.

I really did love Immy and the way she navigates this complicated world. I am impressed with how caring a person she is and how she simply wants to be herself in whatever form that might take. This new journey for her won't be easy but I was very happy to have experienced a glimpse into her life and those of her crazy friends. Immy has so many who have her back and even those, I'm looking at you, Gretchen!, who can't handle her newfound curiosity, still matter to her and her loyalty and being able to forgive is something to be admired.

Overall, this is a sweet read and definitely one that I enjoyed. A few hiccups wrt descriptions of fellow students put me off a bit but didn't take away from the message this story set out to proclaim. All of the characters were fun to watch and it was wild to feel those unsteady thoughts as growing pains could be felt through my e-reader. So yeah, I'm glad I took the chance on this talented author and give Imogen, Obviously, a solid 4 stars.

WOW! I loved this book so much! Imogen is such a relatable character and I loved to see her experience with find herself and her sexuality! I hated her friend but that was the point! She was so negative and stereotypical, which held the plot of this story. I would love to see this adapted, as it would help so many people and myself to see this on a big screen. This book was amazing and I speed though it! Becky Albertalli did it again!

This book is a must read for anyone who is currently or has ever questioned their identity. Imogen is so relatable and I just loved how supportive some of her friends were through all of her inner turmoil.

I am so happy a book like this exists for youth today!

Imogen Obviously is an important book about the quest for identity, and the difficulty of existing in a world where some people attempt to fit others into tidy boxes, when reality is almost always anything but neatly packaged like that. This story was about bi joy, but it was also about how to deal with a toxic friendship and people who attempt to gate keep within communities.

Imogen is visiting her best friend at the college she will attend in the fall, and over the course of a weekend, goes from a questioning and self doubt that many young queer people will recognize, to finding not only a crush, but also, and most importantly, herself. I wish I had this book when I was in high school years ago, or even when I was in college. It will mean a lot to students, and to any readers who need to read someone write out that other people don’t get to define us or decide that we are not enough.

This book hit my heart hard, folks. There is no way I can be objective about it. There may be a thirty-five year age difference between myself and Imogen, but some things transcend the bounds of age. Things like being a chronic overthinker. Like always trying to please other people instead of yourself. Of taking a long, hard look at who you are and maybe being a bit surprised by what you find.

Read this book if you want:
• A realistic look at a person attempting to find her true identity.
• Shout-outs to some of my other favorite queer authors and books.
• A big FU to the bullies who think they get to dictate who is "queer enough."
• Beautiful friendships.
• Adorable flirty texts.
• An delightful array of queer characters.
• A hilarious subplot involving hiding the sausage - and no, that's not a euphemism.
• Queer joy oozing out of every page.

Thank you to NetGalley and to HarperCollins Childrens Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

One of the easiest 5-star ratings I’ve ever given out. Becky Albertalli has written a story full of self-love, self-discovery, and heart.

Imogen, Obviously follows our main character Imogen as she stays a week on a college campus with her friend, in prep to go there in the fall. Imogen has always been the perfect ally, the “token straight friend.” She has a queer sister and queer friends, but has always said she’s straight. She consumes queer media, participates in the Queer club at her school, perfect ally.

Imogen is so excited to spend time with Lili, her best friend, and Lili’s group of queer friends at college. But when she arrives, she learns that Lili had previously told her friend group that the two of them dated. This turns into a journey of self-discovery that shows Imogen that her “pretending” to be bisexual really hasn’t been pretending.

Imogen’s inner journey of discovering her queerness is Becky Albertalli’s love letter to her own bisexuality. There’s never a time where it’s too late to come to terms with who you are and your own self-identity and there should never be pressure to come out. This book is an answer to the controversy that happened online where Albertalli was basically forced to come out to justify her writing of queer stories. Imogen is used to other people defining who she is. She’s a people pleaser and describes herself as a liquid- always forming to the shape of the container she’s in. That alone is relatable for so many people. One person’s definition of queerness is not another’s.

This book is real, it’s funny, it’s heartwarming, and it’s full of moments that made me smile. Becky Albertalli is one of my auto-buy authors so I knew I had to read this book. There were ups and downs and in-betweens. And this book has my heart, 100%. (Obviously)

Thank you again to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review! Happy Pub Day to this beautiful book.

This is an absolutely beautiful story about self discovery and LGBTQIA+ rep with deeply personal routes from the author. The book matches this gorgeous cover so well. Fantastic read

High school senior, Imogen, is the ultimate ally to her sister, best friends, and most of the people she surrounds herself with. But even though she is the ultimate ally she is constantly questioning her motives and if she is doing the right thing. After a visit to see her best friend, Lili at college, Imogen is taken in by Lili’s friend group who starts to bring her out of her shell. Her time with these friends leads her to look deeper into a question that has been on her mind; is she the ultimate ally or does she also identify as LGBTQIA+?
I felt like this story could resonate with anyone, even if they haven’t had to grapple with their sexuality. Imogen’s constant anxiety about doing and saying the right thing is something that I think many people can relate to these days or possibly can remember relating to back when they were younger. I think we are all becoming hyper aware of wanting to do things for the right reason and not stepping into the spaces meant for others and to have good intentions along with the correct actions, and Imogen faces these concerns in an understandable way. This was a sweet coming of age story from an LGBTQIA+ lens. It also explored overpowering friendships and dealing with different personalities within a friend group. I loved the dynamics within the college friend group as well as between Imogen and her younger sister, Edith. I would absolutely recommend this book for any adult or teenager.

Becky Albertalli does it again! I loved Imogen, Obviously hahaha! The storyline caught my attention from the beginning and it did not disappoint. I truly enjoy Becky's writing style and her way of telling a story. With every line, we got to see a piece of Becky's personal experiences. Imogen was so sweet and it was wonderful to see her struggle to comprehend what she was going through. Seeing her grow into her self was so heartwarming and seeing those around her supporting her was beautiful. This is a great book for young adults to read and think about the big questions Imogen asks herself and her overall journey. I truly enjoyed reading this book!

Special thanks to Becky Albertalli and Harper Collins for providing me an ARC copy to share my honest review.