After Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda, which is one of my favourites, I had extremely high expectations. Albertalli did not disappoint with her amazing writing skills because I was almost clued to my Kindle. Albertalli also has a real skill to make it all seem so real and she knows how to capture the feeling of being a teenager.

The characters were on point. Molly was adorable and very easy to relate to; especially her unrequited crushes were something easy to identify with. It was also very lovely that Molly's family, including her mothers, were very present in the story. The chats and advice they offered were fabulous and the fact that the parents were present in young adult story was something that I don't often see. Cassie, Molly's twin, was the only character that kind of annoyed me a bit but that's because she was one of those people who seem to forget everyone else when they start dating someone, and I have never appreciated people who do that. But Simon made a small cameo! I was absolutely delighted about that because Simon is the best and I just need more him.

The romance was cute and lovely, and I absolutely love how diverse the book was. Albertalli did it all right because the diversity was basically the beautiful sphere of diversity that the real life is full of. Overall the story was very inspirational, adorable and truly enjoyable. It just didn't blow my mind the same way Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda did, which doesn't make this anything less but I guess my expectations were a bit too high.

Do I recommend this? Absolutely. Albertalli's books are not something to miss because they are so real, and basically have everything a good contemporary young adult story needs.

Ce que j’ai aimé ici, c’est encore une fois l’humour de l’auteure. Elle prend les questionnements adolescents dans lesquels on se reconnaît forcément et elle nous fait rire avec une bonne humeur désarmante. On est plongé dans les affres de l’adolescence mais pas une seule fois, on ne lève les yeux au ciel car les pensées de Molly nous sont familières. Qui n’a jamais craint d’être trop bizarre ou différent? Qui n’a jamais regretté de ne pas entrer dans le moule?

Dans le même temps, l’auteure nous montre une nouvelle fois son talent pour nous captiver. Une fois le livre commencé, j’ai été complètement incapable de le lâcher. Je voulais toujours en lire plus.

J’ai adoré suivre les aventures de Molly et de son entourage. C’est un roman LGBT mais il n’est jamais moralisateur. Les personnages sont ce qu’ils sont et voilà. Il n’y pas besoin de s’appesantir sur leur orientation sexuelle et franchement, ça fait du bien de lire un roman où il n’y pas de mal-être. Où il y a de l’acceptation pure et simple. En plus, nous y retrouvons Simon Spier, du premier roman et comme j’adore les clins d’oeil comme celui-la, j’étais vraiment très contente. Quel plaisir!

I personally enjoyed this book a little more than Becky's previous book, because I could identify with the main character a lot more. I loved the diversity and the humour in this book, and though the ending was a little predictable right from the start, I enjoyed reading the story nonetheless. I'll definitely recommend this to people who love reading contemporary books more than I do, but even though it was not my genre I can say I give four well-earned stars to The Upside of Unrequited

I had no idea this was written by the same author as Simon and the Homosapien Agenda, but I was so glad it was! Not because I've read it, but because I bought it a few months ago and having thoroughly enjoyed The Upside of Unrequited I can't wait to start Simon...

This novel throbs with real awkward warm people, the kind of characters you'd like as best friends. It's full of insight and well crafted emotion. There's plenty of heart and plenty of acceptance and I was glad to embrace Molly's world and hark back to the times when I wanted to be kissed and have a boyfriend. Great work Becks!

ABSOLUTELY ADORE THIS!! It was such a heartfelt story about family, friends and love and everyone needs to read this!! A great cast of diverse characters too, especially within the LGTBQIA+ spectrum.

This was such a fun read and Molly was such a fun character! While she didn’t have a lot of confidence in some areas (kissing boys), she still seem to be confident in knowing who she was – a girl who was crafty, loved Pinterest and loved her family.
Her twin sister Cassie was also a great character and I would have liked to hear more from her…. watching her relationship develop with Mina was great but a bit more detail from the inside of that relationship would have been awesome!
The family relationships were a strong theme and Molly & Cassie’s mums were super cool and the story ending with a wedding was exactly the perfect ending.
If you want a book that covers first love, first kisses, family, friends with a bit of craft and humour thrown in – this book is for you.

Thanks to Penguin Random House Children’s for the ARC via NetGalley.

G-d, where do I start! As it often happens (at least lately) I find myself unable to explain how this book makes me feel. I won't compare it to Simon vs. because it is a different thing, but I'll let you know that I cried oh so much with it.

Reading from Molly's prespective was like seeing my thoughts (specially the hardest ones to describe) written in front me. The Upside is a heartwarming story about love, family and friendship. It's a tale about coming to terms with who you are and how you look and learning that despite what society might tell you you are deserving of love. Again, Becky Albertalli does an amazing job of understanding young adults without turning them into a caricature or somehow looking down on them. Thank you for being inclusive and making people feel understood.

First thing: So funny, cute and relatable!

“Me: Hey, brain. Let’s think of something cool to say!
Brain: UHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.
Me: Okay, it doesn’t have to be cool. Just something semi-coherent…
Brain: UHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.”--> This was hilarious.

Molly is a plus size teenage girl that never had a boyfriend or even her first kiss. She kind of thinks about it a lot. She had twenty-six (and counting) crushes so far, but that's what they were, crushes. Because after all, having a crush is much safer than actually getting yourself out there and risking rejection, especially if you’re a fat girl.
Now that Molly's twin sister, Cassie, got herself a girlfriend, things start changing and Molly is feeling more lonely than never...

My thoughts:

This book is great at representing how a plus size girl feels self-conscious of her body in so many situations. And how your body image sometimes makes you feel like you're not fitted to do certain things, let’s say sex, for example, since it’s one of the things mentioned in the book.

I could really relate to Molly, not that everyone will, ofc, but you don’t really need to be fat to relate to her, to be honest. We all have our share of insecurities.

I was blushing throughout this pages because it’s so me, it’s like seeing myself doing all the stupid things like getting stressed over a simple SMS exchange HAHA
It’s laughable now, but also so accurate at my past self.

The writing is light and fluid, the story is told by Molly herself, and I love those parts where she’s talking to us but suddenly starts speaking to herself, it’s so funny and cute.

“…probably people in Antarctica can hear her. If there even are people in Antarctica. Are there people in Antarctica?”

This book has tons of wonderful things. Molly is having a hard time but she’s never alone in this. She has her twin sister, her cousin, her friends and especially her freaking amazing moms! YES, you read correctly, MOMS! I just loved the vastly LGBTQIA+ representation in this book so much.

Molly and her family are Jewish, which for me was sometimes hard to keep up because it's total foreign to me. But I googled a little and now I know some new things I had no clue before reading this book.

“… but it was basically a bunch of adults drinking craft beer and asking me where I’m applying to college.

Oh my God. Why are adults so obsessed with that?”

The Tolkien, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter references are always appreciated <3 #GRYFFINDOR

The Upside of Unrequited brought me happiness and excitement overload. It felt like I was falling in love as well! There was this smile in my face that I couldn’t shake off and I had to use my cold hands to freshen up my very hot cheeks >///<

There’s just something so magical about seeing two people falling in love. Seeing them discover each other and even discover themselves in so many levels for the first time. There’s something so raw and so beautiful about first love. I love it, I want it.

The only sad thing is that it finished all of the sudden and it didn’t felt like it had a proper closure. But I love what’s in the between and overall is a nice solid read :')

Mazel tov

Sex and relationships are important subjects. Teen boys and girls are especially curious about them. How does it work? How does one get a boyfriend or girlfriend? When is the right time for those two things?

Molly Peskin wants to fall in love with someone and for that person to fall in love with her back very badly, but she’s scared. Her sister doesn’t seem to be daunted by anything; she even got herself a really cute girlfriend in a short amount of time.

Becky Albertalli did a fairly good job illustrating themes such as first love, twin connection, equality, sexuality and coming of age, which is what this book is—a Bildungsroman.

I believe, however, that this novel needed two point of views. One from Molly, which we do have, and one from her twin sister, Cassie, because, although it’s part of the story, Cassie keeps many things from her sister. Seeing unrevealed, private interactions between her and Mina would have added even more dept to this story.

It honestly was enjoyable, because of all the subjects it tackles and its constant fast-pacing. Unfortunately, I did not like the writing at all. I do, however, believe Becky Albertalli writes about/analyses interesting topics using interesting references and detail, but her writing itself did not impress me in any way. It’s not elegant, pretty or special. It’s simple, unsurprising and unoriginal.

Regardless, this is a book I find salient people read, exactly because of all the themes mentioned previously. It’s true that it’s a romance contemporary book, and maybe not ALL that different from the other ones out there, but what’s on the side—LGBT, sexuality, family, confidence—makes it stand out a little more.

The Upside of Unrequited is a fun and heartwarming YA novel about a girl who learns to go after what she wants. Molly is used to doing nothing about crushes, but when her twin Cassie gets a proper girlfriend, both fate and Molly’s friends encourage her to do something about newly met Will. However, there’s also her new coworker Reid and a big event for Molly and Cassie’s mums on the horizon to contend with. Relationships, not only romantic, are affirmed and the difficulty of balancing people in your life is acknowledged in this uplifting book.

Albertalli writes a large cast of characters with diverse backgrounds and lives, making this a refreshing and exciting YA book that accepts that relationships and existences can be both similar and different. Molly is a likeable main character with relatable teenage problems - from her crushes to her worries about weight and her anxiety - and her twin Cassie provides a comparison who suggests that even confident people get worried. The Upside of Unrequited is an affirming and enjoyable book not only for YA readers, but for anybody who wants a light book that offers a realistic kind of diversity in sexuality and race without necessarily being about these issues.

This was a title on my "have to have to have to read" list and I couldn't have been happier the get approved here on Netgalley. Simon vs the Homo sapiens was a huge succes in my small english store and I was overjoyed to announce a new book by Albertalli to my customers. Being overweight my whole life, the subject of staying on the sideline of your own life is well known to me. Better safe than sorry. Who would want someone liek me when my true self is hidden under all the fat? This thoughts are the reason why books like "The upside of unrequited" are so so important. There is no other person inside of you, you are you and people gonna love you if you let them.
While Albertalli takles some nice thoughts and shows how you can be liked if you only be yourself and open, I felt it sometimes stilted. Especially that hipster situation. Why have him flirting with her? There were some things that I found unnecessary. I also waited on Mina to actually reveal that she is love with Molly not Cassie. So many clues were giving to it. She was flirting with Molly when they met, she always complemented her and on top, the most popular girl at a party and known bestie of Mina asked Molly "Oh so you re the new girlfriend!!" and Cassie has to correct her. Why would she assume the fat girl was the girlfriend if not for knowing Minas taste? So yeah, i waited on that to be the huge drama at the end, but no, haha.
Nontherless a very important book that I cannot wait to sell my customers.

Thanky ou so much for approving and letting me have a great time!

After Simon vs the Homosapiens Agenda I was so excited to receive an advance copy of this. Molly is a wonderful character, and her slow journey to self-acceptance was warm-hearted yet humorous. Confidently assembling a real mix of characters, this is a book that I'd urge everyone to read.

First of all, thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for this review!

And now for the review itself: what an absolute gem of a book! The Upside of Unrequited is very reminiscent of its cousin, Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda, in tone - the same joie de vivre that I loved about Simon vs is equally present here, and both books have wonderfully funny, relatable, realistic narrators in Simon and Molly, despite the differences in their personalities and in the obstacles they face.

There were two main aspects of the book that stood out to me. Firstly, the diversity: there were four - FOUR!! - wlw main characters, two of whom were also woc; the majority of the main characters are also Jewish; and the protagonist herself is overweight and takes anxiety medication. Oh, and there’s a brief mention of a trans character! And most importantly, every single one of these things was treated with tremendous respect, which was a wonderful breath of much-needed fresh air.

Secondly, this book is incredibly relatable. It’s not just the pop culture references, or the family dynamics, or the crushes (which, ironically, are probably more relatable for me at 23 than they would have been if I’d read this book at 17, but let’s not get too personal), or even the general teenager experience - the feelings evoked by this book are much more universal than that. The fear of drifting slowly, inexorably apart from the ones you love most; the nebulous longing for something you’ve never had and so don’t even truly understand; the anxiety that comes from comparing yourself too closely to your peers; the comfortable happiness that familiarity can bring; the piercing joy of fleeting, special moments. So many books try to evoke these feelings, and some even succeed, but more often than not, it just comes across as flat and pretentious. Not so with The Upside of Unrequited - it just feels vividly, wonderfully real. True, there were a few points when the Teenage Drama got a bit much for my taste, but all in all, this book is an absolute delight.

THINGS I LOVED

TWINS
As a twin myself, I'm a sucker for them, seriously. This story follows Molly and Cassie as they start to drift apart because of relationships. That whole concept really upsets me, because I would always put my sister first, but I found the complex and messy emotions tied up in this conundrum really realistic. Cassie wants to live her own life and not worry about Molly, and Molly's trying not to be jealous, while also feeling like she's missing out on both a relationship and her sister's life.

ROMANCE
We all knew that Becky could do them, but this one was just as cute. It's slightly harder for Molly to get together with her interest though. He might not be hiding behind a screen-name but there's a lot of miscommunication and there's also this other guy on the scene and things get, let's say, complicated!

ANXIETY
This is the way mental illness should be dealt with, people! It's what we've all been waiting for! A character who has anxiety and is just dealing with it; has completely accepted that being perpetually anxious is just something that she's going to have to deal with (and take medication for) but she's still living her life, and isn't making a huge deal out of it. Molly is not her mental illness. tg.

FAMILY BACKSTORY
The Upside of Unrequited is a little more serious than Simon Vs. It doesn't have quite the same sense of lightness, but I really liked that. These teenagers are real and gritty, and the parents aren't perfect/don't have perfect lives. Molly gets told off and punished like a normal teenager would experience, so thank you, Becky for having present parents that actually impact the story!

Overall, I gave this book 4 stars. I don't think I connected with the characters as much, and I would've liked there to be a bit more emphasis on the female friendships - because they were there but could've been highlighted more! I don't think it's quite as good as Simon, obviously, but that would've been a seriously difficult feat! However, what we do have is still a heart-warming story about finding true love, which is bound to make you feel hopefully and delighted!

I loved this! Almost as good as Simon Vs, with a really lovely, flawed, relatable protagonist.

Such a quirky, cute cover right?


Now, I know a lot of people reading this book have read the author’s popular title “Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda” and have grown to love the author and her ability to create strong, lovable, diverse, YA characters who tackle personal issues in a socially influenced, modern world. Suffice it to say, this is the first book I have read by the author and I am glad that I have nothing to compare it you. In a way, I am truly unbiased.
My first impressions of this book lay in the premise, which seemed like it would be a fun read filled with character relationships that even I would be envious of. While the relationship between the four main girls who were childhood friends was annoying (too girly and it made me think that I am getting way too old for this genre) I quite enjoyed the relationship between the twins. There was an authenticity to them drifting apart and feeling less important to each other when a significant other enters the picture. It is something I have felt before and the realness of the situation caused the emotions expressed by the characters to feel raw and pure.

The love interests in the story fell a tad bit flat, bordering on no chemistry between characters. Some characters seemed promiscuous to me.

I did not enjoy the parents’ way of speaking to their kids. To me, there were too many profanities used in the presence of the kids. At one point I was irked when the parents got angry when the kids responded with profanity, because, how can you raise kids using this language then expect them to respond differently. Their constant use of profanity felt like they were trying to give off the vibe of “hey, we’re the cool, different, hip parents”. It just felt like there was a lack of respect for the kids. Of course someone else reading the book will disagree with me and that’s okay.
One last thing that I’m not even sure is worth mentioning but I will anyway, is that I didn’t feel a connection at all to Molly. As a bigger girl, I love reading about other pleasantly plump girls falling in love and navigating through life just being their awesome selves. The lack of connection could have been because of the fact that I did not know Molly’s actual size. Maybe it was mentioned in the first few pages and I just hadn’t realized. She mentioned Modcloth, which is a store I love and it’s known for selling plus size clothing and she did mention insecurities but then again she could have been a size 10 who thinks of herself as fat. There was an incident where a classmate told her that she was pretty for a bigger girl but maybe this person was so accustomed to size 0 girls that anyone a tad bit bigger gets called fat. I just didn’t know her size and I would have liked to.

I didn’t love this book, but I also didn’t hate it.

I’ll have a hard time recommending this book since I don’t think the younger audience (high school teens between the ages of 13-16 should read it; and the older audience (like me) may have issues with the details of the book (profanities, highly sexually active kids etc.)

I requested this on Netgalley because I loved Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens agenda and wanted to read what Becky Albertalli would do next. Sadly, it has fallen a bit short for me.

After giving it some thought, I have pinpointed the reasons I didn't enjoy this so much: it's lacking a strong plot, besides the whole “getting Molly a boyfriend” thing, which couple would be endgame felt too obvious for me, and the main topic about the character isn't as developed and doesn't have a clear conclusion (in Simon it would be his homosexuality, in Molly is her self-image issues and consequent avoidance of romance). Still, this theme was very important and was handled carefully and with a lot of sensitivity.

On the bright side, I loved Molly. She is sweet and slightly awkward, and her relationship with her family was amazing. I feel like Becky Albertalli is amazing at writing family dynamics and loved the topics they brought up, like drifting apart from your family when you get a partner, or still being siblings although they have different parents (this is a bit tricky, they share a sperm donor, but Molly and her twin are from one of their moms, and their little brother is from the other).

The secondary characters were lovable but not very interesting. The same way that we saw how in Simon vs. everyone had their own issues and secrets going on, this was a bit lacking in that sense. And the two boys who were potential romantic interests felt boring to me.

Also there was a line in her first book that sit wrong with me, something about lesbian and bisexual women “having it easier” because men think it's hot. And in The upside of nurequited there is a lot of queer female characters, and the representation is perfect. Something that I appreciated a lot personally is the rebuttal of biphobia. I'm glad the author notices what readers might feel uncomfortable with and makes an effort to correct it.

So overall it was an entertaining read with some great themes, and the writing and teenage voices were perfect, but the romance and plot were slightly underwhelming.

i am in love with becky albertalli!

such an amazing transformative read!

where can i get the next book?