A surprise standout and one of my faves of the year. This book was really soemthing special although the cover is only okay…

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book is a modern LGBTQ version of Grease and I loved it! You have your new kid (Ollie) who’s family decides to stay in town to help his dying aunt. Then you have the popular basketball star (Will) that Ollie accidentally outs on his first day of school.

I liked the romance, the representation and the courage to stand up for one’s self that is displayed in this book. I definitely recommend!

4 stars

#books #bookishlife #booklover #readingisfun #iowabookstagrammers #iowabookstagram #netgalley #stmartinspress #ltbreaderteam #onlymostlydevastated #sophiegonzales

"Only Mostly Devastated" by Sophie Gonzales invites readers into the tumultuous world of teenage emotions, deftly balancing between carefree moments and the overly dramatic tones that define adolescence. This delightful coming-of-age novel explores the evolution of a summer fling into a heartfelt journey of self-discovery.

Ollie and Will's summer romance takes an unexpected turn as they navigate the challenges of high school. The stark contrast between their carefree summer selves and the complexities of the school year sets the stage for a charming and humorous exploration of love and identity.

Gonzales adeptly portrays the internal struggles of Will, who suppresses his true self, leading to a poignant narrative. Ollie's resilience and self-awareness shine through, creating a powerful dynamic. The characters' journeys contribute to a broader message about the importance of authenticity and self-worth.

"Only Mostly Devastated" weaves a narrative that delves into themes of self-discovery and honesty. It skillfully addresses the internal conflicts faced by the characters, emphasizing the positive messages of staying true to oneself amidst societal expectations.

Sophie Gonzales crafts the narrative with precision, effectively communicating the complexity of suppressed emotions and the courage required for self-acceptance. The writing style seamlessly blends humor and depth, making the book an engaging and relatable read.

In conclusion, "Only Mostly Devastated" is more than a cute and funny exploration of teenage love; it's a compelling story of empowerment. Readers will be captivated by the characters' journeys, the positive portrayal of self-worth, and the courage to stand up for oneself. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking a delightful yet powerful narrative on love, authenticity, and the journey to self-discovery during the challenging years of adolescence.

I saw a review on goodreads that said they wished there was a little more show and a little less tell with the romance and I thought that worded it perfectly. When we show instead of tell the reader has a chance to develop those butterflys

Thanks to NetGalley / Edelweiss and the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for a review.

I’m not usually a fan of YA novels but this one really captured my attention from just reading the books blurb. I went into the book with high expectations and it didn’t disappoint me. Ollie and Will have a great summer fling only for Ollie to be ghosted when school starts. Ollie winds up having to move across the country and start at a new school only to find that this is the school where Will attends. He,s completely different from the guy Ollie met that summer. Despite that, the closeted Will starts to insert himself into all areas of Ollie’s live. Ollie finds it initially hard to trust Will and his intentions but ultimately he gives in. This was a cute romance and it kept me entertained. It took me just a day to finish. Would recommend.

I really liked this book! I liked the romance between Ollie and Will, and I could NOT put it down. This book had a lot of depth which I wasn't expecting in a YA book.

A spin on Grease?! Count me in!

I was so excited to start reading this book and I cannot explain how much I loved it.
I loved Ollie and Will so much and them together even more. I loved the character development, I think that was one of my favorite things.

I think it's a really strong choice from Sophie Gonzales to point out in this book that people who are not straight always have to explain their sexuality. And society just reacts to it like they are entitled to get an explanation. This is something that really stood out to me and I think that it's so well done and important to write about.

Only Mostly Devastated captures the teen years well, although these teens are probably far more insightful than most.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC for an honest review.

I will not be giving feedback on this book as I couldn’t really get into it but I think others may enjoy it.

I appreciate stores about LGBT teens finding love for the first time. I'm less pleased by whirlwind romances with a closeted character. These stories always go the same way and make for an ultimately forgettable read.

3.5⭐️s

I feel like this book would be 100x better if it was dual POV. For a lot of the book I didn’t like Will and that would have 100% been remedied by a second POV with his version of things.

WHY DIDN'T I REVIEW THIS BOOK WHEN I READ IT? I've recommended it so many times, to everyone. Gay Grease? Stop it right now. I'm a librarian, and it's literally sitting on the Staff Picks display as we speak. It was on my Folklore read alikes list because, hello, Betty vibes? Anyway, Sophie Gonzales grabbed a reader for life with this one. I would die for these boys.

I absolutely adore Grease, so this was a must read for me. Also, Ollie was absolutely adorable!!! I felt the author did a good job representing the LGBTQ+ community as well.

This is a highly enjoyable book. Ollie is having a perfect summer romance with Will, who is everything he dreamed of in a boyfriend. But when the summer ends, Will cuts off communication out of nowhere, much to Ollie's disappointment. When a family emergency forces Ollie to move across the country and enroll in a new school, he is shocked to learn it is Will's school. He's even more shocked when he realizes the Will back at school is nothing at all like the Will he dated over the summer. This Will is in the closet and mostly a jerk. Ollie wants nothing to do with this version of Will, but Will keeps finding ways to cross Ollie's path, causing Ollie to wonder summer Will is still in there somewhere -- and whether they may have a future after all.

I thought this spin on a Grease-like story was a fun premise and very well executed by the author. Highly recommend!

I absolutely adored the similarities this book have with Grease, and I found the story engaging, and memorable, and so lovely to read. The chemistry between the main characters were undeniable from the beginning, and try as they may to stay away from one another, destiny just had a different route in mind. I also really liked the minor characters as I felt like everyone had an important role to play. Fast-paced, relatable, sweet, and charming. I absolutely cannot wait to read more from the author.

This is perfect in every way. There is nothing about this book I didn’t enjoy. It’s real and relatable and heartwarming. It’s just lovely. It was so easy to just fall head first into this story and feel like these characters could easily be your family or friends. Trust me you need to pick this up.

I didn’t expect the description of “Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda” meets Grease to be almost literal. As I listened I could draw the parallels to Grease, almost too perfectly. It was a decent book, but the biggest thing I took from this book was a desire to re-read “Simon . . .” to remember how much I loved it.

A little cliche, but enjoyable with realistic characters. It reminded me a little of Grease, with the summer fling with cool kid who unexpectedly goes to your new school.

This was such a good book! It was deeply heartfelt and it made me want to read more. I didn’t want to leave the world of this book.

This was adorable. I loved the Grease feel to it and might or might not have been sining the soundtrack in my head as I read.🤣 I recommend this story if you want something emotional and feel good.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.