Ollie and Will have a great summer romance. Ollie expects to leave North Carolina for his California home, but right before school starts, his parents decide to stay. Ollie's aunt (who lives in NC) is very, very sick, and so Ollie becomes chief babysitter to his young cousins. He also has to adjust with a new high school and culture, but Ollie's pretty laid back, and willing to roll with it.

Until he realizes that Will, the boy who stopped texting or calling at the end of the summer, goes to his new high school. Will's a popular football player, and it's quite clear that he is not remotely out. He's also intent on pretending that nothing ever happened with Ollie - at least when anyone else is around.

Okay, okay. Coming out of the closet is personal and hard, no matter what a person's circumstance. I totally understand that. Ollie lives (or had lived in) liberal California, Will's in a tiny town where football will determine his future. But being in the closet is different than acting disparagingly toward people who are queer. Or thinking that someone else is okay with having a clandestine relationship with you, when you are actually making fun of that person with your friends.

And there's where this novel kind of lost me. I wanted a better alternative for sweet Ollie than THAT guy. Instead, there is a compelling friendship between Ollie and a group of pragmatic girls. I especially loved the relationship between Ollie and super-prickly Lara. But there is no romantic alternative. And that made me grumpy.

Can characters redeem themselves after being jerks for 75% of a novel? Sure. Did Will redeem himself? I guess that's a matter of opinion.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

**e-arc kindly provided for review by the publisher and netgalley**

Aw, this was really sweet. Ollie’s voice was so funny without being corny and although a lot of stuff happening to him wasn’t his fault he still found things about himself to work on. There were a few really emotional moments in this book and I got choked up a time or two. The friendship was sweet and the sexuality conversations throughout the book flowed naturally. Also, obviously, the references to Grease were iconic.

Cute! 3.5/3.75 for me.

The main love interest is a Venezuelan b-ball player which I really loved. The side characters really kept this novel afloat for me especially the girls (for some reason the MC was just okay for me).

Sometimes the writing was off for me (a little too preachy or overly expanded reflections/ explaining..) but overall this was really fun and adorable while still tackling some tough moments (terminal illness and identity stuff).

I breezed through it, which should be telling in itself. I especially love the premise — modern day gay grease is the best idea ever. Sooo if more people want to try their hand at this premise that would be great I would love to read it- send it right along please!

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ok so this book actually proved me SO wrong in my original assumptions. It's still really fluffy, something I'm iffy about, but I actually reeeaaalllyyy liked reading this. I just love everything that makes the plot a bit more complex, such as drama, family, friendships, etc. It just added in a bit of an oomph that I needed, and I thought this book tackled a lot without making it seem overbearing. Going back to me saying I liked reading this, there's actually a good amount of humour in here that usually hits right. There's still some moments that don't land right, but for the most part they work out. I did have issues in terms of development from our side characters, thus the removal of a star. They didn't seem as fleshed out to me, and I really wish I got to get to know them a bit more in order to really feel the full impact of the book. I say the synopsis stayed true to its comparisons of other large titles. if it catches your eye, i don't think that this book will disappoint.

What a wonderful book! Hard to put down and tugs at the emotions! A complex subject that is presented effortlessly and engages the reader in the story. I recommend this book and am waiting for it's release to grab my own copy! I received an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. .

This book is probably going to get so much hate for so many reasons. Other people may have 99 reasons to hate this book, but I don't have a single one.

This book was amazing. I honestly don't know when I last read a book I couldn't put down, but it annoyed me when I had to stop reading and go and do Adult Things.

Everything about this book was awesome. From the flawed-but-working-on-it protagonist Ollie to the background characters and events, this book was put together with thought and intention in mind. It references Grease without letting the aforementioned musical ever dominate the book. If you're familiar with the musical, great. There's a few nods to the show. If you've never seen Grease, then you can still read this book without fear.

The tone of the book was fantastic and the emotions it pulled from me? I don't want to spoil a crucial scene in the book, but ya'll, I sobbed. So many tears. My cat thought I had lost my damn mind.

Yes, this book is cliche and filled with teenager things that may not age well. I don't care. For those days when you need a fun YA novel, this book more than fits the bill.

I love this book so much. I went into Only Mostly Devastated without reading the description first, and when I figured out I was either a sort of retelling or inspired by Grease, I was absolutely delighted. I have that movie m e m o r i z e d. So this was such a joy to read.

All of the characters in this book felt fleshed out and real to me. I also appreciated how the serious story of a family struggling through illness and loss was woven into this romantic comedy; it felt very realistic to experience something devastating even while your love story is happening. And the subplots were elegantly threaded together, maintaining great tension and pacing throughout, and making you really care about each character.

I loved Ollie. LOOOOVED Ollie. Loved his voice, his character arc, his humor, and his introspection — and spoiler here, but <spoiler>his rumination on death… it was like he got inside my HEAD. I was just aggressively nodding, like THESE ARE THOUGHTS I HAVE HAD.</spoiler> I also loved every scene between him and Will, and adored their relationship. And LARA. Wow. What a fantastic, complex side character. Her arc was incredible.

All in all, this was a severely entertaining read, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking to simultaneously laugh and sob.

Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the eARC!

Ollie just had the perfect summer romance at the lake, but is worried by the silent treatment he has now been given. When Ollie finds out that he isn't returning home to California, but instead staying in North Carolina to stay to help his aunt with cancer, he thinks that he and Will can continue to have a happy, perfect romance. Except, still no response. Ollie is convinced he's been ghosted.

That is, until he sees Will at a party on the first day of school.

And Will pretends to not know him.

Well. There's that.

A wonderful novel about love, coming out, family, friendship, and life, "Only Mostly Devastated" is full of wonderful side-characters, plenty of Disney references, and empowerment.

Only Mostly Devasted has romance, drama and it is cute. I loved he representation in this book and I enjoyed the theme of the importance of family in the book. The representation includes a bi MC, bi side character, plus sized side character and people of colour. I don't know if all the representation is correct but I liked that it was added into the book. I found parts of the book were funny and I did smile while reading parts of it.

I liked Ollie as a character although there were points where his inner monologues were a little much for me. Ollie is a cinnamon roll and I thought he was adorable. Will felt a little flat to me and I couldn't tell you anything about him. The side characters were fun but still felt a little off.

I'm not fond of the use of italics in books and this uses italics on words. I just find it a little harder to read. The writing was good and I found it easy to read. I enjoyed the Grease vibes from the book and I liked how I could recognise which scenes were an influence for the book.

Overall I found it an enjoyable read but I didn't fully connect. It is a light, easy and cute read that many people will enjoy.

Only Mostly Devastated is one of the first young adult books that I've read that has a gay protagonist. Ollie has a summer romance while on the other side of the country, and when he unexpectedly moves there for his senior year of high school, he has to navigate new friendships, a community less diverse and accepting than his previous school in California, and the illness of his beloved aunt. Ollie is a kind, compassionate character struggling with the same questions and challenges that all teens face. The story was heartwarming and at times heartbreaking. One of the best books I've read recently!

Five fabulous stars (for the book as a whole, and for Ollie's narration.)

‘Only Mostly Devastated’ is a realistic and relatable story of teenagers going through what most kids in high school experience; friendships, crushes, dating, jealousy, misunderstandings, spite, and a whole lot of sarcasm. Added to which is the completely normal part of the crushes and dating process, the possibility of ‘coming out’ as not entirely cisgender or straight.

Ollie’s tale gave me all the feels and I can’t recommend it highly enough. Grab your copy on March 3, 2020!

I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.

First of all a big thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for providing me with an E-ARC copy of this book.
Ok I’m still debating if it’s a 4.5⭐️ or a 5⭐️ read because let me tell you, it was AMAZING!! I loved all the characters, specially Lara (she’s so sassy and sarcastic and I love that about her character!) It was a beautiful experience for me; reading this book and I couldn’t be more glad that I did. I specially adored Will even though some of his behaviors were inexcusable and most of the times he was a complete as*hole (sorry for swearing) but in the end he figured everything out and got what he wanted all along (a happily ever after!). But Will is a cinnamon-roll in disguise so I forgave his behavior the moment he did THAT! (sorry can’t spoil the ending!)
Ollie, omg he is adorable and cute and I loved his character development the best (Will’s character development was even better but hush let Ollie have this moment). At the beginning of the book Ollie was pinning hard on Will but then after a certain scene in the book he realized that if Will cannot give him what he wanted then he had to stop going after him. He grew as a character and decided that Will’s behavior was something he couldn’t excuse. So he decided to let go and what happened next is for you people to find out; seriously grab this book as soon as it comes out it’s AWESOME 👏🏻
I loved the ending because it was a Hollywood ending and I’m a sucker for those kind of endings.
I loved how this book dealt with a lot of serious topics like: coming out, death, moving to a new place, etc.

Even without the synopsis mentioning it, it is impossible not to think about Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda when reading this book. However, I found Ollie more likable than Simon, and I enjoyed reading this so much more.

While I've seen complaints that the central M/M story wasn't always the #1 focus of the book, I thought that felt like it reflected the reality of teenage life. There were several things going on, with an undercurrent of the relationship and family problems that were affecting Ollie.

Some of the side characters were a little flat, so this was not an absolute homerun for me, but by the end I did feel invested enough to get emotional about how some things turned out.

Received an eARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for sending me an e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review!

If you've ever seen Grease you know this story. Ollie had an amazing summer romance with Will who proceeded to ghost him by the end. In a simple twist of fate Ollie is staying in North Carolina to help his parents take care of his Aunt Linda while she goes through her cancer treatment and who does he bump into at a school party? Will. Turns out Will seemingly doesn't want anything to do with him and almost refuses to acknowledge Ollie in any way.

I seriously have mixed feelings about this book. Ollie is out, but Will isn't which in turn causes Will to act like an asshole to Ollie (Which is fairly true to Grease), but the issue for me is that Ollie is kind of being insensitive as he's slowly getting close to Will. I can see why Will would be concerned about coming out to his friends and importantly to his parents when we hear of some less than pleasant remarks they made about sexual orientations.

it's important to explain sexuality and show everything in a positive light because IT IS PERFECTLY NORMAL, but also important to not romanticize the grand reveal so to speak of someone coming out to their parents with little to no consequence, when it's been hinted at in the first 2/3 of the book from his family and friends would have a problem or be insensitive.

There is also a lot of conversation about cancer and it's progression showing how it takes a toll on a family and the outcome. If you are sensitive to these subjects, I think you should skip this one at least until you're in a better place mentally and emotionally. It was really hard for me to read as someone who recently lost a family member. The subject was done very well, showing stages of grief, but was really hard to read. Also, as soon as the couple chapters were over it was kind of forgotten until the final few pages of the book.

It tried desperately to be an inclusive book with lots of body positivity and explanation of certain illnesses, but at times I felt it did lay it on a little thick.

Still, after all this. The story was fairly cute. Just keep in mind that there is a bit of homophobia, light fat shaming and a character lashes with a little girl-hate. If you're cool with all this and want to read a refreshing and very inclusive Grease inspired story. Check it out.

I absolutely adored this book. Between this book and Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, I can't seem to get enough of LGBT romantic comedy novels. The writing style was wonderful, the characters were believable, and the plot was the right amount of angst and hilarity. This truly felt like Grease but absolutely, wonderfully LGBT. Despite receiving this ARC, I plan to purchase a physical copy when the book comes out - which is my best defining compliment on just how much I loved a book.

ARC provided by St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Only Mostly Devastated is a delightful queer romance, loosely inspired by Grease  which I watched halfway through the book and I kind of hated it  written by Sophie Gonzales.

Our main boy is Oliver, best known as Ollie-oop, a music enthusiast who is visiting his family in North Carolina for summer vacation. In NC, he meets sweet, adorable, kind Will and they spend all summer together. A family emergency forces Ollie to move to Collinswood and to enrol in the local high school for his senior year. Unbeknownst to him, Will is also a student there and Ollie discovers that the idea he has of the guy he met over summer is rather wrong. High school Will is a closeted, douchey class clown and not at all the Disney Prince he dreams of.

I really liked Sophie Gonzales’ writing style. The plot flowed effortlessly and I didn’t expect to be carried off in such a tornado of emotions, which I loved. The characters were all relatable and well-developed. The only exception: Will. I liked and hated him simultaneously and it may be because he reminded me of a perpetual crush I have.

Only Mostly Devastated has an assured place in my go-to list of queer books to recommend.

I had to read on this book many times to be able to complete it. I am not sure why, but I just could not get interested enough in it. It is well written, but lacking in the interest department.

Thank you Netgalley for sending me this arc. I will be reviewing this book in the near future with an honest rating and review.

Thank you, Sophie Gonzales and St. Martin Press for giving me an advance copy of ONLY MOSTLY DEVASTED from Netgalley.

Ollie meets Will during summer break while visiting his sick aunt. The boys have a summer fling, but Ollie doesn't go back to Southern California as they expected. Ollie ends up staying in North Carolina to help out his aunt and her family, with the hopes of continuing his relationship with Will. Except Ollie finds out that Will isn't the guy he got to know during the summer. Will is in the closet, pretends to not know Ollie, and avoids him so his friend don't find out what was between them.

I really enjoyed this book. Despite the author making very old references that today's teens would have no clue as to what they mean, I think the emotions and relationship dynamics are spot on. I laughed, I cried, and I felt like a teen again. Which is exactly why I read YA Contemporary.

Absolutely perfect in every way. In case the synopsis doesn't convince you than allow me to do the honors: this book is phenomenal. It's got that summer-lovin' vibe that makes romcoms blush, a cast of lovable but realistically broken and flawed characters, all with a dash of music and culture clash.

What more could you want??