I have always been a fan of retellings. I love seeing an author take an older idea and making it their own. It is fun as a reader to have that comfort of something you know but with a twist. When my friend told me about Only Mostly Devastated and that is was a spin on the musical Grease, I was in. Fast forward to it being released and another friend reading it and loving it. I knew immediately that I had to add it to my month TBR list and I was so happy I did.

Only Mostly Devastated is an emotional rollercoaster of a read. I laughed and I swooned and I cried my face off. It was the perfect mesh of all feelings and emotions. And the use of Grease as inspiration really made it all the better. Even if I didn’t know Grease was part of the inspiration I would have known it was based on the musical. It was really done well and kept me wanting to read and find out how things would turn out for this two lovable and confused characters. Definitely one to add to your TBR, but be warned this isn’t a light read.

This book was a queer retelling of Grease, sweet but, of course, predictable. The main character is a little cinnamon roll who moves unexpectedly to a new town, where he spent his summer vacation but didn't think he'd end up there permanently. The love interest is a jerk who doesn't want to be outed.

This is a pretty faithful adaptation of Grease, but my favorite parts were the things that weren't included in the original, like an actual reason for the main character to randomly stay in his summer vacation town (aunt sick with cancer), and a twist on why the Rizzo character is so aggressive. Overall, I am glad I read this and got to experience Grease in a new way!

Truly a delight to read! A masterclass in character development, delicate interpersonal relationships, and deeply satisfying resolutions.

I love the premise of a queer Grease retelling, and it lived up to those expectations. I just don't think I read this book at the right time, to be honest.

*A thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an arc*

I've never heard of Grease before this book, and even without knowing what it was, it sounded right up my alley. After a summer fling, Ollie and WIll remeet at school and are forced to interact (forced! proximity!). I don't often read books for romance, but this book is a great book for cheering someone up. It was super captivating and I managed to read it all in one sitting! The book simulated an actual school experience very well, and did I mention the casual LGBT+ rep? It's not the center of the story (it's nice having it in the center sometimes, but too much and it gets too depressing) but is one of the factors in keeping their relationship secret, and this aspect, in particular, made it very relatable to me.

Overall, a fantastic book, and I can't wait to see what the author comes up with next!

This was what I needed as a break from the crazy events happening.
It’s super cute and very very well written. And I loved the themes this book was based off of.

Very enjoyable read. Ollie is spending the summer at the lake near his aunt's home in North Carolina when he meets Will, who turns out to be the perfect summer fling. But when Ollie's aunt becomes ill, his family decides not to return home to California, staying instead in North Carolina to help take care of his aunt and her family. That means going to a new high school; not just any high school, but the very same one attended by Will. When they run into each other at a party, Will plays it off as if he and Ollie didn't know each other and were never a thing.

Ollie is a very relatable character. Will is a bit of a jerk to start, but considering he is on the basketball team and still in the closet, behaviour is understandable if not justifiable. Ollie does give Will a few too many chances to come around. All in all, a good addition to LGBTQ romance collections.

I was so onboard when I heard this was a Grease retelling, but with GAYS and this story (for the most part) did not disappoint. I did think the beginning was strong, and the last 75 pages or so were fantastic but I did find myself getting bored in the middle. Despite that I still really enjoyed this story. The characters were very relatable and realistic, which I enjoyed. I think this was a fun read, especially for fans of Grease!

Will's unwillingness to be seen with Ollie so much is cringey and sad, and it's really hard to listen to his shit friends with their gay jokes. Aunt Linda's advice that Will might just not be ready is solid, but seeing him hide Ollie and act ashamed of him is so painful.

Things get pretty existential for awhile, but the ending is great!

Ok so, I enjoyed this book, I did. But it also fell a little flat, it became predictable and generic. I just wanted it to go further, surprise me, something to make it stand out.

Obviously the main plot for this book was the romance between Ollie and Will, and it was my least favourite thing about the book. It was at time sweet but that’s about as far as it went for me. I judge a love story based on whether or not I get a feeling in my stomach, telling me they belong together. I didn’t get that here. I think it’s mainly because Will treats Ollie like sh*t so many times throughout the book, then he apologises and does it again. Where’s the romance in that? I don’t wanna read that. I don’t think it’s something young adults should think is acceptable and make it the kind of romance the strive for. So yeah, the romance was a hard no from me.

Also, everyone in this book was stunningly good looking. Perfect hair, perfect teeth, perfect skin. And it isn’t just in this book to be fair. It’s a common theme throughout YA books. It’s unrealistic and boring. Let me tell you something, in my high school it was all bad haircuts and acne. Let’s see more of that. In Only Mostly Devastated it was like the two main characters had more looks than personality.

I think the side characters were much more interesting than the main two. Lara (I could read a whole book about her), Niamh and Juliette all had great personalities.

There was the storyline with Ollies Aunt Linda who was battling cancer, which I actually found quite moving and was dealt with really well. I would’ve liked to have read more about that. That for me, was the heart of this book. It was the thing that kept me reading. Obviously the LGBTQ+ representation was good. It’s always good to see guys as the main romance. And I loved Lara’s journey that she went on.

Thanks NetGalley for the preview!

I loved this book! Not being a huge fan of the Grease story line I was worried this would let me down, but it was sweet and swoony in the right places! Ollie was a unique rocker teen who cared so so deeply for his family and that showed multiple times in this book. The love he has for his cousins was precious! I loved the spin on his girl group of friends-they were all unique but very loyal towards one another. I hate to say it but Will has his times where he was a complete jerk and didn't really confide in Ollie-who had gone through similar struggles before. I'm glad they were able to support each other through arguably the toughest times they will face in their lives and end up together!

Only Mostly Devastated is the story of two cute boys who had spent the summer doing couple-y things. They believed they had to say goodbye at the end — only to find out that the universe conspired to have them reunited when Ollie had to transfer to a new school aka Will’s school.

First off, this book is a loose retelling of Grease, which is one of my favorite musicals (sexist & misogynistic themes aside)! It is evident in the characterization, especially with the friends groups, but it all ends there. The book shares a beautiful and original story, way beyond what Grease was.

Bonus points for diverse characters!!! We love some POC leads.

This book offered something light and fluffy, with lots of funny moments. The writing style and most of Ollie’s thoughts and words gave the entertainment factor. But, the story goes beyond all of that. It gets very deep at times, too.

The fact that it gets quite deep is one of my favorite parts — especially in the family aspect. The author also did a good job on the sexuality aspect of the story (in my opinion only, you can check an #ownvoices reviewer for a better judgment.)

Overall, this book was a quick read with a healthy dose of sweetness and an authentic story that you can carry with you for a long time.

This was a cute, light read to binge between some heavier reads. This book is basically Grease meets LGBTQ+ romance and in a few words, it was so sweet 😭 The best part of this book was this version of the “Pink Ladies,” it’s one of the best depictions of modern-day high school girls groups I’ve seen. Unfortunately, the main characters fell flat for me, they weren't as dynamic as some of the Pink Ladies, and I would have really liked them to be!

I would recommend this book to YA readers that love to tear through book after book.

Such a fun and cute read. You can easily see which character represents who from Grease which it made it so much more fun comparing the two. There were spots that were a little annoying because of typically high school kid drama and issues but it definitely added to it and made it more believable. I also love how it shows that not everyone is comfortable or ready to come out as gay/bi at the same time and it can be hard. The reality of how that was handled was well done. Loved this book and would recommend

I had high hopes for this one, but also struggled to connect! Could be a me problem as I read it during a tough personal time.

A lowkey contemporary book featuring a variety of characters. The buildup in the story felt a little slow, but as I read on I felt more engaged. I wish there was a little more romance and tension featured throughout the story. Which may be personal preference. It was an enjoyable read and I hope to read more from Sophie Gonzales.

Its a clever book, sort of on the Grease theme, but with two boys in this rom-com. interesting characters will keep young adults reading.

I absolutely loved this book, loved the relationship between the two main characters and how they overcame things together. One helped the other to see how to become a better person, and well the football game at the end, the best part!

I loved this book - the story and the characters. I really wanted to know what would happen to all of them in their college adventures. I will definitely be recommending this to our teen/ya readers.

Absolutely loved this! An amazing gay & bisexual rep, a narration lined with deadpan humour, and emotional sequences around young summer love & new friendships.