I loved this book so much. I found myself constantly comparing the characters to those in Grease and could completely see how Sophie Gonzales had kept the spirit of the film alive through her modern re-telling. I loved the romance story and how characters developed throughout the book. The group of friends were brilliant and played an important role which was nice to see. A generally feel-good book with some upsetting moments and tough realities that were overcome in the end.

3.5 stars
Prior to reading this novel, I heard this book being described as an "LGBTQ version of the movie Grease". I can see the comparison and similarities that they share but both of these stories are vastly different.

This book took me a little while to warm up to but once I did, I became invested. It was a heartwarming and emotional story but for many different reasons. It also featured some difficult topics surrounding: illness, death, grief, the struggles with coming out, body dysmorphia, bullying, and homophobia. It was truly a very diverse book and a good representation of teenagers in high school.

Oh Ollie. How I felt for Ollie. Then again, I also felt for Will and Lara who were somewhat villainized (understandably so). Not everything is simple or 'cut and dry' which can be seen in this story, especially in the setting of high school with the insecurities and peer pressure.

This was a very emotional novel and like I said before, it was for many reasons. I think this novel could be empowering for some but also upsetting for others who did not share a similar experience (I'm avoiding spoilers here). I wish the ending and the family/friend response was the experience for everyone but I know that's not always the case.

***Thank you to the publisher for supplying me with an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

This is a very fun book, largely due to Ollie (the protagonist) who’s simply, in the very wise words of Will, ridiculous. I want to make some things clear, though, before we proceed: this is also a messy book. It’s messy in a way that none of the characters are perfect, and they keep making mistakes, and no one is really 100% in the right. It’s messy in a way that life (especially life of a teenager) is messy and totally not black-and-white. I just know not everyone enjoys stories like that.

It’s definitely a kind of story I personally love & it’s that messiness that appealed to me the most. Only Mostly Devastated is very much characters-focused and with Ollie as the narrator, for the most part it shows everything through his eyes, making him seem like the person who has the moral high ground. He’s not exactly an unreliable narrator, not in the sense we’re used to - it’s more accurate to say that he’s an eighteen years old boy. Sometimes what he assumes people did and what their intentions were completely misses the point those people tried to make. And Only Mostly Devastated addresses that!

Obviously, it’s mostly visible in regard to Will (his love interest). See, the boys were a summer fling and then it turned out they go to the same school this year. And that fact didn’t make things easier for them, exactly. What it boils down to is that Ollie is out and Will isn’t, and Ollie tries to deal with that but not always in the best ways.

Now, the messy part mentioned before turns everything interesting. Because sure, on one hand it’s not great for Ollie to date someone who’s in closet when he’s been out for years and doesn’t want to stop being open about that part of himself. On the other, Will grew up in a totally different environment, with a totally different family & group of friends, and as we all know, coming out just isn’t easy. Him being scared is totally understandable, just like Ollie being impatient and hurt is totally understandable.

Will’s actions, as he tried to preserve his sense of status quo, weren’t always amazing. In fact, there were times where he downright acted like a dick. (Especially one scene pops to mind, where he treated a girl more like a means to the end than a human being; it’s possible to excuse it somewhat with fear but still.) But there are two sides to every story and from Will’s perspective he was simply doing his best to protect himself. There comes a point when the books makes that abundantly clear to everyone (to Ollie) and the fact that we got to have that discussion was really great and necessary. And honestly, as much as I adore Ollie, he was a dick just as often as Will was.

No one is only ever right or wrong. No easy answers here.

Gonzales shows that particular sentiment in more ways than just with Ollie and Will. There’s the way different people react to horrible things happening to the ones they love. While Ollie himself might not agree with coping mechanisms of others, it’s still made clear enough that none of them are invalid. And that really, all we can do with tragedies thrown our way is try to live through them.

I summed this book up as “funny, warm & heartbreaking” and I still think that description pretty much nails it. It’s definitely a kind of novel I want to read when I’m feeling a little bit down, when I want to laugh (honestly, Ollie is hilarious!), when I want to remember that no one is perfect. And when I want to cry just a little bit. No one is perfect but Only Mostly Devastated offers a pretty perfect mix of emotions.

(PS Prior to reading & reviewing I didn’t understand why this book was being compared to Grease, because I have never seen that movie in my life, I only knew that one song, you know the one. So it’s safe to say the book holds up on its own. I watched it now, though, and yeah, Only Mostly Devastated is a great retelling that keeps the important components of the original story but makes it modern, diverse and not ridiculous.)

On the surface, this could be your run-of-the-mill YA contemporary, But at the core, it touches on so much more. Great LGBT rep and the terminal illness bit was done well and not all hokey like it sometimes can be in YA. I once again am happy to see a good family dynamic and a present family in a YA novel. Ollie is precious and I adore him and I easily connected with him. I may have missed where this is pitched for fans of Grease but I love that it is gay Grease set in modern times - fantastic. Seriously. I laughed. I cried. It was a good time.

I really enjoyed this book and it represented the mess of being a teenager and those first relationships quite well. My only issue was the homophobia / lack of awareness of others (although this is p realistic) and lack of consequences for their behaviour.

This was such a fun read! I loved the familiarity of classic stories (Grease, for instance) but it had its own modern take that made it both charming and heart wrenching (I cried twice!!) An absolutely must-have book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sophie Gonzales and St Martin’s Press for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

This is exactly what I needed to break up the monotony of my reading life! I adored how different this book was from what I usually read and I love reading more novels from the male perspective. I found this novel was a quick read because I was so curious what was going to happen to the relationships in this novel! I loved that it was told from a gay male teenagers point of view because let’s be honest, we don’t hear much from them and it is a tough time to be gay or a teenagers. I really enjoyed seeing the struggles of coming out to friends and family and I hope this book helps someone realize that most people will love you no matter what. In such a scary time, this book was such fun read!

Out now!

THIS WAS AMAZING AND SO CUTE AND AAAAH.

this book was exactly what i needed right now. i'm super stressed and anxious about everything that is going on with COVID-19 and i really needed a fluffy sweet story like this. it wasn't all fluffy and cute though. some serious topics were discussed like cancer, the death of a family member and coming out while you are not sure you will get accepted.

only mostly devastated follows ollie who is staying in north carolina with his family during summer to take care of his aunt linda who is suffering from cancer. after summer vacation, his family decides to temporarily move to north carolina because they are needed there. this meant ollie had to go to a new school which will is also attending. their summer fling was something really special to ollie but it seemed like it would only ever be a summer fling because will didn't seem to be all that interested anymore, probably because he isn't out yet and can't be out because of his parents and his friends.

this story shows how the relationship between ollie and will progresses while a lot of difficult stuff happens in both of their lives. it deals with the question of whether or not you have to put yourself first in situations where it isn't always easy to do. coming out while you are pretty sure you won't get accepted is hard. especially when you sort of have a relationship with someone you love, like will has.

i just adored this book and i'm in need of more.

rep: gay mc, latinx bisexual love interest, bisexual side character, black side character, fat brown side character

cws: cancer, death of a family member, toxic masculinity, diet talk, fatphobia, homophobia

This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and it ended up being such a disappointment.

I really did not like Ollie and Will together. Ollie gave him the world and was treated horribly in return. I understand what it’s like to not be out yet as I am not out to a lot of friends and family, but Will leading him on in secret and being a complete asshole to him in public wasn’t okay. Also this book had a lot of internalized homophobia which made me really uncomfortable.

Also, the fact that this book is compared to both Grease and Simon Vs is so funny to me because it’s not like either of those in the slightest

I received an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Only Mostly Devastated really sucked me in with the premise that it was going to be a Grease retelling but gay. I don't feel like I fully felt these elements to the story other than the fact that the main relationship had come together during the summer months and they did not know that the main character was actually going to end up staying in the area. Really beyond that I didn't feel any other elements that I could pinpoint as being from Grease. I guess maybe the fact that the girls all wore similar necklaces and the boys all were basketball players were supposed to equate the pink and leather jackets worn in Grease but that's a pretty minor detail in the long run.

Overall though I did actually enjoy the story and gave it a 3.5 star rating. I did not know going into this book about the cancer plot line which was really emotionally hard for me to read but it was done really well. Some of the conversations that happened from that were very spot on with conversations I have known people to have with others as well as thoughts that pop into your head when you have a loved one who has been diagnosed with some form of cancer. If you are considering reading this book but have a hard time with cancer as a plot line do take caution as it is a rather large focal point to this story and if I would have known I may not have picked up this book until a later time.

The conversations throughout the entire book were really well done for all of the harder topics that this book does cover. It tackles coming out, being self-aware of actions and how they might hurt someone even if that was never the intention, cancer, giving and taking in a relationship, and homophobia. I love how you can really see so many different characters developing throughout the story and that the focus isn't just on the main character. The ending to the story was the perfect amount of sweetness with realistic expectations.

I would definitely recommend this book if you are looking for a hard-hitting LGBTQ+ YA Contemporary Romance.

Grease was one of my favourite movies as a kid, so I was so excited to read this retelling. This book broke my heart and put it back together again!

Ollie and Will had a summer romance while Ollie and his family were visiting his sick aunt. When his aunt was still sick after the summer, Ollie’s family ended up moving there to help her family. Ollie started school and mentioned to some new friends that he had a summer fling with Will. What he didn’t know was that Will went to that school, and no one knew he was gay.

This story had great representation. There were gay and bi characters. Some of the characters made comments that they thought were jokes in front of others, who they didn’t realize were gay. The guys who were friends with Will would make jokes about being feminine or liking guys, which just made him more uncomfortable with revealing his true self. At the same time, there were others who were more open and accepting.

I loved this story! I highly recommend it!

Thank you Wednesday Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, so, for a start, I don’t really like the original Grease movie (I admit the songs are pretty great, but… I don’t like the message. Like, you gotta change yourself from head to toe, become a cool sexy girl, and then the boy you’re into will notice you. Finally. Not great.) BUT, this book fixed all the issues the movie had and did it wonderfully.

So, what’s this book about? Ollie and Will had a summer affair. Unfortunately, summer came to an end and they had to say their goodbyes. Except, now Ollie is going to his high school, so everything will be fine, right? Except, Will is actually a closeted douchebag who won’t even acknowledge him in class and is pretending summer didn’t happen.

When I first started this, I was hoping for some kind of easy-reading rom-com perfect to read during my uni finals. And it is, it’s refreshing, it’s hilarious, it’s cute and fluffy and short. But it’s also not. This book deals with many tough themes, such as cancer. Ollie’s aunt has been sick for a while now, and while the story is mostly heartwarming, there are some difficult parts in it. The author managed those happy and sad moments very well, and treated this theme with the respect and awareness it requires. Grieving is hard and seeing someone you love withering more and more each day requires a lot of strength, and death is always confronting and makes you re-think everything in your life. I’ve been through that and the author did a great job explaining that situation while not ever forgetting this book is a rom-com.

Only mostly devastated deals with LGBT+ issues too. Ollie and Will are not the only people here struggling to figure out their sexualities and how to be themselves, our cast of characters is pretty diverse. And it also speaks against how naturalized we have some homophobic comments, how insensible we can be without even realizing, and how that can affect other people. Will’s friends aren’t bad, they’re just immature and ignorant, but that can hurt too. I really appreciated that. It’s really important to think over whether we have ever said something awful without noticing it could hurt somebody, we probably all have, not only about LGBTQ+ stuff, but weight, clothes, hobbies, family. It’s everywhere in the book with big shiny letters: “Think before you speak”. And I couldn’t agree more.

I loved the characters, they felt so human, so real and so teenagers. They’re struggling with all the trouble that comes with being young but also almost an adult. Love, sexual orientations, university applications, upcoming careers, health, friendship, beauty standards. It’s nice to read a book so relatable, so cute and yet, so deep.

Dubbed as Clueless meets "Simon VS the Homo Sapiens Agenda," this is the male/male take on Grease that I never knew I needed!

The inner dialogue of 17yo Ollie is hilarious. Having already been "out" back home, and having to stay longer than expected out East after summer vacation, Ollie is unsure whether to let people in. Well, except for Juliette, Lara, and Niamh. Ollie is floored when he realizes that Will, the boy he spent all some with, also lives in town and goes to the same high school. He knew Will lived in the state, but didn't know where, as they were vacationing at the lake over the summer.

And Will, who was more than comfortable with Ollie over the summer, still has to retain his status as school jock. And his family does not know about his sexuality.

This is a wonderfully diverse cast of characters. Witty and tender. Also heartbreaking, as it deals with cancer and death as a secondary story arc. Bring the tissues.

This book was fantastic. It was a roller coaster of emotions and I loved it. I went in expecting a cute LGBT+ contemporary romance, and I got so much more. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested. (I will add that the following may be triggers for some: internalized homophobia, biphobia, and cancer.)

Thank you NetGalley for the book, awesome read. Didn't take so much time to finally engage the reading...

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Only Mostly Devastated.

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me. I definitely enjoy YA books, but I think I need a bit more of a substantial story to keep me interested. Had I been seventeen, I probably would have enjoyed jumping into another YA world, but as a cranky adult with little patience, I just couldn't hang in this world without the teen drama working my last nerve. This is a long way of saying, in all fairness, that I probably just wasn't the right audience for this read.

Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales is a cute romance about two boys, Ollie, who is out, and Will who is not. The boys shared a summer romance, and Ollie and his family planned on returning home, but when Ollie's aunt's health turns worse, he and his parents stay in North Carolina to help. When Ollie starts his new school, he sees Will and he is excited, but Will is keeping his distance. I will be looking forward to reading more books by this author. I highly recommend this fun young adult romance.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Sophie Gonzales takes the "summer lovin'" idea of Grease and transplants it to North Carolina, and instead of Danny and Sandy, we have Will and Ollie.

When we meet Ollie, he is trying to process two things: Will, the boy he spent the summer with, hasn't been in touch with him in several weeks, and his parents want to move from California to North Carolina to help take care of his cancer-stricken aunt and her family. Ollie has no interest in leaving his friends and life behind, but Will lives near where Ollie will live, and there is always hope they can reconnect. If only Will would text, you know?

Just like what happens when Danny and Sandy reunite, Ollie (finally!) sees Will during a party, and, much like Danny, Will's reaction isn't as happy as Ollie hoped. Will does NOT want anyone at school to question his sexuality, so Ollie's presence causes some issues.

Sophie Gonzales tells this story through Ollie's eyes, letting you feel his helplessness where Will is concerned as well as--and perhaps more emotionally impactful--his aunt. Gonzales doesn't exploit cancer as she reveals Aunt Linda's suffering. Instead, she shows you how cancer infiltrates a family and the ways it destroys them.

As for the romance, you will cheer for Ollie. When he demands more for himself, you will want to high-five him. When he helps a friend through her own romantic crisis, you will wish you'd had someone like him on your side when you were in high school. And when, despite his promises to himself that he will not stand for being treated as less than, he capitulates and allows Will to diminish him, you understand. Ollie is seventeen. He doesn't yet know how to value his own worth.

You will laugh as you read, and you also might find yourself shedding a tear or five. I can't wait to have a couple copies of this book in my high school English classroom because I know students will feel great comfort in finding themselves in Sophie Gonzales's story.

This book is:

A) - Extremely enjoyable
B) - Really cheesy
C) - Frustratingly angsty
D) - Utterly hilarious
E) - Really gay
F) - All of the above

I can already tell some people are going to hate this book. And I can also tell a lot of people are going to love it.

Here's the thing: this book is cheesy af, has some pretty extreme second hand embarrassment, and I'm fairly certain these characters have never heard of the concept of communicating their feelings. By all logic, this book should have annoyed me. My initial reaction when I finished the book was:

"Sometimes you read a book, and you go 'wow this book has a bunch of tropes that I hate and it doesn't do them in any way out of the ordinary and I can just tell some people are going to hate this book but yet somehow I love it anyways'?
Yeah that was this book"

And I'd say that remains 100% accurate.

I already pretty much covered what I didn't like about this book (COMMUNICATION. IS IMPORTANT.), but I also want to touch on a few things that I personally thought were handled well, but think might be slightly controversial, before we dive into what I loved.

One of the main conflicts in the book is that Will pretty much refuses to even be seen talking to Ollie because he's terrified of people realizing he's queer, and Ollie is, well, not a huge fan of Will avoiding him. Personally I thought it was handled with sensitivity. Ollie is mad that Will is being a dick, not that Will isn't ready to be out. That said, there were certainly points in this book where I was dubious of the direction it was taking. I want to clarify, I don't think it did take that direction, and I don't think Will was in any way shamed for being closeted, but I think some people will disagree, and it's good to go into this with some level of awareness.

Now enough of that, onto what I loved about this book.

First and foremost what made this book really stand out to me was the voice. This book is written in a very snarky, sarcastic tone, and it was absolutely delightful. I found myself laughing out loud constantly while reading this book.

I also absolutely adored the characters. Ollie was so charming and precious and I just absolutely adore him. Will was a dickhead on more than a few occasions, but I also found myself completely in love with this soft boy.

The side characters also all had so much life. This was a very well fleshed out cast of characters, with flaws and nuances in every single character we meet. Also I just want to appreciate how freaking CUTE Ollie's cousins are!!

I also absolutely love the relationships in this book. From romance to friendship to familial relationships, we had so many messy but beautiful relationships, and it warms my heart.

I totally loved this! From the beginning I was hooked. I love how this is not a traditional rom com. The fact that this is a YA book, but also LGBT was great! I was getting a lot of Red, White, and Royal Blue vibes from the characters and even the writing style. I loved Oliver’s character from the very beginning. This is a quick and cute read. I love the flirty boy drama that this is full of. Gonzales makes the writing very engaging and all of the characters are actually likable. Even Will is extremely likable. This was like a modern day realistic Grease instead of like 30 year old people playing teens. Loved it!