I really loved the book and the author's writing and think it's wonderful YA but it is more than that in how it questions how we love and how we deal with what we feel. Emotional regulation and maturity.
It felt like taking a peek at my reflection and not liking what I see.I'm glad younger people will have this book as a lifeline and Ophelia as a messy role model. It has really great thoughts about love and romanticizing things and queerness. All these characters go through such length of character development like...do you fancy emotional intelligence whereas i'm still stuck in my ophelia-lashing-out phase.
I can't believe what an honest and raw YA book it was...like it never shy away from the difficult writing choices but use it as a step for the characters

Ophelia After All is a queer-based book about discovering yourself during her senior year of high school. The narrator Ophelia discovers her sexuality. Though at first, it wasn't the main concern. The cast of characters was very diverse and followed many different nationalities as well as sexualities. This book is NOT a romance so don't expect a romance to be the main plot of the book. Although you should definitely read this book. Thank you Net-Galley for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review. I rate this book five stars.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own!

I wish this would've been published when I was in high school. As someone who struggled with identifying her sexuality, I resonated with Ophelia. Racquel Marie penned a novel that truly can transcend just written word and embed into your heart. This is so sweet. It's a love letter to being true to yourself, even when it's uncomfortable!

I loved Racquel's voice and prose. This novel flowed so well and I couldn't put it down. Ophelia and her friends felt like my friends. I truly felt like I was there with them! What a beautiful story! I absolutely loved this!

I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review, and when I requested it on NetGalley all I saw was a pretty cover. From the description I thought it was leaning towards a LGBTQ teen romcom, it wasn’t really, but it was so much more than that. Ophelia’s voice as narrator of the story is at times chaotic, just like any questioning teenagers would be. This book reminded of all the times I looked at another girl in the hallway in high school without realizing what it meant. The subconscious brushing off of my gayness every time the thought occurred to me for years, the struggle of figuring how to reconcile that part of you with who you have always been.

Ophelia After All is a truly diverse book. Every character’s story feels equally as important and fleshed out. Ophelia may be the narrator but the roles her group plays in each other’s lives is a perfect depiction of high school relationships. How your friends at that strange, fragile, point in your life can shape you even knowing they won’t be your best friends forever.

so adorable! love the lgbt rep and subplots. not a huge fan of love triangles but i think it worked well here for Lindsay

I’ve followed Racquel on social media for years, as she worked on this book in various stages, so it’s exciting to see Ophelia After All as a finished book. Not only that, it’s an amazing book from cover to cover, simultaneously a lighthearted, refreshing story that makes you smile and an emotional, impactful one that will undoubtedly make so many teens feel seen.

I loved Ophelia and all of her friends. They’re a bunch of flawed teens doing their best to cope with all the ways their lives are about to change as high school graduation approaches, yet each one also felt well-rounded and genuine. I would’ve loved hanging out with a group like this when I was in high school.

When I started reading, I thought this book featured a sapphic romance. That’s not the case. Instead of romance, the story focuses on self-discovery, and the realization that there’s more to life than what happens in high school, no matter how all-encompassing those things seem. Despite my misconceptions, I still liked the book, and ultimately, I think this was the right choice to make.

If I had one complaint, it would be that I would’ve liked just a little bit more from the ending. Specifically, I wish we’d gotten to see prom night, since a decent amount of the book involves the group discussing and planning for it. Don’t get me wrong, the ending wraps everything up nicely and is quite satisfying, but still.

Overall, though, I thoroughly enjoyed and would definitely recommend Ophelia After All. It’s a brilliant debut across the board, and I can’t wait to see what Racquel does next.

[4.5 stars]

If high school and all of the bullshit that comes with it wear you out, this book isn't for you but for those who love to spill the tea and learn who's with who, this novel will deliver. Ophelia is easily one of the most relatable high school characters I've ever read. She is that balance of annoying, self-centered, immature, wise beyond her years, intelligent, and charming. The beginning of this novel felt so much like high school it was surreal but once I was hooked and fully emerged in Ophelia's life, it all felt real. Ophelia is everything to me as a queer person who was only really beginning to figure themselves out when I was her age. She will not represent every young queer experience but for me she was exactly what I needed when I was 16.
Romance, drama, homework, prom, and roses are the basics of this novel but they culminate to create an unforgettable tale of a young women learning she isn't heterosexual while trying to get through the last couple of months of high school alive. I've never been one for coming of age tales, but Ophelia's is the one I have fallen in love with. She is flawed like every other high senior and I wouldn't have her any other way. Please read this if you love roses, romance, figuring yourself out, and some of the most genuine high school depictions in fiction.

A wonderful and emotional coming of age LGBTGQ story. This is a great read for anyone, but especially teens struggling to find out who they really are. They will relate with this story, and grow to love these characters. It is a bit of a slow burn, but stick with it! Every word had its purpose and will lead to a heartfelt message.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this e-ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

this one is a slow burn, taking a bit of time to find the real meat of the story, but once it gets there, it is a fantastic exploration of newly-discovered queerness and the special kind of family one can find with their friends. the cast of characters in this book is superb, every single one with a distinct voice and personality, and i loved them all dearly. i loved how ophelias journey was handled with grace, while allowing her to act a little ugly at times. she is a teenager, and it’s very apparent, which i mean in the best way. this is such a lovely story, and i really enjoyed where the author took this, which wasn’t what i expected but was truly a perfect ending.

taylor swift vibe: it’s nice to have a friend

recommended for: anyone who wants to read a really lovely exploration about a teenager discovering her queerness during a time when she is facing huge life changes.

“Being queer is hard enough. Don’t lock yourself out of all of this just because you’re scared you won’t fit in the keyhole, without even trying.”

I love the narrative voice of this novel, I usually don’t read YA contemporaries because I find myself losing interest, but the way this is written feels reflective and is paced beautifully.I felt genuinely frustrated for ophelia at times, knowing exactly what she was going through and I think any queer person, out of the closet or not, can relate to this book. I loved seeing the different kinds of queer representation in this book!! Thank you to NetGalley for an copy in exchange for an honest review.
TW’s: homophobia ( multiple mentions, within family groups)

Ophelia After All is an entertaining and compelling read with a cast full of diverse characters that move the story along in an interesting way. It felt like a very realistic portrayal of struggling with a new identity and facing rejection. Ophelia is a flawed character that learns to grow and accept herself. I especially liked how she changes her perspective on romantic relationships and romance as a whole. My favorite relationship in the book was between Ophelia and Wesley. They had an interesting dynamic that felt refreshing in a story focused on romantic relationships. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

From the very first page I knew this book would be special. I was completely enthralled by Ophelia’s cataract we and her journey. While reading this I couldn’t help but think about myself as a questioning teen and how good it would’ve been for me to read a book in which the main character is experiencing these feelings for the first time.

Ophelia After All poses the question of “who am I if I don’t meet everyone’s expectations of me?” It makes the reader ponder about being the version of yourself that you think others like or being true to yourself even if those expectations aren’t met.

Questioning can be such a vulnerable experience. I enjoyed the effort and care taken to depict questioning in all its facets and messiness. One of the aspects of OAA that I loved was the cast of secondary characters. They were all amazing and fleshed out. They felt realistic and I can’t remember another time in which secondary characters were that vivid.

If you love Queer YA contemporaries, stories with rich characters, stories about prom, high school, meeting expectations, literary theory, roses then this is for you! Honestly everyone should read this!! Racquel Marie quickly became an auto-buy author and I cannot wait for what’s to come

4.5/5 stars

Racquel Marie's OPHELIA AFTER ALL is a coming-of-age YA contemporary novel about what happens when seventeen-year-old Cuban-American Ophelia Rojas, known by her friends and family for obsessively tending to her rose garden and crushing on a revolving door of boys, suddenly finds herself falling for a girl instead.

This novel is so sweet and cute. There aren't enough YA coming-of-age coming-out stories revolving around figuring out one's sexuality, especially from POV characters who are women, and this is something Ophelia After All does an amazing job at. The characters feel super real, even when their drama can become a little repetitive or exceedingly petty (a love triangle that Ophelia isn't a part of and only observes from a distance takes up a large part of the subplot), and there is LGBTQ+ rep (specifically bisexual, pansexual, aromantic, biromantic asexual, and questioning side characters with a queer main character) that is well-done and surprisingly sweet. (Wes is my beloved cinnamon roll sunshine boy.) One thing that I think is important to note is that this book is NOT a romance. It does not follow the conventions of YA romance novels, but it slots very nicely into the YA contemporary genre.

Overall, this was a super cute and fun read. I love the cover as well, and I'm super excited to read whatever Marie releases next.

What a lovely, painful story about discovering who you are and taking on change.

Ophelia and her friends were a group of teens on the brink of something new. A wave of change was headed their way and they all seemed to struggle accepting it. I remember exactly what it felt like being a high school senior, loving my school and my friends, finding my groove and then having to prepare myself to say goodbye to it all.

This is a story of discovery and acceptance and boy oh boy does it make you FEEL.

Proud of all my little chickadees.

Two side notes? I really didn’t like Lindsey AT ALL, and i wish we saw more of Zaq. He seemed very cool.

4.5/5***

*Thank you to netgalley, the author and publisher for an advance e-copy of this book*

When i had heard that this book was coming out, i knew that this was on my most anticipated reads for the year. I was definitely surprised and grateful for when i received this copy thinking i didn’t think I’d be able to get one so soon. How so ever on to my review….

We’ve all been there or are experiencing that moment in our lives when it’s senior year, everyone has plans for after graduation or figuring things out still. Ophelia and her group of friends set that example. As the story goes, not only she’s navigating the never ending of the school year and the upcoming prom, but she also tries to navigate as her crush on a girl, Talia as Ophelia tries to figure out who is she as to whether she likes girls or still her boy crazy self, not to mention who she is and wants to be.

With her loving parents and her circle of friends all who have their own ways of identifying themselves, this coming of age story will make you laugh and tug as your heart with family moments and have an open mind. I couldn’t recommend this book enough to anyone who feels that their struggling or needs a good feel read.

CW: mentions of homophobia, mentions of underage drinking, mixed race in family

i had high expectations for this book and somehow it exceeded them!!! i loved this so much! i'm so, so emotional now, rtc soon

thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book for an honest review.

I do have a soft spot for coming of age stories and Ophelia’s didn’t disappoint. I love how easy it was to learn from and relate with her struggle with her identity and her, at times strained, relationship with her friends and parents. We’ve all had moments like Ophelia experienced in one way or another and it was great to see it written in a way that didn’t discredit what she was going through.

I loved to see so much diversity and representation within this story in relation to heritage, race, size, and queer identity. I wish there were more books like this when I was growing up and am excited for a generation of readers who will see themselves reflected in this story.

Ophelia After All by Racquel Marie is a queer coming-of-age story set at the end of Ophelia’s senior year of high school. As Ophelia and her friends prepare for prom and graduation Ophelia is convinced she has everything figured out, however, new tensions in her friend group and growing thoughts about fellow classmate Talia shake her beliefs. As one of my most anticipated books of 2022, it exceeded my expectations and might be one of my favorite YA coming-of-age types books I have read.

One thing I loved about Ophelia After All was the cast of characters from Ophelia’s friends to her parents. I adored Ophelia’s friends and wish I could have had more friends like them growing up. (Special shout out to Wesley!! I ❤️ you!! ) Additionally, as someone who is super close to my parents, I loved seeing Ophelia’s own closeness with her parents and how their relationship evolved over the course of the story.

Another thing I loved about this story was how relatable it was. Not only can I relate to Ophelia’s relationship with her parents, I found myself reflecting back on my own high school experience. I can still remember my own fears and confusion about what growing up meant as I was about to graduate high school. Now I am about to enter another transitional point in my life and it was very comforting to be reminded no one has everything figured out and it is ok to mess up and make mistakes.

Ophelia After All features lots of exploration of identity, friendship, and love with a dash of Shakespeare and roses. Be sure to check it out when it comes out tomorrow 2/8!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

(cw: homophobia, racism, mentions of underage drinking and vaping, mentions of sex)

I didn't know what to expect going into Ophelia After All. Contemporary YA books are not normally what I choose to reach for on my shelf. But the cover is gorgeous and the synopsis is promising so I decided to give it a go. I'm happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised by this story.

The story follows Ophelia, your typical "boy-crazy" senior in high school and her friends as they are getting ready for prom, graduation, and everything that comes after. Ophelia has always wanted the fairytale prom experience- a beautiful dress, a handsome date, the promposal with the perfect Instagram worthy pics taken after. However once she begins to feel attraction to her new friend Talia she becomes confused. Her constantly crushing on boys is the one thing she knows has always been her "thing." It's what people know her for- aside from her rose garden. She worries that if she begins having crushes on people outside of boys that everything in her life will change. As she gets to know Talia and her friends better she learns about the LGBTQ+ community and how sexuality is a spectrum. And maybe she doesn't have to stick to just one label if it doesn't feel right for her.

The characters in this story are just phenomenal. The representation of LGBTQ+ characters of all different identities is so important. I wish this story had been available for me to read in late middle school or early high school. The author writes the friend group in this story so well. They remind me so much of friendships I saw and had in high school. Messy and fun and complicated. They fight and yell at each other and yet recognize each others faults and remember why they became friends in the first place. I love that Ophelia has male best friends without the expectation (at least not beyond teasing) that she will date them.

This was such a fun read and it was so nice to read outside of what I normally pick up. I highly highly recommend this book. It's a lovely coming of age story that is fun to read but also makes you feel things.

5 Stars

I loved the writing so much. I loved the story so much. Beautiful writing and a beautiful story!

Thanks to Macmillan and NetGalley for providing me a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.