Can I just say I love this cover?

This was a fun read with rep. However, it felt too juvenile and the lack of development made it slow. Still, a great read.

This book was honestly one of my favorite reads of this month! Both the internal and external conflict that Maggie faced throughout the book was very engaging and interesting to see. I instantly loved all of the potential love interests, and the whole book kept me switching between who i really wanted Maggie to end up with in the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 3.5/5 stars.

I enjoyed it, especially as the bisexuality POV is still rather new in YA literature, and I loved how this novel addresses both the biphobia within society and also the homophobia within Latinx culture that can be present. Maggie is a likable protagonist, and I liked her group of friends. I like how the novel’s plot deals with Maggie discovering who she likes, but it also has a heavy emphasis on her discovering herself as well.

The idea of the project to fuel the plot was interesting. I liked the captions Maggie would put with each photo and how it incorporated her passion for photography, but the idea that a teacher would even allow that is astonishing. I also just can’t get over how the project was revealed to Amanda, Matthew, and Dani.

The redemption and growth Maggie has is refreshing to read in YA, and this felt very realistic and easily relatable to YA readers, especially those of Hispanic and/or Latinx culture, along with Catholicism. Maggie’s family also adds to the story, and I loved the female bonds and sisterly relationship there was. I just think some of the plot at some points seemed too much and it was way too descriptive at some points…and some of the chapters were SO long.

TW: mentioned police shooting, mentioned toxic relationship

I wasn't really sure what I was getting into with this book, so some of the plot caught me off guard. The general concept of this book reminds me a lot of an otome/dating sim, and in fact the writing style itself also reminded me of indie dating sims. This wasn't a plot I could get that invested in, particularly because none of the characters felt all that fleshed out, and not that interesting beyond their stereotypical roles.

I will say, however, that it had good rep. I think there are going to be a lot of readers relating to this book and what Maggie goes through. I think specifically that fans of Felix Ever After will like this story.

But I couldn't get into it. Due to not being able to get invested even a book this short felt long, and without the plot points and obstacles having much drama things wore on- and, even worse, the ending made no real sense. In order to be that melodramatic about things, Maggie's digressions should have been a lot worse, or the fallout should have been done differently. It felt kind of ridiculous.

I also just didn't care or like Maggie. Particularly because of her reaction to Amanda in a pivotal part, placing blame on her and acting like she was a liar when she told her exactly what she was doing from the start.

Overall, this plot was too thin for me to get hooks into and everyone felt so surface level I couldn't even place stock in any of the 3 potential relationships. I think some younger readers, especially those in Maggie's demographics, will enjoy this story for what it is- a simple plot, and a lot of rep.

I really enjoyed this book. The normalizing of bisexuality has a ways to go, however, if I had read this book when I was in junior high I likely would be kinder with myself.

I went into this book expecting a cliche, overdone, boring YA romance novel. Instead it ended up being a super sweet book that was really fun to read.

Some of the writing was gorgeous and romantic, and I loved the characters. Maggie was realistic and fun to read, and I really loved how she grew as a person throughout the story. I loved the representation in this book, and how there was no tragic coming out story, it was just a romance story that starred a queer girl.

I absolutely loved how the ending didn’t completely rely on miscommunication either, Maggie did something that hurt Dani, and they took some time before talking about it. Also Dani’s grand gesture was such a good way to end the story, as Maggie’s date was one of the main conflicts of the story.

Also I loved the inclusion of an unofficial epilogue, it was such a sweet conclusion for a sweet book.

Overall, I loved this book. It was sweet, fun to read, and the characters and the plotline were so well written and developed.

Thank you to the publishers for providing this ARC!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Just Your Local Bisexual Disaster is the perfect title that encompasses this book to a tee. It’s a fine line to walk to depict a messy bisexual without it devolving into negative stereotypes, and Andrea Mosqueda does so relatively well.
I really like the complexity of Maggie as a character and that of the bonds she shares with her friend group. Exploring the gray areas between friendship and “more” are complex, and I loved the way all of the messiness was delved into. I love that there was little to no strong sense of competition or jealousy, but a lot of exploring and questioning. She reflects on having feelings for her best friend Amanda, who is straight, and Amanda questions how she felt. Matthew, her ex, clearly has some feelings for her, but they just have a generally non-toxic bond, although he’s the one I liked for Maggiethe least romantically. And I loved the growing romantic bond that Maggie develops with Dani.
I did feel like the pacing and prose felt a bit rough in certain areas, and I was taken out of the story at points. However, as a debut novel, it is more or less engaging otherwise.
This is a charming debut, and I’m definitely curious to keep up with Mosqueda to see what she writes next. If you’re looking for a YA contemporary with well-written messy queer rep, I suggest checking out this one.

This is mostly definitely going to be one of my favorites of the year. I can't believe how at home I felt reading this!! I loved all the characters and how much they reflected the people I grew up with and that are still in my life, while also giving me a glimpse of the relationships I'd love to have in the future - the trust, the vulnerability, the boundaries, everything. I wasn't sure what I expected to feel when I read this book but it definitely blew me away. So much creativity and love everywhere

Maggie has always been fine with being a little messy, but her little sister’s upcoming quinceañera is forcing her to face some hard truths about what comes next. Looking for a date to the quinceañera, Maggie is torn between her best friend/first crush Amanda, her flirtatious ex-boyfriend Matthew, and new girl in town Dani. Her romantic uncertainty forces Maggie to confront bigger questions about her future — and what they mean for her loved ones.

There's something so lovely about seeing chaotic, messy, queer teen characters. We're so rarely introduced to characters like Maggie, and even less often get to see them be the star of the story and find a happy ending. Maggie is endearingly imperfect, and I think the fact that young people can see their experiences mirrored in her is absolutely magical.

Thank you to Feiwel and Friends and NetGalley for this eArc of Just Your Local Bisexual Disaster. All opinions are my own.

(4.5 Stars)

So I have to say, I was a little nonchalant about this book. The title was cute, the cover art was rad, and I liked the description of the plot. But Andrea Mosqueda threw me a curve ball and made me absolutely fall in love with the protagonist, Maggie Gonzalez (title bisexual disaster) and her entire family—her two sisters, Veronica and Alyssa, and their widowed mother. The descriptions of growing up in the Rio Grade Valley, a place I'd never heard of and only seen pictures of (plus heard about on the news because of the Mexican-American border, of course) truly brought this place, the culture, and the people to life for me.

Maggie Gonzalez is stuck crushing on her ex-boyfriend, her forever best friend, and the new girl at school. All the while, her littlest sister Alyssa is putting pressure on Maggie to find an escort for her impending quince. What does Maggie do? Turn to her art, of course—photography—and process her feelings for these three important people in her life through her shutter and her lens.

I'm not going to lie: this main character made some bad decisions. She hurt some people. Her life is unsettled, messy, and imperfect. But that's what makes Maggie such a believable and relatable character. Even if you're long past adolescence, everyone can find something to relate to in Maggie's journey to figuring out how to be in this world, who to love, and how to do it.

I love the characterization in this book—especially of Maggie's sisters. They were such important bookends to Maggie's meandering and noncommittal attitude, and their support of her, regardless of how badly she missteps, was heartwarming.

2.5 stars

I saw this title and *knew* I would love this book. That's why it's so surprising that I just could never get into it...and I tried HARD. Maggie deserves better.

Maggie, the m.c., is - as the title suggests - bisexual and somewhat of a disaster (though not that bad for her age), and though she's living in a place that is doing a better job of showing its backward attitudes toward humanity even more lately, she's fortunate to be surrounded by a relatively supportive group of family and friends. Her sister's quince is a fun backdrop because of these relationships.

There are few things I dread more than a less-than-stellar review, particularly for a YA novel with an intersectionally diverse main character, but I struggled here. Everything takes forever. There is so much thinking and processing and language to say the simplest stuff. At times, I thought I could skip several chapters and lose no important information at all. To be clear, I didn't do this, but I wanted to badly throughout the read. Having completed the read, I unfortunately feel like that assumption was correct.

The ingredients for greatness are here, but there's too much filler diluting the substance. Maggie is that rare bi character who demonstrates actual interest in multiple partners of distinct genders, and there is so much opportunity for a complex and meaningful dive into her character, but it just does not come together. I will recommend this one to students with some caveats because of some of the specific boxes it checks, but tighter editing here, please.

Just Your Local Bisexual Disaster will touch your heart in more ways than one. I felt seen, I felt represented, and I felt touched on every single page of this book. Andrea Mosqueda took my heart and broke it into a thousand pieces, and then stitched them all back together. If there was one book I would die for, it would be Just Your Local Bisexual Disaster.

I’m trying to be better at DNFing books that don’t hook me in the first 50 pages, and this was one of them. Mainly requested because the cover is gorgeous, but the actual premise didn’t intrigue me all that much. The writing style wasn’tfor me and the characters didn’t click for me

3.5 stars rounded up.

Okay, first of all, the title. Immaculate, perfection. As a bisexual disaster myself, deeply relatable.

That said, I thought this was a touching, messy, emotional coming of age story. Some people are going to say it's trying too hard, but honestly I loved that. Maggie is getting close to applying for college, sandwiched between her older sister and younger sister, who is prepping for her quince. Maggie needs an escort for her sister's quince, but unfortunately, she's a little bit torn between three love interests: her ex boyfriend Matthew, her (ostensibly straight) best friend Amanda, and a new girl to their friend group Dani. She's questioning her choice to apply to schools in New York, rather than stay with her family in Texas, and trying to navigate the last years of high school.

I REALLY appreciated that this book doesn't center on Maggie coming out or dealing with the biphobia of family. Her family knows she's bi and is the most accepting. I think coming out narratives are good to see represented, but I also am personally a little burnt out on them and love seeing an accepting, loving family. This is symbolic of Maggie's relationship with her whole family, which I found extremely touching and I really enjoyed spending time with them. Maggie's father was killed by border patrol when she was pretty young, so it's just her sisters and her mom, and they're all quite close. They have a birthday ritual, where the two other sisters crawl into the birthday girl's bed, cuddle up together, and the oldest sister shares her memories of the day the birthday girl was born. Just beautiful.

When it came to the love quadrangle, I could take it or leave it. It's super angsty, which is not really my thing and not unexpected, because it's pretty expected for teenagers. I definitely had a crush on more than three people at a time, so that pull that Maggie is feeling between multiple people doesn't seem overwrought or unrealistic to me. Based on my experience with a teenage sister, they actually talk quite like teens do as well, which is always a hard balance to find. Most of all, I LOVED the communication that Maggie exhibits when it comes to discussing her thoughts and feelings. It felt very mature. The pacing in the end felt a little bit off to me, and I wish there had been a little bit more weight put there, but that's my biggest complaint.

Most of all, I'm grateful to this book for reminding me that it's okay to be messy. Who doesn't need to be reminded of that every once in a while?

CW: death of a parent, police brutality, internalized biphobia, drug use, queerbaiting

thank you netgalley for giving me an arc of this book!

while the title and cover of just your local bisexual disaster drew me in, i was certainly left disappointed.

this book was ... kinda a mess tbh? the vibes were amazing at first, and i loved all side characters but as the story progressed it felt dragging and the 10 pop-culture references in every other page was so annoying (coming from someone who actually likes them)

i was glad the mc realized a few things by the end (i.e the relationships she could never have again, her boundaries, and her mistakes) but the ending left me wishing it was tied in 100 pages less drama.

While this Just Your Local Bisexual Disaster was full of really great queer representation, it was messy, nonlinear, and heartwarming all the same time, it was far too long. In the beginning, I was emotionally invested in Maggie’s journey to choose a date for her sister's quinceanera, but by halfway through the book I was bored. There were multiple times that I thought the book was coming to an end only to find out that there were still upwards of 100 pages left. On a similar note, the number of different storylines made it difficult for me to get to know any of the characters on a deeper level. A couple of the storylines felt unresolved (the weirdness of Matthew’s relationship, with Samantha’s boyfriend), which was frustrating given the length of the book. Because it took so long for the romance to come to a head, I was not as excited as I thought I was going to be. It felt like a game of tag that never ended, and eventually, I got tired. That being said, I love the messy queer representation that this book brought to the YA scene. Maggie was the perfect protagonist because she wasn’t perfect. Her relationships all felt realistic because they were created with the idea that teenagers are messy people! Mosqueda also did an amazing job integrating GenZ slang into her writing; it felt natural and was really accurate (as a member of Gen Z myself!). Overall, the idea of this book was amazing, and I think a lot of young queer people could really benefit from reading this book….if it was half the length.

This is a charming debut about Maggie, a bisexual teen living in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, as she tries to figure out her future in terms of college and love. Mosqueda's novel succeeds most when it's talking about family, friendship, and community--I found those elements far more engaging than the romance plot, in which Maggie tries to choose between ex-boyfriend Matthew, former crush and best friend Amanda, and new girl at school, Dani. To me, the direction felt pretty clear from the start, and the plot about Amanda's homophobic queerbaiting felt honestly under-discussed towards the end (though Maggie did confront her, I wished it had been given more weight). A 'getting mad about a secret' plot is never my favorite, so this one definitely could be just me, but I wasn't entirely invested in the third act plot in which Maggie's friends become angry that she has been photoblogging about them for an art project (though one character's discussion of how they wanted to be chosen for themselves as opposed to as one off a list felt more authentic). The protestations that a private Instagram was 'public on the internet' felt a bit more like an adult's view of online culture than a teen's--wouldn't they be more angry that the private link was sent to a teacher they all actually knew? But alas, I grew up in the age of Livejournal, so maybe I'm just as old and out of touch as that felt.

Overall, though, this is a cute novel, great for representation (though I could have done without all the times Maggie referenced the 'slutty bisexual' trope in order to dismiss it).

Rating: 2.5

Unfortunately, I did something that I don't usually do and decided to DNF this book. While I was immediately attracted to the title and storyline, the actual written story was lacking and the characters didn't carry any depth. As someone who gets hooked to a book based on character growth, development, and individuality - I did not feel that in this one. After reading for a good chunk, I realized that I would rather be reading anything else. Another aspect that I am taking into consideration is perhaps this book is not the best fit for what I generally like. While I tend to love YA - I have found that I am drawn to older YA rather than teen YA. This to me feels very teen YA and so not the best fit. Based on other ratings, it seems that there are many others who love this book and I hope that there are many more who do!

Just Your Local Bisexual Disaster, by Andrea Mosqueda, follows Maggie Gonzalez, a bisexual girl who has to pick a date for her sister's quinceñera, but is torn as she finds herself having feelings for three of her friends- Matthew (her ex-boyfriend), Amanda (her best friend), and Dani (the new, mysterious girl in the friend group). Throughout the book, she struggles to sort through her feelings for all through of them through a photography project for her art class.

I did really like Maggie as a protagonist. She was relatable (most of the time), even if she made so many bad decisions that it was a little painful to read sometimes. In addition to her indecision over her various crushes, she's also worrying about her future; she's a junior in high school, and had long been telling people that she wants to go to NYU for college, but now is doubting that dream due to the cost and the distance from home. She's particularly concerned with how this will affect her relationship with her best friend, Amanda, whose dream school is Columbia, and for whom New York is a shared dream for the pair of them. Maggie loves photography, and wants to be a touring band photographer for a career, which was honestly one of the more interesting aspects of her character.

Frankly, I couldn't get myself invested in the various love interests. If there were any that I shipped with Maggie, it would have to be Amanda, who has easily the most developed and interesting personality. Matthew's main personality traits are daddy issues and a temper, while Dani is just a walking queer girl stereotype with no real personality. If I'd liked the love interests more, the love square wouldn't have wore on me as much, but I really just couldn't see what Maggie saw in any of them.

I did really enjoy Maggie's relationship with her family; her mother and sisters are easily the most interesting secondary characters in the book, but they don't get as much development and page time as I would have hoped. I'd honestly be interested in reading a separate book about either of the sisters.

It's been a few weeks since I finished the book, and I'm still not really sure how I feel about the bisexuality rep in it. On the one hand, I appreciate all of the other characters' easy acceptance of it. I really enjoyed the way that the book discusses the way the aspect of the straight girl/queer girl friendship dynamic where the straight girl can often seem to be flirting with the queer girl, and how that's something that both parties need to be aware of. I'm not wording it terribly well, but it is something that I very rarely see being discussed in books, so that was very much appreciated on my part.

On the other hand, I don't love the idea of the book perpetuating the idea that being torn between three people is some sort of unique bisexual thing, since it felt to me like it was perpetuating the idea that all bi people are sluts; there are hundreds of books featuring straight girls torn between more than one guy, so why does the fact that this girl happens to be bisexual make it a bi thing? Additionally, it had a very stereotyped view of queer culture. It felt like basically every aspect of Maggie and Dani's personalities revolved around a very uniform view of lesbian culture, which I didn't love (again with the perpetuating stereotypes thing).

Overall, I did enjoy Just Your Local Bisexual Disaster. I really appreciated the casual bisexual representation, and the story itself is fun and engaging; it's mostly just in the character dynamics that I found myself not enjoying the book. Overall, I'm giving it 4 stars, and would recommend it to any fan of contemporary YA books whose looking for some queer rep or complicated love-square dynamics.

This book perfectly speaks to messy teenage romance and feelings, and navigating friendship and romance, especially when the person you think you like is also your best friend. Maggie is such a fantastic protagonist, and I loved being a part of her journey of figuring out who she likes and wants to take to her sister’s Quince.

Maggie’s younger sister is getting ready for her quinceñera and as one of her damas, Maggie needs to figure out who she wants to take as her date. Her ex-boyfriend-returned-to-friend Matthew seems to be sending her mixed, confused signals on whether he likes her and wants to try again, further complicated by the fact he’s got a new girlfriend. Her best friend was one of her first crushes that she thinks she’s moved on from because Amanda is straight, but what if the touches and hugs between them mean more than Maggie initially thinks? And then there’s Dani, a girl who just moved to town and has her own baggage with past relationships and less-than-stellar reactions to work through. In order to figure out who Maggie actually likes, she decides for her art project to do a series of photographs on a private finsta with captions to navigate her emotions in a way she’s used to understanding the world.

This book is truly such a delight and gave me so many feelings while reading it. I related very much to Maggie working through her feelings and trying to figure out whether her feelings for her best friend are platonic or romantic. The complicated, messy friendships were so relatable and such a highlight of this book. I also loved Maggie’s relationships with her sisters Veronica and Alyssa, as well her mom and Veronica’s boyfriend CJ. Seeing all the different relationships and how much love there is for family and community was so well balanced and perfectly told this story. I truly just loved this book and cannot wait for more people to fall in love with Maggie’s journey.

(Full review will be posted at links May 20, 2022)