As far as I'm concerned Becky can do no wrong. I expected to relate to this like I did with Imogen, Obviously. But I think books that have a lot of social media stars in any capacity doesn't interest me. Her writing is still there so I know it's for someone.

if no one got me, i know becky albertalli got me 🤝

after adoring imogen, i was very excited for amelia, and boy howdy was i not let down. this book feels like a love letter to fans and fandom while also being a very meta critique on things that becky herself has dealt with (sexuality speculation and pressure to come out). oh, and let’s not forget the amazing bi representation. the crossover with imogen characters was so lovely, while these characters definitely held their own. a wonderful and adorable YA romance that i will recommend to anyone who’s a fan of anything internet fandom.

Let's start with a confession: starting off, I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy this. I thought it was all painfully cringy, which I'm typically not easily bothered by, but it was almost too much for me here. Almost, because once I'd gotten properly invested in Amelia and the story, it didn't bother me at all anymore. It was so worth sticking with it, because this book became better and better the longer it went on. At first Amelia as a main character had to grow on me a little, but I ended up so endeared by her, and she's just hilarious. I also loved the small nods to Kiss & Tell by Adib Khorram and If This Gets Out by Cale Dietrich and Sophie Gonzales, and the larger nod to Imogen Obviously. I feel terrible for doubting Becky Albertalli initially, because she totally came through, of course she did, with another wonderful read full of amazingly loveable characters.

Becky Albertalli has come a long way since Love, Simon, and for a long times has had the market cornered on queer YA stories, getting more and more refined in her focus on queer coming of age narratives. My favorite so far was Imogen, Obviously which was a much needed take on queer gatekeeping and late bloomers. Needless to say, I was psyched to get an ARC for this one. But man, I kept not being able to stick to this. Perhaps it's the state of the world around me and the bleak mood, but it's difficult to feel plugged into teenage hijinks and fan cultures and the POV of a VERY chaotic mind. But then I realized that what's ALSO not working for me is the suspension of disbelief at the references being made by the MC, decidedly Gen Z or younger, referring to aging millennial culture. So even when I COULD go along for the ride, this disconnect yanked me out of the narrative. I'm officially gonna wait for her adult romances if/when she decides to start writing them.

I loved jumping into Amelia's life and getting to know her and her friends. The internet posts didn't work so well for me, but they didn't take away from the story at all. I enjoyed returning to some places and characters from Imogen, Obviously. I'd love to read more about Walter!

Oof. I have always at very least “liked” Becky Albertalli’s books and I think she is a great human.
This book though. This was the book that crossed the line into the “hello fellow kids” zone of YA. The dialogue was intolerable and I have teenage daughters. They do not talk like this. The plot was… fine. Predictable.. although I didn’t quite understand the purpose of the parasocial crush and why it was such a huge plot point. I honestly couldn’t wait to finish this book.

Rating: 2.5 ⭐

When I saw Becky Albertalli was coming out with another sapphic romance, I was HYPE! I really enjoyed Imogen, Obviously so I knew getting my hands on this was a no brainer. The thing is my excitement started dwindling away. As I kept reading I kept saying, Becky what happened?! I was expecting cute sapphic romance, instead I got a slow burn that didn't burn at all. Everything played out in a weird way. I just didn't feel the connection or the romance between Amelia and the people she liked. I did like how she touched on parasocial relationships. I think she did that well, especially since we live in a very influencer world now. I got to be with Imogen and Tessa again, at least there's that.

Loved this book so much! The parasocial relationship was a bit much at points, but the characters were so lovable, it worked.

When I read this, like I did enjoy it. It was a fun read and it reminded me so much of when I was obsessed with youtubers. I just didn't like the conflict a bit, but overall entertaining.

*Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review and to LibroFM for the gifted ALC*

Becky Albertalli's books just feel so good! I loved all of the LGBTQIA+ rep and honestly wish I'd had these books when I was younger. The commentary on parasocial relationships and social media was so great, especially with the interstitials between chapters. I spent most of the audiobook screaming "YOU HAVE A CRUSH ON HER!!" because it was so obvious to me, oh to be young.

I absolutely need to go back and read Imogen, Obviously because the little Easter eggs were everything. But even without having read its predecessor, Amelia, If Only stands on its own.

High school senior Amelia has had a celebrity crush on YouTuber Walter Holland forever, so much so that she invites him to her prom. When she hears that he is coming to a university nearby, she is the total fangirl about it. Skip to the other part of the story where Amelia's best friend, Nat, has been in and out of relationships and Amelia is bothered by them every time. Readers can see where this is headed from the beginning of the book, but it still made for a sweet read. Loved the cameo by Imogen and company from "Imogen Obviously". This wasn't my favorite book by Albertalli, but still recommended for high school and up.

This book is a solid 3.5 stars. Its cute and funny but I don't know if I enjoyed the whole YouTuber aspect of the book (probably because I am so anti parasocial relationships, even though the book handles of that well and makes it fun as much as possible.)

Honestly, the largest set back of the book is the social media comment sections - I get the goal of the author and it is an important part of the parasocial dynamic that society faces today BUT I feel like it became redundant and didn't move the plot of the book forward. The star of the book is the humor and our core 4 friends. So much charm there and I found myself laughing out loud a couple of times.

Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a sweet read, but it didn’t quite hit as hard for me as some of the author's earlier books. I liked the idea of exploring a “what if” moment and the themes of identity and self-discovery. I never had a crush like the main character had so it was harder to connect. Still, there’s heart here, and fans of the author will likely enjoy the familiar warmth and introspection.

I liked Imogen's book a lot more than this one--although this one was just as snappy and funny, the plot wasn't quite as tight and the romance is very much a nonevent. I didn't even realize who the other romantic lead was until I was halfway through the book, because there's just no tension or spark whatsoever. I'm just not huge on friends-to-lovers arcs, so it was admittedly already a tough sell for me, but it was veryyy thin regardless of my personal preferences.

These sorts of things usually come in threes, so I'm hoping the third book isn't yet another polemic against too-online gatekeepers of the queer experience. That's now been covered.

Becky's work just keeps getting better and better. This was such an accurate depiction of online fandoms with intense parasocial relationships that I was deeply uncomfortable even though the entire thing is fictional. Also a very accurate depiction of meeting someone you've been a fan of and realizing they are, in fact, just a normal person. And I was so excited to see Imogen and Tessa!

This book was truly such a delight to read. It’s my second Becky Albertalli book (the first being Imogen, Obviously) and I’m happy to say that this book fulfilled all the sapphic yearning that I was desperate for. I think Becky does an incredible job at portraying an important message but delivering it in a way that’s easy and fun to digest. It’s witty on the surface but so, so heartfelt at its core. I could easily see this book being adapted into a series or movie and I think it would be so fun to watch! This book was a perfect summer read and I can’t wait to add it to my rewatch list for the future.

TL;DR: A companion book (of sorts) to Albertalli's [book:Imogen, Obviously|61896624] that falls a bit short and which I put down several times without much impetus to pick it back up. The first half is particularly rocky, with Amelia as an intentionally...if not "unlikable," then definitely "a lot" of a character. The book picks up as more characters enter the narrative and as the different threads come together to create a more cohesive whole.
<b><u>I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</b></u>

Vibes: An Early Aughts CW Teen Drama. Like Dawson's Creek, but with more queer characters.

Genre: *True* YA Queer Contemporary Romance
*Very much a True YA book -- much more so than I remember [book:Imogen, Obviously|61896624] being.

Romance Meter: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 ♡
A lot of romance and identity exploration here. Not a bad thing, by any means.

Character MVP: The Croissantification Analogy. IYKYK.
That was, I think, the thing I liked most about this story and I realize that, out of context, it doesn't make any sense. And that's okay.
But none of the characters really grabbed me, at least not in the way Imogen did in the previous Albertalli book I read. Part of that, I think, is because Amelia is intentionally written to be *a lot.* And it is probably authentically adolescent -- the way that Amelia's parasocial relationships are a driving part of her identity. But it was hard for me (someone very removed from that stage) to connect with her, the way I can sometimes connect with other characters in YA Books.

Verdict: A solid 3-star read for me. As I mentioned, I put this book down often, and wasn't necessarily driven to pick it back up. I enjoyed it while I was reading it, and I would definitely recommend it.

But I didn't love this book the way I loved Imogen, Obviously -- and I'm not quite sure why.

It could have been my headspace; I won't discount that.

But, like Imogen, the first few chapters were rocky: I haven't read enough of Albertalli's books to know if this is just her writing style but I often feel like I'm thrown into the narrative world and it takes more than a minute to orient myself and keep track of who everyone is and how they're related. I don't necessarily want chapters of expository info-dumping, but a little more connective tissue in the chapters would be appreciated.

I can't remember if this is true of Imogen, but a lot of this book was dialogue-driven and/or internal-thought driven. There's not a lot of descriptive passages, which is maybe what I'm picking up on. (That's not necessarily a detraction; just a personal preference for me.)

Also like Imogen, this book seemed highly personal to Albertalli. Given the "parasocial relationships" context, and Albertalli's own admission that's she been on both sides of those -- as the object of them, given that she's a well-known YA author and as a participant in them, given that she seems no stranger to fan culture (there are numerous Taylor Swift references, so Swiftie-commentary is probably in there as well).

But I don't just click with this book. The queer representation and engagement is important, obviously, as is said commentary on parasocial relationships. I loved the different mediums in the book, the splicing in of Reddit threads and transcripts and live Tweets.
I appreciated a lot of it; just didn't *love* it.

A slow burn with a satisfying spark - thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC!

I’ve read all of Becky Albertalli’s books, and Amelia, If Only delivers the kind of heart and honesty I’ve come to expect—especially with a strong bisexual protagonist at its center (always a win!). I’ll admit, it took me a little while to get into this one—the parasocial crush angle felt a bit odd at first—but the deeper I got, the more I appreciated where the story was going. Amelia’s journey feels real, messy, and ultimately rewarding. It may not be my favorite Albertalli novel, but it still captures her signature mix of vulnerability, humor, and hope that my high school students will connect with!

This is one of those books that I wish I had been able to read as a confused and closeted teenager, and wow am I so glad that it exists today. Amelia is so relatable and funny and I really connected to her. I remember having those big teenage feelings and my heart was in my throat the entire time I was reading. Becky Albertalli, I don't know how you do it but I am so glad that you do.

This book is like a rainbow glitter bomb of feelings—hilarious, heartfelt, and sapphic as hell. Becky Albertalli once again proves she’s the queen of queer coming-of-age stories with a tale that’s part internet-crush comedy, part slow-burn best-friends-to-maybe-more, and all heart.

Amelia Applebaum is in a situation. A deeply parasocial, mildly unhinged situation involving prom, a bi YouTuber, and one too many impulse posts. What starts as a wild plan to meet her favorite creator spirals into a last-chance road trip full of snacks, playlists, awkward confessions, and maybe (definitely) realizing the butterflies in her stomach aren’t for a guy at all.

Enter Natalie: cynical, soft-spoken, and quietly devastating with a guitar. Watching Amelia and Natalie orbit each other—misreading signals, saying too much or not enough, cracking jokes to avoid emotional combustion—is like watching your favorite ship in slow motion. It's painful. It’s joyful. It’s everything.

This book captures the messiness of senior year—the thrill of what’s ahead, the ache of what’s ending, the way friendships evolve, and how queerness can sneak up on you in the middle of your own rom-com subplot.

It’s sweet, smart, painfully relatable, and absolutely perfect for anyone who’s ever had a crush on someone fictional… only to realize the real magic might’ve been sitting next to you the whole time. 💘📱🎸🏳️‍🌈🛣️

Perfect for fans of Late to the Party, Imogen, Obviously, and crying in the car with your best friend because you might be falling for her.