I ADORED this book! It was the perfect queer YA romance that really delved into topics that are so relevant for teens right now. I loved the friend group in this book. And Becky Abertalli has a way of writing that makes you feel like you are sitting around gabbing with friends. It was truly delightful and honestly the perfect read for pride month!

Endearing. That's the word that kept popping up when reading this, and frankly all, of Becky Albertalli's books.

Amelia is delightfully clueless - about her celebrity crush, her sexuality, her best friend - and watching her discover it all was sweet. And, yes, endearing.

In the book, Amelia convinces her friend group to go on a road trip to a meet-and-greet for her favorite YouTuber, Walter Holland. The idea of parasocial relationships (one-sided relationships with celebrities) is addressed as Amelia navigates her feelings for Walter. This is certainly a topic young people don't hear about enough, and even I should think about more as I interact with authors online.

While there were no big surprises (I quickly figured out who ended up with who), the book didn't need any. It was exactly what it needed to be: a bunch of chaotic bisexuals figuring out life before college.

As a stand-alone in the "Imogenverse," we get cameos of characters from Imogen, Obviously, but it's not necessary to have read it to enjoy this one. But in my opinion, you should read it anyway as another great Becky book!

Becky Albertalli's writing makes me so happy. Its simplicity and lightness makes her books easy to fall into and digest. 'Amelia, If Only' is another one of Albertalli's books that illustrates how important friendship is and how easily love can take us by surprise.

After loving “Imogen” so much earlier this year, I was hoping this new novel would also knock me off my feet, as many of Becky’s books have done in the past. Unfortunately, I think this one just wasn’t for me. Amelia as a character reminded me a bit too much of an ex-friend of mine in the sense that she’d find a way to make everything about her and what *she* wants (e.g. Amelia making the road trip to meet Walter *seem* like it was to help Natalie be distracted from her breakup). Which like, they’re teenagers so I get it, but I also feel like Amelia wasn’t really challenged about her behavior really at all?? I would have liked to see that. All that said, this is still worth reading if you’re a fan of Becky’s books! Imogen and Tessa make an unexpected cameo, and the things said about parasocial relationships and trying to queerbait actual people/celebrities, plus just being bisexual in general were very on point. I liked where the story ended up as well, though I think the ending was a little rushed.

I adored this!! Despite this only being my second Becky Albertalli book, she writes books that like scratch and itch in my brain in some way. Imogen Obviously did that in too many ways to even list, while Amelia did it in the way that it talked about parasocial relationships and toxic fanbases and how we treat celebrities and people we look up to. And to back it up it has a great friend group with super fun banter and returning characters from Imogen that I was super excited to see again!!

Amelia is like a hot mess honestly but she was a charming hot mess who I liked a lot by the end. Natalie, Zora, and Mark complimented her chaos well and were always getting on board with her wild personality and convo topics. I probably could have worded that a little better but hopefully you get what I mean lol. What I enjoyed most was that in the first half you hear all the things that Walter and Hayden's fanbase said about them, the wild queerbating accusations, the shipping, the arguing over things their fans were treating like facts instead of the invasive assumptions they actually were, etc etc. But later we hear a different perspective on them directly from those affected by them and it really just shows that you never actually KNOW the people you look up to and admire in the spotlight. They aren't objects for you to speculate about and try to invade into their personal business for fun, they are literally just human beings who deserve respect and privacy. The parts where it shows us twitter comments, threads, tweets, and interviews from the Drama clash fandom are all too real because I know I see a lot of the same stuff on my social media every single day. And one specific thing that bothered me about that is that in those parts, it kept being said that both boys were queer, which Walter was, but Hayden was never confirmed to be so it was just added to the list of things their fans had taken as fact when it never really was in the first place. I have probably too much to say on that topic because I have very strong opinions about it so ill keep most of it to myself but basically I just really liked that aspect of it lol.

One thing that didn't quite land for me was Natalie and Amelia's relationship. Like they were cute as friends that I could've gotten on board with as something more completely, but it was such a slowburn that by the time the slowburn actually picks up into something more, we were at the end and it felt rushed and thrown in last minute. So it was cute but it had more potential than it lived up to. But like I said I liked them as individual characters anyways so it's very whatever to me, I get that it wasn't really the main plot of the book either. I also felt like pacing was a little weird and most of the time I didn't know where we were going direction wise which was tough. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy, all opinions have been my own!

I remember the first time I read a Becky Albertalli. I was never the same.

This is another wonderful additon to her zeitgeist. I clutched this ARC to my chest and sighed with joy. I loved the road trip that made Amelia question everything- those moments of realization that hit so hard are an Albertalli staple.

Walter is the boy we all think we want. I resonated so hard with that misplaced longing. I loved Imogen, Obviously with all my heart and felt like Imogen was a little piece of me. I feel the same about Amelia, but I also totally think there are people who are even more like Amelia out there who will feel so seen by her chaotic brain (complimentary). I cannot wait for those people to find her <3.

Amelia was an absolutely delightful protagonist. She was quirky and I loved her nicknames for her friends. I love a good YA road trip story!

Becky Albertalli’s books are always adorable and fun, and this one is no different. We have a similar cast of silly, dramatic friends who, yes, are immature, but add a lot of energy to the story. This story is full of bi love and appreciation, which I love to see, especially in the YA genre. Exploring parasocial relationships is also a cool take, and I liked seeing Amelia’s journey with it. I do think the romance between Natalie and Amelia was lacking, mostly because there was SO much focus on Walter and not enough time spent on her relationship with her friend.

Also, this is set in the same world as Imogen, Obviously, and there is a fun cameo of the friend groups, but it can still easily be read as a standalone.

While this book had a slow start, once the story got going, I loved every second of it! Becky’s books are always just so easy to fall into and lose yourself in and it’s the best always! I loved Amelia, I related a little too hard to the parasocial relationship aspect 😅, I loved this friend group, and I loved seeing the Imogen crew again and for the two groups coming together. Just really enjoyed it! 🥰

As someone who has enjoyed everything Becky Albertalli has ever written, I'm happy to report that Amelia, If Only was no exception. As usual with Becky's books, I found the cast of characters to be so loveable and endearing. The road trip and friendship elements in this book added such a fun layer to a story with a surprising amount of depth. I loved the commentary on internet celebrity and parasocial relationships, especially as it pertains to queer public figures. I also enjoyed the representation of different types of queerness and queer relationships. And, of course, a sapphic friends-to-lovers romance will get me every time. It was so fun to see Imogen and Tessa, too! Overall, this isn't my favorite Becky book, but it was still super heartwarming and made me think about lots of the topics it discussed in a new way. Definitely recommend for fans of her writing!

Amelia, If Only by Becky Albertalli is about high schooler Amelia Applebaum. Amelia has a crush on a YouTuber named Walter Holland and when an opportunity comes up she convinces her best friends to road trip with her to meet him. Along the way Amelia considers what it means to have a crush on someone.

I really enjoyed the full cast of characters in this book. The group dynamic amongst the friends was well done. You could see how they all fit together even with their different personalities.

I did struggle with Amelia’s personality some. She felt like she was always on even when in her own head. When she was interacting with people and her friends she was very relateable because they brought a good balance to her energy. When it was just her thoughts I found her a bit overwhelming to follow.

Overall, this was an enjoyable book with a satisfying ending.

Thank you Becky Albertalli, HarperCollins, and NetGalley for this ARC.

I have always loved Becky's work, ever since I read Simon back in college and with each new novely, her craft seems to get even more enticing. Amelia, If Only is definitely her best yet. So sweet and laugh out loud funny! Also, I loved when Imogen and Tessa made an appearance!

Thank you HarperCollins Children's and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC!

Funny, sweet and enjoyable! I love Becky Albertalli's writing and characters, and this book is no different. Her dialogue is so sharp and witty. I really liked Amelia, although I wish we got a bit more introspection (although she is a very oblivious character, so that makes sense). The shipping/parasocial commentary was interesting and important, but I think the main friend group suffered a bit because of it. I loved seeing Imogen again :')

I love diving into a novel written by Becky.
I will literally read anything by her. Becky has such a gorgeous way with words and weaving stories that are just beyond compelling.
Amelia, If Only by Becky Albertalli was a quick and easy read for me.
Every book that I've read by Becky seems to be a hit.
She is amazing at crafting relatable characters with genuine voices.
This was just the perfect story and I loved every second of it.

I typically love anything that Becky Albertalli writes, but this one just wasn't for me. As always, the novel was extremely wholesome, filled with characters who you quickly fall in love with and are immediately jealous of their friend group. With that said, and maybe because I am an older millennial, I just didn't grow up with/was never into the fandoms and obsession with online personalities. It felt very niche and specific. It is a stand-alone novel ,but does have repeat characters from Imogen, Obviously which was cute to see! I would only be able to recommend to certain students in my classroom, which is why I didn't rate it higher. Just not for me on this one, but others I am sure will love!

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Please keep in mind the following content warnings: Homophobia, Biphobia, and Outing.

I finished this book while on a plane from San Juan to Boston and it was a very fun read while stuck on a four hour trip. I found Amelia quite relatable as someone who has been in many fandoms, many that included parasocial relationships that were slightly unhinged. I'm also a sucker for the friend-to-lovers trope, especially when the main character doesn't realise they have feelings for their friend but it's obvious to everybody else. I also laughed so many time while reading and had to hold back from laughing so hard in the middle of the plane. However, it's not only a funny book as it also has good commentary on fandom culture, shipping real people, and speculating on people's sexualities.

Now onto why it's not a 5 stars book for despite how much fun I had. The first quarter of the book, while still enjoyable, I found them a bit slow. There's also the fact that this is in the same world as Imogen, Obviously, which it's my favourite Becky Albertalli and it has truly raised my expectations when it comes to her books. Yes, I enjoyed this, would for sure add this to my personal library, but it didn't left a long lasting impression on me the same way Imogen, Obviously did.

Oh, Amelia. You beautiful, chaotic, bisexual ray of sunshine. No surprise here, but I loved this book. Amelia’s narration and her tangents on tangents of thoughts were so delightful. All the crazy and creative nicknames she gave to her friends were amazing. I really enjoyed the Reddit posts and transcripts of videos and interviews with Walter and Hayden. That added such a cool layer to the look at parasocial relationships and fandoms. It was just such a fun book and also, LOVED the Imogen and Tessa appearances! I’m hoping there’s another book (or two) in the Imogenverse because I just love these characters and little world so much. Albertalli does it again and I’m so happy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Epic Reads for the digital reader’s copy!

I'm so disappointed to say that I did not enjoy this book, and I almost DNFed. I kept reading because I absolutely loved 'Imogen, Obviously', and I was excited to see characters from that book.

It's hard to describe this story because the romance part of it doesn't start until about 85%-90% into the book, and it seemingly comes out of nowhere. I actually loved the last 10%-15% of the book. If there was more of that part of the story, it would have been a much different book.

Unfortunately, the story spent so much time on transcripts from Youtube clips or interviews, which didn't add anything to the story.

The story focuses on Amelia, who is a high school senior, and she has a parasocial relationship with Walter, who is a famous Youtuber. With her three best friends, she heads out on a road trip to meet Walter in person. So much of the story focuses on Walter, but he is not the main love interest for Amelia. Toward the end of the book, Amelia discovers that she might have feelings for her best friend, Natalie. It felt so abrupt, and I wish that more of the story was spent around Natalie and Amelia, instead of on Walter.

DNFed at 25%. I usually love Becky Albertalli's books and particularly adored her last one, "Imogen, Obviously," so I was so excited to read this! But something about this book was really irking me. It felt a little all over the place, but I think some of it was Amelia's narration style. It was very bubbly and over-the-top without anything to break it up. I also did not think the friend group's banter was funny. The premise-- following Amelia’s intense parasocial relationship with a YouTuber, balanced with her friend group's dynamics-- felt contrived and... a little boring. I hope that one day I'll return to this book because I feel it could have a good message. I genuinely think a lot of people will love this book, but it's just not for me right now.

dnf because i fear i've outgrown becky albertalli books. i've loved previous books but this one was just too slow for my liking