Monday, July 23, 2018

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli -- OPTIONAL

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli. Balzer + Bray (HarperCollins), 2017. $17.99.

CONTENT: Language: R (100+ swears; 20+ 'f'); Mature Content: R (Nothing beyond kissing happens in-scene on the page, but there are plenty of in-depth discussions about very mature subjects, and there is some in-scene, on-the-page drinking from various underage characters in several different chapters.); Violence: G.

BUYING ADVISORY: HS -- OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Seventeen-year-old Molly has had over twenty crushes -- all unrequited. But when her twin sister falls for another girl and enters a relationship, Molly realizes she will be left behind if she doesn't start making romance happen for herself. Good thing this usually-monogamous crusher has two new guys in her sights, which gives her double the chances -- if only she can woman-up enough to go for them both.

I absolutely loved this book, which was written by the same author as Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (which became the movie Love, Simon). It was sweet and fun and peopled with a wide variety of characters. Best of all, the romantic arc was satisfying, leaving me with a smile on my face long after I closed the final page. Because of the mature content it's definitely for an older audience, but said audience is likely to absolutely adore it. Many underrepresented teens will find people like themselves on the pages, helping them to feel seen, and helping those more mainstream teens to develop empathy of kids who may otherwise be considered outcasts. All in all a wonderful read. I can't wait to read her next book now.

Sydney G., K-6 Library Media Specialist

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